The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-22
METHODISM IN SOUTHERN STATES

ern and southern church. Slavery was
 an institution in the South. establish
 faced the question determinedly and ln
 from May l. 1s44. to the following
 question that was destined to shake the
 Nation: and, when adjourning after
 midnight of the last day. the plan of
 separation had been adopted By 2
 lowing, year, the following resolution
 RssoIatio. of seeessicn. v
 the several annual conferences in the
 slave holding States. in general con
 vention sssembled that It scf rs fifhs fhs An- sn
 convention, into a distinct ecclesiasti-
 gal connsctc separate from on,srsnss sns ssriof of
 the Methodist Episcopal Churcn. as a. as
 we ssi the dsissstss of said Annual Cor,
 .s ss ps.nS snss
 eraI Conference of 1s44; do soiemniv declare the jurisdiction hitherto exor-
 fissd fh. asysra sysr fa,s nns Of the Church, entirely dissolved, and thai said Annual Conferences shall be, ana
 ars anSsr the provisionai plan Of separation afors--
 said, and based upon the Discipline of the Methodist EPiscopal Church iro com, InoraL eeclesiastical and economical rules and regulations of said Discipline. except only in so far as verbal altera-
 gani.ation, slonh ny ~ ana to be known by the pal Church. South"
 one for Nashville. Powerful men of Methodism had thundered the teachings of Wesley from the pulpits of McKen- dree and other churches; The Metho. day t a majority Of the citys inhabitants. The coming of the Central Conference was. therefore anticipated with great tSe fse1asa fraternai delegates was prepared for during weeks before. and in those days of lavish hospitality. invariably con nected with the ante-bellum South the extent and custom. perhaps will never be reproduced in Nashville again.
 In Hall of the House. The Hall of Representatives at the Capitol was the scene of the Eourt,
 Episcopal Church. South. ,1n There s.tsrS arS
 it Rahy in their m % youth and delight in reiat. | ing accounts of that assemblage and | the inspiration the eminent gathering
 had upon their young minds; .h piG.srss drssss ed in the old time fashion with frilled- I front shirts, and the women in huge hoop skirts. va ,
 Scrfptural reading by Senior Bishop Joshua Soule. the other Bishops pres | ent being James O. Andrew, Robert
 and paanf auSbardg Ssorgf H. Kavansag6. pr. John | B. McFerrin was clerical leader or the | Tennessee Annual Conference Tn tnis
 General Conference being in B. that ts Pesa, }ssa, l day of it's session the conference ac cepted an invitation from A. w Put nam. George s. Blackie and John Meigs l committee of the Tennessee Historical I Society, to be present at a celebration | of the e,estab1iShment of the first govern | ment In this city and county. A mo. | tion was adopted that copies Of the
 Daily Advocate be sent to every mem l Der of the last Tennessee Legislature I At the third days session Of the con l ference the entire body was stlrrea .s .o l by the reading of the Episcopal Ad- dress of the Bishops by Bishop Andrew | This is one of the most remarkable de-
 auence as on n record. The needs of the I church were outlined, the fear being l expressed that the church had not beer However, it stated that the retrospect | of the church for the four previous | years. and since the separation was en.
 sot h.sop arputs c.pers was pa,S died since the previous General Confer l ence The missions to slaves on ths plantations was said to constitute tns | most interesting and important ffelt | for the Methodist Episcopal Church South. it being stated that the reasons 1 which commended the slaves to Chris l tan efforts were sufficiently obvious l without being distinctly stated.
 1 Uniform Discipline.
 It was deemed important by the Bish- | ops that the administration of the dis | cfpline of the church should be uni form. as far as was possible, and in | commended that the General Conference | either adopt some suitable manual al- | ready published or take measures to | have one prepared and published.
 | Later in the conference, resolution was introduced that the general rule | against the buying and selling Of men | women and children, with the tnten. | ton to enslave them. be stricken Iron | .he general rules in accordance with | the recommendation of the majority ot inc several annual conferences; that this action did not intend to express | any opinion upon the subject of Afri- | can slave trade. but to disavow all au. | thority to Iegis1ate upon the subject oi | slavery A counter resolution was in- | troduced, stating that. by the discip, | line of the church. no. change could
 be made in its restrictive, articles or | Vote of three-fourths of all the mem- | hers of the several annual confercnces | present and two-thirds of tho General | Assembly, and that there was not be- fore the conference any evidence that | a rnpatitutional majority were in fayA-