Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-06-26


that at that time. aud long since thai tne pnc
pies avowcd by distinguished statesmen
wen as dvinss which find echo now from Nor
heu sboitoniss. Was slavery debated in Lyceums
and Literary Socetes-wss the theme OF College
declarations, was discussed in delbersve bodies
here In Virginia, with warmth OF feeling. and energy
Of language utterly unknown in this laudeg Il IL
necessary Tor nc to cite the ofhose eied aud bril-
liant men, who in this very commonwealth advocated
system OF prospective emancipation since that memorable
year OF lslSs Would language. which current I'm
their day. be excused from their children in our day =
Would those very men, IL living nov, stand where they
stood them Do those Of them who living. occupy
| the ground OF ISIS, or even OF ls29-SOy And Is IL
strange that the principles aud phaseoogy which chac
tcrd that DAY. and which pervsded al classes found is
way Into Ecclesiastical bodiess No sir the times have
changed We do not defend slavery The old, tmid
untensble ground We boldly Gods word ushes the
institution and maintain it, because IL is right How
disinganuous then is IT, to harp upon the resolution OF
former generation and endeavor find countenance Tor
the New School ansavery resolutions OF 1856, in those
OF lsls Such device does not rise to the dignity Of
| Especial pleading"
| 2. You seek to show that the Old School assembly
expressed sympathy and with the rsou
tons OF 1915 and for this purpose cite the Of the
Assembly of 1916. What that actg IL consisted la
the adoption OF minute declaring that the assembly in
previous had spoken the subject with sufficient
illness and cearness. and that therefore further
| hon .eeied
This carried BY a vote of lie to SIS. Subsequently,
10 members, among whom my Colleague Rev. T. V.
Moore, permitted 10 adj their the arma-
tive, and Others To change their from the negative
the affirmative, making the final in fact lsS to %
You do not OF course fnd fault with this an As
ssmby composed OF so vast majority of men, opposed
to antisavery agation-bu hnd a sneaking little
solution which passed during that assembly asserting
that the action OF the General Assembly Of lsI5
not Intended TO deny reeiHd the testimony often
ed by the General Assemblies previous to that date
Now this is the great TACT upon which you your e
fort prove that the General Assembly OF Church
makes the sentiments OF 1915 inscparabc part Of its
platform. Let give you little information about that
resolution, that you, candid man. see, aud ac-
knowledge how weak the hook is upon which YOU hang
your whole argument After the decided minute Just al
uded To passed that resolution which attach so
much Importance offered by Rev. K NJ. White
| northumberland laid on the table. There too Il
would be lying but tor the fact that the opening
OF the afternoon session. at time when the house Is
ally very thin-Mr. White took advantage of the opppr-
nityo rentroduce bis resolution which had been laid
| the table.
You that this method OF putting resolution
through is thing in deiberatve bodies This We
~ resolution which the Assembly by decided vote had
laid on the table in the morning. Struggled through in
the afternoon. IL expression OF the views of that
Assembly On the contrary the Assembly of 1916 hearth
y concurred in the noble outspoken sentiments Of the
Assembly OF si5 which justified Southern slavery from
the woro God andpaced the whole subject that eeva-
ted platform where il still stands Ii that testimony Of
lSi5 which Mr. White sought neualze and DISCUS
ted he with the fact that the Assembly of 1916 salts
fed with that of lSi5 declared that ANY further action
was unnecessary that he signed protest against it
and succeeded in getting others sign with him -
so much for the a peg upon which you suspend your
weghtiest reasoning
Nov my respected friend shall have the pleasure OF
again refreshing memory with detail of the
OF the very last 20. S Assembly which the subject of
slavery fully discussed You perfectly aware that
the year SIS was the time when Assembly gave
painest and most deliberate expression Of the
which it has since held and still continues warmly
cherish
that since Christ aud his Apostles admitted shareholders TO
Church membership, il could make slaveholdug Elm
without charging the Apostles and Christ connving
sln aud introducing into the Church such sinners.
