The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-06-01

II
GENERAL ASSEMBLE, O. 8. |
THIRTEENTH DAY.
THE SOUTH CAROLINA MINUTES.
The Assembly met at the usual hour yesterday
Mr. Ogden, of Mississippi, on leave being granted,
voted 'Fno'' on the minority report on the state OF
the country, adopted last evening.
Several other members defined their positions on
that vote, and asked corrections of the record.
1t was moved that the majority report be spread
upon the record. On this question Messrs. Ogden,
Bergin, Dickson, Musgrave, " aler, and others,
spike. The motion was adopted.
The minutes finally approved.
DR.. Dickson offered q resolution directing the re-
mova of the Board of Education to Baltimore.
Several members moved to insert Pittsburg,
New Orleans, indianapolis, and other cities, in
place of Baltimore. The matter was indefinitely
postponed.
The report of the Committee on the Annual Re-
port of the Board of Publication was then taken
up and discussed at length.
The Rev. ID. j. Waller made an elaborate address
on the report, in which be urged that the Board
was not economically managed as it ought to be.
He pointed out defective management in respect to
salaries, stock, DC.
The Rev. DR.. McPhail, of Easton, chairman of
the committee. rose to defend their action. The
speaker defended the Board in the matter of saIa-
ries and economy generally, and the discussion was
continued up to the hour of adj purnment.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
There was considerable falling off of interest yes
terday afternoon, as the discussion of the Union
resolutions which had attracted p large number of
the auditors had been suspended.
The records of South Carolina coming up, upon
that clause asking if the law upon slavery,
acted in 1918, was rescinded by the action of
1915.
Much discussion ensued
A gentleman from egypt" Illinois, represent
ing his SYNOD, stated that he had been instructed
to vote against any change of the established de-
liverapces of the Church on the question
Mr.. Ogden, of Miss, stated, in resolution, that
the action OF IS45 was merely explanatory of the
resolution Of 1885, and not subversve of that reso-
luton.
In the discussion which eusued, South Carolina
received rigid scathing at the hands OF Western
delegate.
The Secretary read, repeatedly, that portion Of
the General Record 1Si5) which stated that no
action should be taken upon the question of human
slavery, other than that referred to in the Scrip
lures.
resolution was offered and voted, that "The
General Assembly had, in 1916, decided to the con-
trary, and the members from the South voted in
the aft rmative
DR.. Smith hoped that the old deliverance of 1918
would be reaffirmed Northern Presbv teriaus had
uniformly adhered to the old resolution, as then
prop0unded, and at the present time should be
adopted.
Dr. Hodge offered amendment that, in accent
ing and approving the minutes of the Synod of
South Carolina, the Assembly should not be under
stood as endorsing or expressing any opinion as
to the action of the Synod upon the political course
of South Carolina.
The appeal of r. j. Breckenridge and Others, of
the SYNOD of Kentucky, was laid over until the
next meeting of the General Assembly.
Appeals against the adoption OF the Union mi
nority report were registered by Rev. DR.. A. G..
Hail. of Roche ter, Rev. Mr.. A. Lloyd, of OHIO,
and Hodges, of Princeton.
The records OF Mississippi were approved, there
being nothing Objectionable therein.
In the Synod of st. Paul the committee report
ed upon certain bad spelling.
The records of the Synods of Texas, Alabama,
and some others, were not in possession of the As
sembly.
Nothing of importance was done in the evening
session.
PROTEST.
The Southern members of the Assembly held
meeting and adopted the following protest, which
was presented to the body:
We, the undersigned, respectfully protest against
the action of the General Assembly, in adopting
the minority report of the committee on the state
of the country. We make this protest, not because
we do not acknowledge loyalty to our country to
be a moral and religious duty, according to the
Word of God, which requires every one to be sub
iect to the powers that be, because we deny the
right of the Assembly to enion that and all other
like duties the ministers and churches under its
care; but because deny the right of the General
Assembly to decide the political question to what
government the allegiance of PresbYterians as
citizens is due and its right to make that decision
a condition of membership in church. That
the paper adopted by the Assembly does decide the
political question Just stated in our Judgment I'M
deniaby. 1t not only asserts the loyalty of this
body to the Constitution and the Union, but it
promises in the name Of all the churches and min
listers whom it represents, to do all in
them that lies, to strengthen, uphold, and
encourage the federal government 1t is
bny fact hat IF r-,,i-,
listers and members copscentiously believe that the
allegiance of the citizens of this country is prima.
rily due to the States in which they respectively
belong; and, therefore, that when any State re-
nounces its connection with the United States and
its allegiance to the Constitution the citizens of
that State are bound by the laws of God, to con-
tnue loyal to their State and obedent to its laws.
