For The Signal Of Liberty

m&íessri Edilorsi - The following Inipor■ facts in relation to the action of the Bap ItTrienial Convention held at Baltimore .in April iast,nre illustrative of Northern ser ity to Southern domination in eclesiastical matters. For the want of an organ through which, these a6tounding facts mav be spread out bofore the Baptist denominan uoa in this Btate, we humbly úsk a pía ce in your columns, hopiüg that the cause of Lib rly and equal right raay be udvanced there The mfttter conlained in this communica tion Í3 principally embraced in the Rev.Wm. JJrisbans'B letter, but iüustrative facta, from Southern document6, have einco come out ■and are here inserted in biackctts,preservin the order of Mr. B's argumenta and recHal of facts. Yours in tbe by] of ydl doing. NORMAN. From tKs ChHstian Reflector. Cincinnuti, Juno 21', 1841 . JIbv. W!. B. Johnson: $)tar Brother.-l feel justified in thus públicly addressiiig ihis communication to you on the subject of pro-slavery action of our recent General Convention at Ballimore. because you are the President of ihat Convenlion, and therefore the most promineut of the rcpresentalives from the South, uud as such upon yourself resled the chief responsibility óf the ungenerous proceeding8 of tliat meeting, towards Abolitionists, who were prevented by yourdscisions from speaking with that freedom which was allowed to o'.liers. Without ■designing to bc disrcspectful to yourself or nuy of the members of tho Convention, I huil novertheless use great plainneas of epeech, and I hopo thcreby to afiect the hearts of öhristian breihren more certainJy than 1 could by words of flaltcry. In order that truth may not be hid in a muliiplicity of words, I shall here present in the Bimplest form a uumber of focts which are undeniable. ht. Frora iha carüest period of tho orgunization of tho Baptist General Convention, churche8 have been represented n the Convention and on the Board which have ulways refused communion wilh the filave-holders. Tho McDougal Btreet ehurch in New York is an nsiance. Even Ihe ehurch of which Brother Cone, the late President of the Convention, has for many years been pastor, has all along liad n resolulion unrepealed on its books, prohibiting the receplion of slave-holders to inembership. 2nd. A cur.vention of Baptist brethren in 1840, addressed u faitbful yet aiFeclionnte communication to slaveholding Baptists, entreating them to abandon the praclice of holding their felluw-men in bonds, and presenting as ono consideration the iact, that a persistance in the praclice must rinully lead to a bieach of their ehurch fel lowship. 3d. Upon the receipt of this communication at the South, the Southren brethren adopted a course of proceedings such as the following extracta from 6oulhern papers wil.l 6how : [The Christian Index of January 15 th, ' 1841, contains the following: Penfield, Geo., Oct. 10, 1841. The Executive Committee of the Baptist Convention of the State of Georgia, to the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions : Dear Brethuen. - Several of our Asociations at their late meetings have found their funds, sent up for Foreign MisBions, groatly ditninishod from tbeir formerj mounls, and the cause mainly alledged is, the unpleasant feeling excited among the ehurches by the circular of ihe American Baptist Ami slavery Convention which hasbcen uddressed to many of iheir pastors. These Associations look now to the Executive Committee of ourSiate convenI tion for an ëxplanatioo of these maiters, before they send any more funds to your ■ Board. Ji therefore becomes now our duly to rcqueet you to say to us distinclly, how f.ir the Biptist Board ofForeign Missions have entertained the seniiments a' vowed in said circular. We ask ruthing but an expücit avowal from you of the light in which we as slave holders are held by the Board. We are wnll aware that the participaron of Mr. Galusha in tliis offensive circular was in bis individual capacity, and nol as an agent for the Buard,and for which the lioard is not accounlable. If this were Ihe ouly diiFiculty we had to encounter we should uke it for grnnted that litis act of his was on hisown responsibility, and ihat il would rnect the hearty condemnation of tho Buard. Bul we huve additional difficulty on this painful subject. In this cir cular fc are excommunicated and reviled in some of the harshest ej)ilhets,by a large number of Baptists at the Norlh. We have lockcd