St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-04-02
Letter from Oliver johnson
To he Edjfoy Of the TaIc,ionidn :

My Dear Slr:-As Yen have seen tit To give eN-
crpt"nal pr"minrnc" III y"ur columns t" my cr"~-
examination a witness in tn" B--chrr trial and
I" comment thereon III way calculated t" dIspar-
as,. and the journal with which am connected,
| must ask r"u. in justice t" myself give place
to "a few lines "t explanation and protest. am
not ashamed confess my srnSitiNtItSs Ia unf;I-
ynrablr comments upon my character in paper
having a large circulation and great intlu'nc" III
the county where was born.
l. In the first place, it will b, only fair for You
and your readers remember that lawyer, in
conductirs a eross-examination, drsi .nrdly. and
st-n cunningly, frames his questions for the pur
- ose of putting witness in an "di"u- light, and
cutting him of from any opportunity Of explain
ing his answers. This eminrnty true in my
csse For example was compelled To admit that
j communicated from the Congregational
church in Middlchury; but | was not allowed to
explain that the said communication was for no
reason affecting my moral "r Christian character
and that thu, pastor uhr lat" Dr. MERRILL expressed
I" his deep regret that the nsigrs of the church
would not allow him I" accept resignation of my
membership which he did me the honor I" say was
manly aud Christian i'll purp">r and spirit. He had
he said. long believed that the Congregational
churches ought t" provide "A way for the voluntary
with,irn wal of members against whom no charges
tl,Gf hen l.
aud win, desired to b released from membership.
NJ, withdrawal l,, mn, ..y S,s b,,.d in mart ut.,u
what | deemed th, un.Christian attitude of the
Church in relation 10 slavery and III art upon
changes in my own rel. ious and ecclesiastical views
Nv withdrawal from thu, church was not Icnun-
citation of Christianity hut all act performed i'll
oh.di.uc. Ia what thnunbt were. lis r,uurru.nts
Thu, accommodation did not ,ccur ill Ion. after
v,,Is and ,ras of , ,urIy f,rp,,I and ,,rtunrtory
cb,r,c,.r
Th, ou,sti,,,,s uut IN mn, uunn other uoiut, in my
crnss--xamiuntinn .av, mt. no upImrtmnitv to make
a fair statement of nv views and they were put
,,,b ,rI ,.,,,i,it, thar ,y,s cuut.Il,d ia answer
n,LII, and in .ub , May that tb,. answers seen,
lii =. an iu,,h.r,ut iumbl- and caricotur.
u In ,h,. -,,.,,,d ,I,c,. ,ou think II sutrri,iur
that man VIII. believes in the final r.d,mptinn of
The. who'll, human race. who does not believe, IN The,
II,ify but only IN thu, diri,itg of Christ and who
in common with MANY evangelical divines and
scholars denies the pl,narv inspiration of Tia, Bib,
,ybil, trmiu. that il contains , u,rt,ct r,v-ltinu
of The. Divine Will should hold the. position of
maua..inr editor of an evangelical journal The
circumstance is an unusual one IL, doubt hut To
those. WIN arr, acquainted with my liz, and charac
ter and professional ~tauduu If is not in the. least
decree mysterious | confess am not a littl,
proud of IN. fact that in SNIFF. of ms we'll known
dissent from some portions of the. nrthndnx creed
such was the cuntidcnc, felt in nv Christian char
act-r and such the estimate. formed of my prot,s
si"nal ability that WIS called without solicitation
on nv part Ia lie. managing editor first If the
Ind,penient ON which was engaged for over five
Years and then To till a similar place, on the CHRIS
Iirn Tninn Hav. not ri ht to prid, my self upon
- personal and professional reputation that out
weighed such hrr,.,i,.s of opini.,n t- am known
ia cherish