The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-02-16
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
- AND SLAVERY. .s.s'-*

EDITOR JounNAL,-With your per.
mission, I will criticise statement
made in Prot. Moore's lecture Of Tues
day evening. It was to tho effect that
tie Presbyterian church did, 10 form
er times, sanction and uphold slavery
as divine institution. I leave an in
telligeut audience to decide as to the
taste displayed by the lecturer in max
ing this statement; but as to tho tacts
Of the case, fow words may not be
out Of place.. 1t 50 happens that I
have the documentary history Of this
question rs connected with the Presby-
terian church from 1774 to 1864, con.
tanning every action taken by the
church during that period, but in all
that find nothing that looks like sane
tioning slavery. The Professor will
pardon me for endeavoring to refresh
his memory. The first man on this
continent to stir up an organized polit-
ical action against slavery was DR.. Hop
kius, Of Newport, R. I. He obtained,
in 1774, tho passage of a law prohib-
ting the importation Of slaves into the
colony. In 1873 he formed the plan
for evangelizing Africa by sending ne
gro missionaries who were qualified for
the work. His plan was adopted by
the Synod of New York and Philadel-
phia, then one body. (See Minutes 1878,
PIP. 1860 This was the first action
ever taken by this church. The see.
ond action was taken in May, 1881, and
avo~ed distinctly the ultimate emanci-
patton of the slaves as the policy Of
this church. (Min. 1857, p. 54o.) This,
rs your readers know, was long before
this question became of general inter-
est. The third action was in relation
TO communion with shareholders, ad-
vised peace, and the education of the
negroes that they might be prepared
for emancipation, and held the church
members responsible for this education.
1875, P. 104) The instruction
Of the negro was again enforced in 1900,
1901, AID 1907. (See minutes for those
,ears) In 1915 the Assembly iu its
official capacity reb.ked the buying and
selling Of slaves and all cruelty Of
treatment. (Min. 1915, p. $751;
In 1916 the Assembly promptly ap-
proved the organization of the Ameri-
can Colonization Society, and from that
time to 1858, that society was recon-
mended no less than eleven times. In
1918 came the great action, just when
the Missouri trouble was before the
country. That action debarred from
church membership every ono who
bought or sold slaves, and then adds !:
owe consider the voluntary enslaving Of
one portion of the human race by an
other as gross violation Of the most
precious aud sacred rights Of human
nature; and as totally irreconcilable
With the spirit and principles OF the gos-
pei OF Christ" (Minn. 1918, p. 692.)
This action was approved and referred
to as the law at every Assembly when
the question came up till 1862, when
DR.. Breckenridge offered the great res
olotion that resulted in dividing the
church into North and South. This
DR.. b. was the man who did, and the
only man who could, save Kentucky to
the Union. I have now said enough
to show that the Professor has made a
serious mlsstatement. If he so wishes,
l will show him the documetary history
from which I have gathered these facts.
E. Y. CAMPBELL.