New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-09-02
DIR. TIiORNWELL.


In our last Saturdays summary Of ecclesi-
astical intelligence we briefly noticed the death
of DR.. Thornwell Of South Carolina. In him
the PrO-Slavery churches of our country have
lost one of their shining lights for few, If any,
diyiues have done more than be for subyerting
the former Anti-Slayery position of the Amerl-
can churches, and for propagatlDg the internal
doctrine that Slavery is divine institution,
which ought to be perpetuated.
DR.. Thornwe has for many years been
leading man in the Old-School Presbyterian
Church, being almost every year a member of
the General Assembly, and one of ito promi-
nent debaters. Though be was known to be-
long TO the political school of John &. Calhoun,
and to be On ardent defender of the institution
of Slavery, the Northern synods made to his
growing influence but a faint opposition. On
the contrary, no church went further in max
ing radical concessions ~ the steadily grow
ing demands of the Slave Power than the
Od.School Presbyterians The noble Anti
Slavery testimony of the Assembly OF 1878,
in which even the representatives OF
South Carolina and Georgia had cOncurred,
was paralyzed by compromising declarations in
l5i6, and most Of the public organs of the
Church boards, Institutions and papers, accus-
toned Themselves TO refrain rigidy from any
remonstrance against Slavery and slave laws.
Still no concessions of this kind satl,ied the
Pro-Slayery party. and when the Rebellion
broke out and threatened also the unity of
the Presbyterian Church, they demanded
the repeal, by the General Assembly, of the
testimony of 1873, AS an Indispensable con-
dition for their further stay in the Church.
There was then believed to be q strong party
in the North which would have been willing
to purchase the external unity of the Church
even at this price, and not one Of its organs
believed in the possibility of obtaining majority
of the General Assembly for an express con-
frmation Of tho resolutions Of ISIS.
Still the rebellion had this beneicent effect,
that reaction against the spirit Of submis-
sion TO tho Slave Power at once com
menced. The General Assembly of 1861 with
held it's approval from some Pro-Slavery acts Of
the Synod of South Carolina, aud by its strong
and loyal resolutions accelerated the ecclesiasti.
cal secession OF most Of the SynOds in the Slave
States. DR.. Thornwell took IA prominent part in
the organic alton of the seeded SyDods into
the " Presbyterian Church Of the Confederate
States" and was tho leading spirit in the Con-
stituent Assembly at Richmond in December,
1861. He framed the declaration Of princi.
pies, by which the new Presbyterian denomina-
ton proposed to announce its formation to
other Churches. lie developed in full his
views upon the relation OF the Church to
Slavery. IIe claimed the latter entirely as
political question, with which the Church had
no business whatever. The Assembly unani-
mously indOrsed these views, and thus bound
itself to an everlasting silence upon all the
shocking crimes which laveholders, slave
traders, and slave-breeders are daily commit
ting against the most sacred precepts Of the
moral code.
Practically, this had long ago been the
position of nearly all the Southern churches.
Following in the wake of the few leaders Of
the Shareholders conspiracy against the United
States, nearly all of them had lent their iniu-
ence to the propagation Of extreme pro-Slavery
views among the people of the Slave States.
Thus the Southern churches have become the
main support of the system Of Slavery. 1t
was TO be expected that churches of such a
character would produce but few men of emf
hence; and it was, therefore, easy for DIR.
to gain the confidence Of all the
Southern churches as one of their chief church.
fathers.
1t has been said of DIR. Thornwell that be
denied the idea Of property in man." and
held that the State or the master could lay
claim only to "service," while all the rights
of the servant as Il man were to be respected.
In the advocacy Of this opinion he has, at all
events been less earnest and less Influential
han In his dsfeuse Of the institution, and while