The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-01-02
Foa TIE CENTRAL PREsB1rERIAs.
"REMINISCENCES OF PRESBYTERIAN
MINISTERS.
BY AN OCToGENARIAN.
DIR. MOTT.

O6s NO1Ls
The students who had taken their degrees
at Union College were on the look out for its
President. They hoped that he would tarry
among them for day or two on his way to
the General Assembly in Philsdelphis. He
arrived in due time, for there was but little
danger of crippled limbs in the old staging
line of travel. The group of students soon
collected round one, who had been their
former vsnersted preceptOr. We never saw
the people of Princeton SO happy as when
the stages were changing horses at the inn'
After the demise of DIR. Mott, We supposed
that he had been forgotten By the biogrs-
piers. But we learn that pair Of volumes
have recently appeared about this great ed
ucatOr. We used to purchase books before
the war, but have not seen these volumes
Money is stringent at present. We are but
slightly acquainted with the facts in the life
of DR.. Nott though We have heard that ne
preached in Albany before his career as Pres
ident of College was begun. We had also
heard of his great financial talent, and of his
mechanical genius, made known BY the In
vention of stove which could have warmed
all the bears of Spitsbergen, better than the
coats they wear. Being famous, too, as
scholar and Christian orator, be must have
possessed striking versatility Of talent.
From some brief remarks on the biography
of DR.. Mott, we learn that its author is at
pains to show the agency Of the Doctor in
preparing the Plan of Union in 1901, be-
tween the CongregstiOnalists and Prssbyts-
rians. This was an error of judgment. He
ought to have remembered how completely
the Presbyterisns we're Outgeneraled by the
Independents in the time of Cromwell, who
was seconded in his efforts BY no less a man
than John Milton, his Latin Secretary. We
doubt the prOpristy of mixing loose Church
government with one in which the people
are fairly represented by pastors and elders.
Some of those who joined our Presbyteries
under the Plan of Union were not without 3
hankering after the beggarly elements they
had left, but the great increase Of the Preaby-
terian Church prevented any serious results.
Had the Presbyterians obtained the victory
in England, Monk with all his army could
not have restored Charles II. to the throne
on terms that left the monarch q prosecutor
and an infamous despOt. The Presbyterians
were opposed to the execution of Charles l.
They only wished to show him the lawful
rights of the crown, but that all under that
crown were not without rights. This was
true, notwithstanding the sOphistry and rank
toryism of Hume.
But it seems that the author of DR.. Motifs
life takes pains to convince his readers thai
the President was an AbolitiOnist. Thil
statement if true adds nothing to the credi
of the Doctor. If he were st war with th'
Constitution of his country, he should have
tried to expatriate himself, and to have Sc
up his College among the Serfs of Russia
This would have been acting an honest part
But to violate the rights of the States, ant
then hug to their hearts Constitution dis
psrsed into shreds was preposterOus an
wicked. This was waging war against tn
Milky Way ranging among all the States
which bore the burden of its stars and git
tering gems to enhghten the people. W
sincerely wish that the slave States ma
founded plan of gradual emancipation
This would have been better than the col
eOcted scheme, by which they were Suddenl
tossed into furnace, without a redsemin
angel to prevent their hose and their hat
from being scOrOhed, and the hair on the
head from being siuged by deVouring fame
Under our Constitution the United Ststr
became dignity, but the dignity was revila
We wonder whether these men had eVu
read the Epistles of Peter and Jude. The
denunciatiOns are terrible against all wi
would rend governments to pieces. v
grant that there were some features tn
ought to have been made more cOmely. Al
vet four years war was kindled and N
lion of slaughtered men, delivered up to Dir
Of prey, presented more revolving sig