, 1876-02-04
10 Lays The Responsibility OF the Fall
ure unon Hrs. Mouitons and
GiYcs Mr.. Shearman o
Good ItlE
The " Advance" Comments Editorially up
on Mr. Beeohar's Letter
Lad Shown, from Booohars Own Statements,
thas Plymouth Church "Esaded tho
counoll," but Cannot Eyads Tho
Responsibility.


ienno Of Justice to grant mo spaco In your COL
nmns for brloi statement OF facts suggestod
BY your editoriaia ol Jan. 20. Tho tenloucy Of
your remarks is 10 diHsundo Congregational
churches from accepting tho invitation Of rlytn-
oush Church to nm Advisory Council. and thus
10 cut of shut churrl, from tho advice Which 1t
asia, and has right to oxpoct. Undoubtedly, II
Plymouth Church lad eyndod Mutual Council,
In order 10 call NIL Advisory Council on tho saulo
tubjbot, tho proceeding then might havo bonn
juntly denounced. This, ~ you will remember,
whs tho precise objection naade by Plymouth
Church u tho Council Of 1874. Uut the
facts ID not suppos. such u viow in tho
prcBelt chso. plymouth Church was determined
10 givo hlrr. Moulson no reasonable ground for
syaling tho Mutual Council. No ETERNAL pro.
test" wRs osor Optstod BY It, or ils Committee,
to tho ohoiee Of churohos. Objections, intorrnnl-
1y and orally stateA In conference, Ncro put In
writing at tho request Of her own lawyer, and
then dohominated protest by him. Tho Com
u1ttoo repeatedly offered TO Whivo these objoc-
sons; IL offered 10 keep them private: It simply
refused 10 stntify ,taoll, aud hisown the truth by
withdrawing them hs unfoundcd. ThoEe uh}cc-
iona waro both sh,ocro and vol founded; andtho
earnest offer OF the church to 70 on iu aitc of tom
IL itaclf proof Of ita genuine Wish for Council.
Gao party to arbitration says privately to tuo
NJ VI tllt puAk!EH tuu Ahfb
aro prejudieoa; ono has oponIy declared himself
aGzlnnk us In Ihia very case. l thuk you and
tAoy ought TO- ;khoH that am A~afe Of this;
ind think 1t would bo but falr for you to uano
you insist OH tleao mon, I will accupt them md
the fact OK an objection having been rualo Bhail
not ba communicated to any otnor pnrtioa."
Tho other party donles, not tho fac.a alleged,
but tho right to mention tiom; demands that
the statement shall be retractod and protcsts In
return agstnRt -four Of the arbtrators named
by tf1o first. WHO immediately oflers to
ktriko o0 all fous, 1t tho two whose
At tLiR stage, nunloor two declares that num-
bcr one hna, by q trick. broken up tho arbisra-
tion mid withdrawa from tho nrrangctnent, With
u,uch poatscrlpt OF argument, insinuation. and
tsluuluy. This In tho exact parallel of tho re-
cent case, except that q Congregational AIntual
Council has not tho binding foroo of IN arbtra-
ton, aud tho i1p?arstaGty OF fta Mon,hera III to
lhe particular point 10 bo submitted IL recog-
niZel rs q necessary elonlont of it's influence;
Mrs. Moulton lnhistcd on tho prcaoncn OF certain
men. Plymouth Church. did not insist On their
abseuco. Who egaded tho Counci2.
Your ctacssrn upon MY ronatks In basol upon
Avc1y erroneous report Of tl.cm; and ! trust
you will SEQ Ito tninst!ae. Int lHlsa!l not bcgin
u this period OF my life, tue practice Of ariscla-
Ing misrepresentation founded upon newspaper
fopoEts. - ''''
Mr. Bhearrnan has remained aIlcnt under many
charges iiko tl!at which, YOU bring aEainBt him,
Of having guided my actiou, and that Of plym-
outh Church in a diBngonuoua way. 1t ia his
IaIe % 1aonsty taas no u mnnna 20 aapos ealnossiy
which. In tito outset llo has opposed, and III
which ho las boon outrotcd, and It Ia his H|ngn-
~ ~ ~ ~ sossetou tos .pso.a. uoo"ato w ' ~
~. ~ ~ 49,. Ta.s,.1,sttooa tun'., t,so a. fis a.,
M oiIlcor Of tHo churct,. and M o,o Of nv LEGAL
hdyisors, ho las accepted tho responsibility OF
Whatever Was dono BY his colleagues ;
nor doos he aoek " be folto7oa from ~; ~;
NJ aion rssrons}h,n fen5 cs1nI nnnp N sav
that Mr. Ebeartnhn has aIwAve heen foremost
In urging bolduess, publicity, and promptnosa Of
action. l do not admit that tho Church haa
I'M ~ e.s Ky ~ ,9n'oss s.thnnt a1cc,tton H.
Ats v,,!ch H. ansmias hava IN intnrnrctsd hsys
not boep tho result OF hIr. shear,nat's advice
and hayo often been directly against 1t. In the
present instance ne han constantly aag'sea 1Ft
Wmitn,, IN t,.r r,nbliai,.a cnrraannnfcnce. Ia
". iu PARTICULAR not rospousbo for tue Yo-callet
"proteBt 4" OF The recent Committee. Fer, nj
though ho shared tlo feelings which promptee
y 10 opposeo = % nxsly 80 ~ ss,zoa npon ~ ~
sban,,onman. % Of tLa s5 coupcl. III p''''A' ''' ''''
The nction OF Plymouth Church ia not 600
troflod by any one man. It is tho result ot tlt
ahceFo eno eatneet co-opofatoh OF sio n1oshfea y
H." hia,s;nv ~ " ~ In NINA 40 En,,t "no" t,,a
patleut iuguistcs and copsu]tations. Ii over,
step mutual coneosaons haso teeu necessary
md substnntai unanimsty LaA boon tho taauit
Mo have 10 ~ @ s.fsse" o 70 20 Wnas WIS r!Gas en-
rnrnaai az ~ nv, hrcth1nn Il to nur,,"s. ~ -
i,n Sdnnncs to nrnyont M from ohf ninsnr n
>3'' ilEsnY Wsnp iSsEGitrn.
- .,,.1,.-s ~ x,,- ..,....ss.
En11oath ooaasNts 81 aAe AofAsoE.
We cheertuliy print to-day Communication
from the Her, q. W. Doocher concerning til
is,l1,e Of lie s1utual Council. Il certainly /
mi ar nuroo,. 10 interroro with INV ripht a
NV wa PuAFSa0 ~ AH"s*'S'N "A'~> ~31 -'e.~ -
Plymouth Church. Mf. besclAeI asatea tlas on
criticism OF hla remarhs ID based upon a :" ycr
rrousous REPORT Of t1cn,, aud srt1sta shat "
nil .ea Il intnatIoa. Now, al NO cannot Aecou
sia .s",.. 80 ~ 1outna ~ t,,a resnonsb,,ts n
w. plSaea1 l,'sao% 49, ,s ~ - ca,aa sau .n.M ~
he failure Of tho Mutual ooanca' VS. 'nan ,tas sah
pfyen IN tbta latter, so1ety iron, lilo editorial
.n' .no.o,oa ~ NJ no.,,,.r n. fam
.no epoecuoS VI Az. oeevust, Va ,n'"' aa
u hla own paper tho cAr.s'1on G"'o'
pr from btatopcnta elsewhere madp over Ills sif
aatuso and from olllcla! Documents also publisle