xt79057crw8j https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt79057crw8j/data/mets.xml Birney, James Gillespie, 1792-1857. 1885 books b92-184-30604758 English P. Pillsbury, : Concord, N.H. : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Slavery United States Controversial literature 1842. Slavery and the church. American churches the bulwarks of American slavery / by James G. Birney. text American churches the bulwarks of American slavery / by James G. Birney. 1885 2002 true xt79057crw8j section xt79057crw8j THE AMERICAN CHURCHES TH A rLWARKS OF AMERICAN 13Y JAMES SLAVERY. G-. BIRNEY. THIRD AMERICAN EDITION. REVISED BY THE AUTHOR. (ourlarb, ah. "'m. PUBLISHED BY PARK'ER PILLSBURY. I 885. This page in the original text is blank. INTRODUCTION. BY PARKER PILLSBURY. The following work is reproduced without apology. It is needed as authentic anti-slavery history, and as showing beyond all dispute who were most zealous defenders of American slavery, and the most virulent opponents of the active abolitionists. The author, Hon. James G. Birney, the only truly anti- slavery man ever nominated for the presidency while slavery lasted, was a native of Kentucky, and connected both by birth and marriage with many of its first families. His ed- ucation completed, he spent fifteen years in Huntsville, Ala- bama, a successful lawyer, and for a time solicitor-general, besides beingf tendered a seat on the bench of the supreme court. He was appointed by the legislature to nominate, at his sole discretion, the faculty of the State University. Return- ing to Kentucky, he was called to the Professorship of Polit- ical Economy, Rhetoric, and Belles-Lettres in Centre Collegye at Danville in that state. And those who knew him testified that " his character and Christian influence were quite equal to his public standing." But public and private virtues, intellectual eminence, and the hi(ghest lay official positions in the Presbyterian church, were all lost in becoming a repentant slaveholder and an active, earnest abolitionist. About the comnmencement of the wondrous career of Will- iamn Lloyd Garrison and the establishment by him of The Liberator in Boston, Mr. Theodore D. Weld, one of our most eloquent and powerful anti-slavery lecturers and writers, en- countered Mr. Birney while yet a slaveholder, and held some searching discussions with him and his minister, also a slave- holder, on the right of one man to hold absolute property in his fellow-man. The; argument began with the minister in the absence of Birney, who welcomed Weld to the parson- age till he should return. He came in a few days, and 4 then the minister invited him and another lawyer to meet Weld at dinner at his house. Here, also, the rigrht of property in man problem was in order. But to the stunning surprise of the minister, he learned that Birney was already fully convinced, intellect- ually, that only the right of the kidnapper could be urged for holding such property ; and that kidnapped human chattels could never be owned, or held as lawful possessions, though sanctified by transfer and conveyance through a thousand generations The discussion continued, earnest and more earnest, all day and evening, even the minister's wife leaning to the Birney side; tea was had and drank; and at a late hour Mr. Birney invited Weld to dinner next day with him, and to come to his office in the morning. And he went in the morningf and found his host in profound meditation, sitting alone in the inner office, and readv to confess that he had slept only little the past night, but that he was fully assrired of his duty, and that his slaves must have their freedom, then numbering, as Mr. Weld now thinks, forty-two. Mr. Birney had for some years been giving much thought to the African-colonization system. He had even accepted an agency in that iniquitous and slavery devised and slavery cherished enterprise, his field of operations including five of the large slaveholding states. But he soon found himself laboring in the interest of a movement adapted and intended to perpetuate the very curse he himself deplored, and was working, as he supposed, to destroy. So, having already liberated his slaves, and generously provided for their well-being and well-doing so far as he wvag able, he espoused the cause of "immediate and uncon- ditional emancipatioDn," and by purse, pen, and voice com- mencedits proclaination. Driven fromhis native state for his anti-slavery fidelity, lie crossed over into Ohio and estab- lished an anti-slavery newspaper. But he was repeatedly mobbed, his press, types, paper, and other office property being( taken out and sunk in the Ohio river, the city authori- ties in large numbers evidently sanctioning, as did many of 5 the church officials actually sanctify by their presence and approval, the shameful outrages. A well filled pamphlet now before me, printed at the time and on the spot, fully war- rants all these statements. The following is a specimen of the handbills that placard- cd the bulletin boards and walls: "A Fugitiveefro in _7ustice." 