Year: 1860

not reoede from the pro-slavery position it hereto
fore occupied, as will be seen from the record of
its proceedings at its recent annual meeting.
The Rev. Mr.. WALcoT Of Chicago submitted
the following resolut ions:


Whereas, This Society in 1857, on recommen-
dation of the Committee of Fifteen, adopted a
resolution affirming that those moral duties which
grow out of the existence of Slavery, as we'll as
those moral evils and vices which it is known to
promote, undoubtedly do fall within the province
of this Society, and can and ought to be discussed
in its publications, and this declaration still
stands in full force; therefore,


Resolved, That the reasons which urge to such
discussion also remain, and now press upon the
Society with accumulated weight.


Whereas This Society in its last annual meet
ing declared that it has no doubt in relation to
the sin of the African slave-trade, or the great
wickedness OF reviving that iniquitous system in
any form,' and, Whereas, During the past wear.
evidence has accumulated, until the fact has be.
come notorious and fragrant, that this accursed
sraihc has been reopened by vessels sailing from
various parts of this country, therefore,


Resolved, That the publication or republication
OF suitable tracts setting forth the nquty of the
African slave-trade would meet the warm appro.
baton of the Society.


Rev. DR.. WALcoT, in support of the resolutions
just offered, said: Mr.. President, acknowledge
have three reasons for Offering these resolutions,
and, as 1t will be in order for me to state them,
whether derived from the sentiments embodied in
the resolutions themselves or from the circum
stances under which they are offered, and as it
is not my intention to intrude my remarks at any
great length upon the Society, 1 hope 1 may be
heard without interruption. And sir, my first
reason for Offering them is to vindicate the freedom
OF debate and the rights of the humblest member
of this Society," [Applause.l by asserting
boldly and fearlessly my personal right to full
participation in its regular deliberations l have
no disposition to make any further reference to
the proceedings of the last meeting which have i'm
posed this obligation upon me, except which is i'm.
piled in the word 'vindicate.' regret the neces-
sity of any personal allusion; but it is neyerthe


less, proper for me to add that in circular letter
which, since the last meeting, has been prepared
oy one OF the Secretaries of the Society, the Rev.
Mr.. Eastman, which was printed and published
for tho purpose of procuring funds for the ad-
vancement of evangelical literature, have been
referred to by him as having Joined the Society
on purpose to assist in creating a disturbance.
This unworthy and uncalled-for imputation-
disparagement of my motives and my character.
widely circulated through these official channels,
Is the penalty OF conscientiousness is the penalty
OF hdelity to my convictions of truth and drty
and is the penalty of an honest dissent from the
views and opinions entertained by me from those
of the managers of this Society, or rather of
claim to Christian expression of thai dissent in
respect to the wisdom of their measures and the
righteousness of their policy. AT the last annual
meeting offered a resolution similar to those l
now present, and the camor of opposition which
so unexpectedly greeted it was succeeded by the
suppression of that resolution, and also of the
other resolutions based upon it, in the official rec
ords in the meeting. And this was followed by
the circular letter Of the Secretary. Shall we be
thus silenced? My own resolution is embodied
in the words of the great Apostle: TO whom we
give place by subjection, no not for an hour And
if there were no other reason than this, it would
be decisive in my mind as imposing it upon me as
duty. The second reason for presenting these
resolutions is to maintain unabated the proper
sphere of the Societys responsibility and controll
ing agency. A labored attempt was made at the
last meeting to merge in the Executive Commit
tee the functions which are properly inherent in
the Society as a whole. An elaborate plea was
put forth by learned lawyer of this city, to the
effect, that the society as an eemosynary institu-
tion exhausts its power in the act of choosing is
officers, and that the discussion of principles and
measures at its annual meeting is irrelevant and
unconstitutional. The author of this novel plea
paid to his opponents a graceful compliment by
cutting off, on his own motion, any reply to his
own argument. Laughter. That plea was un.
derstood to be at the time an expression of the
sentiments of the managers of this Society 1t
was received as a semi-ofcial exposition Of their
views. 1t was printed by them, and has been dis
trituted by them through the land, and these
resolutions are presented as a challenge, and a
contradiction to that sophism. They recognise
the fact that the charter from which we derive all
our powers, that certain persons named therein,
and all sucA persons as now are, or may here
after become, members of the Tract Society, are
constituted body corporate, for the purpose
of printing and circulating religious publications.
The members are the corporate body, and they are
assembled here as such, and here are lodged the
powers which the charter has conferred upon us.
The officers of the Society the servants of the
Society They cannot legally be its masters.
The Constitution of the Society is the act of the
Society. They made it, and can repeal it, and
can define it. The charter restricts US only to
the issuing, printing and circulating of religious
publications, and in the Constitution the Society
has added a restrictive clause which is calculated
to meet the appreciation of all Evangelical Chris
tans. My third reason is the necessity of cOrrec-
ting the present policy of the Society, and eeva-
ting it to more Scriptural standard. do not
propose to dwell upon this point. But let me say
in conclusion, that the purpose which was avowed
two years ago, by leading opposer of the present
policy of this society-and which was made the
theme Of rude dorision-that he would wage this
battle unto the eud, and that if he were called