fur inonths, and we have not, as y ctj seen our vindication, nor the dis- approval of our Eeverc coudetnnation even from ono of the Board wilh whom we are united as brethren in missionary operations.ir some of us should construe ihis silenco into a concurrence of senüfnent,will it be any matter oí' surprise? But add to this silcnce a statement to be íound in an editorial oftho Biblical Recorder of Oct. 3d,as a quotation from theChrisliun Watch man, liiut "individuals, churches, associations, and convontions, have passed resoIuiíods thal il is wrong to invite slaveíolders lo tüe communion table." In the same paper is found a letter stating that before the adjournment of the Boston Association, noiice was given, that after the adjournment, a meeling would be held by those present, on the subject of slavery; that said mee'.ing was held; that mure than nine lenthsofthe Associations attended it, and unanimously passed resolutions 'that slavery is a violation of human rights and of the Jaw of God, and that wo wül do uil in our power to bring about ils speedy termination, and that we approve of the address of tho Southern Baptists, issued by the American Baptisis Anti-Slavery Oonvention. tVhile we are thus slandered, reviled and excominunicated by churches, association?, und convenlionsand by a largo assembly, composed mosily of the members of the Boston Association, to which a large poition of tho Board of Foreign Missions belong, can it be surprisingthal we shou'd expeel i'rom our brethren of the Board, an explicil and candid avownl of what participation they hold in these excommunicating sentiments. On our part we say explicitly, that for ourselves we have endeavored in the fear of God, to examine lliis subject, in which, we more than othere, are concerned, and are fully satisfied wilh regard to tho righteousness of the institution condemned. The abolition brethren condemning and excommunicating us, are at direct points wilh ue, and WQVimt know iiomyou, dislinctly, whelh er with you also,weare guiliy and excom. municated. We hope and ehall expect an explicit answer to ihiscommunicaliun, and : bave inslructed our treasurer to withhoid all the iunds for foreign mis&ions till we hear from you on this subject. B. M. SAN DS, Chairman. Thos. Stocks, Sec pro. tem. Tho above address was ansvvercd by their printed circular and thefollowúig rom the Chrietian Index o{ Jauuary l5tb, 1841, is their rejoiader. Petificld, Geo. Jcvty 17, 1841 The Executive Committee of the Baptist Convention of the State of Georgia, to the Baplisl Board of Foreign Missions : Dear Bketiuien.- We have received your circular wilh a request appended to it by your Secretary, that wo would re ceive it as a reply to our address to ycu. We have endeavered lo give it a cureful and candid consideration, but are alto gethcr unablo to receive it as a satisfacto ry reply to our address. One of the principie grounda of our complaint was the nttendance of members of the Board at the Anti-slavery meeting beid at the close of the Boston Association and the concurrence they wero suppestd to have in the ofFensive resolutiohs passed by that meeting. We asked the Board for somö explanation of that matter, and can but regret their unwillingness to give any. We think we had a right to expect it. As a constituent member of the Triennial Convention, we regard the BF. M. as our agent lo disburso our foreign mission funds. It is all-important that wc should have confidence in our ngenls.- Some of them havo acted sqjps to destroy that confidence. Oiher3 have renderedihemselves suspected, and we ask them tof freo themselves of that suspicion. We assured them that their own declarations would besufficient. Could we have done' any thing Ie83? Could they ■ ed us to continue in their hands an agency of óur interests wliile such suspicion res-i ted on them; particularly when they could so ea8ily remove them, but refuse to do it?, VVoare unable to construe this refusal to! comjily withsoreasonable requesi,intoany thingcfce than an acknowledgcment of irn plication- at least to some extent. In this ronstruction we are more contirmed by the Inboredeffbrtof the Board to magnity the rliffcrence between official and individual acts. So far as this circular maybe con-l sidered a reply to our address, can it be' undetsloud in any other light.thnn as an admission that members of the Board had (aken part in this meeting, not in their official, but in their individual