New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-04
PRESBYTERIAN REUNION.

which have been pending between the General Assem-
bes of the two parts since their proydental meet
ing ST. Louis In 1885, having at last been brought to
satisfactory termination at the meetings IN this city last
May have been acted upon by the lower judicato-
| ries The proposal made at tho lastnamed date was
simply that the reunion be effected upon the basis OF the
Holy Scriptures and the original unchanged standards
OF doctrnal government Of the Presbyterian Church.
This has formally submitted to the Presbyeres,
Just as constitutional amendment is sent down TO the
State Legislatures and although was not constitutions
ally necessary there should be than majority
OF Presbyteres in its favor the rcduston by the AS
sembes that wohirds Of the Presbyteries should rat
lily has been more than satisfied. The chief opposition
has been in the Old schoothe votes $50 far as received
| up to the date of this wrting) being as follows;
Presbyeries Voting Against The Proposed Basis OF Re
tuiOn.-West Lexington, for against Brazil, 9-3;
| Hudson, 12-19.
PresbyeTies Voting For the Basis but not UnGntmously-
Northumberland 45-l; Potomac, pa; West jersey %
&c; Baltimore 2312 Burlington, rs; Raritan, 29-1;
| Donegal 20-2i Newcastle, 49,; HuntingdonsSS-3;
| Carlisle 40; North River 1S-2; Lafayette 1913;
Potosi 81; Newton lS-4 Concord, 2-l Rock River,
49, Warren 1916; steubenyille, AL Chicago, S9-4;
GAINESVILLE, 21-ll Bloomington, 3l-7; Luzerne, 26-S;
Fairfield, 26-3; Long Island, 29-2 Vincennes 1875;
Lewes, 7-6; Sangamon, 2O-2 Louisville, Sc Missouri
River. Al; Des MOines Ill; Fort Wayne, 173; In
dianapolis, Isl; Susquehanna, -2 Palmyra, III;
Philadelphia 21-4 New York, all but in favor; New
Orleans, 6-1 Dubuque. AL w. Reserve 81; Tran
| sylvania, 12-6 Schuyler, Pill.
Presbyieries Votiny Unanimously in FarorWest Vir'
ginia Philadelphia Second, Connecticut, Ezabethtown,
Maumee Yinton, Redsone, Paducah st. Cairsyille Ne
osho New-York Second Columbus, Nashville, Topeka,
Iowa, New-AlbaDy. MuncIe Franklin Wooster. Logans-
port California, st. Paul. Mohawk Oregon, Marion Pal
estine, Charlottesville, Fndlay. Washington. Genesee
River Londonderry, oxford iHolston Milwaukee, Lake,
| Peoria.
This makes total OF 80 out OF the 143 Presbyteries
but later information the that the
fun two.thrds have positively ratified the basis.
The spirit with which the bodies approach each other
IT, OF course. only partially displayed in these votes
There has been pretty strong opposition during the
discussion Of plans OF reunion, thrown aside among
some OF the Northwestern pastors in the New School;
but IL positively understood that that opposition is en-
trey withdrawn and that the attitude Of the Old School,
as shown in the General Assembly last May, will give
general satisfaction 10 those parties So far as ascer-
tanned now-only five Presbyteres remaining to be
from-there have been but two votes cast on the
NewschoOl side lone in Albany. one in the
District OF COlumb!al against the reunion.
but not otherwise a single voice uplifted, either in
Assembly Presbyeres against reunion on the present
basis In the Old School rs show. there still
very different sentiment. butSnany Of these are to be
explained. For example, there several OF the Pro-
fessors In Princeton Seminary he chef buwark Of Old
School orthodoxy who vote in the negative for the sake
OF consistency with their previous declarations but who
will only not stand in the way Of the settlement OF
affairs, but will sincerely and heartily aid IT, This will
be the disposition dt is believed by those who should
know OF most OF the Old School leaders who have been
prominent In their opposition to the Bases OF 1867 and
| 1863 Tho Breckinridges do not come into the
| new dispensation kindly The venerable Doctor,
Robert j., has resigned his professorship at Dam
VILE I'm a characteristic letter, IN which he de-
clares his intention not TO surrender Director OF
the Institution, his power Of dissent from any action
which General Assembly whose term Of existence has
! been prolonged in extraordinary manner" may
force endeavOr to force upon that school The fire OF
animoslty which Pampresbyteran Convention Pha-
dephia 1861 kndled In the patrarcs breast does not
seem 10 be smoderng but he is the only man who
has taken stand OF unconditional hostility against re-
union Dr. william Breckenridge, at last accounts, was
preaching against the movement; but he has retired
from his late prominent position in council The redoub
able stuart Robinson who anteveryhng Is OF course
vigorous in his enmy the OF love but he has
found bring his Free Christian Commonwealth to
an end havng sold Il to The Christian Obserer Of Rich
no and has changed editorial for personal cares, be-
! ing now in the Northwest seeking health The most
curious phase OF opposition TO the reunion Of the Presby
terans comes from The church Union, which deprecated
the results OF the May Assemblies indicating eN
elusive preference for Cayinsm over general Christian
charity and feared increasing tendency In such a
| direction But rs this seems TO call up the whole
! subject It may be remarked that there is a
| first step toward Christian reunion; that the
end sought by the Pampesbyteran Convention, by tho
recent Evangelical Council In NewYork and by all the
Christian Conventions" which in the last two three
years have been the expression OF an evangelical
catholic" feeling is nearer by reason Of this reunion OF
the New and Old School Presbyerians. IL was felt and
| said at the hrstnamed Convention that reunion among
all American Presbyterans could not well advance until
the ypathes between the already nearest together
could have fully developed but that the general might
very soon follow upon the particular reunion There Is
plan 1.-THE result OF tho Philadelphia Conventisn still
pending after a Sort to reunlte on common PresDyte-
| rian patform the New school, Old School, United. and
Reformed Presby In this category the
| Cumberland people, who voluntarily Withdrew on
| account OF their own ArmnIanism, aud the
! Reformed Dutch. who never came fully into
| the movement This matter Is waiting, by a
sort OF general for the contamination of the Old
| and New School reunion After that some new develop
ments may looked for The singular inconsistent course
OF the General synod Of the Reformed Presbyteans in
1863 I'm suspending the very man-GeOrge II. Stuart
who had been the mover. In their previous Synod
of the Pampresbyeran made the result Of
the reunion efforts very different without doubt from
what Il would have naturally been The more nhuen-
ua portion OF that denomination as Is well known made
common cause with Mr. Stuart, aud have by their with
drawa seriously reduced the size and yet more weakened
tho influence and Importance OF that denomination Sew
eral congregations OF these have already clean
over 10 the bodies uniting, but more perhaps
are waiting to their way clearly. The reunion
can hardly fail to bring good to this dismembered portion
OF the Presbyteria family. In the United Presbyterian
| Church the war Of Scotch orthodoxy ana American
feIowships has also waged severely; and some have
already come from the communion too to the Old or the
New School Az for the denomination whom we used 10
| know as the Dutch" now the Reformed Church IN
America" there decided though still quiet tendency
on tho part p the best ministers toward the gen
eral reunion The disaeeted, OF course STAND aoo ana
do not fully rejoice the prospects OF the Old ana New
r1,nro nina I'm ihIa rnfernrY only the Plnn