Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1861-01-31

Ing 10 patient. TO DC removed, pit dcnouncng
u ne an act of outrageous barbarty. di.graccfu
to any age or country.
The Very Latest southern New.
Guar r.roN, :. G.. January ?-.-Thc Lcds.
lature unanimously tc-ol, Ell that while ackno~l.
edgins the courtesy OF the Virginia Legislature
10 sending a commissioner, declined having any
intercourse ON the subject proposed. regarding
the separation ~ final aud irrcvocsblc.
The correspondence of Mcsrrs. IIs,nc and
ficktn-, while the former WAS ~ Washington,
was considered IN Executive session. ltsppears
that the ultimatum of South Carolina was the
surrender Of Fort Sumter. and the withdrawal OF
the Federal troops. that South Carolina promi ed
10 PAY Tor the Forts, aud that ayne, in Difference
% the wishes of Southern congressman, with.
held the proposition. Governor Pckens now
tells iIaync To make a final demand for the forts,
repudiating the ~, sidehts position, that he has
not power to give them up. but must leave II TO
Congress. Gov. Pickens further tells iiaync To
await reasonable time for m answer To the
final demand. taen IL refused. Fort Sumter must
be taken. The Legislature endorsed the acting
commissioner, Jno. :. Preston private envoy
from south Carolina To Virginia, which was sent
him To dly ~ Richpond.
The Nianfic Monthly for February has been
received. As usual il presents an inviting table
in interest ~ IL advances. The present number
contains articles from Harriet Martneau, Johu
q. Whittier, T.. = whippe, Paul Aksrs, James
x. Lowell, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. II Is
published by Ticknor 4 Fields. i35 Washington
street. Boston, Mass. To our patrons We fur.
nish the Atlantic for 81. n year.
For tho Journal.
Ma. EDIroR:-At your suggestion, for the in
formation of your readers, | would simply say
that the paper on slavery which YOU published at
nv request in the lat number OF the JOURNAL,
was unanimously adopted 10y tho General Assem-
hly of the PRESBYTERIAN Church in 1878, aid has
been th. law oi the Church ever since. (See
Ass,mhly's Digest, small ~ork, p. 21I.)
IL has been confirmed at various times since,
and supplementary acts added, the last one of i'm
portance being that of ISIS. believe there has
aevcr been single act of any Prcsbytery
Synod dsmurring thereto. Lately. however,
especially since the sectional disturbances in the
country, thclcourse of a few has been inconsis-
tent with these principles, and no doubt there
are some exceptions in the full aud faithful carry
ing out of discipline in accordance with these
principles, but no more deficiency in this respect
than attaches 90 all denomination with reference
tn various kinds OF imperfections and inconsis-
tencies in their respective bodies, and which we
may always look for to some extent in the
Church militant.
]. a. CAMPBELL.
IL will be sccu 10y reference to the above ar
ticle from the Rev. J. \. Campbell that the &C
ton had in reference to slavery by the o. 5. Pres
byterian Church was in isis, about forty three
wears ago. IL Is to the credit of nearly all Chris
tan demo ations that in those early times they
took very decided grounds against slavery and
their influence generally cxertcd to bring
about its extinction. But we regret exceedingly
to have to say that as the institution of slavery
too m,ny Of the churches have gradually Welded
to its opportunities, and especially has this been
the case with the church in question.
While the o. 5. Presbyterian Church, as
body, is comparatively small in nun bers, and we
urge this objection to the Society At all,
vet it, members hold over - 900 slaves. Surely
the church has not been very prompt in enforcing
the rule published last week. Again, the church
in Indiana and the church in Mississippi meet
together in the same general assembly-slave-
holders and non slav eholdcrs meet together in
communicable Rev. J. A. Campbell of
Winchester and the Rev. Dr. Palmer of New
Orleans members in good fellowship in the
same church. We understand furthermore that
If the Rev. DR.. Palmer or DIR. Rice, both defen.
ders of slavery. and the former a Shareholder o.
choice, having lef; New England and gone to the
South, was to visit the church here in commu-
MON season, that the minister in charge would
be expected aud under obligations to administer
10 them the sacraments of the Lords Supper,
notwithstanding they defend the rightfulncss of
buyin and selling men, women and children.
Further, this church defends and supports the
American Tract Society in its persistent refusas
to publish one word against the sinfulness of
slavery. Ii even refused to publish texts of
Scripture from the Bible condemning slavery.
But what of this act of 1915, The General
Assembly referred to, met at Cincinnati. The
action of the General Assembly of ISIS
brought in question by Southern members. and
DR.. Rice. TO appease their wrath, offered a reso-
luton which was adopted, that slaveholdng was
no bar to membership which the South under
stood annulling the action of ISIS We need
not refer to the action Of the General Assembly
that met At indianapolis in l-5e-59. The sub
do not permit il TO be discussed in their AS
sembly of late.
A fair portion of the strength of this church
lies in the Southern Statcs--and its members
tenacious "a to the rights of the institution of
slavery.
We need not refer TO the circulars that we're
published by this church in l-16 and circulated
among its members, urging them not TO vote for
Fremont because the party of which he was the
representative opposed to slavery.
We know there are indivi iual member, and
now aud then church that take pretty high
anti-slavery ground. and We regret that they are
not the opponents OF the principles and policy of
the church upon that subject. Mr. Campbell
thinks that there is mo more deficiency in this
respect (the relation OF the Presbyterian Church
TO slavery ethan attaches to all denominations
with reference In various kinds of imperfectons
and Inconsistencies in their respective bodies
We cannot see IL in that light, but admitting il
ID Ice true, Is that any justification for the church
which be represents for holding 1905 slaves
l. that any good cause that the Presbyterian
Church should tolerate an institution which alb
rogaxes the marriage relation, separates husbands
and wives narept- and children, and fOrbids the