The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-09-22
MACON, Ga, September 4th, 1869.

MACON, GA, September 4th 1869.
Mr.. Editor,-In the last issue of the PreSbyteri
an and LadeD you have given your readers an in
teresting comment on the Annual Report of the
Freedmen's committee to the Northern General
Assembly TO- ST. at its sessions in May in New
York. In this extraordinary report you tell us
that it is gravey asserted that the colored Presby
terian church in Macon, with a membership of
one hundred and thirty-two souls, has contributed
upwards of three thousand dollars to the above
Committee which, is about one-ninth of the en-
tire amount raised by the $780, 600 rich Presbyte-
rians of the North for this cause during period
of twelve months Now, this solemn official state
ment not only lacks the elements of probability,
but it is absolutely too erroneous to be brought
within the bounds of possibility.
A few stubborn facts will serve to set this whole
matter in its true light before the Christian public.
For many years the colored communicates of our
Church have been accustomed to worship in a
small building in the lower part of the city which
was erected expressly for them and reserved for
their special use and benefit, when the Second
Presbyterian church which occupied part of the
same grounds was sold to the Baptists in 1885,
Here the pastor white) ordinarily preached to
them once on the Sabbath, administered the ordi-
nances of Baptism and the Lords Supper at stated
seasons, convened the session usually to attend to
all cases of discipline, and it was here that the
white members of both sexes conducted Sunday
school for the benefit of the colored children
When freedom came, this portion of my pastoral
charge concluded to set up for themselves and let
tiers of dismisSon were accordingly granted them
to carry out this purpose Last year they con-
ceived the idea of purchasing lot in more eligi-
and s better house Of worship hefH3a gs pfoE
ject, the Trustees of my church consented to sell
the old church property, to which they held the
title, and apply the proceeds to the new enterprise
in question. About $1,000 were realised from
this sale. Certain Presbyterian ladies and gentle
men also made individual contributions to help
these colored friends whom they had always aided
in every good work, and whose highest interests
it will ever be their pleasure to promote. But
these trustees and these pious members of my
church intended these gifts as free tokens of kind
ness and affection for those among whom they had
been raised, and to whom they are bound by many
tender ties; and it is gross perverson of the in
tention OF the donors to include them in the an.
nua receipts of the Northern Church, and even
when they are thus included they do not amount,
at most, to more than one.half the sum which
these "helpless children Of Africa" are represented
to have raised for the Freedmen's Committee 1t
is hard for to believe that any respectable por-
ton of the Presbyterian family would be intention
ally guilty of such palpable misrepresentation of
facts and figures. We would charitably conclude
that there must be mistake somewhere.
But here is the strong point in the case: The
Rev. David Laney, pastor of the colored church,
and man of undoubted integrity, says that his
people have never given one cent directly to the
aforesaid Committee, and that whilst his church is
formally in connexion with the Knox Presbytery,
it has no special sympathy for the Northern AS.
sembly, and that it is not seeking the services of
preachers or agents from that section. He is in
the constant habit of consulting in reference to &C.
clesiastcal affairs, such prominent and pious lay
men as Judge Nisbet, Hon. j. j. Gresham, Cliff.
ford Anderson, Esq, in connexiou with the pas.
tor of the white church, and we apprehend that
this is one of the main reasons that his charge is
so conservative and prosperous in the midst of
nuch political excitement and many social disor-
ders, whilst those colored congregations which
have ignored the counsels of their Southern
friends are fast relapsing into state of compare
tive barbarism.