Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-06-27
THE FIRST rsEsprrHnrAs CHURCH


Our renders all remember the recent diiflcutle,
In the First Presbyterian Church Of this city, ant
the compromise In tho Pr6sbytefy by which Il wal
temporarily settled, II Will be recollected TIM
the appeal They had mode to the Synod, on ID,
condition that oil past action should be Ignored
and the matter start anew the congregation
agreeing TO walt reasonable time. for the pur
pose Of hearing candidates for the pulpit and ther
to proceed TO q new election for pastor, and The
Presbytery agreeing TO confirm who ever. wal
thus elected. We recollect that at the time It wai
suggested that the Session would refuse to order
an election ut all, but Mr.. Johns, Moderator q
the Presbytery, stated TINT the majority Of the
congregation could compel the Session TO call 3
meeting for electihg pastor n
A long time has elapsed aud no meeting to call
pastor has been ordered; some of the members
consulted Rev. DR.. Dubois as to the proper
course In which to proceed and, by his advice
one hundred and twenty-thrce Of the members o.
tied to vote IN the case, signed petition to the
Session, asking 1t to call a congregational meet
ing for the purpose of electing pastor The St,s.
sion refused to make the call, whereupon the ma
vice, called a meeting themselves, and the call
was read from the pulpit on May 18th, by the
Rev. Mr.. Pomeroy. On the following Sunday,
the officiating minister, Rev. Mr.. Mccoy, 81
Smyrna, refused to read the call, but the former
notice had complied with the rule requiring TINT
so, on Thursday evening, the 10th inst. the meet
ing was held and Rev. Dr. lands Unanimously
elected, 90 Votes being cast. ItlIl
=. It was noticed that none OF his former oppo-
nents turned out to vote against him, but the ma
jor'ty concluded that the minority, recognizing
the fact that they were powerless had concluded
TO offer no further opposition. ''1
They soon, however, found they were mistak-
en-, the Session Of the Church refusing to recog-
nize the action Of the meeting. The members
dler, David Chandler and James M. Watson.
I NOV, the Session Of this church Is In a rather
singular condition. Wepresume the public knows
that tn, Session pf this church consists of It's ell
ders. Mr.. Muir, a former elder, has re
signed another had his claim to the title dispu-
ted by the Presbytery, and has appealed to the
Synod, but until such appeal is settled, claims
the right to fill the position to which he was
elected and installed. Ofthe three elders refusing
70 sanction the action of the congregation, Mr..
old, and has not been To the church for years
Mr.. David Chandler has recently taken pew In
Trinity Episcopal Church, and announced that he
had virtually left the First Presbyterian Church.
Mr.. Watson's claims to act as member are
were freely discussed in the PresbS and there
was general expression ofoplnion that, whether
he had the right to act or not II was certainly In
expedient A motion to direct him to resume his
duties as an elder Of the church, was laid on the
thbic W uiiLObL fOtt Ol Ine IfeSDy-
terry. These three, however, ignored the action
OF the majority of the congregation of the church
and invited a Rev. Mr. Branch to fill the pulpit
yesterday. Meanwhile, DR.. Landis had arrived,
In accordance with the call, and on Sunday morn
preach In the church.
Z The party which sympathized with the session
seem in their Christian zeal to have come pre-
pared for fght,f they had in advance solicited
the presence of the Sheriff. Mr.. Herbert came
ftnr
finding that that officer considered the Police
force fully adequate to preserve order, and that
he had the power to appoint additional police
men II he needed them the Sheriff scnsibly with
drew and returned home. The city police had
strict orders to arrest any one who attempted to
make any kind Of disturbance, what ever his
rank or position. DR.. lands and his friends how
ever wished to have the church disgraced by no
disturbance, SO the Trustees, Dr. Harlan, Robert
Taylor, John Peoples Robert Morrison, and VIM.
II. Dolbow, In order to preserve peace and quiet
ness refused to open the church, and act ording
by the doors remained locked.
Mr.. Branch who had come from Port Deposit
on the invitation of Mr.. David Chandler not to
be deferred from preaching by so trifng mat
.er as having no church to preach In he mounted
Ing the fence to reach his novel pulpit Before
this however Mr.. Watson had applied to the Trus-
tees TO have the church opened and been refused.
After the sermon from the steps was over Mr..
"uisoh nshcu lnose present 10 remain, when q
public meeting was organized. Mr.. Watson call
ed the meeting to order. Thos. j. Mehaffy was
chairman, and John Whann Secretary,
when resolution was adopted that n committee
of five be appointed to wait on the Trustees and
Inquire why the church WINS closed.
The committee composed of Theodore f. Craw-
ford, s. s. Reed, John Wliann Nathaniel Culbert,
and one other whose name we do not recollect,
called on the Trustees but did not succeed In hav-
ing the church opened. so in the evening the
Services were held outside. as in the morning.