"The Southern Evangelical Society," is the title of a
proposed association among the Presbyterians at the South,
for the propagation of the gospel among the people of color.
The constitution originated in the Synod of North Carolina,
and is to go into effect as soon as adopted by the Synod of
Virginia, or that of South Carolina and Georgia. The voting
members of the Society are to be elected by the Synods.
Honorary members are created by the payment of thirty
dollars. All members of Synods united with the Society, are
corresponding members; other corresponding members maybe
chosen by the voting members. Article 4th of the
Constitution, provides that "there shall not exist between
this Society and any other Society, any connexion whatever,
except with a similar Society in the slave holding States."
Several resolutions follow the Constitution; one of these
provides that a presbytery in a slave holding district of the
country, not united with a Synod in connexion with the
Society, may become a member by its own act. The fifth and
sixth resolutions are as follows:
_Resolved_, 5, That it be very respectfully and earnestly
recommended to all the heads of families in connexion with
our congregations, to take up and vigorously prosecute the
business of seeking the salvation of the slaves in the way of
maintaining and promoting family religion.
_Resolved_, 6, That it be enjoined upon all the presbyteries
composing this Synod, to take order at their earliest
meeting, to obtain full and correct statistical information
as to the number of people of color, in the bounds of our
several congregations, the number in actual attendance at our
several places of worship, and the number of colored members
in our several churches, and make a full report to the Synod
at its next meeting, and for this purpose, that the Clerk of
this Synod furnish a copy of this resolution to the stated
Clerk of each Presbytery.
The next document carried them one State farther South, and related to
South Carolina, in which that horrible Governor M'Duffie, who seems to
haunt Mr. Thompson's imagination with his threats of "death without
benefit of clergy," lives, and perhaps still rules. It is taken from
the same paper as the next preceding extract;