capacity? Admit this to be the fact; but when our Christian characler has been traduced by them, can we any longer recognize them, as suitable agents to transactour business? ft matters but little in relation to this subectjwhatdifference there may be between an indiviual and an official act. We hold it is an obvioua principie ihat when an agent besomes the traducer of the character of those that nppoint him, it is time for fiis agency to cease. And we hold it equally obvious, that when by h9 own act ie renders himsslf suspected, he should be required to purge himself of that suspicion. We are at an entire loss to conceive liow ihe Board could havehoped that iheir circular would be a satisfaclory reply to our address. The Board may be assured we have too much regard for our own character, to aeknowledge as our public agents, thoso who revile and abuse us, whether it bc done in their individual or official capacily. We have no power lo revoke the commission we have aided in giving ihem; all we can do in the present state of offairs is to retain our own means,till the Boardivill purge themselves of having any concurrence in the offensive transactions that have been alluded to, or we have an opportunity of appoinling such as will treat us with Christian respect - Wewish the Board however to understand iliat we have no dipposition to withdraw Trom missionary labor,nny longer ihan the necessity, unwelcomely laid upon us,may cómpcl us. We would nvail oureelves of the pres ent occasion to express to the Board our entire disagreetnent with them in the lat- ludinarian construction, 09 we conceive, aid by them on the constituiionof the triennial convention. We cannot agree that t was everintended to embrace everydiscription of character ihat might chance 0 be known by the name of "Baptist?"1 - We cannot suppose that the framers of il everhoped to bind together discordant elements by the magie power of a name. - We had supposed thal the spirit andintention of the article was to include orderly ZJapiists, held in the general fellowshipof ihe denomination. To co-operale in any important measure there must be some ïarmony of sentiment and fceling. Two cannot walk together except they ogree. We forbear to romark on eeveral insinúations in the circular that have any other londency than to conciliate tho insult ed feelings of the brothren of the South. We most seriously deplore the threatcned eruption of that Cbristian intercourse which we havo heretofoie cultivated wilh so much pleasure wilh mnny esteemed brethren at the North. -But as it is in their power, and in theirs alone, to npply the remedy,to them we will still look,not without hope, but in much fear. And may the God of love and peace brood over all our liearts, and give us more of the meek and humble spirit of our Savior. B. M. SANDS, Chairman. Thos. Stocks, Sec1 y., pro. tem. The following documents will show how fuilhfully those extravagant demands have been compiied with by the membeis of the Board. Dr. Sharp, who is one of the leading members of the Board, in a letter to Rev. Olis Smiili, dated Boston, Jan. 2Ist, 1841, clcses with the following significant language: I have said this much in justice to myself, and in expressing my own, I have proba bly expressed the views of the most intelligent, judicious and influenli.il Baptists in the middle and Northern States.- 1 novv say that I have nosmpathy with the spirit and measures of ihose who claim ior themselves exclusively the name of abolitionists. I entirely disapprove of their temper, their unme.asured censures, and theirdenunciations. These I consider bolh unwise and unchristian. They can have no other effect, in my opinión, but to exaspérate the feelings and to perpetúate the evil, the termination of which they profess so ardently to desire. In regard to church aclion in thecase,'I consider it both nexpedient and unscriptural: inexpedient, because whenl have cutoff wholechurches from my fellow3hip,ÍI canno1. expect they will listen to any thing i may say, however rcosonable it muy be; and unscriptural, because con ' trary to apostolic practice. There were ' undoubtedly, boih slavoholders and slavea in the primitive churches. I, therefore, for onc, do not feel myself at liberty to make conditiuns of communion which nei, Hier Christ nor his apoelles made. I do ! not consider myself w ser or better than they were. Nor have I y et made such progresa in knowledge as to believe that a good end