UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

"
Can
196 KEY TO UNCLE TOM S CABIN.
"
The Rev. W. Capers,D.D., after expressing
The question may now arise, it must
his convictionthat "
the sentiment arise to every intelligent thinker in Chris-
of the resolutionswas universally held,not
it be possible thatAmerican
onlyby the ministersof that conference, but slavery, as definedby its laws,and the
of the whole South;"and afterstating that decisionsof itscourts,including all the horrible
the only true doctrine was, " it belongsto abuses that the laws recognize and
Caesar, and not to the church,"offeredthe sanction, is considered to be a right and
following as a substitute :
Whereas, we hold that the subject of slavery in
these United States is not one
proper for the
action of the church,but is exclusively appropriate
to the civilauthorities,
Therefore ResolvedȚhat this conference will America ?
not intermeddle with it,further than to express
our regre that it has ever been introduced,
any
form, into any one of the judicatures of the
church.
Brother Martin acceptedthe substitute.
Brother Betts asked whether the substitutewas
intended as implying that slavery,as it exists
among us, was not a moral evil? He understood it
as equivalent to such a declaration.
Brother
Capersexplainedthat his intention teas
to convey that sentiment fullyand unequivocally ;
and that he had chosen the form of the substitute
fur the purpose, not onlyof reproving some wrong
doingsat the North,but with reference also to the
General Conference. If slaverywere a moral evil
(thatis,sinful), the church would be bound to fake
cognizanceof it ; but our affirmation is,that it is
not a matter for her jurisdiction, but
appropriate to the civil government, and of course
not sinful.
and negroes, and insistedthat " without a
new revelation from heaven,no man was
authorized to pronounce slavery wrong."
The sermons were printed a pamphlet,
prefaced
the Bishopof North Carolina,
with a letterto Mr. Freeman from
declaring that
This
he had ' was before the Methodist Church
'
listenedwith most unfeigned pleasure
had
"
to his discourses, and advised their
separated on the question of slavery, as
publication, as being ' ' urgently calledfor
theysubsecpuently did, into Northern and
at
the present time."
Southern Conferences. ,BothNorthern and
"The Protestant EpiscopalSociety for Southern members voted for this resolution.
After this was
the advancement
passed, the conscience of
of Christianity (!)in South
Carolina " thought it expedien to many
Northern ministers was aroused,
republish
and
Mr.
theycalledfor a reconsideration. The Southern
Freeman's pamphletas a religious
members imperiously demanded that it
tract ! *
should remain as a
Afterwards,when the addition of the new
compromiseand test of
union. The
Stateof Texas
spirit
made it of the discussion may be
importanto organize
inferredfrom one extract.
Church
the Episcopal
was made Bishop
therețhis Mr. Freeman
of Texas.
Birney'spamphlet.
tendom,
might be made a good one,
theyjustifyit as it actually
proper institution? Do these Christians
merelyrecognize the relationof slavery, in
the abstract, as one that,under proper legislation,
or do
exists in
It is a fact that thereis a largeparty at
the South who justify not onlyslavery in
the abstract, but slavery justas it existsin
America,in whole and in part, and even its
worst abuses.
There are four legalized parts or results
of the system, which are of especial atrocity.
They are," "
1. The prohibition of the testimonyof
colored peoplein cases of trial.
2. The forbidding of education.
3. The internal slave-trade.
"
4. The consequentseparation of families.
We shall
is exclusively bringevidence to show that
every one of these practices has been either
defended on principle, or recognized without
The substitute was then
condemnation, by decisionsofjudicatories of
unanimously
churches,or by writings of influentialclergymen,
adopted.
without
In 1836;an Episcopal clergyman in North
any expression of dissent
Carolina, of the name of
beingmade to theiropinionsby the bodies
Freeman,preached,
to which
in the presence of his bishop(Rev.Levi. S.
theybelong.
In the
Ives,D.D.,a native of a free
firstplace, the exclusion of colored
state), two sermons
on the rights and dutiesof slave-holders.
testimony in the church. In 1840, the
General Conference of the Methodist
In these he
Episcopal
essayedto justifyfrom
Church
the Bible the slaveryboth of white
passedthe following resolution:
men
"That it is inexpedient and
UNJUSTIFIABLE FOR ANY PREACHER TO
PERMIT COLORED PERSONS TO GIVE TES- TIMONY
AGAINST WHITE PERSONS IN ANY
STATE WHERE THEY ARE DENIED THAT
PRIVILEGE BY LAW."
Mr. Peck,of New York,who moved the
reconsiderationof the resolution, thus
himself:
expressed'