New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-09-01

ward with high expectations ana Ioity hoPes W VIC
Convention Of Seceders from the New School
Presbyterian Church now in session at Richmond
Virginia. Sad to say, by one OF the hrst acts OF
mat COnyention-nOt an act Of commission but an
act of omission-it has, we fear, affixed upon itself
stigma of pusillanimity such as must go very far
totally to destroy its reputation and influence, at
least at the South. We should not be surprised
it. beginning in this way this Convention should be-
come, before it concludes its sittngs even more oh.
roxous to Pro-Savery Christians than the very
Cleveland Assembly from which it seeded A
timid friend is hardly less dangerous, and is often
more obnoxious, than an open enemy.
We had occasion to allude few days since to
the case of Colonel Netherland, member of the
PRESBYTERIAN Church of Rogersville, Tennessee,
whom that church and the pastor thereof under
took to call to account for having in his character
not of Presbyterian church member, but of the
owner of boy"-a recovered runaway-pro-
ceeded to fog that boy within an inch of his life.
Colonel Netherland, it must be borne in mind, was
a member elect of this seeding Convention. AS
he was so distinguished for his pety as to be chosen
to this position, it is not TO be supposed that in
logging this boy he acted from any cruel or sinful
impulse OF passion and revenge. Even had he
not been a member elect to this secession
Convention and warm advocate Of pure South
ern Church, not at all mixed up with politics or
political economy, it would still have been but
Christian charity to suppose that he, being pious
msn ard church member, had logged this boy,
Just as all Christian shareholders hold slaves, not
at all for bis own qualification, but purely and en-
tirely for the boys good. 1t would have been ma
licous and urchristian to suppose, as our friends
of The OJserctr and Journal Of Commerce have
often and abundantly proved that the Colonel ad-
ministered this dogsiDg in any other than purely
paterDal and patriMchal spirit, merely to impress
this boy, and other boys, with the wckedness of
running away-an easily besetting sin with the ne
groes, and which it needs pretty stern dis
ciprne to repress. But when we come
to consider that Colonel Netherand was not merely
pous man and church member, but also member
elect TO the secession Convention above referred to-
the act of logging the boy presents itself with claims
not merely to charity, but to high applause. In
loggng this boy, the Colonel acted not merely as
patriarch resolved to maintain good discipline ia
his family but as indicator of the church against
an undue and corruptng intermixture with secular
affairs ard interests. Considered in this point OF
view, We are fully able to explain few little cir
cumstarces in relation to the acgging which other
wise, in this scandalOus world, might have been
open to miscOnstructon.
Thus it is stated that the Colonel took the boy by
the parsonage and behind the church-we suppose
he would have taken lin into the church had it
happened to be Sunday, or the door to be open-snd
that there, close by the parsonage and behind the
church, he administered the logging. In this he
did but act with the spirit and manliness worthy
member Of the occasional Convention and naturally
to be expected of Christian soldier. Any of his
colleagues in that party, the most pusilanimOus
among them, might have taken the boy into cellar
OF a garrett and have logged him till he tainted.
But Colonel Netherland did the thing openly. He
took him by the parsonage, in order, doubtless to
call the parsons attention to the fact-as much as
to say, Look ye parson, am going to lOg this boy
and to fog him till he is punished; but 1
want you to understand and take no.
tice that, as psrsOn, it is none Of your
business. So taking the boy behind the church
was doubtless with the same intent-to give bis
fellow church members to understand that in their
capacity Of church members, it was none Of heir
business, ard that he defed them if they dared, to
Ii axe it a subject Of church discipline. So as to
the number Of blows inflicted, said to have
amounted to $780, as counted by the spectators the
logging being protracted through two hours and
the boy all the time running blood. Let US not
rashly conclude from this that the pious Col. Meth
erland is violent or bloody minded man. II is
but fair to suppose that, in the intensity of bis
Christian benevolence, every blow struck at the boy
be felt On bis own back We should not be surprised
if Col. N.tberaId could go far lower himself as
to ,ubmit to 81 examination, should it be fodnd
that bis body al covered over with great wales BY
the mere force Of Christian sympathy. But then
it was absolutely necessary for the Colonel TO make
extreme of it, in order to test the principle
OF course, fit had been mere case Of ordinary
chastisement, neither pastor nor church would
have thought Of interfering. In order to make tbs
challenge thrown out to the pastor and the church
something to be taken up, il was absolutely essen
tial that the boy should be logged in the very &C.
yerest manner, and within an ioch OF his Ire. In
this essay of Col Netherlands toward carrying out
the Southern doctrine Of Christian liberty aud the
separation Ct the church from politics, he was, so
far as Roger.yile was concerned, completely sue
cessful The minister, for his attempted inter-
ference, was driven away, and the majority of the
church were so far enlightened as to come iato the
pious Coloners views.
Under these circumstances, we were fully just.
fed in stating, as we did the other day, tina! the
Colortlwas inihe very tallest condition ofspiritus