New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-12
PRFsBYYERIANS NORTH AND SOUTH.

SOUTHERN PREsBYrERIANs
tome EdttOr OF The Trfbune
SIR: Your wel-knOwn love OF justice and
desire to be impartial encourage to write you in
order to correct impression which may have been
made upon your readers by the report which appeared
in your columns recently concerning the late CONFER
ence between tho Committees OF the Presbyterian
Churches North and South. The inference may ba'o
been drawn that the Southern Committee was unrea-
sonably stubborn, hard To DO satisfied ana uhoniS-
tan.
The issue between the two Committees, as appears
from the record Of their COMMUNICATIONS, was SIMPLY
this: The Northern Committee proposed TO the soutL
ern Committee to recommend to its Assembly to inter-
change delegates with the Northern Assembly When
that Assembly had persisenty, year after year. RON
1851 to 1885, and with respect to bodies then mdepehd
ent but now Incorporated with it, sought to put tho
brand OF infamy upon the Southern Assembly before
the whole world and had done nothing TO remove lie
They had made charges which for wantonness AMI
fasehood were unparalleled in the history Of ecclcS
astica atrocities against the very body OF fellow
Christians from whom they seek an interchange OF
delegates expression Of mutual esteem and ahec-
ton, which in fact amount to q confession
that we have nothing against them. All that ths
Southern Committee desired preliminary to the inter-
change delegates was That these mputations which
conceive be resting upon our Church by the acts OK
your Northern Assembly should be remoyed we care not
In what terms, they directly and fairly cover the case
Anything beyond that should consider it unworthy
the character OF Christian gentleman to ask or accept
They say again II your Assembly could its way
clear to say a few plain words to this ecctthat these
obnoxious things said and done in times OF great
Excitement that they to be regretted and That how
in calm review the imputaons cast upon the Southern
Church are dsapprovedthat would end the difficulty at
once."
The Northern Committee reply by attempting TO mako
us believe what very few North South can suppose
that they themselves really beeye-that enough TO
meet the requirements Of tho has been done First,
D,.la tomb fla OLD md
Assemblies Of 1869 secondly, in the OF the North
ern Assembly OF 1874 TO the BroOkes memorial. The
nadequacy Of the Concurrent Declaration" Is fully
shown by the Southern Committee, because "The sad
declaration entered into the basis Of the Old and
New School reunion at ALL the ground taken upon tho
floor OF the Old School Assembly that it may bo
annulled modified any future Assembly may deem
proper There is not u all the deliberations pertaining
to the reunion the least shadow of ntimat0n that
the Concurrent Declarations were intended 10 DO
away with the delyeraRces concerning the Southern
Church" The subsequent application or them to any
Buffers reasons to bis constituency OF his
acts in Congress. And the appeal is now made to tho
Declarations remove tho grieyous and false charles
wGh the SOrerh foPe cTo lor M n
them to change, nothing to explain, nothing to modify.
shape or form whatever it being nccdiu only any
one to correct the published and N;
nunctions in order clearly to vndicate both the moral
same" Minutes Old school Assembly, Sorth, for 1906.
pp s9l This was in reference to those dcliyeran,ci
being schismatical hcrCeica blasphemOus." anu asked
concerning them: Would they have recognize good
e. whom Government, tn
approval OF Chr-tendem, may execute iraorsP'
The Concurrent Declaration referred 10 Is as follows;
official records of the two branches OF the Church for tho
S p the % onS history Of the CRuc6 and no )
es does not Stss aPPgTed Gg S29 Gof s%Sa S y G
such rue or precedent may dget tie '7S"t' Of pTopfy
1t is the italicized portion which is usually quoted in
reference To removing the just complaints OF the sotn
llpf miami
fUtnre proyided mat the other body lie New school
Church, Incorporated into the reunited Church:
did not approve o the same course toward the SCth an
toward political questions which disgrace the history ot
the Old School Church. But the New school Church.
possible out-iIcroded Hcrod in their deiyeTances. And
Ut any time ia the future That one might choose 10 ilso
and propose political deliyeT6nce against southern Pres
byerias for voting say in 1870 Against TIE peseIt
Administration. he could urge as rule or pre- rIcnt
that both churches had approved OF his course before e
to Hoh t ann ibe p rSn i SI SaTeh dspnyn Of it,
second place the answer OF the Northern Assem-
bly, 1874 TO Dr.. BrOOkss memorial Just as asNe
and irrelevant as the Concurrent Declaration" I.'s
answer is as follows: . go,
OF Missouri have overturned this Assembly stating uCir
pIpfes Tegadns IT, geRsTT ns ration 5a OF the ffs
saStica only aud IN these according 20 me Wora OF e To-
Caechsn Form Of Government and Book Of Discipline b, IL
as GhO9g the Y1S Of a aS cPs+ ali a GT y s
Church in she past Sg TSh may "a'e be" done contrary
Ths resolution only declares that the principles Of tho
Prcsby Church. in doctrine, government and DIS
| IL,
standards but this nothing and is not tho
point than the ordinatonyow taken by every Iresby-
plne ms aforesaid fhey were therefore adopted 10y
members OF tine Northern Assembly, with individual Id
spousibility before they began their outrasoS aSdnrs
the Southern Church, and all during the period they
were committing them, they were imposing the same or
dinatonvows upon those entering tie ministry yet u
never for moment coniicd with their dealing WIN
matters political. or matchmaking those who therein
differed Nth them.
! The Northern Committee gave cxerse why they
could recommend their Assembly to remove the ac-
cusstiOns and impuatons affecting the CHRISTIAN h"Hr
OF the Southern Church delivered frUm 1861 70 1860,
THAT as acts OF Assemblies which We ltheyl do not
represent cannot sit in judgment upon them nor c-
pte s S Ui 80 ,or.,f ar ds"Senno,sp Tcy me-
tend that the Assemblies which met frUm lOl &c 1907 d
snblies from Is7o to 1874 the last Assembly by which
the Committee was appointed Toe reply OF the soulh.
remarkable Christian mildness That they could htVe
condcscended "a make any reply 10 such an evasion OF
the truth and 10 such contradiction OF all their PROBES.
sous since the beginning of tc reunion proves how Icdt
their Christian meekness and forbearancel They
reply. that as the reunited Church had taken every
precautiOn preserve its leutty with both the at GA
and New School bodies, fail TO see how it does NOS
succeed TO the authority and responsibility OF such den,
az 70 ~ ws ss y It's "'ano'o us Liabilities 80 "'A
Thus it ended, The simple request OF the Southern,
Committee is that the Northern Committee should
recommend 10 its Assembly Ia say not In any huml.
aing terms, but with simple Christian franknees. nls
heresy schism blaspheniy" &c, having uttered
IN times Of great Excitement regretted and In calm
refused to do They knew that their General Assembly
had never done il, and would do II. They know
seabIy by opening Ing SUCH question Upon them; TIM.
they at heart political now during the war and
s @ them for their
support from 1861 to 1865, OF what " them the
powers that be, and ordained Of Cod .,.
WIN X. ATKINSON, synod Of Virginia
SaitNvaIe. "a. March 20. 1875.