The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-06-30

rae General AsssaSly - slavery.
We pabli6A helov - aual action Of ths
General Anssnhiy Of ~ New School Pres
bytsriau Church, as ~ recent session 10
Cleveland, on The subject Of slavery.
II will DO seen that this exposition Of the
views Of the Charch, is . reitsration OF the
expressed sentiment. Of the General Assem-
bly set forth in its Testimonies" on the
subject, as occasion required from the first
formation Of that body down 30 the year
1856. It also appears from this dossment
itself, that the Lexington Mississippi Pres
bytery ssaeitated' the slavery question in The
Assembly BY the presentation Of . memorial
in which slavery is justified on Bible grounds,
and the assertion 10 made that the ministers
and elders Of the Prcsby.ery hold slaves Of
"choice.,
Under the circumstances, the General As
sembly wss bound either to enter that memo
rial on their minutes without comment, and
thus silently endorse its positions in utter
violation Of all their "testimonies'' for pc
Rod Of eighty years past, or else to rssssert
the time honored views Of the Church. They
fearlcssly tnok the latter course, and BY a
vote ofl70 TO Is adopted the statement to
which W call the attention Of our readers.
The majority vote included the members
Of the Assembly Of eli shades Of opinion, po-
liticsl or religious, from the North, who re-
corded their votes upon The question, and the
minority was composed Of Southern mem.
bers with ike unanimity. The former be-
lisvavOluntary slavsholding insonsistsns With
the teachings Of the Gospel; the latter deem
it to Be right to hold slaves aof choice"
There IL no middle ground. And as
consequence Of this action the members Of
the General Assembly, who believe slavery
right and uphold it practically and thsoresi-
cslly, hsvs protested Agsins. The aetionsof
the General Asssnbly, and called : convsn.
tion, 70 BE- held in Washington City, for the
formation Of new General Assembly upon
the principles that slavery i ssseeording to
the Bible right" and, therefore, shss slave
holders sss mot In thas rslatioa sasnsbls TO
the osasurss or discipline u the Church.
By the report Of Last pear tAsss ssss ll6, :
600 msnbsfs Of the ChaseA intls Nossa; sad
sbou. II, 900 in the South. u b sassssd By
this action.
The grsDbytsrian Church, in these Unitsd
States, has from the beginning maintained
an attitude Of decided opposition 70 the in.
stitutien Of slavery.
The Synods Of New York and Philadelphia.
in l7S7, two years before the organisatlon OF
the General Assembly, declared that they did
highly approve Of the general principles in
favor OF universal liberty that prevailed in
America, and the interest which many Of the
States hsd taken 10 promokiag. thqabolision
of slavery" snd ssShey recommeAasd il to
all their people 10 ass tho most prudent meas.
ures consistent with the interest and state Of
eivil society in the counties where they lived,
to procure eventually the FINAL abolition Of
slavery in America"
In 1913, while the constitution OF the Pres.
byterian Church was in process Of formation
cad publication, the action OF the Synod iust
referred to Was approved BY the General As
sembly, and rapubitshad BY its s6fda. fe-s
Tho Assembly Of l795, declared that &C al
though, 10 some actions Of our country, un--
der certain circumstances, the transfer of
slaves may be unav oidable, yet they consider
the buying and selling Of slaves, BY way OF
traflic, and undue severity in the manage
mcnt Of them, ~ inoonsistent with the spirit
Of the Gospel. And they recommend 1t to
lhe Presbyteries and Sessions under their
care, TO make use Of all prudent measures to
prevent such shameful and unrighteouy con-
duct.c
The Assembly Of 1915 " expressed their
regret that the slavery of the Africans and
their descendants still continued in % many
places, and even among these within ahe.
paleiof the Chsrch p Ind called psrttcSlAr
attention to the action Of l705, with respect
10 the huyipg and selling OF slaves.
In 1878, the Assembly unanimously adopt
I'd n report on this subject prepared by Dr..
Green Of Philadelphia, DR.. Baxter Of virgi-
MIA, and Mr.. Burgess OF Ohio, OF which the
10 part:
" We consider the voluntary enslavipg Of
,ne portion Of the human race by another. A.
! gSoss violdeion Of the most precious and
Dacred rights OF human nature; - utterly Ia. |,
sonsistent with the Law of God, ,Hhick -.
2uirss ~ to love our nsighbors @ ourselves. |
snd ID irreconcilstls with, ~ spirit and |
principles Of the Gospel Of CHiss, whisa 60
|oin that sall things whatsoever V would
that men should do unto you, do % even %
10 them, Slavery creates = paradox 10 shs /
moral systsm; il exhibits rational, account. |
Able and immortal beings 10 suoh circun.
stances - scarcely TO leave them the power |
Of moral action; it exhibits them a. depend.
ent on the will Of others whsthsr they shall
receive religious instruction, whether they
shall know and worship the tfus God, whe.
Their they shall perform the dutiss Or cherish
The sodsafnsnss Of hssbaads, wives, passoes
and children, neighbors and friends, whether