, 1874-10-19
THE SWING CASE.

THE swing CASE.
A tho Swing caso is once more bofore tho
public in tho prospective hearing Of tho appeal
from the prchbytory to the Synod. resume Of
tho salient taoss in the controversy nllI DO Of
general iutotest, and prcBout tho reader With =
MOI o intelligent idea Of tho points at Issue und
tho prc.ent bearings Of tho case. Du1ing Tho
n1ontha Of February aud March last, Prof.
Patton, the editor Of tho Inferior printed soyolal
editorial articles in thu. paper imp,,gling Prof.
swtpg'a orthodoxy and pronouncing several of
bis sermons, preached during tho preceding
winter, "a licretica'. On thn Cd Of March, at Il
mcctIps Of tho prcsbYtery, resolution was
offered by the ney. ". r. Wood, IN behalf OF
tho Patton side, requesting The author Of these
articles, or nny menlbor Of tic Prcsbytory,
to bring the matter formally to tho notice Of tho
Prosbytery, with the onl that an inquiry might
bo made, With tho yisw Of determining whether
tlcso doubts AZ to rrof. swng's othodoxY wero
uelI founded or not. 4 motion to lay this rcso-
luton OH tho table WIS carried by yoto Of 28 10
s. Thoreupon Prof. Patton announced Ills in
tcntion Of proterring formal charges against
Prof. Suing In April. On the 18th Of April tho
annual meeting Of the prestytcry was hold, and
Prof. Pa!tou laid before it ls formal indictment,
consisting Of tno charges aud twchty-nine spsci-
iIcationa. Which wero referred to the Judiciary
Committee [>sys. Patterson and Ely, and T. ..
Otts) With instructions to report the uext mora-
ing. On tue 14th the Committee asked for fur
thor ttme and an adjournment was had until
tho Goth. Gu thak date. both majority and
minority reports were presented. tho result Of
tho day'a session beius the passase Of an order
to Prof. Patton to amend certain specifications
continuing vague charges 80 us to mako t1om
explicit. On tue uext day Prof. Patton presented
his amcuted indictment. and also eutured hia
protest against the report Of tho Judiciary COM
mIttoe. Tho trial commenced on tho 4th Of
May, and lasted twolys daya. Tho sentiment Of
tho plcsby:ery ard Of the community VAS with
rrof. Swing. P4of. Patton appeared in person
as tho prosecutor. aud the Rev. Mr. NoYes, Of
Evanston, aa counsel for Prof. Swing. The ease
was abr conducted on both sides. although 1t
waa apparont oil the third day how it would re-
suit. Prof. Swings popularity, and the gen.
crsl admiration OF tho spirit Of hun,au-
itY and charity which Ind x!ways appeared in
bis uttoraucca created for him multitude Of
adherents. who cloaeiy rallied about him, and
foremost among thcm was his ovn church,
Which nas Uni: iu sympathizing with aud sus-
tanning him. Tho trial losulted iu Ills acguittal
by vute Of 45 to l5,-Ilree-fuurlhs OF tho prcB-
bytery thus declaring him innocent Of tho
charges made against him Ly Prof. Patton. It
mas closed ntth uosico by tho latter that he
should mako nm appeal to tho Synod. On tho
2lst Of May Prof. Swing, who uaa absent from
tho city, aent dispatch to some Of his
friends announcing Ills intention to With
draw from the Presbyterian Church; but
on tho following day Lc postponed Lis
decision to await consultation with Ills frleuds,
aud on the 25th addressed letter to tho presby-
tary stating that at aome future time lie should
ask for dismissal. On tho 4th Of June Prof.
Patton filed copy OF his appeal aud Tue reasons
for 1t with tho Moderator Of the presbytery.
Thoro tho mattor rested until Tho 9th of tho
present month, when Prof. Swing wroto letter
to the Prosbytery requesting them to drop hiB
name from tho rolls, which was accolod to after
considerable debate. At tho meeting Of tho
Prosbytery on tho l2th, a protest was mado
against bis action, and notice WA given
Of An appeal to tho Synod to raviae
1t. Tho Synod IL now iii ausston, and has
before 1t tho protest and tho reply Of the
prosbytery. The arguments hare not yet boon
finished, but 1t is gare to presume TINT the Sy-
nod will reviao The action Of the Presbytery aud
theu procced with Prof. Patton'a appeal. Il ia
equally safe to aasume that 1t will sustain Prof.
Patton, which il probably ali tLat Prot. Patton
cares for. Prof. Buiug ia beyond htH reach and
the Synod cannot affect him, whatever may be
their finding. Tho real Issue now ia between
Plot. Patton and the Pieabytery. II the pres-
bytery IL convicted and Prof. Pattou sustained,
1t mill then re:nniu to be seen how tho presby-
terry will bear tho rebuka Of these hide-bound
thcologians. The triumph Of Patton sets tha
Church back into tic ruta Of thu sixteenth oon-
tury.
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SUBSIDIES IN CONGRESS-.
Tho approach Of thu meetiu. Of Congress nat
uraliy drAws attention to tho schemes Of plundor
proposed At tho last session, but dacreetly post-
- ktxk A. i.-Hz