Part 61 (1/2)
I venture to throw this out asand iht of by others as well as myself; and I found the other day fro the attention of different parties on your side of the water Could you not open a discussion on this question in your periodicals? But it should be free frory passions, from national views and partialities; indeed, the discussion of such a subject requires the highest reason, philosophy and statesmanshi+p If a calue such a point, it would be clearing the ground Of the soundness of the principle that the Methodist body ought to be one in all the adjacent colonies; and I am convinced that it would be wise and expedient to establish as soon as eneral colonial Conference And in the present state of things, I conceive it would be useful to receive a certain amount of British influence in such a Conference You cannot do very ithout us; and on this side there would be great alarm at the idea of an entire separation But all these are questions of detail
Letdesire to visit your Provinces--I should like above all things to obey your call; but I see it possible not only to do no good, but to do har up an independent position Letpromoted by your communication; and I hope that either , appear a to see it
It would afford Mrs Dixon and I the highest gratification to see you in this country again--to have the very great delight to see you by our fireside, and experience over again some of the happy moments we dearly enjoyed in your friendly society Thank God there is a Christianity infinitely above ecclesiastical divisions, and sub-divisions; and there is a depth of feeling and affection in the human heart which cannot be destroyed by the miserable squabbles of nations and churches
At the Conference held at Kingston, after the receipt of this letter from Rev Dr Dixon, it was considered expedient to send a deputation frolish Conference Rev John Ryerson and Rev Anson Green were selected for this iland In a letter to Dr Ryerson froust 1st, he says that:--
The difficulties in the way of any proper adjustments of our differences see and so extensive, have been excited against us that we, as the representatives of the Canada Conference, are looked upon with shyness, if not fear and conte but pleasant; it is even distressing and painful Rev Joseph Stinson ishis utmost to further the object of our mission and promote peace in Canada; this is also the case of Rev William Lord
Subsequently Rev John Ryerson wrote to say that:--
Dr Alder presented the address of our Conference, and also the certificate of our appoint, and seconded by Dr Alder, that the address be received, and that we be affectionately and cordially requested to take a seat in the Conference The resolution was opposed, and it called up a warm debate The opposers contended that their connection with the Canada Conference and its matters had only been a source of trouble and injury to themselves, and that, as the Union was now dissolved, they should keep aloof from all intercourse with us The resolution ar, Alder, Beauth passed triuht, and will end well
Rev John Ryerson again wrote to Dr Ryerson froh we took our seats in the Conference last week, yet ere not formally introduced until yesterday It is clear that Dr Alder and others were resolved that we should not take our seats on the platform, but Mr Lord and Mr Atherton (the President) and others were resolved that we should The President accordingly stated that the brethren from Canada, Representatives of the Canada Conference, would be introduced to the Conference, and would take their seats on the platform, which we did What Dr Alder may hereafter do, I know not; up to this time his conduct has been cold and repulsive; he, however, continually declares that he is in favour of an adjust at matters here, I cannot express the painful anxiety of my mind; sometimes I can neither eat nor sleep, and it quite destroys all the satisfaction which I land Had I known that things would be as I find theland I left Canada distressed in mind about our mission; the distress has only continued to increase every day since Were I to follow the strong impulse of my mind, I should leave at once and return to Aed, however; and on the 15th September Rev John Ryerson thus writes to Dr Ryerson as to the final issue of negotiations with the British Conference:--
After four days' conference in coht to a happy and most amicable conclusion
When I wrote my last letter I was underthe results of ourof the leading men towards us, until we met in couised explanation of all missionary and do of ourselves, the one to the other, a totally different feeling see, Alder, and the whole co me feeling which exists chiefly in Lower Canada, the British North American plan ht not practicable at present The plan of settlereed, is a union with the British Conference, on a basis similar to that by which the British and Irish Conferences are united The British Conference appoints our President and the Superintendent of Missions, as in the former union; all of our missions become missions of the Wesleyan Missionary Society; our Missionary Society is auxiliary to their Society The 700 grant is to be placed under the Missionary Committee, to be appropriated for ular British Missionary circuits in Canada, are to be placed under the Canada Conference, the same as any other circuits; and there are to be no missionary districts; but the missionaries are to be members of the different districts in the bounds of which their missions are situated TheCommittee, the same as other ministers The British Conference is to appropriate 600 sterling annually to our contingent fund; and the Missionary Committee is to place 400 at the disposal of our Conference for contingent purposes
