The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-05-24
Frssbyssrisa TsieSs !. = 5 =
Mr. EDrros: Ia your editafia saa6asts
on this aubiact in 4,hnYat3 II D. LysslSIs fEa

on this subjeot. in ThursdSy'sst stsspe the
falloxingsentsnoes qp9uls s. s ] : /: 81 !. i.
'THersl is reason hnpA thAs. tsx
Southern Presbyterian UhGfeh. ca S0pre.
sented in the Assembly AZ 'Ia9tlo RoSi.
Arkansas, whose distinctive sille I'LL
merely q matter Of q pFepq ion,
will, ere long, also become united
with this (Northern) body. and that there
will be bat one Presbyterian Churol,.
The differences now existipg between the
Northern and Southern Presby serians
are such, it is believed. as may easily be
accommodated. So far as differences
may have grown out Of the asperitieB Of
the late war, there is SCARCELY any reason
to doubt that there is an abundance of
true Christian spirit on both sides to
enable them to sgree now upon burying
the dead things OF the past and uniting
efforts, influence and means in common
cause" -
This language does great injustice (un-
Intentional on your part. no Doubt to
the Southern Presbyterian Church. As
the overtures for organic reunion have
come from tho Northern Church, and
have not been cotSssily responded to by
the Southern. the inference is that the
responsibility Of perpetuating the divi-
sion rests upon the latter-thst they
allow the ''asperisies Of the late war" to
influence their action, and that, when
the differences between tho Two oh1771ehe.
are suoh as might 1'easily be accommo-
dated" X this were true, the Southern
Presbyterian Church wonld stand in a
most unworthy light before the Christian
world. Personal feelings or political
principles have nothing whatever to do
with the question. It is not want OF
"Christian spirit" nor any indisposition
to "bury the dead things of the past"
that prevents this church from accepting
the proposition for reunion.
It would require larger space In your
columns than yon would. perhaps, be
willing to surrender, 10 set this matter
full before yonr readers; but May
make this brief statement: In may,
1861, when the Southern Ohurh was not
fully represented in the General Assem-
bly, at Philadelphia-the war having be-
gun-resolutions were adopted commit
ting the church to the support of the
United States Government, as opposed
to the Southern cauee-thus not only
the church with the State,
but compelling the withdrawal OF the
Southern presbyteries from tho General
Assembly. During the war, that church
became thoroughly identified with the
politics OF the country, and all the courts
OF the church were guilty of legislatipg
on subjects which belonged peculiarly to
the State. After the war, when It was
thought that the impoverished and
ruined church of the South would seek
to come back, the Assembly hastened to
pass an order that no minister or mem
ber should be received from the South
till they had formally renounced and ex-
pressed penitence for the sins OF (1) re-
beliion against the Government: (2)
schism in the church, and (3) slavery as
against God. They waited for years till
they found nobody wanted to go back to
them; then they sent committee to in.
vite our Assembly to take measures look
ing to reunion. The reply was that all
the obstruotions in the way of reunion
had been placed there by themselves,
and when they removed them, We
were ready to discuss the question of re-
union. These we're explicitly stated.
They were told that they ''did fatally
oomplicate themselves with The State in
political utteranoes deliberately pro.
nounoed year after year. which, in our
opinion, was a sad betrayal OF the cause
and kingdom OF our common Lord and
Head" and they wore urged to purge
themselves of this error by resembling
their political actions. thus placing again
upon the head Of the King of Zion the
crown which they had unlawfully trans
ferred to Cesar. Again. they had pre-.
ferted many injurious accusations against
us by the formal action of their highest
ecolesiastioal court, charging us before
the world with gross sins; among them,
heresy and blasphemy; and we asked
that these should be fairly and squarely
Withdrawn. They have never complied
with these terms, and there we stand to-
day.
This brief, aud. because brief, i'm.
perfect staten snt of the case. But I
make it to prevent the impression that
the Southern Presbyterian Church is in
fiuenced by the petty feelings of malice,
revenge or peeyish resentment. The
differences between the two churches are
vast and solemn, and We maintain our
separate organization, that We may main
tain principle and truth. and bear testi-
mony to the same before the world.
PRESBYTERIAN.
There are at present 130, 900 miles Of
railway on the globe, whereof abont g..
700, or moro than one-hnlf, are in the