Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1874-06-04
General Conference of M. T..
Church South.

Inc ueneral conference ol ministers ana
laymen, delegates from the different an.
nual conferences Of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church South, now in session ut Lou
iNille, Kentucky, will become memorable
in ecclesiastical history on account of
some Of the reasons assigned on Saturday
last for declining u restoration Of the
former union of all the conferences, of
that denomination as it existed before tho
separation in 1914.
This division occurred on account of
differences of opinion on the slavery ques-
tim. The Methodist discipline, which
was then recognized as the law Of the
whole Church in the United States, con>
tanned rule prohibiting its members
from buying or selling men, women, and
children for the purpose Of enslaving
them" This rule, as 1t came to be con
strued, did not prohibit holding slaves, nor
dealing in mes, women, and children who
had previously been reduced to that con-
dition. The laymen of that Church re-
siding without States toleratiDg slavery
held slaves, and probably dealt in tnem
as property, like other citizens. But a
different and more stringent rule appli.
ed to the ministers of that denomination
who were in what was called "the active
work"--that is, who we're members Of the
different annual conferences, and, conse,
quently, subject to the orders of the
bishops to remove to ard labor in any
part of the United States. A rule ap,
piled to them prohibiting slaveholding a
we'll as buying and selling people into
slavery.
Il so happeHed that a Methodist minis
ter. member of one of the Southern
annual conferences, married lady who
owned a slave. Supposing that he, by
virtue of the marriage, became the legal
owner, some of his brethren requested
him to emancipate this servant, which De
declined, on the ground that the slave
was, in fact, his wife's property, and that
bo would not, even if he had the legal
right, interfere with her ownership. lie
was put on trial for the offense, and the
case ultimately carried to the General
Conference of the whole Church for a
inal hearing. The General Conference
decided that a minister so related to slave
ry could not remain member of an an,
nual conference of the Methodist Episco>
pal Church whereupon the delegates
present from the slave>holding State call.
ed meeting, and made preliminary ar.
raugements for geographical division ol
the Church, which were agreed to by 8
majority Of the delegates from all the
States in the Union, subject to ratification
by the anual conferences. It was called
the general plan for separation, ant
contemplated an eqitable division of tht
property of the Church, held in common
and division of territory as q field fol
the future labors of each party, and (
a mode of adjustment of the ownership o
church edifccs in tie Border States
where it was supposed that congregation
might be divided IN sentiment, par
preferring the Southern organization anC
part that remaining in the North, calle(
by them the Old Church.
The annual conferences in the Southern
States nearly all ratified the 'plan," bu
those in the North failed to do so, it wa;
claimed, as provided by the Fundamental
law of the Church, by which all were
bound. The a, nual conferences in til,
Southern States, however, proceeded tc
perfect their organization as distinct
ecclesiastical body, calling it "The Meth
odist Episcopal Church South" ant
formed general conference according t
the general provision of the preliminary
agreement, and ultimately brought sui
for and recovered in the courts their pro
portion of the common property, which
was paid or arranged satisfactorily to
both parties to the controversy; but tn
adjustment of the ownership Of the churcl
edfces End the like property located il
the States bordering on the line Of terri
torial division caused endless disputes
resulting in gricvOus heartburnings. Th
Church South insisted on the observanc
of the ''plan" laid down by the Genera
Conference of 1874, and those who ad
hered to the Northern organization de
MED that any plan had been constitution
ally adopted, considering asthey did tha
the General Conference had only powe
to propose to the annual conferences, ant
not to enact these rules, and they neve
were legally enacted,
, At the clsse Of the recent war of th'