sanctifies unjusliñable mcans. - 1 believe that a mnjority of the wisest and best men at theNorlh hold to these senti! ments. But if I 6tood alone, here I shall I remain immoveable, unless I gnin some ! new light, which at my periodof life 1 do not expect. í am yours, truly, Daniel Sharp. To Rev. Otis Smith. From the Minutes of the Twenty-fourth Anniversary of theBeihlehem Baptist As sociation ( Alaba ma) held Sopt 25tb - 26ih, 1840. Appointed Brethren Travers, K. Hawthorn, Bunhan, Suhrcebel and fleeves, a Committee to present to this body such resolutions as n their opinión be proper, touching the Address of the "American A. S. Convention," of New York, signed by Elon Galusha, as President, and O. S. Murray, Secrelary; which instrument has been sent to most of the Ministers of this Association. Whereupon the Committee presented thefollowing Preanv ble and Resolutions, which were unaaimously adopted . Whereas, a certain paper called "The Christian Reflector, Extra," has been forwarded to many of us as Pastors of churches; which paper contains sentiments abhorrent to our views, and certain threats against us, as holders of slaves, wc 'feel that it is our duty to express our views on this subject. We think ourgelves compelled to declare egainst men who misrepreaent and slander us - who charge us with crimes of which we are not guilty - who represent us tragical tyrants, and bloody murderers; and who, on these accounts, debar us out of their Christian Fellowship. Thereforc, Resolved, '1 bat we hereby express our utterdetestationof the principies, accusalions and throats, contained in the "Address to Southern Baptists," believing them to be unkind, untrue, unchristian and unscriptural. Resolved, That ín the evcnt of the Baptist General Convention, of their next meeling, refusing to express their determination to withdraw their co-operalion in every way whatever wilh those fanatics of the North, wo recommend to our brethren of the South to adopt measures for opening a channel by which our cheerful benefactions may be carried to the perishing brethren, that tbey may receive the word of life. Resolved, That we think Elon Galusha, Orson S. Murry, Cyrus P. Grosvenor, and their coadjutors in the body, self-styled "The American Baptist Anti-Slavery Convention," should share the eame excommunication which they so freely and so utifedingly exercise lowards their brethren at the South. Resolved, That wo recommend to our brethren at tho South to speak out their sentiments fully and fearlessly on this subject, and let the Northern Baptisls know distinctly that we cannot co-operate with those who thus stigraatize and excom municate us. Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby authorized to forward to Cyrus P. Grosvenor, and to the Secretary and Treasurer of the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, one copy each of our Minutes. And in conclusión, advise the Churches of this As sociation to be strictly vigilant in admit ting Northern preachers into their pulpits, and advise them to examine their credentials, and put lhe queslion pointedly lo them, whether they are Abolitionists or not; for we fear that after those inflanamatory libe'.s shall have been circulated some of those fanatics will transform them selves into "Angels of light," and endeav or toapply the torch of destruction to us. R. Ful!er} letter of June lst, has the fuilowing: "Resolved, That we, the Savannah River Baptist Association, deern the conduct of Northern Abolitionists highly censurable and meddlesome, and request our State convention to instruct their delegatee lo the Triennial convention, to demand of our Northern brethren whether they can acknowledge those fanatici as cosworkers in the great work of evangelizingthe world, and to state fully to them the impossibility of our further co-operation, unless they dismiss such from their body. "Resolved, That the State convention be requested to retain the funds sent by this Associalion, until the Triennial convenlion shall publish tbeir repudiation of the whole spirit and conduct of Baptist Abolitionists. In the Biblical Recorder of Sept. 19, 1840, and over the signatura 'R.1 ia thisj passage.'It is our decided conviction that southern Baptists ought no longer to act, dircctly or indirectly, with those whoso acts iroclaim thern to be our detcrraiaed foes. arosrenar, Galusha, Neale, TurobuII,and ihcir co-workers, must no longer oceupy seals in a Convention, in which we niaititain a representatton. T'iat body must exelude thcm or dispense with us.T The Baptist Banner and Pioneer, of Vovembcr, brought us The Voice ofthe South West,1 or ihedoings of the Alubama Baptist Convcn'.ion, ooalaining the lolluwing: 'Resolved, That we withhold all appro. priations to the A. B. B. F. Missiona and the A. and F. Bible Society, until theo!fícersnnd managers of those instiluüons satisfy us that tlier are not connected eitherdirectly or indirectly, witb these Aut ti-Slavery proceedings.' At a special meeting of the Camden Baptist church, last fall, the Virginia Reigious Herald informed us, the ibllowing resol ulions we re ucanimoualy adopted. 