New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-04-29
THE EXPRESS sELF.poRTRAYED.

THE EXPRESS sELF-PORTRAYED.
We some DAYS since received Circular calling a
Convention at Hartford, CT for free and fair discus
sion of the Authenticity Of the Bible and the Circular
was sccompaned by private letter urging our per-
sonaI attendance thereat. The letter and Circular
were signed by three persons two of them unknown to
us and gave no indication of the side OF the question
proposed for discussion to which they either of them
leaned vet we inferred that they against the doc
tripe of Plenary Inspiration at least. We replied
through Tile Tribune declining the initiation and brief
IL suggesting our grounds of dislike or Indifference to
what are termed free meetiDgs'-that is, meetings
where everybOdy is at liberty to speak-since we hold
our own and the publc's right to be exemp from the
bore of foolish talk paramount to any Cabling FOOLS
right to bore us with such talk. We minated that,
while we could not take much interest or bestow our
own time upon such free discussion We should be
quite willing to hear the suggested topic discussed by
such men as might be designated qualified to do it
Justice And we further expressed hope that should
the proposed discussion take place, clergyman
fully competent TO defend the Inspiration of the Scrip
lures would attend it for that purpose. This per-
verted by The Express as follows
The 1yibunehopcs there uW be a JN aHeHioAce al he
socoled Blue CohreRti0H.
but. on the contrary had given for consid
ering such attendance unprofable and had been
accustomed without being reconcled TO sach pervcr
sions of articles by The Ezpress we called on it for
a justification or a retractiOn of its averment. The
following is the response:
From The ETyess.
The extract we are accused of garblin" is as follows
1--WE hope clergyman trogshy qualified to uphold te Ag
ford if by Others TO take leading part IN this DISCUSSION aud
eRcpf bis 10 matter What the opinions AID objects
the callers of the Convention are were absurd 70 na on
as implied in this C., which publish below Irdbans
Now "neighbor" bubble you may about tue iterGf
interpret ton Of language like tins I'VE not cimng in this
instance rem embcr to quote You iteraAyl think
body with a respectable knowledge of the meaning Of
words will deny that the hope for fun attendance
largely into the true t OF H. Inc Leading idea Is to
haycthe Convention imposing and impressive as IN et-
ing for Foreign Missions, even IT 10 sometimes very con
v,nient may add to write with double entendre on
such subjects but in this case, submit, the thing IS
betn rather cumsv done. The IribTae has this way OF
yrei1g IN odous thing and then Kidding itself of the
sn0psbily of so doing To bring the Clergy amOog Inf.
des and Spirit Rappng chaltaDs, the Editor knows would
be 10 bring crowd and crowd in turn would confer
toriety-the only thing they are really in search Of
Now, we shall not bubble" about our language
above quoted nor comment upon it at all except to ask
every reader to say what it contains that affords any
sort If pretext for the statement of The Express Ger
tain persons have seen fit call Convention to dis
euss the Inspiration of the Bible and invite to at
tend we respectfully Decline suggesting that we have
not found such cach-weght discussions profitable and
have business at home that think better worth
regard but hoping that if the Bible is to be assaed in
such Convention some able and willing Clergyman will
be present to defend it. We had no thought of making
the affair imposing" but simply of dispeing any pre-
sumption that might be based q failure of Christians
10 defend the authenticity of the Sacred Volume. We
do not know that the presence Of the clergy" will be
needed 10 draw crowd nor even that it would secure
that end but we do know that the Inspiration of the
Bible is cogently assaled upon such public notice and
challenge and no one speaks in its defense an impress
sion adverse TO the Bible will be made many IN
learned and unstable minds. There are those who will
infer that its Inspiration cannot be defended and shape
their opinions accordingly
We cannot see why the fact that the assaants of the
Bible are infdels' should repel the Clergy from It's
defense In the name of wonder who but In6des could
asal it with any earnestness or purpose and what is
to be gained by defending il from the assaults of any
others! We think the followers of Him who g came
TO seek and to save that which lost and to call
not the righteous but sinners to repentance, should
not rest on any such demurrer as this Aud If any
"spiritrappers mix into the discussion on either sde
we insist that all the evidence they may deduce of the
alleged spirits" OF time, be peremptorily ruled
out. These spirits are suspicious characters-they
come in questionable sbape-they have quite often
been caught lying like Satan-and, in short, not re-
liable witnesses, any how Didn't they tell the Cafor
mans that Gen. Scott had been chosen President when
the fact was lamentaby otherwise We protest against
their evidence being allowed feathers weight, give il
on whichever side they may. And if the "rappers'
have anything to offer of themselves let it be judged
according to it's intrinsic worth The Public is not a
all inclined to give undue weight to anything they ma
offer.