Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-09-12
The Presbytery of ZtnesviIIe and
Rev. w. M. Ferguson.

[From the Newark Advocate of September 7th J
In pursuance of the call, a copy of which
we published last week, a special meeting
of tile Presbytery of Zanesville was held
in the First Presbyterian Church, Zanes-
vile, on Tuesday. Tue signers of the call
tor this meeting were Revs. John Kelly,
Henry Fulton and w. Morris Grimes, and
Elders Burlingame, of GAINESVILLE, and Ham
lton, of Brownsville. These worthless, with
the sanity Sam. Galloway and piOus Rev.
j. NJ. Platt as instigatOrS, were actuated by
a peculiar Christian charity to bring about
a PTesbyterial trial and conviction of their
brother in the Church, Rev. w. Nj. Fergu-
son, for writing letters from st. Louis to
HE OHIO STATESMAN during the late ses-
sion of the General Assembly, in which the
eminent Christian virtues () of that infal-
lible, immaculate body were not properly
recognized and sufficiently appreciated
Well, the Presbytery of GAINESVILLE met on
their call, and asked Tor their developments.
But they shrunk from making the direct
assault of themselves, and proposed to the
Presbvtery to appoint committee of some
kind, into whose hands they would put
their prepared bantlng, and thus avoid the
responsibility of its paternity. This boon,
however, the Presbytery did not see fit to
grant them. The eXpedlent of a commit
tee failing them, and being fairly coriipred,
after recess allowed them for consulta-
tion, one of them finally hauled out of his
capacious pocket quire of foOlscap, on
which was written, at great length and
with much circumlOcution, grave charges
and specifications against Brother Fergu-
son, for his reported gross disrespect for
clerical and lay Radicalism as manifested in
the General Assembly by the cOntorted
Galloway and a number of radcated ID. DIS.
The dried ink aud dingy appearance of the
formidable document indicated an antece-
dence of at least several weeks. One of
them moved that the precious production
be received and adopted by Presbytery.
But Presby terry did not like the looks of
the thing, and disposed oft by adopting the
fo lowing paper, proposed by Rev. Mr.
Hunt, of COshOctOn-oniy three members,
Revs. llatt, Kelly and Grimes, voting no:
'The signers of the application for this
meeting of Presbytery presented a paper
containing certain charges with specifica-
Jions against Rev. VIM. M. Ferguson, but
no prosecutor appearing, Presby terry adj
Judges that there is no sufficient warrant
for prosecution upon common fame and
orders that the paper be respectfully re-
turned to the parties presenting it.
sin taking this action, Presbytery does
not desire to countenance the Incorporate
and unchristian language OF the letters
written by Mr.. Ferguson from st. Louis
during the last General Assembly, upon
which the above mentioned charges were
in the main based, but in view of the sum-
mary action OF the General Assembly in
expelling Mr.. Ferguson, and in view of the
deep regret he has expressed tor his course
in this matter, and also, in the view that tue
scandal caused by these things is dimiuish-
ing it is deemed improper to take any iurth-
er action in this case" i.2 go. sac q. ''
We trust the implied censhre, in thelatter
paragraph, of Mr.. Ferguson's epistolary
style on exciting subjects, together with
his unjust expulsion from the late General
Assembly, will satisfy his Reverend and lay
enemies; and that they will now try to
enjoy rest from their weary labors of pref
udice and persecution against Mr.. Fergu-
son, who is vastly their superior in true
Gospel Christianity, as well as in intel
lect. 30 eU.uH.H} ~ t'.5 'hl i' 'h.i.