The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-06-13
Presbyterian 70. S. General A..
III r Sembiy.

y = ~
Presbyterian 20. S. General As.
~ sembiy.
THE REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE RR-
PUBLIC.
The Presbyterian General Assembly
convened at Peoria, Illinois, has adopted
the following report on the state of the
Union:
Your Committee believe that the design
OF the mover of the original resolution,
and OF the large majority who, apparently,
are ready to vote for its adoption, is simply
| to call forth from the Assembly signiti-
cant token of our sympathy with this
Government in its earnest efforts to sup
press rebellion that now, for over two
years, has wickedly stood in armed resist
lance to lawful and benefcent authority
But as there are many among us who are
undoubtedly patriotic, who are willing to
this Assembly should give utterance,
| touching the subsection and attachment of
an American citizen to the Union and it's
institutions, who love the flag of our
country, and rejoice at its successes by sea
and by Land, and who yet do not esteem
this particular act a testimonial of loyalty
entirely becoming to church court; and
as many of the brethren, by the pressing of
| this vote, would be placed in a false posi-
ton, as if they did not love the Union, of
which that flag is the beloved symbol,
your Committee deem themselves author
| thorized, by the subsequent direction of
| the Assembly, to propose a different ac-
| ton to be adopted by this venerable court.
1t is well known, on the one hand, that
| the General Assembly has ever been re-
luctant to repeat its testimony upon impor-
| tant matters of public interest; but having
given utterance to carefully considered
words, is content to abide candy by its re-
corded deliverances. Nothing that this
Assembly can say can more fully express
cost so much blood and treasure; and de-
clare, in palmer terms, the guilt, before
God and man, of those who have inaugu-
rated, or maintained, or countenanced for
so little cause the fratricidal strife; or can
more impressively urge the solemn duty of
Government to the lawful exercise Of it's
authority, and of the people, each in his
several place, to uphold the civil authori-
ties to the end that law and order may
again reign throughout the entire nation;
than these things have already been done
| by previous Assemblies. Nor need this
| body declare it's solemn rebukes towards
those ministers and members of the Church
of Christ, who have aided in bringing on
and sustaining these immense calamities;
or tender our kind sympathies to those who
are overtaken by troubles they could not
avoid, and who mourn and weep in Sc
cret places, not unseen by the Fathers eye;
or reprove all willful disturbers of the
| public peace; or exhOrt those who are
subject to our care to the careful discharge
of every duty tending to uphold the free
and beneficent Government under which
we are, and this specially for conscience
sake, and as in the sight of God, more
than, in regard to all these things, the Gen
eral Assembly has made it's solemn deliv-
erances since these troubles began.
But, on the other hand, it may be well for
this General Assembly to reaffirm, as it
now solemnly does, the great principle to
which utterance has already been given
We do this the more readily because our
| beloved Church may thus be understood to
take her deliberate and well chosen stand,
| free from all imputations of haste or ex-
element; because we recognize an entire
harmony between the duties of the citizen
| Especially in q land where the people frame
| their own laws and choose their own ru-
| lers,l and the duties of the Christian to the
Great Head of the Church; because, in
deed, least of all persons, should Christian
| citizens even seem to stand back from
their duty when bad men press forward for
mischief; and because true love for our
country in her time of peril should forbid
us to withhold an expression..of our attach
ment, for the sufficient reason that we are
not accustomed to repeat our utterances.
And because there are those among US
who have scruples touching the propriety
OF any deliverance OF church court, re-
specting civil matters, this Assembly wo'd
add, that all strifes of party politics should
indeed be banished from our ecclesiastical
assemblies and from our pulpits; that
Christian people should earnestly guard
against promoting partisan divisions; and
that the difficulty of accurately deciding, in
some cases, what are general and what
party principles, should make us careful in
NIL hSV<t t,Nt I,,fv
| the less imperative to uphold the constitu-
tional authorities, because minor delicate
questions may possibly be involved. Rath-
er, the sphere OF the Church is wider and
more searching, touching matters of great
public interest, than the sphere of the civil
magistrate, in this important respect, that
the civil authorities can take cognizance
the Church of God is the interpreter, search
es the heart, makes every man subject to
| the civil authorities for conscience sake.
and declares that man truly guilty who al
| lows himself to be alienated in sympathy
from any lawful duty, or who does not
consciencIously prefer the welfare, and es-
peciaiiY the preservation OF the Govern
ment to any party or partisan ends. OFF,
GERS may not always command a citizen S
confidence; measures may, by him, be
deemed unwise; earnest, lawful efforts
may be made for changes he may think
desirable; but no causes now exist to vim
dictate the disloyalty Of American citizens
toward the United States Government.
This General Assembly would not with
hold from the Government Of the United
States that expression of cordial sympathy
which loyal people should offer. We be-
iieye that God has afforded us ample re-
sources to suppress this rebellion; and that
with His blessing, it will ere long be ac-
eomplished: we would animate those who
are discouraged by the continuance and
fluctuations, of these costly strifes to re-
member and rejoice in the supreme gov
eminent of our God, who often leads thro'
perplexity and darkness: we would exhort
TO penitence of all our national sins, to So
briefly and humbleness of mind before the
Great Ruler OF all, and to constant prayer
fulness for the Divine blessing: and we
would entreat our people to beware of all
schemes implying resistance to the lawfully
constituted authorities by any other means
than are recognized as lawful to be openly
prosecuted. And as this Assembly is ready
to declare our unalterable attachment and