The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-03-11
CONSISTENCY A JEWEL.

small clamor was raised a short time ago
against our Church by certain journals. 1t
was our duty to confront them with some facts
around their own doors concerning which they
were obliged to observe humiliating silence,
though they only scolded and rallied the more,
as often happens when uncandid people are
cornered.
There are two facts of recent occurrence
bearing upon this matter which deserve notice.
One is Reorganization of Negro Conference
in Memphis last fall, by the Methodist Epis
copal Church, South. That Church, as we
have heretofore stated, has made express pro-
vision in It's Discipline for distinct churches
and conferences for this class, though they are
still held in connection with their denomina-
ton aud presided over by their Bishops We
observe that in the organization of this their
first Negro Conference, white preachers Except
the Bishop are expressly prohibited from
having place among them. In this we think
the negroes have shown more practical sense
than some of their white brethren.
But what has become of the Nea7 York o.
ssrrer and others? This thing was not done
in a corner; it was published freely in all the
journals Of the Southern Methodist Church,
and in others We have waited for months to
hear it Indignantly denounced as an outrage
upon as poor sghiteS, and gross violation OF
the fundamental law of Christ's Kingdom
But silence reigns supreme.
The other fact is of more recent occurrence.
The Rev. DIR. Boynton is pastor of the First
Congregational church in Washington city,
and was during the war, if he is not now, the
Chaplain to the Senate Of the United States.
Some of our readers may, from quotations IN
the newspapers, remember him as furious
war-man, who carried his war politics into his
preaching and his official prayers in the most
ultra and offensive expressions. He is from
Massachusetts, and has been an Abolitionist
Of the most approved dye.
A short time ago two negro men Of entirely
unexceptionable character, presented certiG-
Gates of dismisSion from a church elsewhere,
and of their being in good standing. They
asked to be received into DR.. Boynton' S church.
Does the reader say, "0f course they were
received?" A great mistake; they were
promptly refused. The affair created quite
buzz in the church. General Howard, Chief
of the Freedman's Bureau, is member of
that church, and with few others opposed
his pastor, but DR.. B. was sustained by large
majority.
And now it may be of some interest to mark
the grounds on which these peculiar lovers of
-, g.. E,..k, Il
special sermon DIR. BOynton preached in de-
fence of his course, and then as they were
drawn up for his Church Record We give
extracts. In his sermon he says:
"In view of their own best interests and
highest happiness, should we induce or advise
them to Gomez Where they have no church
organizations of their own that they can enter,
| should do so; but in community where
suitable churches and schools of their own
people abound, | cannot conscientiously as a
friend to the blacks advise them to avoid these
organizations of their own, and bury them
selves in a living grave, an UNDECIDED little
company in the larger masses of the whites.
And again
ave can afford to receive the colored peo-
pie; but their own race cannot afford to lose
them"
In the Church Record we have the following:
CT claim hat the oolored man is entitled to
all the rights Of our common humanity and
that this includes all the civil and political
rights and privileges that other men enjoy
/ admit that he differs from the white man
in many particulars, but deny that he is on
that account to be regarded as belonging to On
inferior type of humanity. [ claim that the
whole field of human effort and enjoyment
should be open to him as TO others, and then
his social rank and position must depend on
his own exertions and upon those usages which
apply to other men, | demand that he should
not be excluded from business pursuits, or
places of amusement, nor from our schools,
or colleges, or theological Seminaries or benev-
client associations, or from our churches; that
there should be no rule which, on account of
his race or color, should shut him out from
what other men enjoy; in a word that he should
be freed from every disability and hindrance,
and then left free to work out his own proper
destiny, with such assistance as his felowmen
can give.
"While thus demanding for the black man
the same rights and privileges that other men
enjoy, I believe that the colored people will
not reach the highest condition of which they
are capable, except by culture which shall
be so far separate as to preserve the character
iStics of their race.
An African civilization may yet play as
important part in the worlds recovery as
that of the white man. | therefore rejoice in
the manifest favor and blessing which God is
beStowing upon the schools, colleges, and
churches, in which the colored people are
making such rapid progress. | think that the
perfect earthly condition OF humanity is to be
reached not by attempting to blend all races
INFO httf NV ha full
developments under Christian culture, of the
exeelencies Of each, and uniting this variety
into one homogeneous whole by the ties of
Christian brotherhood"
On this remarkable exposition we offer a
few remarks. Observe
l. It's argument After declaring in one
breath the negroes ought not to be excluded
on account of race or color from anything or
place, among which he specifies g oar church
es, " We are told in the next they ought to be
shut out for some reason. What is it? To
help them reach the highest condition of
which they are capable ~ All! aud that
equal rights, is it? That is leaving him free
to work out his own proper destiny with such
assistance as his felow-men can give ~ Truly
consistency is jewel.
3 It's hypocrisy. After all the parade about
admitting the negro to equal rights and privi-
leges in the Church, we get sight at last of
what is manifestly the true motive in all this
proceeding. 1t sticks out in spite of efforts to
conceal it. They must refuse the negroes
membership to subject them the better to "a
culture which shall be so far separate as to
preserve The characteristics of their race, and
because the perfect earthly condition of hu-
mainly is to be reached not By attempting to
blend all races into one homogeneous psa&sl'