The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1865-06-28

'SN'oN ~ - NN'''Ns" 49, eNNSsHHt vi shO paw
Of "the Goyernmcnty to cocreei State
into subjcction. =, 6,,.s5i +. g,,
There is one more witness | desire to
site, and then I shall leave .his part Of
the argument The quotation / shall now
give is frop one who has long held no
mean place in the confidence Of the
Church, One who not long since. occu-
pied the important post Of Corresponding
Secretary of.that Board which Is to sit
in judgements as is proposed, upon the
"loyalty" of the Presbyterian Ministry.
Though no longer Secretary, be lives In
Philadelphia, where this inquest is 10 sit,
and his opinions may therefore be con
sidered as in harmony with the ideas Of
loyalty there predominant. In giving
his judgment at the last Assembly 10 the
case Of DR.. McPhectcrs, DR.. Musgrave
said: OK aoigili. .i-t tbe1 ,ldEi
"He'faly juayfed he Government IL
all they had done IN tie way Of military
arrests, orders and restraints"
A MEMBER-Dr. Musgrave's opinions
are not my standard Of loyalty. 1'g',
DR.. WILsoN-Exactly SO, and | am
glad to hear it But this only illustrates
AMI confirms what | have been endeayor-
ing to show, and what | have now BY
most irrefragible proof shown, that tie
notions Of men on the subject of loyalty
are vague and inconsistent and contradic
tory and that this Assembly with all its
wisdom and learning has not fixed, and,
indeed, cannot fix any satisfactory or
clearly defined standard by which the
committee of Missouri can Judge Of the
loyalty Of its missionaries The objec.
ton, therefore, of my colleague (Mr.
Morrison) / deem to have been we'll tax
en-, sit certainly was we'll put.
But there are other reasons, Mr.. Mod.
orator, why this resolution ought not to
receive the sanction of this body-rea
sons far more important than that which
has just been advertcd to. To some Of
these | ask the serious and candid atten.
tion Of the Assembly.
And, in the first place, it is proposed
by the adoption Of this act to establish
an entirely new rule respecting the ap.
pOintment of missionaries by the Board.
The rule which has in all times past gov
erned in this matter is one which com
mends itself to the judgment Of the
whole Church. 1t is that the Board shall
appoint all missionaries who may be re.
commended by their Presbyteries, provi
ded there are funds in the treasury to
warrant them in so doing, But now 0
new and widely different order is de.
manded. A rule is asked for which is
not to be equally applicable to all parts
of the field aud all portions Of the Church
alike. A distinction and an equality arc
to be established, between the missionar.
les OF the Church, undor- the direction Of
the Board, that is, to say the least, OK.
ceedingly invidious. And this without
any adequate reason. For if Il is proper
and necessary to require "satisfactory ev.
idOnca" of the possession of the qualifi
cations herein described in respect 10 oul
missionaries who areto 60 into ono part
of the country, surely it is equally prop
er and necessary in regard to those who
may be sent to every other part. Thest
qualifications, if demanded at all are Ger
tainly not less demanded in those who ar,
to instruct the peaple in the North thar
they are in those who are to be teachers
Of the South. New England ought sure
ly not to be neglected in the operation o
this rule any more than Missouri or Vir
ginia. If the South aud West need
guarantee that the men who come /,
preach the Gospel there arc sound on th,
points named in this resolution, no les
do tho Nor,h and the East need the lik
guarantee. @ ~
But again, this order does n not stop wit
merely empowering the Board to requir
evidence Of "loyalty to the National Gov
cmment' on the part Of missionaries az
pointed by it to labor in the Souther
States, and of their acquicsccico in tn
testimony oil the Presbyterian Church o
%oyalty and freedom it requires NOR
than this, II empowers and requires tn
Board to max inquisitions into tho il
most thoughts and feelings OF those mi.
sionalios. 1t. deTalds that they shall o,
anime concerning the hidden sympathie
of their hearts, II forbids them to al
point any man to preach the Gospel |
the scattered aud stricken christians I
!, sinners, Of the seeded or border States
no matter how sound he may be is in th
faith or devoted TO the order Of III
!, Church or unimpeachable in his cor
duct as christian and q citizen, unit
i they have obtained what they may
|, pleased to regard as satisfactory evi
dence" Of his "cordial sympthy" withtl
various and varying u terances Of III
. Presbyterian Church on political que
\ tions ofallegiance and human rights
. Ia this General Assembly thus prepare
: Ito bring back again from the dead pa
! the spirit Of the Inquisition, with itsracl
: and its irou boot add its thumb screv
!. But how else are we to wring from men
e confession Of their acordial sympathics
Q or areusunciation Of their inmOst hidd'
IS feelings? ,i,ig s.,,, .t,.s..4
q Nor is this all. Fatal as the objectio
b already urged ought to, be this pr,po
u ton, thereis yet, IL possible, an objecii
s. still stronger against its adoption S
70 by this.aot, lift should pass this hou
., the Board, which practically means
n; such connection, The Committee at ri
a. adclphia, viii be constituted intoa !
IS olesiasstioo Political Privy Council, or,
< | might say, sort Of Provost Marsht
,sl lfSuartl for iha Church. with unlimited