Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1837-11-16
IfOH' iis "Vsiclrran ef fir South

=
- b'n continuance IL thgi. sod cannot but trrd
tn,qhc' tie minds OF these Who arc hnuesily 'ri-
81 with objections Eg.iu, tho aetio On q ths- last
General Assemble
Yours. la chri,,isn affection
JOHN Dance MATTHEWS.
ReT. wv .PGrSrR. EEis- sFt!- Ua,c!.
nan 81 the SSEih, Reiiasnd. Ia
HiSorFn. iys. Sept, Il. 1857.
Mt Dean SoN-Nou request INV rrtn,rks on
of tie a5,eeiioHs alleged a-,.ns, The t,ro-
seedlings 81 the iaic Scnsisl hsscmhI,. Ou,. Oh
lceiioh -. thst great. aud Niss sud NOUS men
adopted The plan uf union: which Tho, would
mt have done, unleSS they believed Il a. i,>raul
10 this The rrph II obvious, Men equally great
wise and pious, have ahrOgurd this l,l,,; ebi,i,
they would not have done, uuIcss the, believed
IL 10 he.~ronE Admit as We mos; coz Isll, 10.
the wisdom and pictv of the Assembly Of Isbt,
'at hcy were noriul-llible. Tie ques,isn ,h,u.
- Sas not thr adoption Of THIS plan q I.ronf VI
their infsllSil.iy' The plan hsd hover htrrrr
been tried; IL vas, therefore, buiSA eNJ;e,irnt-
the results OF which eoptl not be AZ fully aud
Clearly seen, ~ they would he. sfSr 1t had hcr,,
IN full and efieirnt operation Ter SO vrars I've
~ one can see The advantage Nhi-l, tlc l,s,,nhi,
OF 1887 had over ths, Of 1901. ia e, ming cor
rect decision respecting this pls-.
It's alleged, that u the Plan of unior ia moi
constitutional, mother IS tive Theological semi.
nary, organized w the .AssenhIy The differ.
eheenNery obvious. Thee ar 40 ecelcsurti, II
rights or power cnnneSttd'vitl, he pEnf.,s~-
ships. " th1l'rSfcssnr wss elSitlcd To S.at il;
Preshyter', not because he Wss ordained, bri IN
virtue a h,s Office, tie two plans would then II.
snnilsr; sn,hthcohireiihns against the one. would
be equally valid asAins, the other
Again, IL. is s'F?sseT chat tho plan Of union
ias hcrornc conStituu0lsl by the acgDieScrnr- Of
the Prethyteri-s foR 50 yeerS. This supuoy,,ion
fairly admits that Il VAS not constitutional chen
It's operation commenced. OF course, if-the A.
sembh of'isl1 % isn5 Lad- atrs.n,cl' M,
plan, before Il had acqugrd ats cfn.tttutiof. 4
ebaTseier> thssc VhIuow ccusure the NsSrmLI,
Of 1887, m4.t have approved n tho ,cry .sarhc
set which ihey unW erusurc. heir feelings -,f
epprobsH0n or disappfohSIion uiuS have Chang
ed according to tie year, Wiu-n f,is set me, 4,
have taken place. ifthe lapse az Sc yrar.' las
give 10 the plan its eonStitutiqr.l eI,sr.cir,
then each year "a Sureeslon must have Unmarried
its due proportion of tL,s eOnst,tutionality. of
COURSE, ~ the plan had been sLrogatrd n,,..
years after its cbmmencenent their .tI,rnrx, ;o-,
would lave decreased --fouftI,, AMI their dis
.spProbsIion have Increased ia The same rronor.
ton; IL atIhe end a. IS yrars thcs- FEELINGS
~ouiu have been cNSetr equal. 81 the -nd of sG
years the feeling Il dissppr1,Iation Llouc Jut II
isnoi tree, that there has been cntirc arguese-rec
for ~ years Nlore than 10 years ago ard frc-
quefhly slneeth.t tNne, one of the prorniuc1t
ir-tures ri this plan Was. the subject OF carnes,
tl-bstc is the GeaeraI Assemble, and n ,er,-
strong PROTEST. ~ large rrihor,,y ssas entered
against the deoision Of me Asycrabiy H. that Csc
lSee Minutes for 1896. Besides, h !. no, "a.
hequlesecIee Of the Prcsb, tcries, though tIii
should be for 100 years, but their dsJ ,,-.,- act
"a adopting rule which makes Il c6nst tutinn.I
THY Have never thus adn,'ted the pian OF union.
aud, therefore, II never vas eousjiiutiorsF
Anoth-rulieCtinn Frequently u,--rl 4, die
lie Assembly cannot lswf'fiIy sunililatr fights
SECURED under their o~n act; TO do this would
be Unjust and t,---ricsl. We admit th.t r,cI,,
wereSequ,red under the plan OF union: and t,st
TIE Assembly, by abrogstng thispian, has ami
Inflated these rights Hut let us INQUIRE what
kind Of rights these arc. The Assembly itstIr
% q religious community, holds 10 ctyil rights
exercises TO civil poser. II can neither receive
nor convey valid title 20 pfeperiv: can MAKE
no legal contract. P0r these ighs an, ti,is now
er the Assembly is dcpciier! on the lcri,lNure
OF the Sistc or euursc. the Assembly ruulI
pa" no net, adopt 40 plan, trader which evil
tiglas can ossibiy BE- acquired ir thr S,u,d.
