Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-05-24
PUBLISHED DAILY AND TRI-WEEKLY BY
lDGAR SNOW DEN.
SATURDAY EvENlN9......MAY "a, 1879,
The Southern PRESBYTERIAN Church was CT
pnniz d ia the Old slavery DAYS, wholly because

1.-THE Southern PRESBYTERIAN Church was CT
gapiz ID 10 the Old slavery DAYS, wholly osoSus'
of Tho sbolni)n agitation. Bus slavery being
.xtirpai,d, tho Church has 70 0 her reasun ior
4, par.,ion than the cherished bitterness OF the
old feud. The reunited northern Church has
vaiuly sought Reconciliation.
Thus saith tho Philaderhis N2Ith Amen
csn, enc Of the newspapers whose sole mlssloo
scalas TO be to cmbtttr old and cngcnder ne"
sui.nosities b,tween the two factions into Winch,
u,happiIy, The otuatry is divided, and Their
efT,r,s to accom- 2lish which are deferred and
obstiuctcd 80 it'll, by lack of reason as oY
want Of truth. The Southern Presbyterian
Church was organized 10 1861. Tho CHIEF
g-ourd Ct their SEPARATION from the Northern
Assembly was the &c ion Of that Assembly In
rrso!ying to determine, as Coutt q Jesus
Christ, the true Interpretation OF The Coostltu
rio, ofthe Uaited States az to the kind Of govern
n.ont it intended 10 form, aud 10 maklcg seccs
al 10 c,ine. the s.c,dog States rebecus. aud
the citz .ns who obeyel them traitors. Ibis
acloo was regarded by many OF the atlest
men in the Northern Church IS beth uncors::-
tutional a1d u scriptura', and as utJds; Ard
cruel 10 its bcaring Oh the southern PresD5tc'
rians, as it was oonscienli,usy believed by ma nv
Of them that their a!ceisrc, va, primarily due
to the States to which thcy respectively be-
loaged, and that therefore they were bound to
O. ntiauo loyal TO their State and obedent 10 It's
LAYS. Tic ouly conceivable coalition upon which
tho Church 10 the North and that 10 the Scu!h
could 1cln aio together as 40 organic body dunog
the civil war vss fer tho Church to keep her
self aloof from all political agisa!ion'. aud as
a Sc,iptural body to txcule oil poliiicll and
SECULAR q lestious from her deliberations and
ac.ious, ac,orGilg to the requirements OF her
writton constitution. The proviucts ct the
Church and State ara peif.oIly dstlnct, and
the ono has 90 right to usurp the jurisdiction
Of the other. The division Of the Church was
caused by bor iotermedjliug with civil and
pclitclI q1cs.iors, which bslopg 10 tho State.
That was The rtsul: Ct the angry passions OF
the war. The separation VAS not caused by
slavery, nCr is it continued by The cherished
bitterness Ct the tli full What wcud at
onos restore tic most cordial ffsteroa! relations
and hearty co operation between these two a.
portaot h,dies would b, for tho Nortbern
Church to exouogs from th,ir records all their
bitter dcnucc;a,i ,us of their sortbtra brethren
during the war, or at least u express regret tor
then. and for bo;h parties to 10; bye'gones be
bye.goncs, and 10 exercise mutual charity; and
if the Southern Church has on her records
anything that is tff,nsi7e und defamatory 10
their northern brethren, let them be expuoged
also. The tim, Of bitterness has past. end
northern 5nl s,u:he!n pfesbSterisnS meet
everywhere as brethren. and their ministers
freely ex,haDge pulpts, aud are % The most
cordial terms.