The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-06-16

the war to effect reconciliation, ana
reunite the two organizations, but they |
have not been successful. Each appoint
ed a Conmittee of Conference which de-
liberated jointly at Baltimore in Janu-
last without success. Both Churches
have been recently holding their annuai
assem- blies-the Northern at Cleveland
Ohio. and the Southern at Ut. LOUIS
The following extract from the report
submitted TO the Northern Church by
its committee, together with the appended
extracts from the minutes Of the joint
Conference, will explain the causes OF the
failure 10 effect a reunion
In the name of the church which we
represented, we made the following PLAIN
and comprehensive statement OF our POSI-
tons concerning the alleged onenses
against the southern assembly. we de-
clare that all the acts and deliyerances
! 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 sessions; that in so far as they or
any of them can be supposed to impart
any injurious imputations upon the pre-
sent character and standing OF the
churches and members 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
deliyerances of the northern assemblies,
of which YOU complain, were made in
peculiar times, under strange and excit-
| ing circumstances, when the passions
and feelings of men were profoundly
moved, and as acts of assemblies which
we do not represent, we cannot set IN
Judgment upon them nor express an
opinion as to their character; that we
feel competent to express the desire that
they may be considered by you in the
same spirit of charity 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 confidence in
the soundness of the doctrines and the
christian character of those 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 perpetuate
the institution of slavery. or that they
had opinions wicked and blasphemous,
self-respect would have prevented us
| from seeking fraternal relations with
them. We did not deny that mistakes
had been made, but we asserted that If
| l. sx,l, hnlo %, lot
sides, and that our earnest desire was to
forgive and forget i'll the spirit of the Mas
ter, and we asked the same charity in
return but all these declarations were
| insufficient to satisfy the committee from
the southern assembly. Indeed, it be-
came evident that they would not be
satisfied with any thing we were authoriz-
ed to say. Their language is as follows
You, brethren, have no authority to
do what the assembly only can do; but !
surely, your authority is ample to recon-
mend to it whatever in your judgment |
may be proper, to settle these troubles. |
If your assembly could see its way clear, |
to say in few plain words to this effect |
''That these obnoxious things were said |
and done in times of high excitement;
that they are to be regretted, and that
now, in calm review the imputations |
cast upon the southern church are dis
approved, that would end the difficulty
at once" Many reasons readily suggest
ed themselves to your committee against
acceding to the request. 1t not only
required you to rejudicate and disown
the imputations cast on the southern
church, rs charged by them, but it also
required you to revise the actions taken
by the old and new school assemblies
more than ten years ago, which we had
already declared to be null and void, and
to express regret for and disapprobation
of the same.
The following is an extract from the
address of the southern to the northern
Committee at the Baltimore Conference:
"All that we desire is that the imputa-
tons (of heresy, sohism and blasphemy)
which we conceive to be resting upon
our church by the acts of your assembly,
shall be removed; we care not in what
terms, so they directly cover the case.
x You, brethren, have not the
authority 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 a few plain
words to that effect, that the obnoxious
things were said and done in times Of
high excitement; that they are to be re-
GREETED; and that now in a calm review
the imputations cast upon the southern
church are disproved, that would end
the difficulty at once. We would be far
from disposition to contend for mere
punetilio,H
The northern committee replied
Were it true that we regard you as "a
church organized in the interests of re-
bellion, and to conserve and perpetuate
the interests of slavery; did we believe
that you held opinions heretioal and
blasphemous, there would Indeed be an
lnseparaEle barrier to closer relations
The self-respect of the venerable body
we represent would have prevented the
appointment ofour committee. X
But we know that all such actions con- !
corning your church had been in the
most positive and comprehensive Ian I
guage declared null and void, and there /
fore of no binding effect. They (the !
declarations complained of were made
In peculiar tiRses and under strange cir a
cumstances, when the passions and feel. s
lngs of men were profoundly moved |
They now belong to history, and Il is f
IDLE TO talk of erasing them, Hut we q
are authorized to assure you that these v
are not h0w law, rule, or precedent In v
ouF churehi and in giving this assurance 9
we cannot present it in a stronger way O
than TO record the acts of our assemble !
through a series IF vaors