Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-06-27
From the Philadelphia Presbyterian.
THE LATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

many respects it was most important meeting.
As we have already stated, i; WAS the largest Cen
eal Assembly ever held in ability it inleri-
or to none which We haze atten led it embraced
an unusually lar &c proportion OF men )uSt reach
iay their prime, who bid fair to be extensively
heard from hereafter: the topics discussed took
a wide range. and included most of the important
interests Of the Church: and the results arrived
ut were such rs conc!uSvclv prove thai no denom-
ination could be more thoroughly united as to its
general policy.
Upon the whole. we think the Presbyterian
Church has reason TO b. much eratiticd with the
results of this meeting of her highest jud:cito
Though there was Il considerable diversity of
opinion upon some points, and though there were
matters duplicating personal interests 20 be adjust
cd, the discussions were conducted with much dig
nifty an courtesy, and rs we have abundant reas IN
10 know, good impression was left upon thu
mind of the public generally In the city where the
sessions were held. As our readers will probably
be pleased to see what thought of the Gene
raj Assembly in Buffalo, We subjo the following
from an editorial in the Comm 'rcial Advertiser,
the oldest paper Published there. After saying
that the meeting of the Assembly left highly
Favorable impresSio the Comm thus speaks:
.:rhc Assembly, whose sessions have Just closed.
represented the largest PRESBYTERIAN body in the
world. The historical antccedents andrepub,ic IN
sympathies of this Church are Such as to claim
for it an honorable mention and just conSldcra-
ton. 1t is Il great mistake for secular papers to
treat religious bodies as unworthy of their notice.
In these bodies, there silently but constantly
at work, principles which do at least us much as
any thing else to control the political movements
and decide the destiny of the country.
...ts TIe.<~Ht -naS;?nS nf rho Pres hvtcrian As
s. The recent sessions of the Presbyterian As
snmblv have given good opportunity OF form
ing an estimate of the strength and spirit of the
vast constituency which it represented. As the
I'rc,byteries usually send delegates by rotation,
aud allow each member i'll turn to 20 to the AZ
semblv, the body convened is Il fair exhibition Of
the entire Church. From the specimens we have
had, we must own that ii would he difficult to find
in any representative body of equal size, so many
lacn of moral worth. of refined manners. and of
highly cultivated minds. To say nothing of the
clerical members, among whom were some honor
al and venerable names, the lay representatives,
were fine set Of men. One OF these, we ar:
told, hid been President Of the Sciatr Of his own
State. Several had been members of Congress :.
Among them were lawyers of emin nee. merchants.
physicians, farmers, and men of various occupa-
iions, each eXcrtng influence i'll his sphere,
and held in esteem by the people. Ii some of the
ministers, who spoke perhaps too often, had al
lowed these ruling elders to speak. we should
have had clearer proof of the intelligence, good
Sense, and ability of the Assembly. There were
scores of able men, both clerical and lay, who
did not make sing lie speech content to exercise
their power by their silent votes.
The Assembly is a fair exponent and visible
embodiment of the Presbyterian Church. 1t gives
an idea of what this communion is, and shows
wherein the clements Of its power consist. 1t is
not mere convention of men of the same mime
and order, and of similar sentiments, gathered
together for mutual counsel and advice; it is not
mere cOnfederacy or corporation, with no O;hcr
cohesive power than is to be found in homogenc-
business of prime piles, or community of interests ::
but it is so internked by constitutional and cccle-
siastical bonds it blends and comirchcnds in its
powers of review the subordinate courts, and
binds together the inferior judcatoI,s, Synods,
I'reslyteries, and sessions in such manner that
il may be regarded, i'll higher sense than any
other ecclesiastical court or council, tn. Assem-
Ill ID Church. 1t is an actual, bona tide represent
tation of the entire people; AMI us there is no
division in the constituent body, TIL Assembly
presents to us representative unity, such as Is
found no where else. When we bear in mind
that the Prcshytcrcs represented extend from that
of Londonderry on the cast, to that Of the Pac;-
fc on the west, and that they lie in aboIt equal
strength on either side Of Mason & Dixon's linr
we regard this body constituting one of the
strongest bonds of union i'll our country. When
take also into view the fact that the religious
and spiritual bond anteccdcs and undcrlies TIL,
civil and political union, and that the former
deeply seated in the soul, controlling the con-
science, the WILL the affections and the principles
is more enduring and potent than any other, it is
the Assembly is, is in fact the strongest tie that
binds our land together. 1t will be Il sad dav for
our country, when this ecclesiastical Gordon.
which now holds together so tremendously every
part of our country, shall be sundercd. and these
traternal ties broken. The exciting question of
slavery, which has already divided other Christian
communities, to the damage alike of Church and
State, is not allowed to disturb the harmony of
the Assembly. During the recent sessions, IL let
ter from the Presbyterian Church in ireland, adj
ministcrinw rcbukc and advice on this subject re-
eeved no other notice than murmur of d.sap-
probation, and Il unanimous refusal to make any
reply. The Assembly has borne its uniform and
decided testimony against this evil. and looks for
il removal. not from ecclesiastical or political
agitation, but from the gradual influence Of
Christianity. and the constitutional action of those
commonwealth and communities in which the
evil exists, and where alone the power of its re-
moval lies"
Az Antique ScRAr.-The Rochester Advertiser
extracts the following antique scrap of never ,iy-
ing interest from the Providence Gazette of De-
ccmber -. 1899:
PROVIDENCE. Dee. IS.
on SATURDAY. THE IirH INSTANT,
DIED SUDDENLY.
At his seat in Virginia.
GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON.
Commandcr-in- chief of the Armies of the United
States of America
MATURE IN YEARS,
COVERED WITH GLORY,
AND RICH IN THE AFFECTIONS
OF
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
When men of common character are swept from
the theatre of life, they without the tribute of
public notice or concern, as they had lived with
out claim to public esteem. When personages
OF more exalted worth are summoned from the
scenes of sublunary existence, their death calls
forth burst of general regret, and invigorates
the flames OF public gratitude. In obedience to
the wishes and the voice of their countrv the Or
ator, the poet, and the historian, combine to do
justice to the virtues Of their character, while the
laoors OF the painter the sculptor and the satua-
ry, in perpetuating their likeness, do homage to
their memory.
But when, in compliance with heavens hirh
mandate, THE HERO OF THE AGE lies numbered
with the dead-whcn the reverend sage, the au-
gust statesman. the father of his country. has re-
signed his breath-when the idol of an Empire.
the envy and admiration of distant nations. and
the bri ghteSt ornament of human nature-when
WASHINGTON is MORE, let a sense of the gene
raj loss be testified by the badges of general
mourning; but let not the voice of eulogy be
beard, lest the weakness of talents, and the def
cheney OF language, do injustice to the lustre and
fame of the deceased.
From vernons Mount, behold the urpo rise,
Resplendent forms attend him through the SKIES
fhe shaa"wso OF war,wesn veterans arouni hrong,
And lead, enrapt, their honord CHER along
4 laurel wreath tn immor al wARREN hc,rs
An arch triumphal MERGERS hand prapareS
Young LAuRINs. erst th' avengag Dol; o. war,
With port majestic, guides the glering car:
w 2o1-lf ka form, rpc.S Tho