The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-10-08

Dutch Church; for we do not make the dill
ference in mere political sentiments between
their people and ours term of communion.
If that was all there is between US ana
Northern Presbyterians, the bars would soon
be down. 1t is not all it is not the Difficult
ty and surely DR.. Leyburn knows 1t is not,
AS to organic union, DR.. Leyburn says,
81 have no more doubt that it will come, and
this before many years, than have that the
millennium will come" We do not know ex-
actly what the prophetical qualifications OF
our brother are; but suppose they are at
least an average of those who have under
taken to tell when the millennium would come.
1t may be hoped they are better than those
of that class who shave no more doubt than
they have of their own existence that 1t will
come "before many years" They are not
to be much depended on. All that we care
to say about this predicted union is that
there are no signs OF it now. "Let the NOR,
row take care of the things of itself"
But it is time to close these notes, already
too long. Our brother in Baltimore, who is
also an old friend, reared on ROckbridgt
soil, refers to the severity of remark found
in some of our articles. 1t may be SO; it is
a subject we have had to study great deal
and about which We feel deeply, intensely
We desire to discharge from our heart al
personal malice, and when the Master com
eth "to be found of Him in peace" We
can assert before all men, and before the
omniscient eye that searches all hearts, thai
it would be an unspeakable comfort to bt
fully at peace with all in this whole matter
But We know that this Is no controversy
about trifes. Whenever the other party Cal
make up their mind that it will be no dis
grace to them to remove Qet it be, if they
will, in the most delicate TERMS fairly an(
honorably the intolerable stigma they have
so freely, nay greedily, fixed upon the South
ern Church, then if We refuse to respond
"let the righteous smite u.s.. Till that il
done there can be no peace or fellowship be
tween US, and ought to be none. And il
sharp words are used, it is because there il
good use for them. By the way, an ole
Editor ought to have little sympathy ii
this. Many years ago the New York Oh
server with which he had now and then &
"pitched battle'') accused him (then Editor
of the Presbyterian of the sin of publishing
very dull paper-which was not true, al
we all know With admirable adrOitness h'
cut his adversary to the quick, by retortinG
that if it was so, there was some excuse, in
asmuch as his reading of newspapers haC
been so long and largely in the pages Of thC
Observer. If the charge of sharp transgres
sion has any application to the columns o
the Central, let it be duly considered tina
it's editor was trained up at the feet of thi
same Baltimore Gamaliel, in the days wheI
his trenchant pen cut right and left among
his adversaries, among whom, foremost ant
chief, were always the errors of rampan
New School men, about as intolerabIe to hin
as the "heathen Chinee" And with thi
comfortable compliment to him, and apology
for ourself, and with nothing but kind re
membrance of "lang syne," we bid him,
hearty god speed in every good o0Ork.