The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-06-03
cincinnati Commercial.1
The Man of African Descent in the Gen.
eraI Conference.

The Man of African Descent in the Gen.
eral Conference.
The old-time battle Of more than
half century in the Methodist
Church, yesterday once more agitated
the General Conference. 1t marks the
providential character Of the subject
Of discussion, that it refuses to take
itself out of the politics Of both State
and Church.
Ever since the days of Bishop As
bury until the present hour, 1.-The man
Of African Descent" as the General
Conference euphoniously denominates
the black man, has never ceased to
challenge the attention Of the Metho-
dist Israel. 1t was determined in this
city in the General Conference of 1886
to be forever rid Of him. The Church
authorities forbade the few outspoken
preachers of a full salvation to men
tion the name. But as when the dig
nitaries of the Jewish Church forbade
Peter and John to preach in the name
Of Jesus, so the commands of that
long ago Conference were disregarded,
and Methodist ministers more and
more denounced the abomination of
slavery. The whole agitation of the
subject is due more to the action of
the ministry Of the Methodist Church
than any other equal number of men.
The reason is that as class they are
men Of convictions and conscience and
courage, and they saw plainly enough
that God was on the side of the op-
pressed, and so they stood by God and
the slave.
When the war emancipated four
millions of bondsmen the Methodist
Episcopal Church was foremost in
carrying to them the Bible and the
spelling-book, and this work Of Chris
tian benevolence has reached every
State and almost every county and
town Of the South. The result of all
this has been a great focking Of col
ored people to the standards of the old
John Wesley Church, so that now, in
territory where before the war North
ern Methodism had few if any mem
bers, there are found 100000 Of these
people devotedly loyal to the Church.
They have shown the truth Of the
great principle Of universal human
Brotherhood in a great many ways,
and Ill one way which is peculiarly
characteristic of the white race, name
ly: love for office. If this trait stood
alone it would demonstrate the genu-
ineness Of their humanity. And let it
be said to the credit Of the Methodist
Church that this reasonable love Of
office and laudable desire to rise has
not been discouraged, but has, to a
large degree, been gratifed. They
have been made stewards of the
church, trustees, class leaders, exhort-
ers, local preachers, deacons, and ell
ders, presiding elders, professors, d.
Ds., delegates to General Conference,
editors, etc. In fact, the peculiar pol
ity Of the Methodist Church has been
remarkably favorable, and adapted to
meet the desires of all aspirants for
Office. But there was one position to
which, however much they may have
looked, no one Of their number has as
yet reached it, except in some church
exclusively composed of colored peo-
pie. The Methodist Church has never
had a full Bishop of African de-
scent" though it had at one time a
Missionary Bishop Of this kind resid-
ing in Liberia.
In 1872 the question was mooted.
but the colored delegates were finally
content to accept Of Gilbert Haven,
their lifelong friend and champion,
as a substitute. In 1876 no Bishops
were elected, and hence the question
was not particularly agitated.
At the present session of the Gener-
al Conference it was very early mani
fest that several new Bishops would
be elected, and that very strong and
persistent efforts would be made to Sc
cure the election Of colored man.
The Board of Bishops are always con-
suited when new men are to be elect
ed to the office, as to the number need
ed, and then the Episcopal Committee,
consisting of one delegate from each
of the ninety-five annual conferences,
make report to the General Confer
ence Of the number which in their
Judgment the condition of the work
requires. The General Conference
takes the final action. In this case
the Bishops named the number three,
the Committee four, and the General
Conference agreed to elect four. In
due time the four were elected, and
the event proved that again the col
ored man had been overlooked. Mean
time the colored men in the General
Conference had not been idle. They
had put in petitions and memorials
and resolutions in favor of securing
the long desired object of their ambi-
ton. These papers were all referred
to the Committee on the Episcopacy
who debated and discussed day after
day and night after night the report
which they would bring before the