100 Dollars Reward! The above sum will be paid for the delivery of one James G. i3irney, a fugitive from justice, now abidingo in the city of Cincinnati. Said Birney, ill ail his associations and feel- ings, is black, although his external appearance is -white. Tile above reward will be paid, and no questions asked, by Old Kentucky. This was posted on a Sunday mnorning. The next day the Cincinnati Whzig said, editorially,- "Public Sentiment. We are informed on indisputable authority that a large number of boarders have left the Franklin House in this city; have left it on account of the re- ception of Mr. Birney, Editor of the Philanthropist as a boarder. There is no doubt an overwhelming majority in the city are opposed to the wild schemes of the abolitionists." The proceedings of some of the "anti-abolition meetings as they were named, showed that they were disgraceful as well as unlawful assemblies, though called and conducted by the authorities and best citizens. One committee, appointed to draft resolutions, contained thirteen men who were memi- bers of Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal.Wesleyan Methodist, Swedenborgian, and Unitarian churches. So was Mr. Birney reTarded and rewarded by his fellow-citizens and fellow- Christians, only for liberating and providing for his slaves, and then becoming a faithfuil abolitionist! Only that and nothing more ! He had experience enough with the churches and clergy to fully warrant the title of his little book, as all who read it will believe without more argtlument. Whoever would see more on the subject, on the whole matter of Slavery and Anti-Slavery as existingc in the coun- try forty years ago, are respectfully referred to Acts of the A n/i-Slavery Apostles, by Parker Pillsbury, to be had of him at Concord, N. H., price one dollar and fifty cents, Publisher's Notice. This work is reproduced by Parker Pillsbury, Concord, N. H.: price, single copy, 15 cents; 2 copies, 25 cents; 10 copies, 1 dollar. Also, for sale, "Acts of the Anti-Slavery Apostles," by Parker Pills- bury: price, postage paid, one dollar and fifty cents. AMERICAN SLAVERY. THE extent to which most of the churches in America are involved in the guilt of supporting the slave system is known to but few in this countrY. So far from being even suspected by the great mass of the religious commu- nity here, it would not be believed but on the most indis- putable evidence. Evidence of this character it is proposed now to present-applying to the Methodist Episcopal, the Baptist, the Presbyterian, and the Protestant Episcopal churches. It is done with a single view to make the British Christian public acquainted withl the rehi state of the case-in order that it may in the most intelligent arid effective manner exert the influence it possesses vith the American churches to persuade them to purify themselves from a sin that has greatly debased them, and that threat- ens in the end wholly to destroy them. The following inemorcandcla will assist English readers in more readily apprehending the force and scope of the evidence. I. Of the twenty-six American states, thirteen are slave states. Of the latter, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee (in part), are slavxe-selling states; the states south of them are slave-buying and slave-con- suming states. II. Between the slave-selling, and slave-buying states the slave-trade is carried on extensively and systemati- cally. The slave-trader, on completing his purchases for a single adventure, brings the gang together at a conven- ient point; confines the men in double rows to a large chain running between the rows, by means of smaller lat- eral chains tightly riveted around the wrists of the slaves, England-where this pamphlet was first published. 8 and connected with the principal chain. They are in this way driven along the highways (the small boys, the women, aned girls following), without any release from their chains till they arrive at the ultimate place of sale, Here they occupy barracoons, till they are disposed of, one by one, or in lots, to those who will give most for them. III. Ministers and office-bearers, and members of churches are slaveholders-buying and selling slaves (not as the regular slave-trader), but as their convenience or interest may from time to time require. As a general rule, the itinerant preachers in the Methodist church are not permitted to hold slaves-but there are frequent exceptions to the rule, especially of late. IV. There are in the United States, about 2,487,113 slaves, and 386.069 free people of color. Of the slaves, 80,000 are members of the Methodist church; 80,000 of the Baptist; and about 40,000 of the other churches. These church members have no exemption from being sold by their owners as other slaves are. Instances are not rare of slaveholding members of churches selling slaves who are members of the same church with them- selves. And members of churches have followed the business of slave-auctioneers. V. In most of the slave states the master is not per- mitted formally to emancipate, unless the emancipated person be removed from the state (which makes the formal act unnecessary), or, unless bya special act of the legislature. If, however, he disregard the law, and per- mit the slave to go at liberty and " do" for himself, the law-on the theory that every slave ought to have a mas- ter to see to him-directs him to be sold for the benefit of the state. Instances of this, however, must be very rare. The people are better than their laws-for the writer, during a residence of more than thirty