'Resolved, We recomnend to our associations lo use tbcir iofluenc to have Elon Galusha expelled from Uis office of Vico President of the Board of Foreign Mis siona - that tbéy ha a rigbi to require it and should niake hia expulsión the condition of iheir future cuuucciioo ;with the Board. 'Resolved, That ourÁssocíatíon be re quested to be fully represeated in the Triennial convention at ita session in April next, and tbe delégate le requested to endeavor to obtaiu an expreasion of the views and opintona of the conveutioa on the subject of AboILtioB. 'Resolved, TUat tboso who trO not for us are agaiust us, acd that aay refueal or neglect of tbe coavantioa te expresa nn opinión on the subject, wtü be regarded by us as taking sides with tfte AboHUonista. The Edgefield (S. C.) Baptist Association in October, 'Resolved, That ou? clegatcs to the Baptist general coBrenlkm bo instructed to obtain from that body, at tta next meeting an expression of Us approbation or disapprobation of the risws a ad seotiments contained in that (ihe Baptist A. S. Convention's) AddrcM.' In the eame monih, the Bethel (S. C.) Association, 'Resolved, That if tho Baptist Mtssissippi Triennial meeting to convene in Baitimore in April next, dots sustain the proceedinga ofthe Aoti-SlaTary Convention - then after that time, we rscommend to tbe Gouthern Baptists to find some other channel tbrough which they may scad their contributions.' 'Resolved, That we, the Savannab Riv er Association, deern the conduct-of northern aboliiionists highly censurable ond meddiesome, and request our State Convention to insiruct tbeir deisguies to lbo Triennial Convention, to demand of our northern brethren whether tbey ean ack nowledge those fanática ai co-workers ia the great work cf erangeliziog the world, and to state fully to them the impossibiüty of our further co-operation, 'jnicss they dismiss such from their body.1 'Resolved, That the State convention be requesied to retain tbe fundt ent by thia Association, untii the Triennial conven tion sha 11 publish their repudiatioa ofthe whole spirit and conduct of Baptist abolitioniste.' But cid the Baptist State convention of South Carolina contémplate fuiy aution against the Aboliiionists at the General Convention in Baitimore? Let us see. In noticing the agents of ths A. &, F, Bible Society and ofthe A. 13. H. Missioa Society, the South Carolina eonvention have recorded in their minutes "ihat each alludes to the exciüng subject prodüced by the conduct of the American Baptist AntiSlavery Convention, held in New York ia April last, (1840,) and the antislavery meeting held directly after the adjournment of the Boston Aseociation, in the present year, (1840.) The iateent8 and remarks made by these brethren, ia reference to the numberr aod infiuence of Abülitionistö of our denooaination in the north ern States, sbow (bat they re small and ieeble. That the grat body of our brethren at the North, brethre:. of standing and influence, hare coiympathies with the Abolitionists, and tbci they have do desire to inlerfere, in the tmaliw. tiegreo, with the institutionsof ths Suuth; and thaL they will be ready to giva en exprc9sion of their disapprobation of the proceedings of their Abolition bretbrd et the North, at the nextaoeetiag cf the Triennial Missionary Convention in Baitimore." Again I find on tbe miooic of tbe South Carolica Convention, that 'The foliowing preambl aad revolutions wcre adopted, ' Whereas, a general dUqic'.wae atnong our cburcheo in the Soutk and Bouth-West of these United States, bas been produeed by the proceedinge of some abolitionists of our denoraination at thg North, wkb whora we have long been aasociated in the Foreign Missionary enterprize ; a disquietudo that threatens a división of iho Baptist OONTIKVEI OW IOTBTH .ƒ