The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-07
THE PRESBYTERS' SPEECHES.
WORE or TALMdGE'S BRETHREN TELL
WHAT IHEr THINK or MN.


-. rr,xo speeches Against tho 4 ccu,ed Pns-
,r DR. Van Dykes Reasons for Believing
NJ Tnlmnae TO Have been DeceIver-
Mr.. RocLwens Opinion OF brooklyn.
Tho nrivate session OF the Brooklyn Pres
,,,ery Yesterday continued to no devoted to tho
s,,rcsaion oi opinions on DIR. Talmage's case.
,rsvious to tho roll call on the final vote. DR..
T,image seemed happy as the end OF his long
,,al drew near There were only two speeches
o,a,e against him in tho afternoon. and during
,besc he read a newspaper. or turned his back
upon the speaker.
Tho Rev. John Neander. German pastor.
,.d that he could not and would not vote to
sps,ain the charges against DR.. Tamage. He
believed Or. Talmage was innocent although
Dr Talmage was not the speakers standard Of
man. Mrs Talmages testimony was enough
10 convince him. APhiladclphia doctor Of Iii
Unity sat by the speakers side on the day Mrs
Tamagc testified and said What power
woman has on an audience
The Rev. b. G. Benedict said that in the very
Indictment which accused DR.. Talmage OF false
mood and deceit there was deceit Cor It said that
pr Talmaee stood charged by common fame
0, certain things specified to make up tho
charge Of falsehood and deceit. Every brother
on ,he floor knew that he was not charged by
common fame. and MIR. Crosby was Just rs
,uil,y Of falsehood in 20 dcceiving the Presby-
terry in that specification as DIR. Talmage had
rrobably been in his actions yet no one thought
~ making the charge against Mr. Crosby. Mr..
panedir added speaking OF DR.. Talmage: d"
cannot lay my hand upon him. Let the Lord
do it, Not L.
The Rev. J. T. Rockwell said that for seven
teen years he had been pastor OF the church
over which DR.. Talmage now presides. II any
man in the Presbytery might be said naturally
I, have had bias. he was that man. for he had
found 1t hard to pray honestly to forgive our
debts as we forgive our debtors. for he had been
misused by some in DR.. Talmago's church. IIe
had been called a dciunct clergyman. and his
work had been underyalued. But he deter
mined not to allow his prejudiccs to endanger
Dr. Tamage's ecclesiastical life. He had fire.
quently spoken severely OF DR.. Talmage's
method Of ministry. He often wondered how n
man who could preach so effectively. and bring
the truth home to men so straight could stoop
% such tricks 10 draw crowds. DIR. Talmage's
refusal OF $4,000 salary. offered him II he
would consent to have the pews rented was
noble DR.. Tamage probably heard ISLANDERS
about Mr.. Hathaway and probably believed them.
Brooklyn retains its village character OF for ~
years ago. Everybody still knows everybody s
business. Brooklyn is the Athens of America.
The men spend their time in telling and hear
ing something new. You couldn't throw n
sketch Of SANDER q hundred feet without hit
ion involving I. W. Hathaway was a matter
settled between the two men. IL ought not to
have been reopened. Unless they were deter
mnedto convict Or. Talmage OF being liar
anyhow, and get rid Of him. they could not find
him guilty OF deceit. The speaker could not
approve Of Dr. Talmage's action in sending
those telegrams. neither could the Presbytery
but DR.. Talmage did not think that he was do
Ing wrong. Mr.. Rockwell said he would not
vote to blast DR.. Talmage's ministry for this
mistake. and he was therefore prepared 10 vote
not TO susta n the charges.
The Rev. James NJ. Sherwood said that for ono
he came into the Presbytery AN unprejudced
man. He had been painstaking and conscien-
tlous in forming his opinion, and he was will
acquitted by the public long before he had been
tried but his Mr.. Sherwoodsl judgment was
controlled by the evidence and the law OF Christ
DR.. Talmage maintained an unabashed defiant
attitude before the Presbytery. The speaker
could not excuse DR.. TalmAge's moral oh
lquity Of Judgment and his overt acts
tional iniirmty. DR.. Talmage on cross-exami-
nation failed to meet the essentials Of "A fair
exceedingly disrespectful. a. least to the Court
and the counsel On the other hand. the wit
nesses for the prosecution had impressed the
speaker favorably, and he thought that they
were trustworthy gentlemen. He must declar.
his unqualified condemnation OF the acts OF
was prepared to vote that the first second. and
fourth Specifications were fully sustained. and
to fifth specification partly sustained, and the
third not Sustained. The sixth and seventh
ought not TO have been introduced.
