Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-06-02

THE PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL
ASS SEnlBLIES.
AT this time there are In session the
General Assemblies Of the Presbytcr-
ian churches, North and South; the
former at Cleveland, Ohio, and the lat.
ter At st. Louis, Missouri.
The effort to re-unite these two re-
ligious bodies has been again attempted
through the efforts of those two %.
semblies, but has proved futile. Pend.
ing and during the rebellion very
many Of the church organizations in
this country were disrupted from the
same causes which disrupted our po.
litical relations. II has becn and still
10 very desirable to effect re-unions IN
churches - this will aid much to bind
more firmly our political relations.
To this end It would be eminently
proper and right to exhibit the greatest
charity and the highest type OF Chris.
tian forgiveness. On the other hand
there should be an unflinching deter.
mination to not sacrifce principle.
Committees Of conference had been
appointed by each Assembly Of last
year, and had met In consultation. The
committee North submitted several
propositions embracing somsthing like
this, viz: That the acts Of fNorthsrn As.
semblles during the rebellion COM
planned Of by the church South were
now . nulity, and that 20 far a. they
were unjust they were disapprovsd !;
that however, they could not pass in
Judgment upon those ssts but desired
that they be considered and treat
ed in the light OF ChrIstlAn charity.
and assured the brethren Of the church
South, that the churchi North has en-
tire faith In the soundasss Of their
doctrine, or fellowship would not now
be sought with them. The committee
of the church South sabmittsd on their
part that the church North should say
IN regard to acts Of former Assemblies
complained Of, that their obnoxious
acts were done In times OF great sx-
oitsmsnt, and that now In q calm 70.
view Of them the imputations cast
upon the church South were disap-
proved. ss4'i-~s1ef s.
No agreement was arrived at, and
IN the submission OF the reports to the
respective Assemblies they each stood
BY their committee, and the attempt
ct reunion utterly failed. The real
point at issue discsrnsbls throughout
10, that the Southern church demands
that there shall be retraction OF the
condemnation announced years ago
by the church North Of the action Of
the church South In standing by and
justifying rebellion. In other words
1t 10 demanded that the Presbyterian
church North shall admit that they
were wrong in eondsmning rebellion.
This the General Assembly North ut
terly refused to do, and In this they
are eminently right. They could do
no lees and hope to maintain the re-
speet OF tho members Of tho church,
the respect Of patriotic citizens every
where, or, indeed, the respect Of an In
telligent civilized world. Peace,
union, the broadest Christian fellow
Ing is desirabls-it Il incumbent upon
al Christians to work for It and sus.
tain II, but never at the expense of the
right, never at the sacrifice of princi.
pie. What Il true In regard to church
unity 10 equally true In regard to po-
litical unity. There 10 NO sound policy
In politics other than the broadest, full
est confession Of wrong, and the most
sincere pledge Of allegience in the fu-
ture by the once rebel. The loyal cit.
lien must stand infiexib!y by the prin-
ciples for which he fought-they must
be maintained intact at whatever ex.
pense.
twill never strike the condolences
Of the civilized world favorAbly, that .
church 10 deserving Of any considera.
ton which seeks unity with brethren,
based upon demand that the latter
shall retract . condemnation Of the
former for their espousing the cause
Of . rebellion that had for its object
the establishment Of . nation whose
chief corner stone should be human
II Christian unity cannot be
established except upon such . basis,
q never win happen, for even wero It
effected on such terms II would be Q
union Of the hosts Of Bslial. Il 10 Of
God that oil mon are endowed with
equal rights, the anutheais d OF the
Devil, and the triumph Of the latter 10
anti Christ.
From the Iows STATE Leader the 2ssh inst.
No man, since the death Of Charles
Sumner, had such IN immense funeral
attendance ~ John G. Breckinridge !;
and never man was moro sincerely
loved and revered BY all who knew
him or knew Of him. And yet, ON
December "a 1861, the Senate OF the
United States, . body over which hs
had long presided, passed this manner
Of resolution: ~. N.
:Whsreas, John G. Breckinridge, :
member Of this body, Il now In arms
against the Government hs had sworn
70 support; therefore,
"Resolvsd, That the traitor, Breck-
b. expelled"
The Iowa State Leader IL tho organ
Of the Iowa Democracy at tho Capital.