years in the slave states, never knew an instance of such a sale, nor has he ever heard of one that was fully proved to have taken place. VI. There is no law in any of the slave states forbid- ding the slaveholder to remove his slaves to a free state; nor against his giving the slaves themselves a " pass" for that purpose. The laws of some of the free states present obstructions to the settlement of colored persons within 9 their limits-but these obstructions are not insurmount- able, and if the validity of the laws should be tried in the tribunals, it would be found they are unconstitutional. ViI. In the slave states a slave cannot be a witness in any case, civil or criminal, in vhich a white is a party. Neither can a free colored person, except in Louisiana. Ohio. Indiana, and Illinois (free states), mialake colored persons incompetent as witnesses in any case in which a white is a party. In Ohio, a white person can prove his own ("book") account, not exceeding a certain sum, by his own oath or affirmation. A colored person cannot, as against a white. In Ohio the laws regard all wN-ho are mulattoes, or above the grade of mulattoes, as white. VIII. There is no law in the slave states forbidding, the several church authorities making slavelholding an offence, for which those guilty of it might be excluded from membership. The Society of Friends exists in the slave states-it ex- cludes slaveholders. The United Brethren exist as a church in Maryland and Virginia, slave states. Their Annual Conference for these two states (in which are thirty preachers) met in February [1840]. The following is an extract from its minutes:- "No charge is preferred against any (preachers) except Frank- lin Echard and Moses Michael. "dIt appeared in evidence that Moses Michael was the owner of a female slave, which is contrary to the discipline of our church. Conference therefore resolved, that unless brother Alichael manumit or set free such slave in six months, he no longer be considered a member of our church." IX. 'When ecclesiastical councils excuse themselves from acting for the removal of slavery from their respec- tive communions bv saving, they cannot legislate for the abolition of slavery; that slavery is a civil or politiccl in- stitution ; that it "' belongs to Coesar," and not to the church to put anl end to it,-they shun the point at issue. To the church member who is a debauchee, a drunkard, a seducer, a murderer, theyr find no difficulty in saillng,- "We cannot indeed proceed against your person, or yoAur property-this belongs to Ctesar, to the tribuitnals of the country, to the legislattcre; but we call suspend or 10 wholly cut you off from the communion of the church, with a view to your repentance and its purification." If a white member should by force or intimidation, day after day, deprive another white member of his property, the authorities of the churches would expel him from their body, should he refuse to malie restitution or reparation, although it could not be enforced except through the tribunals, over which they have no control. There is, then, notbing to prevent these authorities from saying to the slave-holder, " Cease being a slaveholder and remain. in the church, or continue a slaveholder and go out of it. You heave your choice." X. The slave states make it penal to teach the slaves to read. So also some of them to teach thefree colored peopIle to, read. Thus a free colored parent may suffer the penalty for teaching his own children to read even the Scriptures. None of the slave-holding churches, or re- ligious bodies, so far as is known, have, at any time, remonstrated with the legislatures against this iniquitous legislation, or petitioned for its repeal or modification. Nor have they reproved or questioned such of their mem- bers, as, being also members of the legislatures, sanctioned such legislation by their votes. XI. There is no systematic instruction of the slave- members of churches, either orally or in any other way. XII. Uniting with a church makes no change in the condition of slaves at home. They are thrown back just as before, among their old associates, and subjected to their corrupting influences. XIII. But little pains are taken to secure their attend- ance at public worship on Sundays. XIV. The " house-servants " are rarely present at f amily worship ; the "field-hands," never. XV. It is only one here and there who seems to have any intelligent views of the nature of Christianity, or of a future life. XVI. In the AMethodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal churches, the colored people, during service, sit in a particular part of the house, now generally known as the negro pew. They are not permitted to sit in any other, nor to hire or purchase pews as other people, nor would they be permitted to sit, even if invited, in the pews of white persons. 'TIis applies to all colored persons, :111 whether members or not, and even to licensed ministers of their respective connections. The "negro pew" is almost as rigidly kept up in the free states as in the slave. XVII. In some of the older slave states, as Virginia and South Carolina, churches, in their corporate character, hold slaves, who are generally hired otut for the support of the minister. rfhe following is taken from the Charleston Courier of February 12th, 1835. FIELD NEG RO ES, bp Thomas Gadsden. On Tuesday, the 17th instant, will be sold, at the north of the Exchange; at ten o'clock, a prime gang of ten N EGQROES, accustomed to the culture of cotton and provisions, belonging to the INDEPEN- DENT CHURCH, in Ch(ist's Ch/itrch Par ish. . . Fe4. 