The paper adopted by the Assembly, virtually de-
ciares, the other hand that the allegiance of the
citizens is due to the United States thing in the
Constitution, ordinances or laws of the several
States to the contrary notwithstanding. 1t is not
the lnyalty of the members constituting this As
sembly, nor of our churches and ministers in any
portion of country that is thus asserted,
but the loyalty of the whole PRESBYTERIAN Church,
North South, East and West. Allegiance to the
FEDERAL government is recognized or declared to
be the duty of all the churches and ministers repre-
sented in this body. In adopting this paper there
fore, the Assembly does decide the great political
question which agitates and divides the couu-
try-the question whether is the allegiance of
However that our own convictions of the correct
ness of this decision may be, or however deeply we
may be impressed with it's Importance yet it is not
question which this Assembly has the right TO
decide. A man may conscienti0usly believe that
he owes allegiance to one government or another,
and yet possess all the qualifications which the
Word of God or the standards of the Church au-
thorizes to demand in members or ministers.
As this General Assembly represents the whole
church-the acts and declarations of the Assembly
become the acts and declarations of the Church.
1t is this consideration that gives to the action in
this case all its Importance, either in view
to the views of others. 1t is the allegiance of
the Old School Presbyterian Church to the COnsti-
tuition and the Federal Government which this pa
per is intended to profess and proclaim. 1t does
therefore, of necessity, decide the political cues
tions which agitates the country. This is matter
clearly beyond the jurisdiction of this house
That the action Of the Assembly in the premises
does not only decide the political question referred
to, but makes that decision a term of membership
in Church is no less clear 1t is not analopous
to the recommendation of religious or benevolent
institution which cur members may regard or not
at pleasure, but it puts into the mouths of all re.
presented in this body declaration of LOYALTY and
allegiance to the Union and to the Federal Govern
ment; but such declarations made by the members
of our Church residing in what is called the seced
ing States is reasonable. Presbyterians under the
jurisdiction of those States, therefore, cannot make
that declaration. They are consequently forced to
choose between alleg lance to their States, and al
legance to the Church.
The General Assembly, in thus deciding politi-
cal question, and in making that decision practical
bly, condition of membership of the Church, has
in our judgment, violated the Constitution of the
Church, and usurped the prerogative of its Divine
Master.
We protest, secondly, against this action of the
Assembly, because it is departure from all its pre-
vious action. The General Assembly has always
acted on the principle that the Church has no right
to make anything rendition of Christian or min
isteral fellowship which is not enioned or requir-
ed in the Scriptures and the standard of the
Church. We have, at one time, resisted the popu-
lar demand to make total abstinence from intoxi-
eating liquors term of membership; at another
time the holding of slaves In firmly resisting
these unscriptural demands, we have preserved the
integrity and unity of the Church, and made it the
great conservative of truth, moderation and lber-
ty OF conscience in our country. The Assembly
have now descended from this high position in max
ing political opinion a particular theory of the
however correct and important that
theory may be the condition OF membership in our
body, and thus, as we fear endanger the unity of
the Church.
In the third place, we protest, because we regard
the action of the Assembly uncalled for. 1t was
required neither to instruct excite our breth
rem In the Northern States. 1t was not needed as
a vindcation of the loyalty of the North.
Ola School Presbyterans everywhere, out of the
so called seeded States, have openly avowed and
most conspicuously displayed their allegiance to
the Constitution and the Government; and that in
many cases at great cost and peril. Nor was such
action required by our duty to country. We |
are truly persuaded that we best promote the in
terests of the country by preserving the integrity
and union of the Church. We regard this action |
Of the Assembly, therefore, a great national ca
amity,a well the most disastrous to the interest
Of the church which has marked its history
We protest. fOurthly, because we regard the ac- |
tioa of the Assembly as unjust and cruel in its
bearing our Southern brethren. 1t was in orr
Judgment, unfair to entertain and decide such |