The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1858-11-20

and has since continued the bonds of
union in the Church, upon the conceded
principle that the existence OF domestic
slavery. under the circumstances III which
il is found in the southern portion OF the
j. no bar to Christian communion.
80. That the petitions that ask the As
-embly to make the holding OF slaves IN
itself matter of discipline, do virtually
require this judicatory to dissolve itself,
and abandon the organization, under
which, by the Divine blessing, it has so
long prospered The tendency is evident
~ to separate the northern and southern
portion of the Church result which
every good citizen must deplore, as ten
ding to the dissolution of the Union Of our
beloved country, and which every en-
lightcned Christian will oppose as bring
ing about a ruinous and unnecessary
schism between brethren who maintain
common faith"
"The yeas and nays being ordered,
were recorded Yeas l6S, Nays Is, TX
cused 4.-H1ates, lS45, p. I6. Digest p. |
Sl3.
This action, of 1915, having a seeming ten
dency Southwark, and having been claimed |
as a sort Of triumph in this direction, the |
Synod of Cincinnati. FIVE Presbyteries and |
many ministers, ruling elders and mem
bers ofthe church, in the Northern States, |
thought that its language at least needed !
explanation. and petitioned the Assembly !
Of 1876 to utter additional testimony, or TO
rcaflirm or explain the testimony previ- (
ously given. In accordance with tins re-
quest, the Assembly Of 1876 adopted mi
mute affirming the consistency OF the ac-
ton Of 1915 with all their previous dellv-
erances, as follows:
ACTIoN OF 1876.
"Our Church has from time to time, du-
ring period Of nearly sixty years, cx-
pressed its views on the subject Of slavery.
During all this period it has held and ut
tered substantially the same sentiments.
Believing that this uniform testimony Is
true. and capable of vindication from the
word Of God, the As cmbly is at the same
time clearly Of the opinion that il has al
ready deliberately and solemnly spoken
on this subject with sufficient fulnes4 and
clearness Therefore.
Resolrsd. That no further action upon
this subject is at present needed. Ayes
10. Noes 33I See minutes of Assembly
lSiG-page 206. Baird's Digest, page Sl4
This sweeping declaration, embracing
period OF nearly sixty years, and Reuter-
ing and endorsing all the abolitionism of
'all this period from l7S7 to lS45-as
all uniform. consistent and substantially
thcsame-thourh sufficiently explicit and
Commemorative to assure the most skeptl-
cal that the church had no idea of rece-
I ding from her ancient uniform. constant
and unalterablc faith on the subject Of
slavery-was, nevertheless. followed up
! by special explanation and disclaimer as
to the action Of 1915, adopted unanimous
| ~, as follows:
! The following resolution was offered by
| the Rev r. NJ. White, and was adopted
| without division
"Re72tr3, That in the Judgment of this
/ House. the faction of the General Assembly
! Of lSf5was not intended to deny or rescind
/ the testimony often uttered by the Gener-
! al Assemblies previous to that date. =
Minutes 1916, p. Baird's Digest,
page, Sli.
1850.
In 1850, the subject being again intro
! duced by overtures from the Presbytery of
! Beaver. and the Church Of Rocky Springs,
in the Presbytery Of Chillicothe, the Com
| mittee of Bills and Overtures recommended
that it be "Rcsoloed. That the previous
and repeated declaration of the General
| Assembly upon the subject of American
slavery, are such as 10 render any action
upon the above overture and memorial
unnecessary The overture was laid on
the table (umdes, 1850, PIP. 456, ISL
Bawd's Digest p. Sl4.
Rcader-yOu have before you the docu-
ments and deliverances Of the Old School
Presbyterian General Assembly, on the
subject Of slavery | viii thank you to
preserve this paper. We shall perhaps
wantto look at these documents again.
wish had space to give every word the As
sembly has ever uttered on the subject
This however, is not so necessary-as then
faith on the subject Of slavery is constant
and unalterable," and their uniform testi
mony always consistent, and "the sentiments
held and uttered by them are Away;
substantially the same"
Now what is the ''cxact position" o.
the Old School Presbyterian Assembly
on the subject Of slavery? What was then
position in l1S7. when they recommended
al Their people 10 use measures to procure ht
tinai abolition IF slorcrg in Imerica7 What
was it in 1893, and in 1875, when they re
peated this recommendation What was
, it in 1915? What was it in 1918, wher
{ they crtorid their people 10 increase thea
!. slavery declaring that slavery is iacor
s'stcrt both with the dictates ofhumanity
and religion" and enjoming IL upon al
to use their honest, earnest and un.
weaIied endeavors TO efface this blot on
our holy relgion-and to obtain the com
plete abolition of slavery throughout the
world.'
What was theirposition. when they pass
, ed what the Editor of the Presbyterian Of III,
West STYLES the "Bsmc9uJ" deliverance O.
lSt5-which deliverance. according to the
| Editor Of the st. Louis PRESBYTERIAN, (Dr
Z Rice, docs not contradict the past con
demnation of slavery, nor contain one ex
J preston that wears a pro-slavery appear
, ance, or that will bear any such interpre
: tation "'-What was their position il
7 1916, when, with a reach of ''nearly sixty
years" they re-uttered and emphasized
the deliverances of past Assemblies "du
ring all this period?'
What their position in 1853, when they
stand up before all the world, in the chic
city of the South. and without blush
unanimously avow and publicly proclaim
their approval of all their abolition deliv
erances. and fearlessly glorify themselve,
as a church whose faith on this subject i,
constant AMI 'a72traJle, and whose pas
action they see no occasion Whdterer to re
rise
Reader-What is the exact position O
the Old School Presbyterian Assembly OF
the subject of slavery. Is it sound? Isl
Scriptural2 Is ii safe? Is it trustworthy
Is this an abolition Assembly? Say your
self-Isit?
, Read these documents, We Presbyterian
of the South. Are yo,tusing your "honest
i
the complete abolition of slavery" as re
quired by the highest Judiciary of YOU
church? Read, We men Of the South gener
, ally, and say if you are not convinced tina
this church has bought the peace on thi
, subject, ofwhich they boast, tbut which
they do not enioy) by surrendering tn,
principles and ghts of the South? Can i
be possible, that the Old School Presbyte
, rians in the midst of us have been awar
OF the exact position" of the General As
Sembly on this subject? 1t has been stout
, Iy maintained that if there is body o.
earth whose position on the subject Of sla
, very Is CLEARLY defined and perfectly un
! derstood,' that body is the Old Schoc
Presbyterian General Assembly. | do no
, begin to believe any such thing | am yer
, tar from cheriShing the suspicion. of m
| ! many friends and acquaintance ofthat de
nomination, which such a beliefmust nee
essarily engender. The thing is probabl
well enough understood in the North. an
by traitorous few among US. Ny pul
| pose Is to contribute my share in helpin
: forward so c2sara definition Of the Assem-
, ! bly, exact position on this subject. ths
= every southern man may have a perfect "a
r dfrStHadHg of it-so that he who reads mu,
, T.a7. or renounce and denounce'the co,St1
: ant ioal'erabie. faith, and utterly repudiat
Y the Uniform dsliperuccs, of such an Assem-
2 | bly,. A. NEWTON.
jackson, Miss, Oct. s, 1858.
+ IMPORTANT TELEGRAPHIc ARRANGEMEH
l. The North American TeleGraphic Assoc
L alton, composed Of number of leadin
/ companies, now owning OF working II
;, main telegraph lines from New Foundlan
i TO New Orleans, and from Quebec to tn
Y western border of Missouri, closed a thre