6. XVIII. Nor are instances wanting in which negroes are bequeathed for the benefit of the Indians, as the fol- lowing Chancery notice, taken from a Savannah (Geo.) paper will show. "' Brigan Superior C(turi. Between John J. Maxwell arid others, Executors of Ann Pray, comrplainants, and IN Mary Sleigh and others, Devisees and Legatees, under EQUITY. the will of Ann Prav, defendants. 5 "A Bill having been filed for the distribution of the estate of the Testatrix, Ann Pray, and it appearing that among other ]lga- cies in her will, is the following. viz., a legacy of one fourth of certain ne-ro slaves to the American Board of Commissioners for Domestic [Foreign it probably should have been] Missions, for the purpose of sending the gospel to the heathen, and partictilarly to the Indians of this continent. It is on motion of the solicitors of the complainants ordered, that aill persons claiming the said legacy; do appear and answer the bill of the complainants, within four months from this day. And it is ordered that this (order be published in a public Gazette of the city of Sav-annah. and in one of the Gazettes of Philadelphia. once a month for flour months. - Extract from the minuel t s, Dec. 2nd, 1832. "JOHN SMITH, C. S. C. B. c."-(The bequest was not taccepted.) INFLUENCES UNDER WHICH THE AMERICAN CHURCHES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT. Charleston (City) Gazette.-" We protesta,-aint the assumption -the unwarrantable assunmption-that slavery is ultimately to be extirpated from the Southern states. Ultimate abolitionists are enemies of the South. the same in kind, and only less in degree, than ininiediate, abolitionists.'' [Vashington (City) Telegraph.-'' As a man, a Christian, and a citizen, we believe that slavery is right; that the condition of the slaveholding states is the best existing organization of civil society. " 12 Chancellor Harper, of South Carolina.- ,,It is the order of nature. and of GOD, that the being of superior faculties and knowl- edge, and therefore of superior power, should control and dispose of those who are inferior. It is as much in the order of nature that men should enslave each other, as that other animals should prey upon each other." Columebia (S. C.) Telescope -" Let us declare, through the pub- lic jourinals of our country, that the question of slavery is not, and shall not be open to discussion; that the system is deep-rooted amiong us, and must remain forever; that the very moment any private individual attempts to lecture upon its evils and immoral- ity, and the necessity of putting means in operation to secure us from them, in the same moment his tongue shall be cut out and cast upon a dunghill." Augusta (Geo.) Chronicle.-" He [Amos Dresser] should have been hung up as high as Haman, to rot upon the gibbet, until the wind whistled through his bones. The cry of the whole South should be death, INSTANT DEATH, to the abolitionist, wherever he is caught." [Amos Dresser, now a missionary in Jamaica, was a theological student at Lane Seminary, near Cincinnati. In the vacation (August, 1835) he undertook to sell Bibles in the state of Tennessee, with a view to raise means further to continue his studies. Whilst there, he fell under suspicion of being an abolitionist, was arrested by the Vigilance Committee, whilst attending a religious meeting in the neighborhood of Nashville, the capital of the state, and after an afternoon and evening's inquisition condemned to receive twenty lashes on his naked body. The sentence was executed on him, between eleven and twelve o'clock on Saturday night, in the presence of most of the committee, and of an infuriated and blaspheming mob. The Vigilance Committee (an unlawful association) consisted of sixty persons. Of these, twenty-seven were members of churches; one, a religious teacher, another, the elder, who but a few days before, in the Presbyterian church, handed Mr. Dresser the bread and wine at the communion of the Lord's Supper.] In the latter part of the summer of 1835, the slave- holders generally became alarmed at the progress of the abolitionists. Meetings were held throughout the South to excite all classes of people to the requisite degree of exasperation against them. At one of these meetings, held at Clinton, Mississippi, it was 13 Resolved,- "That slavery through the South and West is not felt as an evil, moral or political. but it is recognized in reference to the actual, and not to any Utopian condition of our slaves, as a bless- ing, both to master and slave." Resolved,- ", That it is our decided opinion, that any individual who dares to circulate, with a view to effectuate the designs of the abolition- ists, tiny of the incendiary tracts or newspapers now in a course of transmission to this country, is justly worthy, in the sight of God and man, of immediate death; and we doubt not that such would be the punishment of any such offender in any part of the state of Mississippi where he may be found." Resolved,- " That we recommend to the citizens of Mississippi, to