Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-07-26

n@p1Eatc OfZ&ulzAbl0uf tnE 28CA-O1A@N
Episcopal Church South The cause
of this secession was slavery and the
southern body became from time 70 time
more and more openly slaysholdir ~
church; il ceased TO bear witness against
the evils of slavery; became next strong
ly pro-slavery; and finally the influence
OF its numereus miaisters and journals
was cast, almost without exception, in
favor of secession. The Southern Meth
odist Church was. In fact, one of the
most powsrfal agencies in the work
which 1ancey properly called firing
the Southern heart, and prsefpitatipg the
South into revolution Calhoun foresaE
this, and expressed bis joy at the seces-
sion Of 1874 The infneuee this pro
slavery organization vas able to WELD
( in favor Of treason and rebellion may be
estimated from i.s nnmbers II contain
ed, in 1859, 2,l66 travelling preachers,
SIT local preachers, and 5ll ,60l mem.
bers, 2l colleges for yoang men, % col
leges and q high schools for young
women, and ten jotsrnals s-eigh: Of them
weekly In all Of these journals the
/ justice Of slavery and the righteousness
and necessity Of secession were zealous
iy taught
The Northern Methodist Church,
though il continued to declare the wick
edness of slavery, still admitted the
Shareholders to membership; until the
outbreak Of the war considerable party
| justified this course, while smaller sec
tion demanded even greater latitude for
Shareholders, or at least less Interference
with them by the church. Bat the last
three years have taught many important
lessons to loyal Americans; the events
Of the war have shown that few kHeto be-
| fore, the barbarous influences of the slave
system upon the masters They have re
| vealed the horrors Of slavery in every
State, aad have shown to the God-fearing
! that wherever il exists il breeds in the
Shareholders sel6shness, cruelty, ayarice,
contempt of Law, hatred to liberty, aver
sion to free workingmen, dislike Of free
institutions, aud eonssquentreadiness TO
destroy the Union, the great safeguard
Of oar popular liberties The action Of
/ she Methodist GensraI Conference shows
that these fruits Of slavery have been re-
marked by the members of that body,
and they have promptly taken measures
to expel them their organization
the parent Of so many vices and evils. II
will require a year 10 procure the ratih-
cation by the annual conferences Of the
amendments just adopted at Phliadel-
delphia; hut this ratification is held to
be certain.
Thus. after a struggle Of many years,
one OF the most numerous Of our Chris
tian churches at last purges itself en-
tirely Of wrong which il has tolerated
too long, though il has at all times con-
tinued 10 bear witness against it. The
action Of the General Conference is
matter for public eengratulation; it is
an important step towards placing all
the Christian churches IN America upon
right principles in thisimportsnt matter
-NsIo York Epeaing Post
rHE PREsBYrRRIAs GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
tom scHoaL 4A
Important Report on lie Slarery Ques-
tion-- Strong 4nti. Slavery Senh
ments- The Rebellion and ifs Causes
In the Old School Presbyterian Gene
raj Assembly at Newark, II. j., on May
24th, Judge Mathews, from the Comm!t-
tee on Bills and 0vertnfes, presented An
able report on the subject Of slavery.
founded upon an overture of the Presby-
terry of Newton The reading OF this re
port produced profound sensation, and
it was BY large majority ordered to be
printed and made the special order for
the 9th
We give the report ia full &:
REPORT OF THE connTTEE Oh BILLS AND
ovEErrREs.
The Comzittse of Bills And Overturss
report:
Overture No. IL, FROM the Presbytery
Of Newton, recitiag the former deliver
Anees OF the General Assembly upon the
subject Of slavery in this country and
the dEty Of emancipation, and asking
this General Assembly to take such &C
| ton as in their wisdom seems proper to
meet the present aspects of human bond
age in our country, and recommend the
adoption Of the following: II
In the opinion Of the General AsseH-
bly, the solemn aud momsntoas eircnm.
stances Of our times, the state OF our
country aud the coadition OF our ehu-es,
| demand plain declaration Of it's senti
ments upon the question of slavery, in
view Of its present aspects in this coun-
try. sss
In our early days our church in Amer
lea delivered unequivoeai testimonies
upon this subject, which it will be profit
able now to reafirm-
HISTORICAL REVIEW or THE ACTION OF
FORMER GEsERAI. AssENsLlEs
In the year 1887, the Synod Of New
York and Philsdelphia, in view of move
ments then on foot for the abolition of
slavery, and highly approving Of them,
I declared that "iuasmneh as men intro
duced from a servile state 10 participa-
/ tios of all the privileges of civil society,
without proper education, and without
previous habits Of industry, may be, In
many respects, dangerous 10 the eommu-
nifty, therefore they earnestly recon-
mend to all the members belonging to
their communion to give these persons
who are at present held in servitudei
! such good education as to prepare them
for the better enjoyment Of freedom.
And finally they rec
ommend 1t to all their people 10 use the
laost prudent measures consistent with
the interest Of the state Of eivil society
/ in the countries where they live. TO pro-
cure eventaslly the final abolition Of
slavery in America. aA@es --4
elm 1875, the General Assembly "as-
sured all the clutches under their care
thatthey view with the deepest concern
any vestises of slavery which may exist
in our country - rrz
In 1915 the following record was made
"The General Assembly have repeatedly
declared their cordial appreciation Of
those principles Of civil liberty which
appear to be recognized b the Federal
and State Governments Of the United
States. They have expressed their re
gret that the slavery Of the Africans and
Of their descendants still continues in
20 maRy places, and even among those
- L. IL. L L 4 -