292 EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION. 



EWING, THOMAS. 



concerning the probable basis and conditions of such. 

 a union, and through the report of the said commit- 

 tee the subject was brought before the Conference 

 for consideration ; and 



Whereas, It was decided that it wouM not be ad- 

 visable to recommend said union, notwithstanding 

 that such a union, under other circumstances, might 

 be desirable, viz., if it could be accomplished with 

 the general consent of our ministry and membership, 

 but, as this does not seem probable for the present : 

 therefore 



Resolved, That we hereby respectfully respond to 

 the friendly greeting and fraternal recognition of the 

 Methodist Episcopal Church, through its delegation 

 to this Conference, and cherish the most hearty wish 

 that we may ever labor in union of spirit and in 

 peace, without hindering or discouraging one an- 

 other, and unitedly as far as possible, and with the 

 best success to the glorious cause of our common 

 Lord and Master, in His vineyard, and with all the 

 elect be finally crowned in His heavenly kingdom. 



Resolved, That a delegation of three be elected by 

 this Conference to convey to the General Conference 

 of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at its session in 

 Brooklyn, our brotherly greetings and congratula- 

 tions, as also this rejoinder. 



The delegation consists of K. Dubs, T. Bow- 

 man, and J. Young. 



Several petitions were presented for such de- 

 cided action to be taken against secret societies 

 as would make the denomination essentially an 

 anti-secret-society body. To these the General 

 Conference responded with resolutions : 



Resolved, That we cannot make any other condi- 

 tions for membership than those that were and still 

 are contained in our discipline, and can therefore not 

 grant the prayer of the petitioners. 



Resolved, That we advise all our preachers and 

 members to keep aloof from oath-bound secret soci- 

 eties, especially for the sake of avoiding offence. 



Resolved, That we declare the laying of corner- 

 stones for churches by secret societies, according to 

 their ritual, an offence against Christian propriety, a 

 violation of our discipline, and is, therefore, objec- 

 tionable and forbidden. 



The time for which a minister may serve in 

 the same field of labor was extended from two 

 years to three years. The time for which a min- 

 ister may serve on a foreign mission was made 

 without limit. A recommendation was adopt- 

 ed that the bishops be chosen from among the 

 elders, instead of from among the delegates 

 to the General Conference. A plan was ap- 

 proved for the organization of a fire-insurance 

 company, within the denomination, which shall 

 insure only churches and parsonages. J. J. 

 Esher was reflected bishop, and li. Yeakel was 

 newly elected bishop. 



Upon request of the Germany Conference, 

 that body was accorded authority to publish 

 books, without first referring them to the 

 Board of Publication in America, and was 



granted the right of retaining the profits of the 

 and Publishing Concern in Germany, on 



Book 



condition of its renouncing all claims to the 

 dividends of the Publishing-house in Cleve- 

 land, Ohio. 



The receipts for the home missionary cause, 

 during 1871, were $49,155.71; the total re- 

 ceipts for the four years, since the previous 

 General Conference, were $193,267.54. The 

 receipts for the Germany mission were, for 



1871, $3,380.22 ; for the four years, $14,039.66. 

 The receipts for the heathen mission, for 1871, 

 were $1,584.81 ; for the four years, $4,281.42. 

 The heath en -mission fund now amounts to 

 $20,180.22. During the four years, since the 

 preceding General Conference, there were ex- 

 pended on home missions $175,544.34, and for 

 the mission in Germany, $31,215.59. The mis- 

 sionary operations in Europe are extended over 

 "Wurtemberg, Baden, Switzerland, and Alsace. 

 A mission was established in Prussia, but it 

 has been suspended. 



EWING, THOMAS, LL. D., an American ju- 

 rist and statesman, born in Ohio County, 

 Va., December 28, 1789 ; died in Lancaster, 

 Ohio, October 26, 1871. His father served in 

 the American army during the Eevolution. 

 Afterward, meeting with pecuniary reverses, 

 he removed his family, in 1792, to the Mus- 

 kingum Eiver, and thence into what is now 

 called Athens County, Ohio. In this wild, un- 

 settled district, young Ewing's education was 

 necessarily imperfect. His sister taught him 

 to read, and in the evenings he eagerly studied 

 the few books at his command. He left home in 

 his twentieth year, and worked in the Kanawha 

 salt-works, prosecuting his studies by night by 

 the light of pine-knots, as he watched his boiling 

 salt-kettles, until he earned enough .money to 

 pay for his father's farm, and was qualified to 

 enter the Ohio University at Athens. Having 

 received, in 1815, the first bachelor's degree 

 ever granted in Ohio, he next studied law in 

 Lancaster, was admitted to the bar in 1816, 

 and practised with success in the State courts 

 and United States Supreme Court for fifteen 

 years. In 1831 he was elected United States 

 Senator from Ohio. He acted with the "Whigs 

 and became associated with Clay and "Webster 

 in their opposition to President Jackson. He 

 supported the protectionist measures of Mr. 

 Clay, and during the same session advocated 

 cheap postage and a recharter of the United 

 States Bank. He also took a prominent part 

 in the debates on the removal of the deposits 

 from that bank. In 1835 he introduced a bill 

 for the settlement of the Ohio boundary ques- 

 tion, which was passed the following year. In 

 December, 1836, he introduced a bill to annul 

 the instructions issued by Mr. Woodbury, Sec- 

 retary of the Treasury, directing receivers in 

 land-offices to accept payments only in coin or 

 Treasury certificates, except from certain class- 

 es of persons during a limited time. The bill 

 excited violent debate, and was defeated. Mr. 

 Ewing's term expired in March, 1837, and ho 

 resumed the practice of his profession. In 

 1841 he became Secretary of the Treasury un- 

 der President Harrison. His first official re- 

 port, presented at the extra session of Con- 

 gress in May, 1841, among other recommenda- 

 tions proposed 20 per cent, duties on certain ar- 

 ticles, disapproved of the Independent Treasury 

 Act, and urged the establishment of a national 

 bank. He prepared a bill for a national bank, 

 which was passed, with some alteration, but 



