Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-06-17

Tennessee. The conferences Vas then
organized by The transfer Of W. c.
Daily, G. A. Gown, and X G.. Guthrie,
from the Kentucky Conference They
we're formerly Of Tennessee. T. Stiever
was transferred from Ohio Conference,
Thomas H. Pearson from Oregon, aad
f. w. Spence from Cincinnati. ia 5mla
On the frs. days session, some 6fiesn
or eighteen persons who had been mem
bers Of the Holston Conference Of the
N. f Church South, and on the sues
ceeeing days, sundry others, to the mum.
Der, in All, of forty-one, we're received.
They had, for the most part remained
true to the flag Of their country. Their
narrative of the suffering and sacrifices
endured in consequences of that deVo-
lion, was thrilling in the extreme. -
The conference unanimously adopted
the following principles to govern in the
admission OF ministers who had been In
sympathy WiIh rebellion: g" a. s.iisi
wHEREaa It sxpsetsd By the loyal Method
ists Of the South, And especially o. East Tonnes
see th@1 in the reorganization Of the Holaten CON-
fersncs OF The NJ II. Church, that strict inquiry
will be made touching the opinions eoncerning,
and relations 80 the late rehsllion, Of applicants
for admission snd recognltion ~ accredited min
ist rs, aud that said opinions and rsiatioaa vii
shape, to \ greater less extent, our official
action In thoss casss; We therefore deem Il
sary 10 state briefly she general principles con
cerning Us ia the premises. Therefore, .
Resoired, I. That IL is the sense Of this body
that thoae who entered IN o the late Tebellioa,
and imbfbed the spirit thereof, are guilty Of
crime which is aufaeisha 20 exclude them from the
Kingdom Of Grace and Glory aud should NOT lie
dmiind into thia Con srsnee, save upon faltcGn-
ssion and thorough repet tancs. r
2. That those minister's who abandoned their
work Ard their homes, aud Abacoadsd the counL ry
upon the approach OF the National dag, have 30
far forfeited thsir claims % our eonndsnes and
christian fellowship tha- they should not be re-
cogniEed by members Of this Coniefesee As accred-
itsd ministers until b sha have heeR restored
by the proper suthorit sfof the ChureE.
3. That in the reception Of preachers inte this
body constant regard will be bad, not ony 60 their
personal AlifcAtions elairns upon oaF ehris-
tian kindness and charity, but also TO the opln-
Ions. fseliBgs and wishes Of oar people and noHs
ought to bs Rdmiitsd whose eoaduet dnfing The
late rebellion has been such as to make them odOus
TO the masses, and whose psetulBsss a+ min istsrs
Of the gospel has been svid ntiy saericed 10 the
unhoIy cause 81 treason aud rebeiliSn.n
4. That while we ieel eonstraiued thus q infi
| cate what Is now the ne essarv policy Of their
Conference, We viii With hopefRl heaIts 10 for
ward to the time, and hope IL 10 not far distant.
when general eoundsnee, friendship aad sood viii
shall be restored, and whens A. in better days, Se
| oor great work aud labsr eF ievsJ . sJtl -
| They also, win equal uuaBimity,
adopted the following report on the Stats
oil the country: sf.1bg s4s4 d5iw saais
REPORT ON THE STATE or THE COUNTRY.
Your Committee on the State of the
Country respectfully report; -.4 -.
The Holston Conference Of The Meth
odist Episcopal Oharch, in resuming the
place she occupied among her sister
Conferences up TO 1914, takes decided
position of loyalty, and heartily agrees
with them in their outspoken antagonism
10 slavery. 'oii4i'i'hAa H@ h1oii
Our people have given costly proofof
their devotion to the National Govern
menL BY their votes slavery in Ten.
nesse has been buried beyond, as we
trust, hope Of resurrection. Ns't' s. 20
In assuming this position, this Con-
ference makes for herself very differ.
eut record from that Of Holstou Confer.
ence of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South touching these questions. I'D, +.
That Conferences, AZ its session held
in this city in 1862, expelled one Of It's
members ''for joining the enemies aoi
his country" that is, for being loyal
citizen, and aiding bis Government in
suppressing rebellion. IL suspended
another member for similar reason.
In an elaborate report presented by
John NJ McLeer, on these cases and
others similarly accused, "the continued
\ agitation on the subject-of slavery" by
the churches North, is falsely assigned
as the cause Of the late wicked rebel
lion. .......-.., #-. te.e dfs-
We say falsely, because it was not the
agitation of the slavery question, but
the ineradieabls tendencies and vices Of
the system itself which brought Rbout
the unhappy events which have trans
pired. That report also openly Ayows
and advocates the rightfniness OF The
late attempted disruption of the United
States, and gravely urges "the Metho.
dist Episcopal Church South, alike be.
cause of her historical antecedents and
her docirinal peculiarities touching
Southern Institutions generally, and this
Institution (slavery) especially, !" 20 ''be
found arrayed, side by side, with athe
great masses Of the Southern Pecple, IN
rehgiously conlending, in part, fer the
same rights-political, civil, and reIigi.
ous-for the security Of which they were
I compelled, in 1874, to adopt measure:
for q separate and indapendent ecplesi
Astical oFganization.-zven Is Ia 2
but now that these questions 4 &ab
strAct political questions, Of secession
and rebelhou) have assumed crncret,
form, aud under the inspiration of abo
lition fanRtieism, have kindled the 6res
OF the most brutal and ruthless war evei
known to the history Of man, in volyins
every interest, political and religious
held TO be most sacred and absofuteh
vital 10 the present and futare veal o
our people, It is the deliberate conVic
ton of your committee, that no patriot
no Christian, and least of al, no Chris
tisu minister who claims to. be eiiizel
Of the Confederate States of America
and who is presumed 10 be even partial
!. ly acquainted with this Unhappy cuntrc
versy, can throw the weight Of BIZ
opiaions, words or acts into the scale7o
: our enemies against US With moral I'm
puuity, or with conscience. void of oi
Tense toward God and his fellow-cour Z
trymen." -s71 fas41zl ss
Such reasonable deliverances, by tn
body Of ministers, in the ninstesnt
century, and in the United States, a
:. we'll as the apparent spirit ID which the
! were adopted, and the eihtoHerant, releu
less and bitter prosecutions of disssE
tients By which they were followed, jus
! ly produce surprise and astonisansnl
!. for they present q most hRmiliatiRgl fas
in the history Of religious organiz
! tion-s fact from which, il would seer
4 alt good, true, patriotic aud cAristis
: men must turn away With inefab
shame and regret e .1iua Gf ssiff3eaB
IL view Of the foreign facts and col
! siderstions, il is therefore, TAO
: RsasIrs1, That We hA1 Nth intsaas, laaxpresi
. bic pleasure and profound grAtituds - GOd, 81