The Rev. Oliver 81. John said that he could
not dvest his heart OF sentiment. He loved
Dr. Talmage, He could not call DR.. Talmage a
liar. and send him out branded thus.
Elder Neff of the Ainslie Street Presbyterian
Church announced that he wished 10 have his
vote recorded a. not sustaining the charges.
The Rev. Dr. &. II. Taylor said that he had NO
opinion to express on the case.
The Rey. Alfred Taylor said that the question
Tor the Presbytery 70 decide was whether
Christian minister. or whether he was guilty
Of falsehood and deceit. The speaker believed
that the Presbytery had no business with the
case from the first He thought that the only
reparation the Presbytery could make was t.
vote TalmaRe a hearty acquittal, and to bid him
c, On and g4odspeed him IN his ministry.
an with much force. Dr. Talmage seemed
RESTLESS during the speech. and shifted about in
his seat DR.. Van Dyke ayerred that two gray,
mistakes had marked tho whole progress OF
the trial. The simple rule Of equity had been
set aside in favor OF the so-called English law
and then an Interpretation was given to this
law. Of greater latitude than would be permitted
IN any secular court. The cross examination
u seemed 10 Or. van Dyke, hnd been designed
~ many insthnces 10 confuse the witness. rather
than 10 ehct his knowledge Of facts 10 cover
up rather than TO reveal the truth. He reached
his conclusion under solemn sense OF rcspon
sibiity TO God and to the Church He reviewed
the facts and averred that on the first speciflca
ton he found Aye distinct acts of deception IL
the conduct OF Dr.. Talmage. several OF which
were accompanied by averments which he knew
70 be- false. These were:
His refusal TO suggest any change in the circular
Presented Tor his approval about the iuth sep
TIMBER. IA connection with his own sworn declnrauof
That AZ that time he had fully determined to sever h
connection with the paper that all but did say
becau- he would not reveal ms plans 10 Mr. Remington
Who was his enemy. Mr. Remington had sunk slOUs
i the attempt 10 sustain the paper under Dr. Talmage
tdorship Not particle Of Iroof has been adduced 1,
show his hostility 10 Dr. THlmagr-nUt act or word
kemngton's Is In evidence before us sustain TIM
accusation But Or. TalmAse says Remington wa
~ enemy and therefore when the circular which
MN, and presented for the purpose Of giving hin
tie opportunity Of correcting tins statement II he desired
g. DO 49, Or TalmaRe not only lett his socaled euem,
under false impression. but consented that Statement
winch he knew To be incorrect and which he iuly pur
J'-d very soon 10 nValidap hy his own act should z,
cannot persuade myself that he acted otherwise thar
dr.rtuIlY. spoke uthcTwi-r than falsely. Even at
nltung The maxim that II lawful Ia deceive enemy
~ certainly j. not lawful to deceive innocent strangers
order " circuuveut a suspected foe.
? second act ~ deceit was his Withholding from Mr.
alock the 9Th OF October the information that h.
had already ON the 4th OF October made contract win
Tie Airdncs MI lalloCk his friend Bearing IN
llud tie whole history ui the negotiations Dr. Talmags
ad 40 night a. allow this friend tu AMI complete
own plans and purposes which impression he had him
tli fustrred ana encouraged And IL u giving a yer,
mud name 10 Ms conduct under the circumstances 10 say
klat Il was drceiuul
The deceit and falsehood were practised in a
more aggravated form on Monday the 9TH col October
Dr. IAlmAge knew that he could not ucceptt III
WAS bound bY another agreement which. according
ms own testimony. could not Dee broken His pretrncc u
considering It, winch WAsiuyOlved in he uro - Ia 4,