Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-05-26
Tie Cumberland PresbyterIaus at JEFF
fersOp, Texas-ReVicW Of the Rela-
tive Positions OF the Sew
eral Organizations.
The Confederation Scheme-HOW II Is
Regarded by all Presbyterian
Bodies In the United States
Interesting Statistics.


ChulClij sOuluJ uauS Iue IOllO"luB It
port:
The committee OF the general Assem-
bly, Of the Presbyterian church in th
United States Of America, appointed T.
confer with a similar committee Of tn
general assembly OF the Presbyterian
church in the United States, commonly
known as the southern assembly, in or
der to secure closer fraternsl relation
between the two bodies, would respect
fully submit the following report
"The two committees met for confer
ence on January Z, 1875, at Baltimore
Rev. DR.. Brown was chosen chairman
Of the joint court, and Rev. DR.. Erskine
secretary. Upon the request of tht
committee of the general assembly
south, it was agreed that the conference
between the two committees should be
conducted in writing, not excluding oral
conference when requested by either
committee. While we would not length.
en- this report by detailed minute OF
our proceedings, it is proposed to say
that the conference WIS continued
through a period Of several days with q
! spirit Of calmness and deliberation and
christian courtesy from both sides.
| The first committee spent half all hour
! each day OF their session in prayer for
| Divine guidance. We are happy to
state that the conclusion of our commit
! tes, representing as it did all the differ
ent opinions prevailing among us with
reference to the sO-called war deliver
ances OF former assemblies, were in all
cases unanimous. In our actions we
| endeavOred to carry out faithfully and
to the farthest extleme the instructions
given us by the assembly from which
we received our appointment, as we'll as
the spirit prompting and controlling the
action Of the last assembly. In the
name OF the church which we represent
ed, we made the following plain and
cOmprehen sive statement of our posi-
tiOns concerning the alleged offenses
against the southern assembly. We de-
clare that all the acts and deliVerances
OF the northern assemblies Of which you
complain are wholly null and void, and
OF no binding efficacy as judgments of
the church we represent, or as rulers Of
the proceedings for its presbyteries and
church 81 SsiOns; that in so far as they
or any OF them can be supposed to i'm
part any Injurious imputstiOns upon
the present character and stand
ing OF the churches End men,
beTs Of the southern assembly
as christians or Presbyterians, such
an application of them would be
unjust TO you, and would be disapproved
and regretted by US. That the acts and
delivecances OF the northern assemblies,
OF which you complain, were made in
peculiar times, un0er strange and eXcit-
ing circumstances, when the passions
and FEELINGS of men were profoundly
moved, and as acts Of assemblies wfIiUh
We do not represent, We cannot set in
judgment upon them nor express an
opinion ss to their character; that we
feel competent to express the uesire that
they may be considered by you in the
same spirit Of cha..ty and christian for
giveness which we trust the people
whom we represent will exercise toward
anything to which they may object in the
proceedings OF the southern assembly.
We also assure them that the body which
We represented had entire confluence in
the souUdness of the doctrines and the
christian character of the who COM
posed the commission, and that if we
believed them to be as charged, that
the church acted in the interests of
the rebellion, and to conserve and per-
petuate the institution of slavery, or that
they had opinions wicked and bla1phe.
nous, self-respect would have prevent
ed us from seeking fraternal relations
with them. We did not deny that mis-.
takes had been made, but we
asserted that if made they
certainly belonged to both sides,
and that our earnest desire was to Sor.
give and forget in the spirit of the mas
ter, and we asked the same charity in
but all these declarations were
insufficient to satisfy the committee
from the southern assembly. Indeed,
it became evident that they would not
be satisfied with anything we were au-
thOrized to say. Their language is as
follows: you, brethren, have no au-
thOrity to do what the assembly only
can do but, surely, your authority is
ample to recommend to it whatever in
your judgment may be proper to settle
these troubles. II your assembly could
see its way clear to say in few plain
words to this effect: "Tnat these obnox-
loJs things were said md done in times
Of high excitement that they are to be
and that now, in calm re-
view the imputations cast upon the
southern church are disapproved, that
would end the difficulty at Once.'" Many
readily suggested themselves to
your committee against accedinG to the
request. 1t not only required you to re-
Iudicate and disown the imputations
cast on the southern church, es charged
by them, but it also required !
you to revise the actions taken by the !
Did and new school 7senblies more than |
Ten years ago, which we had already de- |
clared to be null and void, aud to ex-
press regret for and disap probation of |
hn Mnranxyar n
made upon the ground which they en- |
ieavoreu to establish by agreement, and |
that the two assemblies Of 1873 and 1874, |
rom which we received an appoint
nent, were not entirely sincere in their .
declaration, and that our Interpretation .
1f the other meaning could not be ac- |
,epted as correct. We declined to dis
,Uss these points, saying, with regard to .
he arguments by which you reply to
)ur former statements, we make no an
,wer. Indeed, we can make none since
you seem to be unwilling to r, ceive our
positive assurance as to the nu!lity and .
)perahveness of the acts Of which you /
and in reply to the request
which YVES based upon these arguments,
We deemed it sufficient to say that il
was one decided and unanimous condi-
ion that no action of our assembly, fer
he last five years, on this subject, which
We had fully recited to them, constituted
, sufficient ground for fraternal CORE.
pondence. 1t will be observed that the
committee from the southern church, in
etting forth those things which debsrred
hem from holding official intercourse
With the assembly north, and the remov-
Il of which they deemed Indispensable
)efore fraternsl relations could be, We
state them under two heads:
First, the unjust and injurious ac-
,usatiOns preferred against the whole
southern Presbyterian church property.
nPsmuch as the same statement with
eference to the first charges were not
to the commissioners from
he assembly south, we did not deem it
Necessary to enter into any confederation
IN the second charge, but replied to it as
ollows: We agree with you that this
allure ought not TO prevent the equita-
lie adjustment Of any existing cOntro-
yersy concerning the property between
he northern and southern churches.
We cannot suffer your statement that
he value of such disputed property
would probably amount to two million
ioIlars, to pass unchallenged. We do