The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-03
THE LOUISVILLE PRESBYTERY.

city, IN the General Assembly OF Tue IE6sOJ
terian Church, recently held at ST. Louis;-
Here, sir, on the first day of this question,
there came four brethren from the Presbytery OF
Louisville, and presented their credentials 70
your Committee on Commission your Com
mittee, not theirs. That Committee passed upon
them, and found them regular. Their names
were enrolled. They took their seats upon the
floor by the same authority, Mr.. Moderator,
with which you and sit here. There was no
question. There was no question as to the accu-
racy, or regularity, or validity OF this commits
sion The Presbytery of Louisville was Pres
bytery in good standing, as much so as the
PIesbytery of Chillicothe, or the Presbytery OF
Miami, or as the Presbytery down in jersey
don't know which IL is-who sent brother here
to move previous question. That Presbytery
was and is in as good standing az any OF these
and these men are here by right as clear and
indisputable as we are-any of us-and what
did you do? Well sir, here is what you did:-
"Resolved, That a committee OF seven be appointed,
composed of four ministers and three elders, TO eX
anime into the tacts connected with the alleged acts
whether 1t is entitled to representation in the Gene
raj Assembly, aud to recommend what action, IL
any, the General Assembly should take with regard
to this said Presbytery."
Well, sir since the world began--snce the
institutions of Justinan were organized and
established-was IL ever heard that set OF men
were put upon trial under an indictment like
thant?
"Alleged acts" What are they? They are
not stated here on this paper under which they
are condemned. certain things are referred to
in debates what has it to do with the action of
this house? What explanation is there to be of
that resolution as it goes down to your success
sors? will not say that al diligent archeolo-
gical student in some distant period of the
Church may not be able to find out what the
first ground OF this proceeding was; but surely
sir, it was the equitable right of these brethren
to be informed in the paper and resolution by
which they were condemned what they were
condemned for; and if they were to be excluded
from seats in the House, what they were to be
excluded for.
Sir, this Church is dear 10 me, and all its
rights are dear to me, and in striking down
these brethren they have struck at me and
struck at you, sir, and every man on this floor
and every convenient method of defense. And,
sir, rely upon it, it is not the mode Of proce.
dure which is recognized in the house Of God;
1t ls not the method of dealing with the highest
and most sacred rights of Christian men and
Christian ministers which is prescribed In that
constitution; it is an utter invasion of all those
rights. You not only find no precedent for It in
the history of the Church, but no precedents
Tor II III the history of Christian jurisprudence,
/ take 1t.
Sir, did this General Assembly in 1887, when
the minute was already prepared by the hand of
that revered and illustrious man, DIR. Baxter,
OF Virginia Qor he wrote it in my house, "a min
ute which was to lay the foundation for the
excluding of those four sinners--sir, did the
General Assembly introduce that minute or the
committee who presented it, and say, Mode
rator, move the previous question ?" And did
The General Assembly sustain the previous
question? And did the members of these four
Synods get up and go out of the house, or were
they allowed the amplest latitude of debate
When the General Assembly dissolved the three
Presbyteries of Philadelphia which gave them
SO much trouble formany years, did they begin,
sir, by excluding the members of those Presby-
teries from the house; or did they give them
plenary opportunity to say what reason they
had why they should not be dissolved?
My brethren and fathers-I must say it-l
n1icf i1Hrr 1lNo1 int
hasty action OF this body on Friday last. And |
say it was woful thing for a great assembly,
representing one of the greatest churches on this
continent, or of the world-a Church which has
glorled alike in holding forth the banner as well
OF civil as of religious liberty in all lands and
wherever yonder sun circuits the earth-it is a
Woul thing that General Assembly of this sort
should set its hand to a principle which goes
to subvert all human rights and all human
liberty.
Sir, these men must be heard; and you will
not sleep quietly until they are heard. You may
have four to one-Yes, sir, and you may have
four hundred to one, but, sir, you are on trial
yourselt-we are on trial; and thus far we have
made but very poor showing ofit.
The sentiment has gone over the community
among the men that have been faithful Union
men during the war-that have poured oyIt their
money like water, and that have stood by the
old flag with an infeXible fdelty-and among
the men whose sympathies have been supposed
to be in the other directiOn-the sentiment has
are proceeding beyond the principles ofenlight-
ened Christian liberty, or of a government OF
law, or Constitution OF freedom and upon the
principles of despotism; and the reputation of
the Church Is concerned in it. We cannot afford
that sort OF thing; we cannot afford to have it
pleaded by politicians, who may have their
schemes to accomplish and their purposes TO
achieve; we cannot afford to have the action Of
the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church
cited as venerable precedent as giving sane.
tion TO these foul and oppressive measures. No.
sir, we must adhere to the great doctrine of
human rights to the principles OF our Constitu-
ton and this great American Republic. | do
not refer merely to our respected friends, our
tellowcitizens, may say, for the time being, to
the comparatively limited assembly which can
crowd itself within these doors. We are on trial
before the American people, and before all
the Churches OF all lands, before the whole
civilized world. And tell you, sir that If this
action goes forth unmodifed, unrecalled, unre-
dressed by what you are vet to do, it will turn
out with you as it turned out in that memorable
conflict between Rome and Carthage. Zone
more such victory will prove your defeat and
oVegthrow.D
| tell you, sir that the silence of these men
who rat along here but the other day clothed
with Meir sacred right, that the silence-the
enforced silence OF these men-is q voice which
will make itself heard throughout the whole
land.
Sir, you have delegated these men with a
power OF speech-wlth mighty influence which
tney never could have eXercised-apower which
lhey never could have attained here had you
surrendered this platform to them exclusively
Tor week together
Let them do their worst sir, they could not
nave done for themselves what you have done
Ior them, by sending them forth branded men
without lhe opportunity of making a defense
~ mas gone over this community, and II the
people you are staying with do not delicatelv
hint to you, 1t will be bahousa their cauTtesyy,