The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-03-16

For the first time in half century
the two great branches Of the Metho-
dist Church in America the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, by which name
the Northe n body is dc ignated, and
the Methodist Church south have
come together in love-feast. This
has just taken place in 81. Louis, and
is especially noticeable as having taken
place in that city, because there the
passions aroused by the civil war ran
high and with unusual virulence. 1t
Is specially significant as showing the
growing strength of the fraternal
feeling between the bodies, which may
yet lead to their organic union.
The question on which the once
united Methodist Church OF the United
States split was that of slavery, and the
same lines that marked the seeding
States in the war marked the division
of the church. But this question, while
always cause OF dissension in the de-
nomination, and condemned by the
laws Of the church, hal been tolerated
FIR years, because the church recOg-
nized that under the laws of some of
the States the emancipation OF slaves
was not always possible. Hence it con-
tented itself with occa ,ional fulmina-
tions on the subject OF slavery, but did
not debar the owners OF or dealers in
ayes from membership. These ex-
pre- sions pleased the Northern senti-
inent, and while the South did not go
ia,o ecstasies over them, it took the
matter quietly as long as its pet insti-
tuition Vas not menaced.
Disruption of the Conference.
This good feeling was rudely shat
tered in the General Conference of
1914 and the secession spirit which
later threatened to disrupt the nation
made Itself painfully manifest. The
conference, which was held in New
York, was required to take action on
an appeal frem the Baltimore con-
ference. The case was that of the
Rev. Francis A. Harding, who had been
suspended for failure to manumit
slaves belonging to his wife, the
Baltimore conference holding that the
laws of Maryland permitted such
manumission. The General Confer
ence upheld this decision.
The decisive case. however, was of
Bishop James A. Andrews OF Georgia.
Bishop Andrews had married a Georgia
widow, whose former husband, among
other posse ssions, had left her several
slaves. When the Bi-hop married he
occurred these slaves to his wife by a
deed If trust.
The connect IN OF general superin-
ten1ent VITA slaveholding caused a
profound scr alton in the n rshern
Oh rich. and il was claimed that this
relation would infract the provision
forbidding the General Conference to
destroy the plan of the itinerant Cen
eral Superin dency, since it would
be impossible Tor slave-holding B sh-
op to peside over the Nor hern con-
ference. The solution o tie difficulty
was for Bishop Andrews to dispose Of
his slaves or resign his fire. The first
he would not do, because # his deed of
trust; the latter his people would not
allow him TO do.
Division Decided Upon.
Steps were at once taken toward e.
curing division of the church and its
property. The South demanded pro-
portional share of the capital, assets,
etc. Of the Book Concern. and this di-
vision was generally assehte1 to as
equitable by the Northern conference
Owing to the opposition OF few, how
e. er, the United States Sup enc Court
had finally to decide the question,
which it did in favor of the South.
a call for convention of Southe n
Me:hodists was then issuel, and in
Nay. 1915, delegates from all tle save
holding States assembled at Louisville,
Ky. Here an organization was effected,
and the first general conference de-
cided upon fer May, Is 6, at Peters
burg. Va. Since that me the organi-
ton has steadily progressed in strength
and riches, although the war some
what impeded its progress. 1t has
now about 1900 churches and the
same number of clergymen and nearly
100000 communicates
Bishop Andrews continued actively
engaged in the ministry until his
death in 1872 May of that year he
preached in New Orleans; tee next
day he died suddenly of heart failure
He was IL years old.