The Portland daily press., 1867-06-06
The "Independcnt,, and the Congresa.
tiOnaIists.

The recent action of the Independent in cut
ting loose from all denominational ties has left
the Congregatonalists of the country without
such an organ as they desire, and has conse-
quently awakened an interest among the lead
ing members of that denomination. A sue
cessor to the Independent as a UNCONVENTIONAL
paper is about to be started in New York, and
another will soon after follow in Boston, while
the Western Congregationalists propose to
start a third in Chicago .-.,..t
The general association of the Concrega-
tionalists Of Illinois, in session at Champaign.
had the, matter up before them a few days
since, and committee consisting of Revs. DR..
Beecher (brother of Henry Ward), J. P. Guilt
yer and s. G. Bartlett-the two last-named
writer's for the Independent--were appointed a
committee to report upon the expediency and
feasibility Of the undertaking. The result we
find reported in the Sun:
/; The report was read by Rev. DR.. Beecher, in
which it is declared that the Independent by
promuigating the law without the Gospel, in
its statement of its religious basis, has virtual
ly omitted the essence of Christianity, and has
implied that the renovation of human society
Is possible without it. 1t is further accused Of
belitthng the Christian ministry by using to-
Anticipated managers of ecclesiastical con-
ventions, and collecting editors of medieval
journals, and other similar utterances. And
its attempts to Halter the young men OF the
clergy, who have subscribed for that journal,
! az kings of men, pillars of the Church, apos-
ties of the age, sufficiently evince that the pa
per cannot be relied upon to diffuse truly
Christian, humble, courteous and fraternal
spirit any more than to defend christian doc
trine. We may ;dd that its late equivocal ut
terances in regard to licensing prostitution, at
firmipg that ''the police are on one side and
the clergy ON the other, and that we are not
sure but the police are right, awakens some
doubts of its future fitness to be guide ON the
pIainest questions of morality.
l. DIR. Beecher was so affected during the read
ing OF the report as to be scarcely able to In
ish it. The tears coursed down his face while
he endeavored to make few additional re-
marks. He said he was convinced that the
independent, in such hands at present, was
as lar from preaching Christ as possible
There are two kinds of cant, and the spirit
which pervades that paper is cant of the hber-
ality OF unregen rated men. The editorials
are 1ull or that kind of spirit, demoralizing,
unsanctified, unchristian, and the committee
thought that, as Christians, they should calm
ly. vet decidedly, utter their convictions. The
utmost silence pervaded the assembly during
these remarks, and the feeling evinced in them
was evidently unanimous. Other ministers
lhen took part in the debate
Prof S. G. Bartlett gave history of the eff
fort which had been for some time making in
Chicago. Two plans had been proposed-one
to start paper as stock company with a cap
ital of S25 600 or $4,000, and edited by four
clergymen jointly, Reys. Gulliver, Patton, Ha-
ven and Bartlett, while others thought that as
matter of business policy one editor should
control it, giving his whole time to the work.
The first mentioned seemed to meet the most
general approval, as the joint editorship would
keepit from running off on any hobby as the
Independent had done. They all feit an utter
lack OF confidence IN the paper that had once
been the great organ of the denomination.
"A majority seemed in favor of continuing
the Independent for another while until the
Chicago organ could be started with sure
prospect of success. 1t was declared that such
| an organ could as readily supplant the Inae
pendent as the Chicago Tribune suppan ,,
the New York Tribune as Republican or or .ai
The following resolution was fnaiiy, af,,sJ omene9
by Rev. DIR. Patton, and adopted: Ctr;St inn,
| That the necessities OF the cause OF ChtIss IN
peratively require the establishments m as-
lgous newspaper in Chicago Wn,Sn %a
| ySeate the evangelical doctrines ana scriptural
polity OF the Congregational churches So 1t