Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-10-22
For the Te'egroph
The American Board and the Presby-
terian Church.

Two important facts pavc an especial inter
est to the late meeting of the American Hoasd
of For, Ign Missions in Brooklyn
The frst was the Giscwcll to the Sandwich |
Island Mission 1t was the Semi Centenary
Of the establishment of that Mission and the
precious fruits of fifty years had ripened into
an independent Christian nation and church.
The work was complete. The daughter of
Missions is herself NOW n mother of Missions,
giving of what God has given TO her to the
islands beyond; no longer dependent upon a
Missionary Society in America, but sustaining
her own Missionary Society to propagate the
Gospel in the Microncsian group.
The other fact was the formal separation
from tic Board of its Presbyterian members.
This separation was the prominent topic OF
the meeting, continually recurring in the midst
of the other business. Nearly all the address.
es allu led TO it, and of many of them 1t was
the absorbing theme. 1t was an occasion of
sadness 1t was the separation of long tried
friends; the breaking w of partnership in
which there had been not single jaro disa-
grecment of feeling rs to the necessity OF the
separation. Both parties were satisfied that
the time had come; Gods time !; that the act
was of Providence, which had brought the
churches TO aposition where division of la>
Dor was u necessity. The position of the Pres
bytcrian church, heretofore, in connection
; with the Board, had come, through the Re
union of the church, into connection with a
Missionary Board of its owp,, for whose sup
port and enlargement II was responsible -
n .-l N,,o m
work of Missions with divided Eeart, and a
scattering hand; and tho the parting seemed
like the brcaking uY of q family, it was ot
God, and human attachments could not forbid
it,. Mr. Beecher cloquently compared the sep
arniiOn to that of the family when child goes
ont TO sci up for himself; and said that though
, the parents might weep at parting, the occO
sion was actually one of joy. They should
bid the child God-spced, and both parties sc
forward with their share of the work, cherish
ing the old household love. And sure we arr
that the old household love will be cherished
Z. The men and women who have stood so long
side by side will not forget each other, wher
. working in separate fields. The American
Board will always be dear to the Presbyterian
church, aud the members of that church will
be always ready u. come to the aid of the ole
Society, whenever any emergency shall rem
der their help important
BY this separation the mission to Syria ant
the Holy Land. the mission in Western Africa
and the majority ofthe missions to the Indian
in our own country are transferred to til
Presbyterian Board. 1t is expected also thu
the HISTORIAN and Persian missions will b
transferred; but the matter is leIt to the choic
of the missionaries, and their decision has nc
yet been rec ived.
A large number of Presbyterian mission
aries will, for the present., remain cGr
,r pected with the American Board ). as ii wa
1t deemed, by neither party wise policy TO diyid
a. existing missions.
r The separation has been made without an
W disagreement as to the arrangement Of the Mi
i'd sions, the relation of the Missionaries, or u
IN division of property The vote on every ma
e. ter involved was unanimous. There can
n Eat!e doubt that new interest in the advanc
a ment of the common work will be aroused
he the constituency of both Boards, and that Q
nt, enlargement of missionary spirit and lab
On will result. The feld,, which is the world,
H. opening constantly before the church al
the Leader of the Church Is disposing his a
0t mics for the conflict of the Latter Day.