Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-03

clined to vote on the resolution of with
drawal presented a protest, in which they
said: TT is of the mode Of obtaining relief
from our troubles alone in which we differ
with our brethren and favoring the i'm
mediate call of an extra session of the gen.
eral conference from which they hoped to
obtain redress for all their wrongs. The
remaining business was speedily finished,
the bishop read the appointments and the
conference adjourned.
Result of Civil Strife.
This action of the Baltimore conference
came at the beginning of a great political
crisis. The civil commissions which soon
followed produced a change of sentiment
in many of the members, leading them to
ignore the action at Staunton and continue
to adhere to the Methodist Episcopal
Church. When the time for the next ses-
sion of the conference arrived the civil
war was in full blast. The territory of
the conference was divided by hostile lines.
minority. still holding to the Methodist
Episcopal Church, assembled in Baltimore
in March, 1862. This body held its annual
session for several years at different places
and received its present form in 1869 The
general conference of the year before had
made change in its boundaries, setting up
the Virginia conference Of that church and
merging in one the Maryland work of the
Baltimore and East Baltimore conferences.
thus giving the Baltimore conference the
form that 1t has since retained.
The conference representing the majority.
and Independent in its church relations, be-
gan its next session in Harrisonburg, Va,
March II, 1862. In the absence of a bishop
Rev. E. r. Veitch was elected president
and John S. Martin was reelected secre-
tary. 1t reaffirmed the action of the Staun-
ton conference of the year before. The ses-
sion of 1863 was held at Churchville, Va,
at which Rev. e. r. Veitch was again elect
ed president In 1864 the conference met at
Norval Wilson. The session of 1865 was
held at Salem. Va. where Rev. Samuel
REGISTER was elected president.
AbandOns Independent Relation.
When the conference assembled in Alex
andria, Va, in February 1866. the civil
war was over Military lines no longer
prevented the members from meeting to-
gether. One hundred and eight members We're
enrolled. OF these seventy-six had been
present at Staunton in 1861. A considera-
Bile number had been received into the con-
ference since that date, and nine came
from the East Baltimore conference. The
Rev. Norval Wilson was again elected
president and John S. Martin. the veteran
secretary. was at his usual desk. On the
second day of the session. by unanimous
vote, the conference resolved that it would
no longer maintain independently but
would formally identify itself with the
Methodist Episcopal Church South Bishop
John Early of that church, who was pres
ent, was invited to recognize them official
ly, and accordingly took the chair as their
presiding officer. This Is the body which
will begin its annual session tomorrow in
the Mt. Vernon Place Church in this city.
During all these years the two confer
ences have enjoyed an extraordinary de-
gree of prosperity. At its last session the
Methodist Episcopal conference reported
224 preachers In full connection and on
trial. and an aggregate membership Of
1854. The southern Baltimore conference
at the same time reported 231 preachers in
full connection and on trial and member
ship of 81 ,224
AT the coming session of the two confer
ences it is proposed to hold reunion Of
the surviving members of the conference
at the time Of the division in 1857. About
sixty Of the members survive. some of
them being members of the central Penn
sylvania conference. to which the Penn
syivania territory Of the original Balti-
more conference now belongs 1t Is in
charge of Rev. ]. E. Armstrong. Rev. W.
H. Chapman and Rev. d. 8. Monroe. It
will doubtless be an occasion of great his
toric interest and will help to show how
thoroughly the spirit. polity and doctrines
of Methodism have been preserved during
the changes and trials of forty-three years.