Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-01-27
NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN PRES
BITERIANS.


BIrERIANS.
4 SYNOPSIS of the proceedings of the recent
unsucr.s,!ul conference at Baltimore between
committees of tbs \ NJrtbern and Southern Pr.s-
byter.au assemblies has Just been published lu
New York iniS report, taken trom the Church
paper, says:
The conference was called to prepare the way
for traterual relations between the two bodies.
Thrnuestiou under discussion was Simply Wneth-
er there should be rcguar exchange OF oeie-
gates, there being already sort OF intercourse
between the mempers and ministers Of the TWO
churches. Ministers pass from lie presbyterles
of one bcuy 70 those OF the otuer,auu certificates
of membership are readily received by either
church from the other. The Southern committee
at the Opening Of the contereuce requested thit
the negotiations be carried uo IN "rlllng, to tue
regret Of the Northern committee, VINO felt that
personal conference aud debate would be lar
more effectual in explaining difficulties and mis-
understandings.
Two ioiut sessions were held, one at the be-
ginning, the other at the end of the Conference.
The substance of III communications that pass
ed between the committees is stated as follows
/ The Southern comnttee offered paper,
previously prepared, rCcItlug at large the tortn-
or actions OF their assemblies, ESPECIALLY that al
Louisville, and declaring their readiness TO con.
fer about the removing OF obstacles TO closer
fellowship aud intercourse.
. The Northeru cuuI mittee IN answer, pro-
posed an Interchange OF delegates, as be!~een
corresponding bodies, aud declared that th"y
knew OF 40 obstacles 10 such intercourse.
3 The Southern committee presented
statement Of their grievances, quoting at length
from reports OF the proceedings OF Northern
Assemblies made previous 10 the re-uulon OF
the Old and New Schoo! churches
4 The Northern committees declared, III re-
ply. that these obstacles had been Removed
5. The Southern cvmmittee presented a pa
per, 10 which they argued that the acton OF
the Northern Assembly at Baltimore in 1878,
under which the NortLern committee vas APP
poiuted aod Instructed, was not correctly ln-
terprc,cd by the latter. They questioned the
competency Of he N-r.heru coumlttee to ex
plain the acts Of the Northern Assembly. They
insisted as an Indispensable condition OF their
consent to the propnSat Tor the Interchange OF
delegates, that the Northern committee should
ecommcud, and their Assembly should adopt
resolution diSavowiug all the acts aud aellV
erances complained OF.
6. The Northern committee declined to ac
cede to this proposition on the following
grounds: la) They would not seem by con
sent to saUctlou the accusatlucs ot the South
ern committee against the Assembly at Baitl-
more nor would they submit to the asSump
tioo OF that cumtulttee to restrict and d"hue
the authority of the Nurthcru committee. 10.
Ia the judgment o: the committee the deliver
ances of the Northern Assemblies of 1860 and
1873 were sufficient to remove all obstacles to
the proposed correspondence. to- The follow.
ing Was sent as Il conclse statement OF the posi-
ton of the Northern committee "All the
acs aud deiiverauces of the Northern Assem-
blies Of which you complain are wholly null aud
void and OF no binding efficacy as ]u igmruts OF
the church We represent, or as rules ut pro-
ceedlng for its presbyteres aud church ses
sion and 10 so far aS they, or any OF
them, eau be supposed to import any lujurl-
Gus impuIaIion upon the present. character
and seauilug of thc churches aud meubers of
the Sau,hern Assembly as Christians, or as
Presbyterlaus, such an application OF them
would be VI juSt 10 You. and would be dlsap-
proved and regretted by us. The acts and de-
liverances Of Northern Assemblies of which
you complain were made IN peculiar tunes, aud
under strange and exciting circumstances, when
the passions OF men We're profoundly moved.
As acts of Assemblies which we do NOT repre-
sc0t, we cannot sit IN judgment upon them,
DOR express aUy opinion as TO their character.
We do feel competent to express the desire
that they may be considered by you in the same
spirit of charity aud Christian forgiveness that
We trust the people We represent will exercise
toward auythlng TO which they may object In
the proceedings of your Assembly"
T. To this paper the Southern committee re-
piled that it was not satisfactory, aud iutlmat
cd that they desired to close the conference.
leaving the question of traterual relations as it
has been.
The Southern committee presented paper
in relation to disputed church property, re-
questiug that it be brought before the North
ern Assembly. Il states the valne of properly
In dispute at S200O,0OO. The Northern Gem
mlttee dculrd that She sun would reach more
than 100000, but promised to refer the mat
ter to the Assembly. The conference then
closed
NEGRO REsURRECTIoN.--T following is
story told by the Bishop of Tennessee at the |
recent Church Congress, as showing the edu
cation of plantation preacher. H. said: II
was visiting plantation. and the bell was
rung, and the negroes, numbering some 500, |
gathered iu the parlours aud piazza of the
house, belonging, unfortunately for himself, to
a batchelor. After reading chapter to them
preached, and said that [ would hold a SER
vice the next day to baptse such as should be
presented. | baptized between 10 and 50, and
alter service, fell into conversation with
'Uucle Touey,' a puutaion preacher.
asked him about various Christian doctrines,
and finally said And what about the resur-
rectiou? With a very solemn face he re-
piled. 3" You see, Master, irtmeut is intment.
Yes, Well you see dere is speritua body.
and dis here body made out of dus. Yes.
Well, you see when de augel Gabriel comes
down from heabeu, and goiu' up and down the
rlber Jordan, BLOWN of bis trumpet, and the
birds OF heaven snga' and de bells of heaben
rlngin, and de milk and de honey raiDiu'