, 1876-03-04

8liH Coinmenta ON tho Advisory Uaitn.
ellis Finn of snrcAllgn&aon.
fndete71Irn{. NafeA 2,

fliH Com ments on tho Advisory Ue,tn.
ellis Finn IF Snrc~llgnsaon.
Tndepcnlrn. Hareh 2.
Ana nov whatBort Of an Investigation will tho
rcaics imagine IL provided for !? Tho Andoror
proposition, wlicl was That tl,ero bo Council
OF Investigation, Of which rlFmous., Church
hsiouid Heccs half and the Audoror Church half
nhl WHICH Should take upnn itsolf, Tits Impair
tlaily constituted to A!fs tic tnaitor to tho bot
tom! hot NJ oil. Excuues woro found for re.
jcct'ng that pfoposaL Was any other form OF
Council OF Commission eontrive,! OF whose mem.
bcEs Plymouth Church should aelec. only kali ?
Nothing OF tho sort. On tho cnntrsry, . Com.
mission was provided for to ha releeled Oh.
t,roly br Mr. Ececllcr's own friends But ccr.
tatnly ttie Commission Is. NJ least, required 10
Investigate and is given authority to reluept
witnesses to appear bcforc Il 2 Not nj all. Tie
Commission 10 biddcn 70 do nothing, blt wait
until somebody htto Bflhll nHEumb tbs repro,ls.-
bilssy Of OH investigation. The Council did not
nleau II, We aro snre but moyp complete con.
not be devised.
For, first, bofors the Commiasion can even bo
appointed. much less leur testimony ou Tho
himself the task Of an investigation and mako
himself Responsible for tho truth mud proof ;"
Of chstgcH. WHO shall It bo : What ono mau IL
there that would care to do is7 TLose who be-
case beforo Commission Which has bcen So
lerte,l ns thia will be, BY tho appointment OF
Mr.. !iecchcrs Council aud Slr. Beechcrs friends :;
for, however tmi,ertta, mud thorough they n1av
bc, the: cannot escAno tho suspicion which wl
attach u tho fact that their appointment comes
ffo1n Plymouth Church. Besitey, would not any
possible prosecutor desire To know WHO the Com
htaslon we're peiore ho CONCLUDED that tt would
10 7orth Willie 70 nproar before tt,cni2 Both
! Eodlr aEl Hngcdly 1ncn taEe PRECAUTIONS vbon
| dealing, with linn who t,sa ilr. El,ear,uan
| for IN adviser; for ave Afo hot Enurant OF tia
Devices" sunpoae however, 4 voluntary pros-
ecutor TO overlook tlcse disadvantages; tloro is
not ono mna among those who havs hees placed
iu antssonlBm to hfr. neocher who iA burning to
oxpOse hlai not oan but has rxtaor avoided tho
EXPRESSION Of dstruet in him, unless 1t DO hr.
unaor noss adverse ciEcumRtances. Thorc aro
'ritneNscs enough who wolIld como II IT wcta
made duty thrust upon them to appear undor
tic moral pressure OF eIinn1ons from IN &C.
clcsastical court in earnost scarch for the truth
but no ono Of them, VIC ilnaslnc,. would caro- to
thrust binaseif forward and tn1ss or himself
tho brunt or tho odIum aud sbuho that
would attach to tlio unwnlcomo lask. II tl,c
| Congregational churches OF America do not
care enough for their honor TO take tho rutponsi-
b'lIty OF either exposing rho guilt Or establishing
the innocence Of tlletr must eloquent minister,
| 70 generally believed to TO IN unworths man.
and II the tateost Church 10 the order will not
! doGaRnd It, when II ia 50 generally beloved that
/ undcyolopoa evidence IL ncceHsiLlo. then what
private member is Likely, Inlns!ted, to tako up
| lilo ehanklous task1
but ekain, provision fs carefully rnale, It
would seem. that nobody ehsl t,cscnt before
this Committee caBc asana: Sir. peocher. For
It in ESPECIALLY provided that the pu,sun who
Ehatl make himself Responsible for "tho truth
and proof :" Of charses and for their prosecution
shall frat nnper ho'ore the cluicll or tho
Examining Committee aud 1unko 10 it formal
charges hgAinst tlr. Ueccher. But those formal
rhnrXes imply specifications, md specifications
Inust include tho names Of the rcrsuu or per-
Eous With rhons 1t is charged that Mr, Beocher
hna bean On improper rotnu0na, Hero tho yery
object OF n Rceret Commission IL nj the beginning
B,udiousiy thwnrted. Thu nnl,cs which arc to
be kept FROM tho public u,sHt first he given to
Tho public, and tue only men who aro likely to
appear prosecutors t!,ut OIL from tho task.
bnca Commission. orlcrcd to do nothing. hut
puly to await for accustEu. whose way IL heaged
about with tho1ns. 10 not likely 70 haro nnything
to do. How unlike is ttls from tho Andovor
proposition. We ppeak mildly rhen wo
ray that tlia Council, 30 easily captured by gush
ha3 aouo no honor to Congrsgatiopaliein.