More kindness, , I never witnessed than wassuspicion, and allaying fears, etc In the course of the conversations, your nareat respect; only they all seeot astray in the matter of the disruption of the union I assured them, however, that no man in Canada was more desirous of a settlement of differences than you were, and in order to the attainotten, and that henceforth in these matters all should become new I assured Dr
Alder that no man in Canada would receive him more cordially than you would This assurance see to him and all the other ministers present
On the 24th Noveation fro letter to Drs Bunting and Alder:--At the suggestion of my brother, Rev John Ryerson, and in accordance withyou a few lines on adjustlish and Canadian Conferences, and the concentration of the work of Methodisereed upon between your Committees and the Canadian Representatives, I entirely concur Into the consideration of a measure so purely Christian and Wesleyan, I have never allowed, and could not for a moment allow, any sense of personal injury to enter I have had the pleasure of expressing to the Conferential Committee of the Canadian Connexion ereed, and to propose a resolution expressive of the concurrence of that Coement, to which it assented cordially and unani that Rev M
Richey be invited to occupy the relation to Victoria College which I have for soe Council has also unanireed Nor shall I hesitate to use every exertion in ement so honourable to the British Conference, and so eminently calculated to promote the best interests of Methodism in Western Canada
Your treatard and acknowledge as a favour done toupon you personally when I was in England, nor should I feel ain to visit London It is not that you have objected to s that I have said and done, and have expressed your objections in the strongest language In this you have acted as I have done, and for which I ought not either to respect or love you the less But, in your resolutions of April, 1840, you were pleased to charge rity;” and in a subsequent series of resolutions, you were pleased to represent me as unworthy of the intercourse of private life These two particulars of your proceedings attracted the painful notice of the late Sir Charles Bagot before I ever saw hiht impression on the mind of his successor, the late venerated Lord Metcalfe; and they have sunk deeply into my own heart But I have not so much as alluded to them in my official intercourse with my Canadian brethren, nor will I do so; and as a member of the Canadian Conference, I shall (if spared) receive and treat Dr Alder with as much respect and cordiality as I ever did, and shall do reeable to himself, and successful in its objects I have, h the press, disclairity, motives, or character; but with his recorded declaration of rity,” and my unfitness for social intercourse in private life, I feel that my own conduct towards him should be confined to official acts and official occasions; in which I shall treat him with as lish Conference Had it not been for the two particulars in your fors to which I have referred, I should have as readily sought the opportunity of paying you land, as I did in 1836
I have thought this explanation, at the present moment, due both to you and to ard, and of reat objects which you have proposed, viz, the alish and Canadian Connexions [The _alish and Canadian reunion question fully and fairly before the English Wesleyan public, Dr Ryerson was requested to prepare an article on the subject for the London _Watchman_ This he did Rev M Richey writes froes the service which Dr Ryerson had rendered in thisan article for the _Watchman_, and the ability, as well as noble spirit of Wesleyan catholicity by which it is characterized, have afforded to Dr Alder the highest satisfaction The article perfectly corresponds to the ideal he had conceived of a production adapted to place the whole matter before the transatlantic public so as best to accomplish the important object The article will doubtless appear in the earliest impression of the _Watchman_, to the joy of thousands of hearts He has also to acknowledge the receipt of the address of the Canada to the British Conference Permit me to assure you that Dr Alder and myself most affectionately reciprocate your expressions of kindness and regard, and we have every confidence that no elements will be ever hereafter permitted to disturb either our ecclesiastical relations or our personal friendshi+p
On his return from Canada, Dr Alder wrote to Dr Ryerson, under date of the 17th Septes at the result of his visit He said:--
I assure you of the recollection which I cherish of the candid and manly part which you took, both in public and in private, in connexion with the various iht before us during the sittings of the last Conference in Toronto, as well as previous to theof that assembly I have not failed in my communications since my return, to do you that justice to which you are so well entitled; and I trust, as I doubt not you do, that the good understanding which has thus been restored, will be as per Much will depend upon you, as well as uponof the union which has been accomplished; and I shall always be happy to receive froarded by me as confidential
Dr Alder in a subsequent letter, to Dr Ryerson, said:--
In the _Watchman_ I have prefaced an account of our Missionary Anniversary by a few observations, in which I have taken occasion to bear testimony to the spirit and conduct of your brother William, as well as of your oith a view, not merely to perform an act of justice to you, but to prepare the way for the appoint, either now, or at some future period, in a representative character, to our Conference,--an arrangeood in various ways
In carrying out practically so great a measure as that of the union, difficulties of no ordinary kind will be felt I have pressed upon, and fully explained our financial in on the subject I think I have made Earl Grey understand the peculiarity of our case