The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-05-26
CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE

CENTENNIAL CONFERENCES.
ImPOsinE Assembly of Meth
OdISt Bishops and Delegates
In BaEIImOre-The Common
OraIIVe Address-RelISIO0s
Celebration of the National
Independence - Devotional
Patriotism.
On the Let instant the General
Conference of the M. E. church as
sembled in Baltimore. Bishop
Ames Gas resident Bishop at Baltl-
more) read an address OF welcome
from the committee of arrange
ments. The committee says;
"On the 21st of the present month
one hundred years will have elaps-
ed since the first annual conference
assembled in this city. Here, also,
in 1884, Methodism in Ameica as
sumed its separate and independent
existence as q church, settled its
standards of faith, determined on
the form of goVernm ent and organ
lied the methods of working. It
il thirty-six years this day since
the General Conference last assem-
bled here, although up to that time
more than one half of the General
Conferences had held their sessions
in Baltimore"
George E. Woodruff was declar-
ed elected Secretary.
A resolution was adopted ratify-
ing and confirming the action
whereby the place of holding the
present General Conference was
changed from St. Louis to Balti-
more.
THE CoAIMEMORATIvE ADDRESS.
In pursuance of a resolution
adopted st the last General Confer
ence, 1872, that "the Board of Bish-
OBS prepared q commemorative
address and presented it to this
Conference on the first day of its
session to be Immediately publish
ed bv the church. with such recon-
mendatiOns from this General Con-
ference as will enlist all our people
in cheerful and deVout observance
of those special thanksgiving serVi-
ces which shall be the most appro-
pirate and fervent expressions of
gratitude to Almighty God, of faith
in Jesus Christ the Savior and Rul-
err of the world, of love to our
country and loyalty to the free in
tie immortal declaration of indie
pendence." Bishop Andrews read
as follows:
To the Pastors and Congrega-
tons OF tho Methodist Episcopal
Church in the United States:
BRETHREN AND FRIENDs--Y our
Bishops and delegates, in General
Conference assembled, this 1st day
of May A. D., 1876, hasten to urge
your hearty compliance with the
order taken four years ago for the
celebration in all our churches OF
the centenary of American indie
pendence. This order provides for
suitable commemorative services
in our Conferences and congrega-
tionS aad for liberal thank offerings
/ to Christian education. It's partic-
ulars are set forth in the appendix
to the Discipline of 1872 and need
not be here recited. Most of the
Conferences have taken the action
Thereby required, the Bishops have
issued the requested programme,
and contributions in behalf of ma
nv of our schools and colleges are
already begun.
| WO earnestly entreat you to COM
plete the scheme thus inaugurated.
Throughout our whole communion
let thanksgiving, prayer and me-
| mortal discourse declare and in
crease our gratitude TO the SoVer-
eign of Nations, and our convic-
ton that national we'll being can
be guaranteed only by loyalty to
His righteous government. Let
generous gifts, devoted in perma-
nence 10 the training of youth, and
thereby to the highest service to
the State, attest the love we bear
to our country and its institutions.
In this day of rejoicing, SO in past
days of trial, let it be seen that the
Free Church is pre-eminentIy the
friend and ally of the free State
This special religious commemora.
ton will not withhold you from
the secular celebrations by which
the whole people will mark the oc
casion. On the contrary, q commu.
nifty of history, of interest and Of
destiny will insure community Of
patriotic sentiment and action. Ir
company with your fellow citizeni
you will joyfully review the LAND
which God has given us, the annals
lof our colonial settlement anC
training, the fit time and men anG
deeds of the Revolutionary strug
gle, the formation of q more per
feet Union under 8 constitution o
consummate wisdom, the marvel
, Gus increase of our territory, on
population, our resources, our tri.
umphs in arts and arms, our prog
ress in science, literature and edu
cation, our undeeayed faith in tn,
self-eVident truthes of the grea
declaration, and their recent stu
: pendous reassertion in the enamel
| patton and acknowledgements of
serYile population more numerou
than that of the Colonies at tn
Revolution, our contributions T.
! the nations from which we spran;
\ and our predeatined part in tn
great drama of human history, and
, in fine, all the facts and ali th
forces which have made tn
, century memorable and whic,
, pres9ge 3 mere signal future. Wit
your fellow citizens you will ais
sOlicitously study, and as far q
possible, remedy the evils whic
threaten our national life, issuin
{ some of them from the defects c
cur political system and the meth
; DDS, some from sectional antipa
thies and aspirations, some frou
3 the antagonism of social classe
E some from the Vaccinations of
o foreign spiritual despOtism, but q
having their power for harm In th