desist from the exercise of this office so long as this im- pediment remains." The vote stooil 111 for and G9 af^aiiist — all in the atHrmativc, except one (and he a Kortlierner), being from Northern Conferences, the Bal- timore Conference being e(|ually divided: several from the Northern Conferences, however, voted in the nega- tive. The bishops had reijiiested the General Confer- ence to suspend action in tlie premises, suggesting that arrangements might be made to retain bishop Andrew in oiHce, as his services would be " welcome and cordial"' in the .South. Resolutions declaring the action in the case of bishop Andrew, to be advisory only, and not to be considered in the light of a judicial mandate, and post- poning its final disposition, according to the suggestion of the bishops, were laid on the table by a vote of 75 to 08 — the South, of course, voting in the negative. Kesolu- tions proposing two General Conferences were referred to a committee, which could not agree on a report. The Southern delegates then preseiUed the followiiig " Dec- laration:"' "The delegates of the Conferences in the slaveholding states take leave to dcchire to the General Conference of the ^Methodist Episcoi)al Church that the continued agitation on the subject of slavery and aboli- tion in a portion of the Church, the frccjucnt action on that subject in tlie (ieneral Conference, and especially the extra-judicial iiroceedipgs against bishop Andrew, whiih resulted on Saturday last in the virtual suspen- sion of him from his oflice as superintendent, must pro- (hice a state of things in the South which renders a con- tinuance of the jurisdiction of the General Conference over these Conferences inconsistent with the success of tlie ministry in the slaveholding states." This decla- ration was referred to a committee of nine, composed of Northern and Southern delegates, with instructions to devise a constitutional jilan for a mutual and friendly division of the Church, provided the difficulties could not be otherwise adjusted. The minority, through Dr. Bascom, presented an elaborate protest against the ac- tion of the majority in the case of bishop Andrew, char- acterizing it as extra-judicial and luicoiistilutional— the Episcopacy being a co-ordinate branch of the govern- ment of the Church, a bishop cannot be subjected by a delegated Conference to any official disability without formal jiresentation of a charge of the violation of law, and convi<'lion on trial, and no law concerning slavery had been violated by iiishop Andrew; the action there- foTe in bis case was unconstitutional, and would estab- lish a dangerous precedent, subversive of the union and stability of the Methodist Episcopal Church. This jirotest was allowed to go on the Journal, and a reply was made to it on the i)art of the majority. Kesolu- tions were adopted allowing bishop Andrew's name to remain in tlie Minutes, Hymn-book, and Discipline as formerly: allowing him and his famih' a support; and leaving to him to decide what work he would do, if any, in view of the action of the Conference — the third reso- lution being adopted by a vote of 103 to 07. The com- mittee of nine made their report on a ])lan of separation, whicli. after'disciission anil amendment, and earnest ad- vocacy liy Drs. Olin. Ilamline, Hangs, Elliott, and other Northern delegates, was adojitcd by a nearly imanimous vote. The leaders of the North considered that the Conference was shut up to this course, as they affirmed that, under the circumstances, bishop Andrew could not preside in some of the Northern (Jonferenees, and they believed that if he were suspended, and the Southern Church sidiniitted to it. ^lethodism could not prosper in the South. Ilimdreds nf thousands of negroes were supplied with the (iospel by the Southern Church, and access to them, especially on the plantations, woidd be debarred if the measure in (piestion were submitted to by the South. Division. tJKrefore, was inevitable. It was accom|)lished in the spirit of candor and charity — and the rather as the Connection was getting too large, as Dr, l^iliott said, for one (Jeneral-Confcrcnce jurisdic- tion. The following is the I'lun of tiipuraiiun: "The select comiuiitce of nine to consider and report
on the declaration of the delegates from the Conferences of tlie slaveholding stales, be^; leave to submit tbe follow- ing report :
'•Whereas, a declaration has been presented to this Gen- eral Conference with the siguaiuies of ri/tij-one delegates of the body, from thirteen Annual Coul'eiences in the slaveholding stales, representing that, for various reasons enumenited, the objects and purposes of the Christian niinisiry and Church organization cannot be successfully accomplished by tliera iTudcr the jln■i^diction cf this Gen- \ eral Coiifeience as now constituted ; iiiid whereas, in the I event of a separation, a contingency to which the decla- riiiion asks attention as not improbable, we esteem it the 1 duty of this Ceiier:il Conference to meet the emergency j with Cliristiaii kindness and the strictest cquitv. ihere- j fore, lU-sidrKi, by the delegates of the several Annual Con- ferences in (ieneral Conference assembled,
"1. That should the Annual Conferences in the slave- holding states tiud it necessary to unite in a distinct ec- clesiastical connection, the following rule shall be ob- served with regard to the norihern boniidary of such con- nection : All itie societies, ^tillions, and Conferences ad- hering to the Cliureli in tlu' South, by a vote of a majority of the members of said societies, stations, and Confer- ences, shall remain under the unmolested pastoral care of the Soul hern Church; and the miuieteis of the Methodist Episcopal Church shall in no wise attemjit to organize churches or societies within the limits of the Church Soiiili, nor sludl they iitiempt to exercise any pastoral oversiL'lil tliciciii; it being uiulersto<'.d that the ministry of ilie Soulli recipiocMlly ubscrve the same rule in relation to stations, societies, and Coi.lVreiHes iidlierinLr by a vote of a majority to the .Mctli(;(li>t l•;pi^(■l■ll.■ll ( linrcli : provided, also, that this rule sb;ill upl'lv "hIv Io s.cietles, btalions, and Conferences bordcriiig on the line ofdivisioii, and not to interior charges, which shall in all cases be left to the care of that Church within whose territory they are situ- ated.