New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-10-02


nave resulted in peaceful emancipation: Inc
responsibility for the war; therefore, rests not upon
those who assaed slavery, but upon those VINO
apologzeu for II and made compromises with H. or
who looked in silence while n was DONG us
deadly work. That eminent Presbyterian dlVlhe,
Albert Barnes. whose moderation upon this qnes-
ton is we'll known. writing sixteen years Delore
the war. said
Let every religious denomination In the land detach
itself from all connection with slavery iet the
time when. m all the mighty denomination ~
Christians il be announced that The evil has cTsea
i 10 public in the land-thcre could be none
crcaied-that would resist the mower Of such testimony
There il power ont OF the cL arch thai would SUSTAIN
slavery hour II II were not sustained In H.
TUE ATTITUDE OF THE METHODIST CHURCH.
have made hardly an allusion to the Methodist
Church thus far in my sketches, and hence. so far
as am concerned DIR. Whedon's attempted defence
of that church is premature All that care to say
the subject lust now may he summed mp In Few
words. TIE Methodist churches, he tells US, were
anti-savcrv societies from the beginning Ana
vet re very well knows that from 1880 and onward
the churches at the South in the constant prac-
ice Of receiving Shareholders 10 membership; that
some Of the preachers Shareholders; that the
buying and selling Of slavesand working them with
out wages was not practically disciplinahle Of
fence that the churches at he North were IN CON
slant fellowship with those Of the South and that
The whole church was Therefore responsible for
these practices. Whatever of discipline there was
against them was a dead letter. Dr. Mhedon may
settle the whole question of the churchs response
hilitv. not with Garrison or me. or any other rad
zeal. bat with the conservative Albert Barnes.
Moreover. let me remind hun that IL was not Car
risonian but his candidate for the Presidency,
James G. BiIney, sound PRESBYTERIAN. who SAID
in 1910 aud proved by Official testimony.
that the American churches 1.-THE Methodist
Church among the rest the bur
.f h.,a
cral Conference of 1914 lall of whose proceed
iua-s were reported for TIM TrBUSE by my hand
refused 10 oriain Shareholder for bishop though
why Il should have been thought more wicked for
a bishop than for an elder or layman 60 practice
"thc sum Of all yillanics " am unable 10 compre-
bend. What | do know Is that the ant-slayery
movement bad made public opinion at the North
HAT hronght the Methodist Church 70 pause at
that ,artl.f,lar p.int; that most of the Southern
Conferences seeded IL consequence; that Inc
Northern Church, however, was Icii WITH es.i an
nual conf Fences whose territory was NHo4A o.
partly iu the Slave States; aud thai IN these COW
forcures the holding of slaves was tolerated unill
ti.ir cham, wore melted not 10y The Methodist AIS
clUIine but by the no, flames OF war.
