Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-01-24
"When tho first INDEPENDENT Legislatur

What Presbyterian historian is referred
TO? Certainly nothing of the sort Is 70 os
found in Foote, the only distinctively Pres
hyteriao historian of Virginia.
The first State Legislature met October
! 7, 1776. aud early in the session thu SUP
iiect of religi freedom came up ice
historian Howison says: "Baptists. Qua
kere, Presbyterians, and men holding, no
special creed, united in asking repeal OF
the oppressive laws which had grown up
under the old regime Among the memo
rails presented was one from the Presoyfery
] OF Hanover, then representing all the rfes'
byterians ia Virginia which, SAYS the same
writer, STRONGLY recommt ndea itselfby the
po wer of its argument, the elegance OF Its
composition, and the dignity of its tone.
| A single sentence will show the spirit OF the
paper: In this enlightened age, and IN
land where all, of every denomination, ate
united in the most strenuous efforts to De
Tree, we h, pc and expect that our rep esen'
tatves will cbeerfully concur in removing
every species Of religious, as aoel as cau.e
| 5ondIqe " There seems to be nothing IN
defined" in that.
The Vindicator further reports DR.. lay
lor as saying:
Again, IN 1884. the freHds of the estab-
lisbment Erl d 10 get General Assessment
bill passed, which paid the MINISTER'S OF al
denominations out of the State Treasury,
and the Presbyterian clergy memo'ial,zed
in favor of il, bat the Bapti~ts opposed 1t
bite rly aud 1T was finally routed, 1t was
on this occasion that Mr. Madison drew up
his famous Memorial for religious freedom
! which ref cttd the views % the Baptists, ss
| people. 1t WAS in this matter that tbe
( Presbyterian clergy presented the slosuiar
spectacle Of a ministry separated from its
people. While the Presbytalians were petit
| tioning Convention against the General as
sessment, aud one of the strongest papers
| in opposition to t me from the Pfesbyte-
rians of the Valley of Virginia. their cier.
gy generally favored it aud brought on
themselves scathing reouke from Mr..
Madison for their conduct
There are SO many errors. III the above
paragraph, that suspect the accuracy OF
the report.
When the bill abolishing the religious es-
adjustment was passed, in l776, the ques-
ton whether there should be a general as
sessment on the people for the support Of
pastors Of their own choice, was expressly
reserved to be decided thereafter. In l777.
the Presbysery of Hanover addressed me-
mortal on the subject to the Legislature.
The memoFialists say: Neither does the
church of Christ staud in need of general
assessment for Its support; and most GER
tain we are that it would be no advantage.
but an injury, to the society to which we
btlong'
In 1878, a bill providing for q general
assessment passed two readings 10 the Leg
lslature, and at that stage was arrested.
In 1884, the matter came up again In the
Legislature, aud there was an impression
that the measure woali pass in some form
The Presbytery, in October of that year
adopted memorial on the general subject
Of religious liberty. which, abiding to the
proposed assessment without expressing an
opinion in regard to it, (apparen ly regard
ing it as inevitably asked, among other
things, that no attempt should be made ''to
render the ministers of religion independent
of the will of the people whom they serve
This memorial gave rise to some dissatisfac-
ton among~t Presbyterians, and at the
meeting Of Presbytery in May. 1885 the
matter was taken into consideration. The
following is an extract from the records Of
the body at that session. ''On motion. the
opinion Of Presbytery was taken whether
they do approve of any kidd of assessment
by the General Assembly for the support of
religion. Presbytery are unanimously
against such maeasa,re'' It must be re-
membered that this P.esbysery sill repre-
scented the whole denomination in Virginia.
The Presbytery of Lexington was not form
ed uotil 1856
At the same session. Presbytery called
General Convention of Presbyteri lus to con-
| slider various matters Of interest. The Con.
vention met at Bethel church, in Augusta
comfy, August 10. 1885, and on the 18Th
adopted a memorial to the Legislature,
which was written by the Rev William
Graham, the founder of Washington Col
lege. Lexington. The memorialists styled
themselves s'the Ministers and Lay R pre-
sentatives of the Presbyterian Church in
| Virginia." and demonstrated absolutely
against the engrossed bill for establishing
provision for the teachers of the Christian
religion. They say We oppose the bill,
because it is departure from the line Of
legislation because it is unnecessary and
inadequate to its protested end, impolitc in
many respects, and direct violation of the
declaration of rights"
The Legislature met in October and the
Rev. John Blair Smith, President of Hamp-
] IL, al ~
tee appointed by the Presbytery for the
purpose, appeared before the Committee Of
the whole House and spoke on three sue
cessive days against the assessment bill
| s'Smi,h knew says Foots, 'that he repre-
sented the whole Pres byterian population
in the State and that be spoke on the sub
ject the opinions and decisions of the numer-
Gus Baptists." Tbs assessment bill! was
| lest in the committee of the whole, AMI on
the 18th of December, 1885. the act for
establishing religious free iom' was pissed
Howison says: 'B tween the years
1775 aud 1886, the P,esbytery Of Hanover
sent to the General Assembly five memoir.
ais, ia which the rela ions Of church and
STATE are fully discussed and careful
analyst OF tn sc docnm ats will draw frnm
them every matefial a gament and priaoi-
pie that will b. found ea boiled 10 the Act
for establishing Religion, Fr edom, writ
ten by Mr.. Jefferson, and adopfei by he
Legislature for the Com nouwealth OF Viz
ginia." These memorials are published in
full by Foote.
A PRESBYTERIAN.
|
City Notices.