This church has been _progressing_ in the wrong direction. In 1818, before the excision of the Presbyteries which formed the New School body, the General Assembly declared that "the voluntary enslaving of one part of the human race by another was a gross violation of the most precious and sacred rights of human nature," "utterly inconsistent with the law of God," and "totally irreconcilable with the spirit and principles of the gospel." This was a noble declaration, but slaveholders were not excluded from the church as they should have been, but continued to flock in, until in 1836, a _slaveholder_ presided over the General Assembly who openly said--"I draw my warrant from the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to hold my slaves in bondage."--Since 1836 the General Assembly has been wholly under the control of the pro-slavery interest. Her doctors of divinity have written learned treaties in defense of slavery, and slaveholders are at ease, yea, sleep undisturbed in her communion, and for all that that church is likely to say or do, will sleep on until they find themselves in company with Dives. PRESBYTERIAN (NEW SCHOOL.) When the New School General Assembly was organized only three slaveholding Presbyteries were represented. There are now about twenty. A very large proportion of the ministers and members of this church are _somewhat_ anti-slavery, and many of them _decidedly_ anti-slavery; but the holding of slaves is not made a test of communion. Slaveholders have been and are now flocking into it. Ministers of the sanctuary and members of the General Assembly are slaveholders. Nevertheless, the action of the General Assembly has been such as to keep up an agitation and render the southern portion of the church somewhat restless. The following resolution was adopted by the General Assembly, which convened at Detroit in 1850: "That the holding of our fellow-men in the condition of slavery, EXCEPT in those cases where it is unavoidable by the laws of the State, by the obligations of guardianship or the demands of humanity, is an offense, in the proper import of that term, as used in the Book of Discipline, chap. i., sec. 3, which should be treated in the same manner as other offenses." The _exceptions_ in this resolution are sufficient, especially when explained at the south, to cover almost all cases of slaveholding. The Assembly of 1853 adopted a report earnestly requesting the Presbyteries in the slaveholding States to lay before the next Assembly distinct and full statements touching the following points: "1. The number of slaveholders in connection with the churches under their jurisdiction, and the number of slaves held by them. "2. The extent to which slaves are held by an unavoidable necessity, 'imposed by the laws of the States, the obligations of guardianship, and the demands of humanity.'