, 1865-06-27
THE NON.F:PI@COPA METH.
ODE&TSs
OF Church Union
and Declaration for Negro SuUrnre

From the Cleveland Leader, aith.1
The Convention Of the various bodies OF
Non-Episccpa1 Metbcdists, which has b.cn
in session in this city for three days, closed
their proceedings yesterday.
The Committee on the Basis Of Union pre-
sented their report, which was discussed With
great enthusiasm and unanimously adopted
hy 4 rising vote:
THE BASIS OF UNION oE-CHCRcMEs.
It IL not The object Of this Convention to
cnnsummate at this time union Of the
churches represented by Its members-be1ng
unauthorized and without Instructions to
that work.
Neither is It the object Of this CONVENTION
to elaborate the detail Of o basis Of union,
nor to detail the mode Of consummating q
union, for the 1easons above indicated.
With great caution, and By the use ot
guarded, though hopeful language, the call
for this Convention ventures only to suggest
the possibility Of so presenting the claims Of
Christian union that IT may ultimately be
fully communicated by the legitimate Gu
thoffty.
yentIon-to be hereafter forwarded to Ill the
Methodist bodies here represented for thelr
informatlon-the following reso1utfonsas our
fail and final report:
l. That the union Of the Methodist bodies
here represented, Is respectfully reeom-
merded to the early consideration Of the
Annual Conferences Of the Methodistl Pro.
testant Church Of the Wesleyan Methodist
Connection Of the Free Methodist Church;
the Independent Methodist Conference,
character who may desire to unite With
these.
e.. Thot we recommend the calling ofa
Convention, to be held In Union Chapel, Gin
clcnati, On the second Wednesday Of May,
16cG, and constituted on the following basis
IF }nfi u fSrn nrefu
layman for each five hundred members and
f,aeslops Of over half Of ave hundred. SaM
Convention 10 be fnlly authorized to flI upon
basis OF un.on, aaa til. mode Of It's coOsum-
matiop-snhject to such contfsmatory action
BY the bodies represented, as may be agreed
upon By said convention.
.. That we recommend that the plan Of
union shall fully and entirely secure the ill.,
ertY Of the local churches on New Testament
principles that an efficient ittnerant minis
t1J shall be maintained, and that annual aud
general conferences Bhnfl be maintained, with
power to make al. needfu1 regulations consls-
tent with the principles and Institutions OF
the New Testament, as may be uecesssry to
carry Into effect the grtas principles of Scrip
tu.al Christianity.
DECLARATION FOB METRO SUFFRAGE,
While We arrow our confidence In, md pur-
pose to sustain, the government in its a-du-
Gus efforts to reconstruct the nation, and dis
aF0W all Wish 70 dlctake lndt'efttnently to our
rulers, as to matters Of State policy, We c1u-
not too earnestly express our conviction that
to deny the right Of suffrage to the loyal col
orel population Of the South, thus leaving
them still by discriminating and unft1cully
legislation, would not only 10 crime against
humanity and justice aud the nag which
these freedmen have helped to carry in tri-
umph and to plant anew over all the alive
States-woula not only preFent the healing
Of the nation's wounds, but must inevitably
lead to limitations, Instructions and civIl 1:s-
cord in future.
With these convictions therefore, we can
not bnt regard the question Of negro suffrage
as the question Of the hour. and ono upon tho
adjustment Of which depends the veal o. voc
Of the nation Tor yeass to come. And as
convention Of ministers and laymen from