Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-06-06
: LOYALTY.
- SPEECH OF .t
REV. SAMUEL R. WILSON, DID,
On the Loyalty Resolution Delivered In Fits
burgh, before the Presbyterian General
Assembly, on the 2Sth Of May, 1865.
OF KENTUCKY,

The following Speech was delivered by
Rev. DR.. SAMUEL r. WILSON, of Louisville,
before the Old School Presbyterian General
Assembly in Pittsburgh, on the 26th day OF
Nav, 1866, which we noticed in our letter
from that city the same day. 1t was elec-
trifying In its effect upon the Assembly and
the immense audience that heard 1t, and
will be perused with intense interest by all
our readers: ..'-.. ...- .....
The following Resolution being under
consideration, viz: .5H... -a
.Pesolued, That no Missionaries be ap-
pointed by the Board, except those CIV
ing satisfactory evidence of loyalty to the
National Government, and of cordial SYM
pathv with the Presbyterian Church in her
testimony on Doctrine, Loyalty, and Free
DOM"
DR.. WILSON said: ....
Mr.. MODERATOR: 1t is with great diff
Guilty l can so recollect myself as to realize
that am sitting in court of the Lord Jesus
Christ and not in political convention or
in the Hall OF State Legislature. Somucli
has been said about loyalty" to Cesar and
so little-so very little-about loyalty to
Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church. /
vi.
thoughts to the character of this Assembly
and TO the proprieties of Court of the
Church, professedly acting under the guild
ance of the Holy Spirit and according to
the teachings of the Word of God, as to alb
stain from following those who have pre-
ceded me. in their windings and wanderings
on the subject of loyalty. They have yield
ed us no light, on the question which they
are preparing with so much fiery zeal; and
one fails to gather, from all that has been
said, any satisfactory solution OF the diff
culties with which that question is sur
rounded. 1t is not my intention to expose
the MISREPRESENTATION in which these gel
tlemen have indulged; nor to correct their
inaccurate statement of facts; nor to un-
vail the feeble sophistries by which they
have endravored to persuade this Assembly
to the adoption of measure so dangerous
as that now before them. To attempt this.
would lead me far away from the point |
wish to press upon the consideration of this
body and compel me to pursue course of
debate SO little In harmony with what l
regard as becoming In such place as this
And vet, sir, / am compelled TO take notice
of one or two things that have been said
here, not strictly bearing upon the matter
under discussions; and yet, which have been
urged with manifest effect, upon this As
take so deep an interest in its proceedings.
l shall touch upon these matters as briefly
as possible, and then pass to the main topic.
And first, Mr.. Moderator, l wish to call
the attention of this house to charge that
has been made upon this floor against man
whose ashes now sleep quietly in the grave,
but whose name once stood unrivalled
amongst the fairest and noblest that have
ever graced the ministry of the Presbyteri-
an Church. / need not say that l refer to
the Rev. DIR. j. III. THoRNwELL. Sir, the
last time sat in this venerable body, sat
side by side with DR.. Thornwell. He was
admired by all who saw him and loved by
all who knew him. The Assembly hung
upon his classic eloquence whenever he
Joined in debate. The people listened with
unwearied delight when he poured forth
the fullness OF his large, CHRISTIAN nearI,
and held up before their eyes the matchless
love OF a bleeding Saviour. With an unc-
tion rarely met with he preached Christ and
Him crucified. And now, sir, what dosw
see? what do we hear? Three times has he
been held up, here in the presence of this
Assembly and this vast stcongregation as the
friend and associate of assassins and mur-
derers--nay more, ,as himself counseling
murder and Assassination as proper means
OF defending the "Confederacy." And this
charge has been caught up by the newspa-
pers and Is spread far and wide upon the
wings of swift-fiying and noisy fame. Up
on what doesit rest? By what evidence
has IL been attempted to fix so foul blot
upOn the name OF 80 fair aAd noble servant
OF God? A tract has been brought In here
BY brother (Dr. Lord, of Bufalo), aud an
extract read from 1t, garbled and perverted
that so this stigma might be affixed to one
of those whose lab0rs have done so much to
render this Church illustrious. Thrice has
this been done in manner as unnecessary as
it was unworthy ofthe brother to do it. Sir,
take upon me to pronounce the charge un-
Just and slanderous aud without any fOun-
dation- in truth. ThisI will show by the
very document itself which has been pa
raded In so extraordinary a manner before
this. body as witness, uncorroborated IN
deed BY any other, but represented as Civ
ing testimony so clear and unequivocal as
20 ileayefno room for doubt. i will show
YOU that the evidence has been falsified,
that the witness has been tortured, that an
essential part of the testimony has been
suppressed. = = :, ,hgr,,ysss. .ets sgg4s,.
Dr. LoRD-I call the brother to order.
He Is rejecting on q member of this body.
I did not mention DR.. ThorDwelps name. i
was his friend. The Synod of Kentucky
hasr been dealt with by this Assembly with
great lenity. This Is not to be endured
from 1 member Of that Synod. [Cries Of
.s(3rdcf!D "Orderpl IlhI