APPENDIX III.

s.Now,ifever,wastheirtimetocutthisloathsomeencumbrancewhollyadrift,andstandup,inthisageofconcessionandconformitytotheworld,apurelyprotestingchurch,freefromallcomplicitywiththismostdreadfulnationalimmorality. OnthefirstsessionoftheGeneralAssemblythiscoursewasmostvehementlyurged,bymanypetitionsandmemorials.Thesememorialswerereferredtoacommitteeofdecidedanti-slaverymen.Theargumentononesidewas,thatthetimewasnowcometotakedecidedmeasurestocutfreewhollyfromallpro-slaverycomplicity,andavowtheirprincipleswithdecision,eventhoughitshouldrepelallsuchchurchesfromtheircommunionaswerenotpreparedforimmediateemancipation. Ontheotherhand,themajorityofthecommitteewereurgedbyopposingconsiderations.Thebrethrenfromslavestatesmadetothemrepresentationssomewhataliketothese:"Brethren,ourheartsarewithyou.Wearewithyouinfaith,incharity,inprayer.Wesympathizedintheinjurythathadbeendoneyoubyexcision.Westoodbyyouthen,andarereadytostandbyyoustill.Wehavenosympathywiththepartythathaveexpelledyou,andwedonotwishtogobacktothem.Astothismatterofslavery,wedonotdifferfromyou.Weconsideritanevil.Wemournandlamentoverit.Wearetrying,bygradualandpeaceablemeans,toexcludeitfromourchurches.Wearegoingasfarinadvanceofthesentimentofourchurchesasweconsistentlycan.Wecannotcomeuptomoredecidedactionwithoutlosingourholdoverthem,and,aswethink,throwingbackthecauseofemancipation.Ifyoubegininthisdecidedmanner,wecannotholdourchurchesintheuniontheywilldivide,andgototheOldSchool." Herewasaverystrongplea,madebygoodandsinceremen.Itwasanappeal,too,tothemostgenerousfeelingsoftheheart.Itwas,ineffect,saying,"Brothers,westoodbyyou,andfoughtyourbattles,wheneverythingwasgoingagainstyouand,nowthatyouhavethepowerinyourhands,areyougoingtouseitsoastocastusout?" Thesemen,stronganti-slaverymenastheywere,wereaffected.Onememberofthecommitteeforesawandfearedtheresult.Hefeltandsuggestedthatthecourseproposedconcededthewholequestion.Themajoritythought,onthewhole,thatitwasbesttopostponethesubject.Thecommitteereportedthattheapplicants,forreasonssatisfactorytothemselves,hadwithdrawntheirpapers. Thenextyear,in1839,thesubjectwasresumedanditwasagainurgedthattheAssemblyshouldtakehigh,anddecided,andunmistakablegroundandcertainly,ifweconsiderthatallthistimenotasinglechurchhademancipateditsslaves,andthatthepoweroftheinstitutionwaseverywherestretchingandgrowingandincreasing,itwouldcertainlyseemthatsomethingmoreefficientwasnecessarythanageneralunderstandingthatthechurchagreedwiththetestimonydeliveredin1818.Itwasstronglyrepresentedthatitwastimesomethingwasdone.ThisyeartheAssemblydecidedtoreferthesubjecttoPresbyteries,todowhattheydeemedadvisable.Thewordsemployedwerethese:"Solemnlyreferringthewholetothelowerjudicatories,totakesuchactionasintheirjudgmentismostjudicious,andadaptedtoremovetheevil."TheRev.GeorgeBeechermovedtoinsertthewordmoralbeforeeviltheydeclined. Thisbrought,in1840,amuchlargernumberofmemorialsandpetitionsandverystrongattemptsweremadebytheabolitioniststoobtainsomedecidedaction. Thecommitteethisyearreferredtowhathadbeendonelastyear,anddeclareditinexpedienttodoanythingfurther.Thesubjectwasindefinitelypostponed.AtthistimeitwasresolvedthattheAssemblyshouldmeetonlyonceinthreeyears.Accordingly,itdidnotmeettill1843.In1843,severalmemorialswereagainpresented,andsomeresolutionsofferedtotheAssembly,ofwhichthiswasone(MinutesoftheGeneralAssemblyfor1843,p.15): "Resolved,ThatweaffectionatelyandearnestlyurgeupontheMinisters,Sessions,Presbyteries,andSynods,connectedwiththisAssembly,thattheytreatthisasallothersinsofgreatmagnitudeandbyadiligent,kind,andfaithfulapplicationofthemeanswhichGodhasgiventhem,byinstruction,remonstrance,reproof,andeffectivediscipline,seektopurifythechurchofthisgreatiniquity." Thisresolutiontheydeclined.Theypassedthefollowing: "WhereasthereisinthisAssemblygreatdiversityofopinionastotheproperandbestmodeofactiononthesubjectofslaveryandwhereas,insuchcircumstances,anyexpressionofsentimentwouldcarrywithitbutlittleweight,asitwouldbepassedbyasmallmajority,andmustoperatetoproducealienationanddivisionandwhereastheAssemblyof1839,withgreatunanimity,referredthiswholesubjecttothelowerjudicatories,totakesuchorderasintheirjudgmentmightbeadaptedtoremovetheevil—Resolved,ThattheAssemblydonotthinkitfortheedificationofthechurchforthisbodytotakeanyactiononthesubject." They,however,passedthefollowing: "Resolved,Thatthefashionableamusementofpromiscuousdancingissoentirelyunscriptural,andeminentlyandexclusivelythatof'theworldwhichliethinwickedness,'andsowhollyinconsistentwiththespiritofChrist,andwiththatproprietyofChristiandeportmentandthatpurityofheartwhichhisfollowersareboundtomaintain,astorenderitnotonlyimproperandinjuriousforprofessingChristianseithertopartakeinit,ortoqualifytheirchildrenforit,byteachingthemthe'art,'butalsotocallforthefaithfulandjudiciousexerciseofdisciplineonthepartofChurchSessions,whenanyofthemembersoftheirchurcheshavebeenguilty." Thushasthemattergoneonfromyeartoyear,eversince. In1856wearesorrytosaythatwecanreportnoimprovementintheactionofthegreatecclesiasticalbodiesonthesubjectofslavery,butratherdeterioration.Notwithstandingalltheaggressionsofslavery,andnotwithstandingtheconstantdevelopmentsofitshorribleinfluenceincorruptinganddegradingthecharacterofthenation,asseeninthemean,vulgar,assassin-likeoutragesinournationalCongress,andthebrutal,bloodthirsty,fiend-likeproceedingsinKansas,connivedatandprotected,ifnotdirectlysanctionedandinpartinstigated,byournationalgovernment—notwithstandingallthis,thegreatecclesiasticalorganizationsseemlessdisposedthaneverbeforetotakeanyefficientactiononthesubject.ThiswasmanifestintheGeneralConferenceoftheMethodistEpiscopalChurchNorth,heldatIndianapolisduringthespringofthepresentyear,andintheGeneralAssembliesofthePresbyterianChurchheldatNewYorkataboutthesametime. True,averylargeminorityintheMethodistConferenceresistedwithgreatenergytheaction,orrathernoaction,ofthemajority,andgavefearlessutterancetothemostnoblesentimentsbutinthefinalresultthenumberswereagainstthem. ThesamethingwastruetosomeextentintheNewSchoolPresbyterianGeneralAssembly,thoughheretheanti-slaveryutteranceswere,onthewhole,inferiortothoseintheMethodistConference.InbothbodiesthePackthreads,andCushings,andCalkers,andBonnies,arenumerousandhavethepredominantinfluence,whiletheDicksonsandtheRuskinsarefewer,andhavefarlesspower.Therepresentations,therefore,inthebodyofthework,thoughverypainful,arestrictlyjust.Individuals,everywhereinthefreestates,andinsameoftheslavestates,aremostearnestlystrugglingagainsttheprevailingcorruptionbutthechurches,assuch,are,forthemostpart,stillonthewrongside.Therearechurchesfreefromthisstain,buttheyareneithernumerousnorpopular. ForanillustrationofthelynchingofFatherDickson,see"KeytoUncleTom'sCabin,"PartIII.,ChapterVIII.