In answer 10 the question, is slavery sin PER So the
Assembly made the iolo~ins unequivocal response
II" impossible 70 dnsr,r his question ia the o5f1aatire
without coutradicng OF the panest decA atoms OF
Gods word. Here my good brOiner, pause mo-
meut tn notice point IN your letter. You quote this
answer OF our assembly the inquiry slavery sin PER
- How could you help apPlauding the argument that
followed that text You could entrely-but YOU i'm.
mcdatey seek to rival it by bringing up the exam
pie OF your unfortunate Assembly aud YOU say then
int"In' ms, .ad linen a','isr 70 ana
| '"'e'ss"' men, "iu N''S' - -. So 60
what eli ct pray III all our Assemblies and most clear
Nv and nowet fnlS by Dr. Or. Sles Detroit in
1850 Yes, you heard tue arguments-but marx
me result-those arguments iu ASSEMBLY were fol-
lowed by corresponding ad in yours the result was
an argument, by DE-. Stiles rejected by the Assembly,
And, who would have thought il Dr. Stiles himself al
ter his powerful argument coted Jar tie Detroit rcsoln.
hone, declaring slavery discplihAble offence What
| brilliant point you have made, to be sure!
Uut to return TO the refreshing action OF the Assembly
these:
I. That the General Assembly OF the PRESBYTERIAN
Church ia tile United States was originally Organized and
has since continued the bond of Union in the Church
uroN rHE CONCEDED PRINCIPLE that the existence of do
nestle slavery under the circumstances which il is found
tie SoHheT" porto" Of the country is bar to chris
| iian communion
?. That the petitions that ask the Assembly TO make
the holding OF slaves in itself of discipline do viz
uay require tins judcat0ry 10 depore itself and abandon
the organization under which, by the divine blessing il has
50 long pfospeed Tue tendency evidently separate
the Northern IRON the southern portion Of the Church
result which every good citizen deplore extending
TO the dissolution OF the Union OF beloved country and
which every enlightened christian will oppose as bringing
about runous aud unnecessary schism between brethren
who maintain a common faith. Ayes IL Nays l3--ex-
cused 4.
3d. Not succeeding in your attempt to bring down the
oq school Assembly 70 level with your own your next
failure u the effort 10 raise your platform level with
ours To rebut the charge that the late New School A.
semby represented progressive antsavery church YOU
would actually 80 explain away, change the Whole
meaning oil the Detroit resolutions make them al
most Justification of Southern slavery But ia so do
ing you take away the obvious OF the resolutions
you contradict their whole scope and spirit and reduce
them 70 pnerile play upon words You inerpret them
thus the Detroit resolutions declare slavery discipline
BILE offence eetpf in certain these exceptional
cases cover the whole ground that nybody who peases
may be "a stakeholder, and SUCH innocent under the
Detroit resolutions" Who heard before Of body
OF men 40 stupid TO make law condemnng a crime.
and then making the law nulfy ITSELF by it, eIcep-
II savehoding is sinful in the general then it
t 10 be disciplined in the general and discipline oagLt
To be The rule aud not The CleeDfoH Tie Detroit rcsolu
tons condemn slavery unlawful but you contend they
a6solve all who hold slaves from good nOfires This
admit dos rise TO the dignity of special pleading-not
I'm our opinion ony'-as could SHOW If il had ythng
| TO do with the argument.
Now we understand you. You have so interpreted the
Detroit resolutions that they may be accepted by southern
men You vndicate aud all but endorse theni-then why
did you PROTEST against them in 1850? Who would
nave believed that after all tits pleading general and spe-
cal Tor the Detroit Resolutions ia 1880 that YOU we're
the very who the protest against these same
resolutions in 1850
Who would have guessed after reading your Southern
Manifesto IN 1856. that the Minutes OF the New School
Assembly Of 1850, contained the following significant let
tie but Of history
The Undersigned members Of the General Assembly
OF the Presbyterian Church (New SCHOOL, now in Session
~ Detroit believing conscientousy that the interests Of
the Church and State, Of the entire population ofhe North
aud South East and West will under existing creumstan.
Gee not os not 70 be promoted by the present action OF
this Assembly, the subject Of slavery but will rather be
injured therebydo hereby solemny and respectfully pro.
test against that action ia name and in behalf Of
the Presbytces We here % represent This prDte4t
We ask 10 have entered upon the Minutes Of the General
| Assembly.
! CHAs. II. READ. A. n. BoYD and o,Leys
Were IL necessary continue the discussion further
UfIIh nfnffH 81 a. q. u a.