New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-28
Fraternal Messengers at the Baltimore
Conference.

Conference.
Messrs johnson. Dickinson and Tanner.
fraternsl messengers from the African
Methodist Episcopal Church, were pre-
sented to the conference.
Rev. Mr. johnson said he felt proud to
stand in the presence Of the assembled wis
dom of the nation, and the grandest conyo-
cation ever held in the United States.
'Methodism had destroyed heathendom and
trampled pagan idols in the dust. Here,
We see the magnificence of its organization;
in. Africa, the splendor of its results. De-
tachmen,s had been sent there, the banner
of the cross had been unfurled, school,
houses built, churches erected. and great
religious facilities devised. The walls of
China had also been scaled, and the power
Of the gospel felt in India, and in the
islands OF the sea. Its servants had pl0wed
oceans. navigated rivers, ridden through
valleys, and Overcome all difficulties, until
to-day barbarism had given place 20 civil
ization, idolatiy to Christianity, and rude
ness to refinement.
Tie Church had also directed its energies
to the evangelization of the civilized as we'll
as the uncivilized world. 1t had denounced
slavery, fought against it. prayed against it
and at last crushed and destroyed it. II
sways and influences the polity of our ma
ton. 1t does not believe in bringing the
question of politics into religion, but it
brings religion into politics, and attempts to
secure honest and Christian Statesmen and
lawgivers. He trusted soon ali distinctions
rs to color would be forgotten and brotherly
love and unity prevail.
Rev. Mr.. Tanner said before the war the
Church in the South saw the great moral
issues Of the day as well as she could. Dur
ing the war she was the first to see to the
bottom of slavery. to recognize Gods voice
in the conflict, and to speak forth words OF
no uncertain sound. Since the war she had
behaved nobly, had gone South and stayed
there, and that was right smart. Laugh,
teri. When c"lored people spoke OF social
ostracism, Northerners said, lob! that 10
nothing" but when they went down there
themselves, and found they were shut ont
something after all. John Wesley said on
one occasion, II absolutely deny that any
system Of slave holding Ia consistent with
Justice" This, too, has been the utterance
of the Church, and if she continues to 60
on in this spirit, she will yet subjugste the
world. [ApplauseI.,
Rev. Mr.. Dickinson said, in sixty years
we have learned important lessons. we
have learned the doctrine of the fatherho0o
of God and the brotherhood OF man: we
have learned that God looks to cnarac-
ter, not to persons, and not to the some.
times uncomfortable circumstances tna1
surround ue, but to the heart. lie ecnooi
that we have been in, is also an industrial
school, and we have accumulated, since tno
war, nearly 100000 worth OF properly
We have 5000 preachers, Inherent and iccai,
over 200, coo members, one university anu
twelve other institutions Of learning. INC
days of fraternity have come, and the very
air is impregnated with its influences:
Hands are clssped across all sorts "a
chasms. and every extreme OF Methooisa4
is meeting. There was come show OF IT,
con, from a human standpoint, In the elues
brother of the prOdieal Directing 20 wo
festive preparations made on his brotnels
return, and but for him we might never
have known how the prodigal had squSA
dered his living. ,.h
The African Methodist Episcopal ChufCa
is the eldest daughter of the mother cnuicn'
the most respectable and respected, ~
one which has never transgressed. lLaas.,
teri. She is also the most respee1lu.
anu loving, and should she come home nvs,
there wOnld be this feature to marx u nI
history: We went down children, we Wou.~
come back men; we went down iamL.,
we would come back nation, with newv
papers, institutions, and literature o. !av uS
own, and book concern without an lnV~
tigating committee. Laughter and e
plause When We left some remained w
hind, whose status today is an unsoivoa
problem, and viewing the social conoiu: oa
Of those who stayed, we can only lmselIiS1
how much more complicated matters wou'0
be if we were all at home. ,.,...,
Why can not Methodism consoios,ve,
Probably because we do not know lne
truth sufficiently. Men who dare to spe sh
the truth, and nothing but the trS ss,
are said to be fifty years ahead OF lne .h
time. but We ought to thank God Tor su0u
men.
If Methodism were united it wouIG % s1-
tend from sea to sea, and gather in all n "a
manity. Let US then restore the discara11
doctrines of Christian perfection and uni.y 10y,
and chow to the world that nothing S;n
separate US from the love Of God, WHOM 10
in Christ Jesus our Lord. [ApplsuseJ'
A resolution OF greeting to the traternaa,
messengers was then presented and adopted
hv a rising vote.