Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-06-28
TWO YEARs BEFORE THE BLAST.

sonul sburo as charao,eriEes tie persistent
efforts 10 keep before the public, through
the rreps, the troubles IN tile Presbyterian
church, aud this by proiessed journalist
We accord to hin tile merit Of ftOnkress
in admitting 10 M the authorship, with
the surprising acknowledgement that he
has been "somelimCs under pny for IT,"
Neither duty nor dighily will permit us
to be drawn nsiIle into vulgar cUntrover-
~ with one who esuntenins religion,
redicules the cfBiassNh ministry, denies
Christ and hlasphcnies the name Of God,
even though he seems 20 take the side OF
the church tv, which we belong, and il be
deemed helpful to the cause to nssNil us
in our business, IN our private aud social
| lille, in tidiculing physical pCculiOrities or
applying vulgar cpithets. We shall not
demur but we may now be permitted
little frunkncss on the main issue, for to
be silent is to be guilty, after so much vi
tuperation.
We are not responsible for!tbe precedent
Of appealing to the public, but never ques-
ton the justice Of the average public
Judgment when the facts are all in-so
unto Caesar shalt thou GO" This commu-
nitv have noted with mingled surprise
and disgnst that these attacks, inccssant
now for two years without eliciting sin-
gle word IN selfdefense from any OF the
so.caJled dihaiferted members Of the
church, have always emnnnted from one
source and in behalf Of the same cause,
strongly sHggesting cUllusion or conni-
vance, even where the personal intimacy
is not so thoughtfully observed. While
we are continually besOnght to disregard
: these unpTUyoked assaults, the fact that
} some citizen, more keenly alive to the
, claims of outraged Justice than some OF
larger pretensions, has taken occasion to
rebuke them implies no reflection upon
the side from which they cmanatc, unless
by their extreme scnsitiveneSs, manifest in
J dcprecnting these rebukcs, they comtess
themselves pdIticeps criminis. The rebukes,
you aee, are all improper agitation, the
arsanltS-hOw could they ber
Ii aavuTs of nliectalion Ia appear 10 dep
> recate his coHrse, when it is remembered
8 that some Of the epithets applied to citi-
Iens more recently coming among us did
not originate with the vulgar or professed-
ly irrclgiouH. Here is an assassin crack
= Ing his rifle ut us from his ambuscade at
:: every Opportunity, md here nre our
c mcighbors, "with whom we have taken
sweet counsel" (?l etc, imrortnning us
not TO return the fire nor even shoot IN
u hat direction, but to think OF the poor
: widow, the orphans and the "cnuse," and
h anon signaling him II fresh opportunity
:, whenever off our guard!
q The vindicatiun uf any cause is found
Il most complete in that it encounters the
d opposition Of the vile and malignant, while
e on the other hand it is no proof OF the
righlfulness Of u cause, even among chris
N tians, becanse il is abetted by majorlty
d whose sentiments are dictated by an ire
n ligion, prejudiced and imbittered by bust
At ness rivalry aud political discord.
Is Our methods have been open and franz
e. with all. We are accused OF no immorali
:, ties, our chief and only offending con
~ sisting in dissenting from the prevailing
methods of dealing with the character anC
reputation OF members, and in demanding
)r researching investigation for both tn
accused and the accuser. The reasons 10
our methods are not so well known, ant
'e !, for the following special causes: First
W we have always deprecated dragging
NJ church difficulties before the public. Sec
ondly-the discipline OF the church pro
We yides proper and ample remedies for al
Is internal troubles, which latter exist onl
e. where the former are thrown aside an'
disregarded. Thirdly-well we hesitaI
to say.
'h Since this controversy has been so per
u sistently thrust before the public, Away
- in all offensive manner, there ~ an eve
growing desire in the community TO kno'
ng why the appeal to the proper judicator
IT. was resisted by the curt rejoinder-"W
in can settle our own difficulties" why |
of the protracted efforts to "settle our own di
icultes" one of the principals was found
be "only n pdssengcri" why,a a last resor
US the proposal to appeal to the membershi
'et for AN expression Of view as to the meti
re ods of procedure was met by the not yer
ire complimentary assertion "they would
NJ quarrel together;" how and why the pa
III pers involving this controversy, an
ey equally Important for the defense OF bot
parties were obtained from the files OF Il
". church and are held for his own privn
,is use by one of them; how and why Il
of Presbytery WIS packed by non member
nj according to plan announced TO us Il
nts day previous, TO impress those strange
we that large membership were opposed.to !
ue investigation, which might have had be
oil ter success had not n premature explosl'
OF rowdyism, sufficient to set in motto
, these persistent attacks, betrayed the sir
lie Pile ruse; why, for some inscrutabe reaso
ear it was deemed better TO perpetuate til
eF- quarrel, now extending over period
'ed more than ten years and compromisi
ON the entire membership; and why, after
ren these efforts were bnffled, some OF us we
o' told, with an air of triumphant scorn, .
!" WAS intended to hKdrt you !"
Ihe 1t is trivial for nervous and ricke
10 christians to sit back wringing their han
In
tion caused by their volunteer emissarI,
-. when every manly and womanly instir
We demands frank and impartial investie
ock tion into the cause OF these troubles. Su
yor is not denied the lowest criminal, ev
rhe among the children of darkness. Thu
en- should know that the innocent cannot a
lly. the guilty should suffer. So far from
wish 10 impro operly " ydisturb ex istingrelatiC
in that church, which charge has been
,uts only means OF perpetuating this QUAR-
.J,r the writer went TO the last annual meeti
W. "" with the know ledge Of those sharing
the views, prepared TO recommend a contiI
all, ance Of those relatiOns-under union
lere we could, but pedeedbie separation ii
! Of must and an amicable adjustment v
lem possible under the discipline if thsre h
the heen entire frankness, II promises had bt
kept, and II we had had only those ame
ble to the church discipline to deal wi
gen No possible difficulty can arise under
this forms OF government Tor this church g
Ar ."s ,I";',aL nov S'nR's -, E ""u reS 49, W
an This is our first public uttersnce
on on this controversy, though we sh
ents moi he averse 10 acceptine the prt
ana dent forced upon us, ms means for win
'e cation wheu all others have failed.
III Withdrew, believing that peace was m
attainable than Justice, but in this We
u so found imperlinent in one quarter;