Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-04-02
O.XIV.
From the Grsen6rier EraI
Published by Request
Previous and Present Status of the Old
School Presbyterian Church on
&c c.a Sl0verV..

Published by Request
Previous and Present Status of the Old
/. School Presbyterian Church on
a4 3c r9aa Slavery. ~ M s1ss..e ,rat
As frequent reference to the above subject has
been made among the people of this commu-
nifty, we have consulted the General Assem-
bly's Digest, devised edition, by Samuel j. Ba-
ird, J for the recorded evidence on this subject
To present the result and the relation which
this Church snstains and occupies on the subject
of slavery,as it exists in this country, we make
the following extracts from said Digest, without
note, comment or expression of opinion by our
selves.
Intorder to abbreviate the evidence proposed,
we shall only extract those resolutions most per-
tinent to the object and we deem it unnecessary
Gas the record will prove) to begin at an earlier
period than 1845, Q6 years ago) as all subse-
quent action taken on the subject is then andeS
afterwards declared to be scODsstent with all
preceding it," ~ 3 6~..,s- - s...
Extract lst. '".The subject having been from
time to time, for series OF years, urged upon
the Assembly, it was taken up in 1S45." The
committee after setting forth report of the gen
eral principles involved, said s'In view of the
above stated principles and facts, 49, Ee Bisi.
Resoloed, ''That the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church, in the United States, was
originally organized, and has since continued the
bond Of Union in the Church, upon the conceded
principles that the existence of domestic slavery,
under the circumstances in which it is found in
the Southern portion of the country. is no bar
to Christian communion" K, s..., r,,, -,o,.
.Resolped End. That the petitions that ask the
Assembly to make the holding of slaves, in it
self, matter of discipline, do virtually require
this judicatory to dissolve itself, and abandon
the organization, under which, by the Divine b
blessings, it has so long prespered. The ten
Is fO NOrtheru
from the Southern portion of the Church; re-,
suit which every good citizen must deplore as
tending to the destruction of the Union of our
beloved country aud which every enlightened
Christian will oppose as bringing about ruin
Gus and unnecessary schism between brethren
who maintain common faith" "The yeas and
nays being ordered were recorded-yeas 168,
nays 13, excused A." [See pages 822 and 824. oni
[In 1916 a collection of petitions and memo-
rials on the subject was referred. The commit
tee recommended the adoption OF the following
minute, viz: Our Church has, from time to
time, during period of nearly sixty years, ex-
pressed its views on the subject of slavery
During all this period it has held and uttered
substantially the same sentiments. Believing
that this uniform testimony is true and capable
Of vindicaton from the word of God, the AS
sembly is, at the same time, clearly of the opin-
ion that il has already, deliberately and solemn
ly, spoken on this subject with sufficient fulness
and clearness; therefore,
"Resolued, That no further action upon this
subject is at present needed"
THE following resolution was offered by Rev.
r. NJ. White, and was adopted. (without divi-
sion1:''
ssResolued, That in the Judgment of this house,
the action of the General Assembly of 1916 was
not intended to deny or rescind the testimony
often uttered by the General Assemblies previ-
Gus to that date" [See pages S24 and S25l
'srHE ACTION OF 1849."
ga memorial from the Presbytery of Chilli
cothe, praying this General Assembly, not only
to declare slavery to be sin, but to enjoin upon
all inferior Courts, course of discipline which
will remove it from our Church"
.Also memorial from the Presbyterv of E.
rie, asking the Assembly to alter sundry terms
and passages in the act of l045, relating to the
subject of slavery"
La answer to these memorials, the committee
offered the following resolutions for adoption by
this Assembly, (Which were adopted)t:
| Resol0ed 1st. That the principles of the Pres
| byterian Church, on the subject of slavery, are
already set forth In repeated declarations 50 full
and explicit as to need no further exposition" '
| Four other resolutions, of general character,
embrace the action declaring the institution" to
be ''of the civil and domestic nature" and the
''competency OF secular Legislatures alone to re-
move it." and that sit be considered peculiarly
| improper and expedient for this General Assem-
| bIy to attempt or propose measures in the work
| of emancipation"
| "Againsr this action protest with four sig-
natures were entered [See page s25.
| (s'In 1850, the subject being again introduced
| by overtures, it was laid on the table. 1t has
not since come before the Assembly, except
that at the meeting of the General Assembly,
May, 1860, at Rochester, the following action
was taken on the subject, and presents no new
feature, but shows the present status OF the
Church in its relation to slavery as it exists in
the Southern States.
| Overture No. 49, Several memorials and o.
ventures referred to the Committee, relating to
Colonization, Temperance, the Slave Trade, &c.
| The committee recommended the adoption Of
the following resolution, viz: 3'
Resoluea, 'That while the General Assembly
on the one hand, disclaim all right to interfere
in secular matters and on the other, assert the
right and duty of the Church, as Gods witness
on earth, to bear her testimony in favor of truth
and holiness, and against all false doctrines and
sin wherever proposed or committed. Yet in
view of the often repeated action of the Assem-
bly, in reference to the subjects above referred
| to, it is nexpedient to take any further action
| in relation thereto" (Adopted unanimously
| 1t may be we'll for rs to add as a fact, before
we conclude, that the Constitution of the Pres
byterian Church in it preliminary and funda-
mental principles declares "the Confession of
Faith, with the Larger and Shorter Oatechisms
of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, as
being in all the essential and necessary articles,
good forms of sound words and systems of
Christian doctrine, and adopts the said confess
sion and Catechisms as the confession of our
faith," and farther declares that s'no Church ju-
dicatory ought to pretend to make laws, to bind
the conscience, in virtue of its own authority"
Then, the General Assembly being, as it is,
a judicatory body, cannot properly and authori-
tatively pass any law inconsistent with, or de-
parting in any manner from, the rules and doc
trines OF the Confession of Faith, that has any
validity or binding force upon the conscience Of
any of the members of that Church. So any
action taken by the General Assembly, on this
subject of slavery, cannot at all effect the MEM
bership of that Church.
We aim simply, as publishers of information
for the public, in the foregoing extracts to do
an act OF justice to large and Nationally United
branch OF the Christian Church, constituting a
powerful element to the preservation and perpe-
tuity OF the Union of the States.
HE RED MAN ON THE WALK.-The black
man having taken Texas out of the Union, the red