The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-06-11
American FEesbyterians and SYu
very.

We recently called attention to the import.
ant resolutions on the Slavery question which
were passed by the General Conference of
the Methodist Episcopal Church. and which
l,Iorc the lapse of another year, will cXtir-
pate slaveloi'lin" in the largest Protestant
church in The country. As tEc Methodist
kpi+rupnl Church has Il very numerous
membership in all the Border slave States.
and has more recently established nnmrr0u>
missions in all the recovered Rebel States.
the effect of this change in her Constitution
rHnno! but hr marked
y series of resolutions. no less important
and indicative Of the radical chang" which
the sentiments Of this country has undergone
,nring he last four wears in regard to :>la-
very. has Just been passed by the General
Assembly Of the Old School l'rcsb, icrian
Church. No one among the great religious
denominations of the United States had
more completely abandoned the Amti-Sla-
very position which at the beginning of this
century all the churches of the. country nc-
cupicd none. at the beginning of Tie Re
heliioil. seemed more ready 10 grant any
concession which it might please the Slave
Power to demand. H. adoption, therefore,
of the strong though not prnhihitory rrSolu-
tions Against Slavery, i, the more noteworthy.
The declaration OF the General Assembly,
was prompted by an overture from the Pres
lvtery of Newton, which asked for such ac
lion US would meet the present position of
the Slavery question. 1t wa presented by
the Hon. Stanley Matthew's. formerly a lead,
Ing Democrat of Ohio, and District Atturne;
during the Presidency of Buchanan and,
in its Introductory part, gives a >uccinc his
tnrca review of the action Of former Gen
.,r;l Assemblies. 10 the reader OF these
testimonies, ii must appear almost meredith"
H.,
.\nti-Slaycry dcciarntous could. without
rrn$nra. permit some of her most prominent
Iivincs. like nr. Thornwrll and br. Palmer.
Ia advocate the most ultra Pro Slavery view.
The strongest of these Anli-:'iavcry trstmo.
nIcS is that given ty the General Assembly
ui 1918. The delegates of thai Assembly,
including those from Georgia and South
Carolina, $olcmuly declared tlt they con
SiI"rcd he voluntary cnSayiny OF one
portion of the human race by another as Il
gross violation of the most precious and
sacred rights of human nature a. utterly in
consistent with the law of God which re-
qHres us to love or eiLhbor as ourselves.
and as totally irrCconciiahlc with tic spirit
and principles OF the Gospel Of Christ, which
cnions that - all things whatsoever We would
that men should do to you, dc We even 20 to
them - They, therefore. declared il to be
- manifcStly the duty Of all Christians who
enjoy the light of the present day, when III"
Inconsistency of Slavery both with the die
tatcs OF humanity and of religion has been
demonstrated and is generally seen and ac
knowlrd grd. to use their honest. earnest and
unwcarcd endcayors to correct the errors of
former times, and as speedily as possible to
ellace this blot on our holy religion. and To
obtain t:lc complete abolition of Slavery
throughout ChriStendon, and, if possible
Al, l 4
ncstly 8 cXhortcd those portions Of the
cntaicd upon them, to continue and if pos
Sible, to increase their cXerJOnS to effect
total abolition of Slavery Such was the
position of Tie churches of South Carolina
and Georgia in 1918. In 1850 the leaders
OF Southern society including the leading
Presbyterian cl"raymcn, attempted to found
~ new Contcderacv. with Slavery as its cor
ner-stone.
The report of 1864 cautiously refers TO
this astounding transition by merely remark
ing: % We have all much to confess and la
mcnt as to or shortcomings in this respect. :
1t then goes an to define the present sent-
ments Of the Church. - 1t is our Judgment, e
il saws. "that the recent events of our his
tory and the present condition of our church
and country furnish manifest tokens that the
time has at length come III the Providence
of God, when it is His will that every vest
ige Of human Slavery among US should be
cffacrd, and that every Christian man should
address himself with industry and earnest
ness TO hi, appropriate part in the rertor
nance OF this great duty They declare
that 8 those who were mo,s deeply Interested
in the perpetration of Slavery have taken
away every motive for its further tolera
ton, and that they have rendered the con
tinuancc of negro Slavery incompatible with
the preservation of our own liberty and in
Dependence.
Still more remarkable than the report itself
were the debates on it. Although there
were delegates present from Presbyterics in
Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, West Nir-
ginla, and tllc District of Columbia. beside
many Northern delegates who in years past
had always been regarded as ultra Demo
cratic, no speech was made, not even a vote
cast against II. twill appearin the records
of the Church as a declaration passed with
entire unauimity. Though the Assembly
did not follow the example Of the Mctho-