PrrsbJ tsrirs, aud churches fo,nl-i usler ti,.
plan % oaion, have arqYigrd -ivI tsJ'=. 10 mus,
be from The State; aod, therefore. ne = t- i A.
can take them sway. tht Assembly. .tt u.ilhr,
give, nor take asAy such ftsift lirrcc+i,~ .i.-
ros-lOn oi i'r plan q uniqf car 20 rforr -lT 90
these cifii rights. thsn u cap Zoe u 'ti Drt..
~ho hold proPcry ~ f1ii rJaA, o. .sk4ar
company.
Tie nights, then. acquirc,, hrirr,'c rlsn or
unlnn, sud taken avsy hs 80 sbsosatirr, a. ex-
rlHsyely cccJ -siisirfi Acenrd,1. ta dis ,.i.,
. C7ngreEaiihhti hiuif'eg. Wh,L. hc. r,in.irs
such ta'y he th~ Pastor 90 Pr So, terinu ,i,ureb.
and, Ot eduFse, ~ Moierst7-ot - ~rss,1t. s.t
gives th- casurg we ~ 81 csscs ri ,qp.i 10.
vision. w the Session, dcleg.tss 90 tle Prt.-
bftrry aud mod Arc chosen iiis ,ar, n.a, dr-
eide tbs chUivc. 49, We Prcsl,frt,t ,Ir.ni,s
q the Assembly are elrded. lis ,Hir ain bis
IDhuepsc my t'tus rtuth ard control tlr frsis-
sons ~ TIC General. As gllly. & ermmii,e.-
man, Who my De- from rrihtipi Couef.sa-
N0Bslisi. hes ilr right O. s.t sf In at a f.,I.f
81 PNrshy icfg We thps has tiir tislt ot Jrrid-
Jog, pot ouly ul.t t',c laws iHt titn ttr ra,.,t-
triion itstit a. the Fict'3 trfisf. t'utth tsu De-
I hetc, End those Hi1ue, ere t'.s fcifs token a.tt
by The at ~ Assembly And sh.ll. Pt,ss,t,-
ii'n' " Sont'drrvd ufgnsi snd lrsuuieai. b,-
rsuse they are determined ~ Estrtf, tl-mt.ftrss
" number u Bagii', hfciiirv1 .l,lulJ Si.aI +.
Mrthoiist Conference, aud ciaiui tlic t1rrttsa 90
equal ~ hts 9Th flc mru,btrs must titr OF, t.
snee Re c5nsiicrcd urj1sr and tyfsfri,si. be-
reuse they deny this claim. and I.trrr.tra fe
manage thtir own business. Boz their own ~ ., -
Az Other dtuorniIstions tNatcis- tire i,sht al
til-E0vcTumeutt ahv tl.ouid thus rttsil.re O..
teuird % Prrsiyterisnt'
ltis said seaip. thst "the love q power" "a,
Ws motive ly ~hieh the Assrr,fy vs tau-
eHccd. THIS BE- COZ the motive ~ which tt,s
assembly profess 90 have Lr.p .nfue6csd 49,
Ihe motive, scrordinr "a tler ouu tra-
frsliuu, tfcquepug, puLliris a1d suierlnl, made.
10 love a TIE truth, tsfizitia ti., sttiufarrs
sod contained 90 the Crafrssrt a. Fsitt. AMI III
that form II gJvernmtnt c8pfs,us OIL, ,.e c.rs,,.
tution. Tbs motive uiil scr.Irt Or u,eis 81.
Ton. sod their acti1n o. in p.fftcf aaelfa.rre
vit ibis maiite. Hai tI-sr vi9 easssf- no..
Anemhiy, drry ihe sincerity of tl. pr f.ss,al
thh thte % tie reel motive. sol inipu'c a. them
anofber motive. ard uien crnsure the fsaise
uhirh tisey themselves have ituP1i-d o. flrm -
According % thie process. tite q. - fintctc and
Tiout men msy &c tstnured Druy ihss Their
motive % good, inipuie to thern had cue. snd
ihen ssnsure IBIS ifnpurF motive The brrthrrn
uho condrfnn tn Assembly ete auare fhst tile
sane charge 10 alleged aEainu fitn --tirzt theJ
tte Influenced by TIE love a power OF uas
they eompisin. ed iusift fhat they diarr from
Gle ASSEMBLY set thcy srr Eroffc sud tiefe-
fgfs isfReiesss bsH he AFsrFDily sre not sincere,
sod ere ihstrfsrr uofsly ~ blame They srs
uoutiiiug q Fereiss tie asrnc nrnulre shjeh
thgy fsete wifh 6iiberpi ksna tgetsers
Does tla eeiioa a ths As,sEhbly prove fisi