The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-06-17

the Independent Of the Westminster Assembly aud
the Commonwealth differed little from tho Presby y
form Of democracy the others Was the same thing,
under the form of constitutional representation.
Also, that the Pilgrim fathers, after tasting the
effects Of single blessedness, had drank in the
spirit o. Presbyterian Holland and Geneva and
hence their institutions, from the very first, took
( Presbyterian form. Presbyterianism naturally
tends to republicanism. Knox, the founder of the
Presbyterian church Of Scotland, was u great ad-
mirer OF the polity Of republics; and Sir H. Vane,
one of the Westminster Assembly, while he was
Governor in New England, furthered the same OBJ
Ject and the constitution he drew up contained,
according to the analysis Of Lord Brougham, the
elementary principles Of the government Of the
United States. Carlisle seems to understand tho
thing when he tells us, Professionalism was a no.
volt against spiritual soveregnties; Presbyterian
ism carried out that revolt against earthly sove-
reignties and despotisms" Fro n this nursery, at
all events, was taken the tree Of the American
public, which now waves its branches thirty
States and five Territories where States are grow
ing 1t is not intended by these remarks, to intimate
At other sects were not acIve-only that this took
the st steps towards union of interests and eff
forts-had most to do with forming the public
timent-that Presbyterian loyalist was thing
uni card Of. "And after the conflict was over"
says Mr., Judkin, sand the sages of America came
to settle the forms of our government they did but
copy into every constitution the sim ele ments Of
representative republicanism, as found in the Pres
byterlan system"
The influence of this church in forming the pub
lie feeling and opinion, was such that many of the
very expressions and ailments used in the national
declaration Of Independence, are said to have been
the common property of the nation long before the
war Of the revolutions; and yet 1T can be shown with
degree Of evidence amounting to moral certainty,
that this was derived from models in the Presbyte
rian church, whose principles had been silently
working themselves into the minds of men, unper
ceived. That Declaration itself was not the cause,
but the effect; it was the bursting of the fountain,
to which the trckling drops of feeling and streams
OF public opinion had been converged unseen. We
know this celebrated document is attributed to the
magic pen OF Jefferson aud yet historians tell Us
he was writer. 1t is similar to the two decla-
rations of Mesklenburgh, N, G., of fifteen months
before, and Of which the late ohm Adams says the
genuine sense Of the American people was never SO
well expressed, that there but two ways of 40
counting for it-either that Mr.. Jefferson had this
as model or that there is some common source
from which they were both derived, and that the
writer's of both had been to that fountain. DR..
smith has shown that there is such source, and
tha both writer's were acquainted with it, and that
we are indebted for the spirit, sentiment, order Of
argument, and, to considerable extent the very
language, of both these declarations to the solemn
leagues, bands, and covenants entered into by the
ieiormers especially Of the Scotch and Irish Pres
bytelian churches. Their object was the sa ne
to secure union. They are similar in order In
both. there is first u general introduction; then,
al enumeration of grievances protested against;
then, declaration OF independence and resistance
and finally. vow of mutual devotion fidelity, and
dcte animation. This similarity is not to be ac-
coon ed tor by accidental causes; and when we
looked over our Declaration again the other day,
we thought II looked like Scotchman and :ecog
niled the high cheek bones and stern features of
that gigantic race. The Meoklenburgh declara-
uoI. 4 appears, was drawn up by DIR. Brevard, of
sec C rlfish descent, and familiar with the stand
ards N which the national religious covenants are
embodied The Hon. Gulian &. Verplauk publicly
traced she origin OF our national Declaration Of ln-
dependence IL the national covenant of oland.
And the people Of Mecklenburgh who were ahead
Of the whole State in the Revolution, were Presby
terrain emgrans from Ireland
j ae influence of this church on the cause of edu-
cation has been considerable, not only 10 founding
schools and colleges, throughout the whole spread
OF their wide domain but carrying them out into
efficiency. As in Scotland she has been the UNI
weared promoter Of the edu ,ationa interests Of the
nation, and has no eighteen colleges six theolo-
gical seininaries, with multudes Of schools and
academies all over the Union Board of Educa-
ton, by which fifteen hundred young men have been
assisted III acquiring clerical education, and half
the nome MISSIONARIES, greater proportion OF the
foreign missionaries and hundreds OF settled mi
listers have been introduced to their positions.
With $50 ministers, 2,5l2 chu rches, 1872 900
mun'eants, and large apparatus OF schools,
societies. and other agencies, she possesses immense
facilities for the enlightenment Of the public mind,
whilst her foreign fields vi influence extensive,
ana her efficiency vast that it may BIO questioned
whether any organization, but one, has greater
hold on the dcst,nies of mankind. In India alone,
synod and three presbyteries are connected
with this church.
The genus Of this church is not to creep along
the sides of our rivers, seek perch and dormi-
tory NJ the stately palaces that spire, up IN our
wealthy cties, but to go out into the whole United
states, and every where, in fact, explaining her
standards, and proselytng to her opinions. She
has genius Tor taking hold Of passing events; for
throwing an influence into the movements OF the
day; for taking part in the great ,estions of the
age-whereyer any thing is doing there you see
Presbyterian ministers. And her prosperity is, no
doubt, means of bringing fresh arrivals TO our
shores, from the rich lands Of ~retchedness found
every where in the old world where freedom is not;
increasing national census, by the conservative
influx of thrifty, yood-exampled, aud hardy poau-
laton
Both North and South she bears a latent testi-
mony ag iust the system Of negro slavery but there
she leaves II, without being able to tell us how to
get rid of it. She has had nothing to do with the
fsvered brain Of abolitionism; the Ubjeet has been
often brought up in her assemblies bus she has re-
fused to take action, or to make slave-hoiding
disqualification for church membership, few
here and there, IL Is true, have transported
themselves beyond the pitch Of sober thought, on
the existence OF an evil Of which they know not the
remedy, any more than we do; but the church has
thought action inexpedient, and that the best way
to the rotten part OF ANY body Is TO attend 10
the atmosphere Of things around 1t, and administer
the proper remedies ms the patient can bear them
No dUu ot there differences OF opinion between
the Northern and Southern members on this, "a also
some other subj ccts but the warfare generally IN
the periodicals, and not in the church. she yields
to the laws of the State in which she lives 40 long
as they are laws, not lodging the question, but
leaving the difficulty. which she cannot rectty, to
time and other hands. In this respect il is y curl
Gus fact that the Presbyterian church in the United
states acts upon the same inherent principles OF
noD-interfeience which have always guarded the
Catholic church since its first organization on this
continent
Young Mems Temperance Festival.
Last FRIDAY evening, young mtns tempe.