434 History of Methodism 



now devolved upon hirn were exceedingly arduous, re- 

 quiring his presence at a great number of meetings, 

 protracted absences from home, and fatiguing routes 

 of travel. In this work he continued unremittingly 

 for four years. 



In May, 1844, the great anti-slavery agitation in 

 the Methodist Episcopal Church came to its crisis, 

 in the division of that body. Dr. Capers, who had 

 taken a deep interest in the controversy from the be- 

 ginning, made a speech before the General Confer- 

 ence, in vindication of the Southern view of the ques- 

 tion, which showed a degree of tact and power rarely 

 evinced in a deliberative body. From this time till 

 the close of his life, he is identified with the Meth- 

 odist Episcopal Church, South. 



At the close of the year 1845, Dr. Capers was sta- 

 tioned at Columbia; and while here, by request of 

 the South Carolina Conference, he revised a Cate- 

 chism for the use of the negro missions which he had 

 prepared some years before. In the spring of 1846 

 he attended the session of the first General Conference 

 of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and on 

 the 7th of May he and the Eev. Dr. Robert Paine 

 were elected bishox^s, and on the 14th were conse- 

 crated to their office. 



Bishop Capers was indefatigable in the discharge 

 of the various duties pertaining to the episcopal office. 

 He performed eight successive tours of visitation, 

 traversing, in different directions, most of the South- 

 ern and South-western States, and leaving every- 

 where an impression that he was eminently qualified 

 for the office to which he had been elevated. 



On the 24th of January, 1855, he reached his home 

 in Anderson, South Carolina, 'after a journey to Flor- 