encour- age the cause of the American Colonization Society, so long as in good faith it concentrates its energies alone on the removal of the free people of color out of the United States." Resolved,- "I That the clergy of the state of Mississippi be hereby recom- mended at once to take a stand upon this subject, and that their further silence in relation thereto, at this crisis, will, in our opin- ion, be subject to serious censure." At Clharleston, South Carolina, the post-office was forced, the Anti-Slavery publications, which were there for distribution or fu Gher transmission to masters, taken out and made a bonfire of in the street, by a mob of several thousand people. A public meeting was appointed to be held a few days afterward to complete, in the same spirit in which they were commenced, preparations for excluding Anti-Slavery publications from circulation, and for ferreting out per- sons suspected of favoring the doctrines of the abolition- ists, 'that they might be subjected to lynch law. At this assembly the Charleston Courier informs us,- " The Clergy of all denominations attended in a body, lending their sanction to the proceedings, anid adding by their presence to the impressive character of the scene." It was there resolved,- " That the thanks of this meeting are due to the Reverend gentle- men of the clergy in this city, who have so promptly and so effectu- ally responded to public sentiment, by suspending their schools in which thefree coloredpopuldtion were taught; and that this meeting 14 deem it a patriotic action, worthy of all praise, and proper to be imitated by otl er teachers of similar schools throughout the state." The alarm of the Virginia slaveholders was not less- nor were the clergy in the city of Richmond, the capital, less prompt than the clergy in Charleston to respond to "public sentiment." Accordingly, on the 29th of July, they assembled together, and Resolved, unanimously,- "That we earnestly deprecate the unwarrantable and highly improper interference of the people of any other state with the domestic relations of master and slave. "-That the example of our Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles, in not interfering with the question of slavery, but uniformly recognizing the relations of master and servant, and giving full and affectionate instruction to both, is worthy of the imitation of all ministers of the gospel. "That we will not patronize nor receive any pamphlet or news- paper of the Anti-Slavery Societies, and that we will discounte- nance the circulation of all such papers in the community. " That the suspicions which have prevailed to a considerable extent against ministers of the gospel and professors of religion in the state of Vitrinia, as identified with abolitionists, are wholly unnerited-believing as we do, from extensive acquaintance with our churches and brethren, that thev are unanimous in opposing the pernicious schemes of abolitionists." THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 700,000 MA-embers. In 1780, four years before the Episcopal Mlethodist Church was regularly organized in the United States, the conference bore the following testimony against slavery " The conference acknowledges that slavery is contrary to the laws of God, man, and nature, and hurtful to society; contrary to the dictates of conscience and true religion, and doing what we would not others should do unto us." In 1784, when the church was fully organized, rules were adopted, prescribing the times at which members, who were already slaveholders, should emancipate their slaves. These rules were succeeded by the following: "Every person concerned, who will not comply with these rules, shall have liberty quietly to withdraw from our society within the twelve months following the, notice being given him as aforesaid; otherwise the assistants shall exclude him the society. -4No person holding slaves shall in future be admitted into society, or to the Lord's Supper, till he previously comply with these rules concerning slavery. 15 "Those who buy, sell, or give [slaves] away, unless on purpose to free them, shall be expelled immediately." In 1785 the following language was held:- "t We do hold in the deepest abhorrence the practice of slavery, and shall not cease to seek its destrulction by all wise and prudent means." In 1801:- "M We declare that we are more than ever convinced of the great evil of African slavery, which still exists in these United States." "s Every member of the society who sells a slave shall, imme- diately after full proof, be excluded from the society, c." "The Annual Conferences are directed to draw up addresses for the (radual emancipation of the slaves to the legislature." "Proper committees shall be appointed by the Annual Conferences, out of the most respectable of our friends, for the conducting of the business ; and tre presiding elders, deacons, and travelling preachers, shall procure as many proper signatures as possible to the addresses, and give all the assistance in their power, in every respect to aid the committees, and to further the blessed under- taking. Let this be continued from year to year until the desired end be accomplished." In 1836 the General Conference met in May, in Cin- cinnati, a town of 46,000 inhabitants, and the metropolis of the free state