542 



METHODISTS. 



claimed for and exercised by that highest judicatory 

 of the Church. The Northern members, who were 

 a controlling majority, claimed for it prerogatives 

 which seemed to us both dangerous and unconstitu- 

 tional. In their view the General Conference is su- 

 preme. Although restricted in the exercises of its 

 power by a constitution, it is the judge of the re- 

 strictions, and is thus practically unlimited. In our 

 view, the General Conference is a body of limited 

 powers. It cannot absorb the functions of other and 

 coordinate branches of the Chui-ch government, and 

 there are methods by which all constitutional ques- 

 tions may be brought to a satisfactory issue. Each 

 Church still maintains its own construction of these 

 fundamental questions. They are not theoretical 

 merely, but very practical in their bearing. Were 

 the two Methodisms organically united, it would lead 

 to serious collisionj and expose the minority to har- 

 assing legislation, if not to oppression. 



The existence of slavery in the Southern 

 States furnished an occasion, with its connected 

 questions, fruitful of disturbance. The posi- 

 tion of Southern Methodists on that subject 

 was held to have been scriptural. The address 

 continued : 



Our opinions have undergone no change. "We 

 held ourselves in readiness to carry the gospel to the 

 bond and to the free. Missions to the slaves consti- 

 tuted a large part of our work. Many of our minis- 

 ters labored in this field, and much of our means 

 was expended on it. These labors were eminently 

 owned of God. At the beginning of the late war, a 

 quarter of a million of negroes were in the commun- 

 ion of our Church, and thousands of their children 

 were receiving catechetical instruction. The socie- 

 ties organized in the Southern States during the last 

 ten years by our Northern brethren, and the mem- 

 bers which swell their statistics, are made up largely 

 of those who in slavery had been converted by our 

 instrumentality. 



The Church South had now, without aban- 

 doning this work, adapted its methods to the 

 changed condition of the colored members, 

 and at their own request had set them off into 

 an independent ecclesiastical body. The North- 

 ern brethren had pursued a different plan, and 

 had organized mixed conferences, mixed con- 

 gregations, and mixed schools. " "We do not 

 ask them," says the address, "to adopt our 

 plan. We could not adopt theirs." 



But, while the General Conference (South) 

 was clear and final in its declarations against 

 the union of the two Methodisms, it welcomed 

 measures looking to the removal of obstacles 

 in the way of unity and peace, the existence 

 of which obstacles was generally known. No 

 adjustment could be considered by it that 

 ignored the plan of separation of 1844. By 

 that plan the Southern Church held all its 

 church-houses, cemeteries, school-buildings, 

 and other property, which had been acquired 

 before the division. Under it, it had claimed 

 and recovered its portion of the common fund 

 in the Book Concerns at New York and Cin- 

 cinnati. The question of its validity had been 

 taken by the Northern Church to the Supreme 

 Court of the United States, and affirmed by 

 that tribunal without a dissenting voice. How- 

 ever others might regard that instrument, it 

 was too important in its application to the 



status and security of the Church South to be 

 lightly esteemed by it. 



If it should be said that its provisions touching 

 territorial limits have been violated by both parties, 

 we have this to say: We are ready to confer with 

 our Northern brethren on that point. A joint com- 

 mission having this feature of the compact under re- 

 vision might reach a solution mutually satisfactory. 



The address continued : 



Measures preparatory to formal fraternity would 

 be defective that leave out of view questions in dis- 

 pute between the Methodist Episcopal Church and 

 ourselves. These questions relate to the course pur- 

 sued by some of their accredited agents while pros- 

 ecuting their work in the South, and to property 

 which has been taken and held by them to this day 

 against our protest and remonstrance. Although 

 feeling ourselves sorely aggrieved in these things, we 

 stand ready to meet our orethren of the Methodist 

 Episcopal Church in the spirit of Christian candor, 

 and to compose all differences upon the principles 

 of justice and equity. * * * 



The report concluded with the following res- 

 olutions, which were adopted along with it: 



Resolved, That this General Conference has re- 

 ceived with pleasure the fraternal greetings of the 

 Methodist Episcopal Church, conveyed to us by their 

 delegates, and that our College of Bishops be and 

 are hereby authorized to appoint a delegation, con- 

 sisting of two ministers and one layman, to bear our 

 Christian salutations to their next ensuing General 

 Conference. 



Resolved, That, in order to remove all obstacles to 

 formal fraternity between the two Churches, our 

 College of Bishops is authorized to appoint a com- 

 mission, consisting of three ministers and two lay- 

 men, to meet a similar commission authorized by 

 the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal 

 Church, and to adjust all existing difficulties. 



The following resolutions, bearing on the 

 same subject, were also adopted just before 

 the adjournment of the General Conference : 



Whereas, The discussions and votes of this Confer - 

 erence on the subject of fraternal relations with the 

 Methodist Episcopal Church, and its cognate sub- 

 jects, present the appearance of essential differences 

 which do not exist : therefore 



Resolved, That upon the subject of fraternal rela- 

 tions with the Methodist Episcopal Church, upon a 

 proper basis, this Conference is a unit. 



Resolved, That we are also a unit upon the pro- 

 priety of appointing a commission, empowered to 

 meet a like commission from the Methodist Episcopal 

 Church, to settle, all questions of difficulty between 

 us, and that such settlement is essential to complete 

 fraternity. 



Resolved, That the only points of difference be- 

 tween us on this whole subject are the best methods 

 of accomplishing this desired end. 



Fraternal greetings were exchanged with 

 the General Conference of the Methodist Prot- 

 estant Church, in session at Lynchburg, Va. 

 The Rev. Alexander Clark was received and 

 spoke in behalf of the Methodist Church. 



A new constitution was adopted for the or- 

 ganization of missions. The Board of Missions, 

 to which is given the charge of the foreign 

 missions, and of all others not provided for by 

 the Annual Conferences, was made to consist 

 of a president, vice-president, secretary, and 

 seventeen managers, to be elected quadrennially 

 by the General Conference, bishops to be ex 