Alongside of Or. Nhedniis claim that his was an
antI-.iay,rv charch. let me put lie Cccldlauouo l
the General Conference OF INtb IN tht.t WORDS;
I'VE wholly discla,W amy riehf wish or intention
I'D li.-lers with the civil and political relation of
ua...r ami siIye az II exists IN TIE s!aNeholdlug
.t.... \. ',tf,in Ihis same conference passed
d.ic-4i England, for the CRIME OF attend
in- AID loji Stag an anfi-slaytry meeting; bui 10
hldno word oi censure iorthe holders o 'laNcsorlor
" ihe sam cd al NlIauies.' Observe Che conference
U l.t san tlat 10 lad " u0 right "ltA o. intention
fo Interfere with slavery in Dir. GarIisons way,
aUt ir auN WAY. THE phrase " cFli aud political
Relation. 81 master and .iayr7 vas "a cupncilisu iu-
t.l 90 hI,c some oI tne ugly features OF slavery;
bat il. NiIo,r. monster 80 as under IL uatWthstaud-
iu.. gud tAr A.liodls; Gcuerl Confluence, anti-
..-. .-D,r 90 thlt ID was from thc bcgiuniIs,'
declared chat 81 had "ro ii-lt. Wish ar lntcni .pn
tolli,I,rc whit! Bot tins is not aii cite
THESE other facts, Bishop hcotin@, NrW-i-1s "nu
man. ln order rp break the force oI the al-udrhi
aeallst slavery e., a. existed ln a." Methodist
church. said: ." uc r. eht 60 hold save la founded
OU this rule: Therefore. All Things So whatsoever ~
worid that men should dO unto YOU. 90 We even 80
unto them.'n Dr. Nhodon says he - " Luniy;h
what does he suppose That sturdy o.. v'"hci, iri-
i4,i..n lfuuv would have SAID 20 tile idea tuai te
Golden isne at,ord warrant for >aVchod dung ii
was Bishop lleddng also, who. as late as le, pre-
siding ntuc NeW-ihsia ud 'hiD .''i''u Ca 20 ut
ID Nuic resolutions Condcmung tine buying ana SELL
iugol slaves and at the same time refused 10 pul
motion declaring slavery TO he moral evil Even ms
latc as 1910 The General Conference resolved
" hat 80 Is meXpecient and uJlstIiabie Tor any
preacher to permit clniec l'I.ons 10 give tesi
mony Lu church tr.ai-l against white l"r-ons; IA
any state WhDie n tIiair lh lhe 81 Nil o"USI lh'y
ar. denied the privilege by law In Other words
white clurcA-iucmh cTmight commit ans Immoral ca
CRIMINAL act upon hlatk tNil'i Ai ihd tie .IeiI"-
dist Churc. would not permit tnc latter e. testiiN
AGAINST him. Is this an example Of Whai Ut.
N .ei1n c.lls che ." Lunayau mrthol OF promoting
ia. abolition oi slavery lake another bit OF cstl,
mony. Tie Bcy Or. Luther Lee. an eminent
a. thof a. who ,vitluttyv from the church ON ac-
count oi its completely with slavery, SAID III 1890
that there were then IN the Methodist Church
North not less than 1000 slavtA '.oers ana !VOO
slaves; AID that there were many slayehodng
preachers, while more were continually BENG or
daiued.
TIE METHODIST DISCIPLINE.
Dr. hedou's assumption, in the face OF such facts
as those above cited that certain clauses in the dis
ciDline made the Methodist Church ant-slavery
lt. Trisf lp W.
dead drunk in the gutter, and brought before
MAGISTRATE. "Tow's this p said the Judge; YOU
have been getting drunk" "By the powers said
Pat "the charge Is false, and can prove IT 10y me
pledge that I carry IN me pocket See there, your
Honor there's me name, Patrick Maloney, signed IN
fuu when was a bye You see, I'm importance
society all 10y meself, and have been one from the
beginning It's a record of ne own. Of which, per-
hans automatically rm not little proud. Para
lived be the hand thar dares oblierate letter Oh
that pledge'' But the hard-hearted Judge sent Pat
To the work-hOuse
Rut cite another bit OF testimony. and my wit
moss shall be DR.. Whcdon himself. In spite of his
nnoualtcd affirmation that the Methodist churches
were "anti-slavcry societies from the beginning"
find in his letter this pregnant confession: :" As
Southern slavery grew in power concessions had in
deed to be made to churche, living under the slave
code who desired to be MethOdsts.' In other
words the Methodist "ant-slavery societies nj
the South demanded concessions" to slavery Now
what were those concessions" and who was re-
sponsible for making them 1t is notorious what they
were The doors of the Methodist churches at the
South were opened practically for the admission of
shareholders and those who bought and sold slaves
yes, if we may trust the testimony Of some
MethodIsts. for those who raised them for the mar
ket, as calves and pigs are raised! But, mark a
distinction; II laynen, not preachers or
bishops who were allowed these precious priyl-
leges And 50 tine churches were still anti-siayery
societies because only laymon were permitted To
he men-etealeIs. Ihe cergY were 70 be honest