of Ohio. An anti-slavery, society had been formed there a year or two before. A meeting of the society was appointed for the evening of the 10th of May, to which the abolitionists attending the Conference as delegates were invited. Of those who attended, two of them made remarks suitable to the occasion. On the 12th of May, iRev. S. G. Roszell presented in the confer- ence the following preamble and resolutions " Whereas great excitement has pervaded this country on the subject of modern abolitionism, which is reported to have been increased in this city recently by the unjustifiable conduct of two members of the General Conference in lecturing upon, and in favor of that agitating topic;-and whereas, such a course on the part of any of its members is calculated to bring upon this body the suspicion and distrust of the community, and misrepre- sent its sentiments in regard to the point at issue ;-and whereas, in this aspect of the case, a due regard for its own character, as well as a just concern for the interests of the church confided to its care, demand a full, decided, and unequivocal expression of the view's of the General Conference in the premises." Therefore, The Rev. Mr. Lovejoy, who was afterwards slain by the mob in defend- ing his press at Alton, Illinois, was present at the meeting. He was on his way from St. Louis, where he then resided, to Pittsburg, to attend the Gen- eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. 16 1. Resolved,- "By the delegates of the Annual Conference in General Con- ference assemnbled, that they disapprove in the most unqualified sense, the conduct of the two members of the General Conference who are reported to have lectured in this city recently, upon, and in favor of, modern abolitionism." 2. Resolved,- "By the delegates of the Annual Conferences in General Con- ference assembled,-that they are decidedly opposed to modern abolitionism, and wholly disclaim any right, wish, or intention to interfere in the civil and political relation between master and slave as it exists in the slave-holding states of this Union." The preamble and resolutions were adopted,-the first resolution bv 122 to 11, the last by 1'20 to 14. An address was received from the Methodist Wesleyan Conference in England in wvhich the anti-Christian char- acter of slavery, and the duty of the Methodist church was plainly, yet tenderly and affectionately, presented for its consideration. The Conference refused to publish it. In the Pastoral Address to the churches are these passages: ",It cannot be unknown to you that the question of slavery in the United States, by the constitutional comp-act which binds us together as a nation, is left to be regulated by the several state legislatures themselves, arid thereby is put beyond the con trol of the general government as well as that of all ecclesiastical bodies, it being manifest that in the slave-holdin g states themselves the entire responsibility of its existence or non-existence rests with those state legislatures. . . . . . . These facts, which are only mentioned here as a reason for the friendly admonition which we wish to give you, constrain us as your pastors who are called to watch over your souls as they must give account, to exhort you to abstain from, all abolition movements and associa- tions, and to refrain from patronizing any of their publications," c. . . "From every view of the subject which we have been able to take, and from the most calm and dispassionate survey of the whole ground, we have come to the conclusion that the only safe, scriptural, and prud nt way for us, both as ministers and peo- ple, to take, is, wholly to refrain from this agitating subject," c. The temper exhibited by the general conference was warmly sympathized in by many of the local conferences, not only in the slave states but in the free. The Ohio Annual Conference had a short time before Resolved,- "1. That we deeply regret the proceedings of the abolitionists 17 and Anti-Slavery Societies in the free states, and the consequent excitement produced thereby in the slave states; that we, as a Conference, disclaim all connection and cooperation with or be- lief in the same; and that we hereby recommend to our junior preachers, local brethren, and private members within our bounds to abstain from any connection with them, or participa- tion of their acts in the premises whatever." Resolved,- "2. That those brethren and citizens of the North who resist the abolition movements with firmness and moderation, are the true friends to the church, to the slaves of the South, and to the constitution of our common country," c. The New York Annual Conference met in June, 1836, and Resolved,- "61. That this conference fully concur in the advice of the late General Conference, as expressed in their Pastoral Address." Resolved,- " 2. That we disapprove of the members of this conference pat- ronizing or in any way giving countenance to a paper called 'Zion's Watchman,' because in our opinion it tends to disturb the peace and harmony of the body by sowing dissensions in the church." Resolved,- "8. That although we could not condemn any man or with- hold our suffrages from him on account of his opinions merely, in reference to the subject of abolitionism, yet we are decidedly of the opinion that none ought to be elected to t