The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-05-31
ASSEMBL Y NOTES.
Editorial Corresrondence.)
ATLANTA, GA, May Goth. 1SS

days, and yet large part of its most i'm
portant business remains unfinished, and
1t Is almost certain that its sessions will
continue beyond the usual ten days.
Perhaps no Assembly of our Church has
had before it more subjects to awaken
interest, or that were more delicate and
difficult to settle.
The question of fully establishing fra
ternal relations with the Northern AS
sembly by sending corresponding dele
gate to it; the adjudication of the com
plant from the Memphis Presbytery
against the decision of Synod in the Park
case; the policy of separating the work
of Foreign and Home Missions, and Civ
ing to each its own Secretary the course
to be adopted for conducting the work of
Publication now that the debt has been
removed; the long delayed report on the
diaconate; and other matters of no less
interest, are all before this Assembly.
The Park Case
To-day decision was reached in the
Park case, as it has usually been called.
The reader will be able to understand
this case by referring to the report of the
proceedings of the Assembly which we
publish elsewhere, and especially from
the synopsis of the very able speeches of
Rev. Mr.. Rose and DR.. Craig, who rep
resented respectively the Presbytery and
the Synod in the case. The Assembly,
by vote of eighty-one to forty -two, de-
cined to sustain the complaint of the
Presbytery, and so determined that Rev.
Sam. Park, the colored minister ordained
by the Presbytery to preach to the col
ored people, is a member of Presbytery
and entitled to vote. This does not af-
feet the general policy of the Church
in organising a separate Presbyterian
Church for the colored people, which all
agreed would be the ultimate result by
the choice both of the colored people and
the white.
Fraternal Relations
Nothing has taken up so much of the
time of the Assembly, or excited so much
interest, as the question of sending del
egate to the Northern Assembly. 1t has
been under consideration since the second
day of the session, and the greater part
OF two days was consumed in discussing
the subject and in reaching conclusion
which met with the almost unanimous ap-
proval Of the Assembly. 1t was found
that the report first presented by the
committee Of correspondence setting forth
at length the reasons for not sending a
delegate, until certain retractions were
made by the other Assembly, could not
be adopted at all, or only by nearly
equally divided vote. 1t was apparent
also that the simple proposition to send
delegate without some mutual agreement
between the two bodies, in regard to re-
traction, would not meet with general
favor. So the matter was referred back
to the committee of correspondence, which
was also enlarged, and the result was the
preparation of paper on the basis Of
the mutual withdrawal of all expressions
deemed offensive, which was adopted
with only three dissenting voices, and
sent by telegraph to the other Assembly
for their adoption likewise, with the con-
ident expectation and earnest desire that
it would secure at once an exchange Of
delegates. Without the preamble it is
as follows:
In order to remove all difficulties in the wav
Of that full and formal correspondence for which
on our part, we are so earnestly desirous we
adopt the following minute
That while receding from no principle we do
hereby declare our regret for, aud withdrawal
Of all expressions of our Assembly which may
be regarded as rejecting upon, or offensive Ia.
the General Assembly Of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States Of America.
Resolyed, That a copy Of this paper be sent by
telegraph TO the General Assembly now in ses-
sion at Springfield Ill, for their prayerful CON
slderation, and, mutn,i5 nlltandjs for their re,
ciProcal concurrence as afording basis for the
exchange Of delegates forthwith"
When DR.. Brown, the chairman, pre-
sented it the whole Assembly was deeply
moved He said if there was any one
who did not earnestly desire fraternal re-
ladons his soul would have no sympathy
with him. Or if there was any one who
would ask aught Of his Northern breth- |