Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-05-28
BROTHER PARK,
Notwithstanding His Color and the Con-
structiOn Put Upon His Ordination,
is Minister in Good Standing in
The Memphis PresbJtery, and is Entitled
TO YOte-His Case as it Was Man
q aged by the Rev. DIR. Craig.

Special Correspondence of the Appeal
ATLANTA, May 26.-The case of the Rev.
Sam Park, colored, occupied the General
Assembly of the Southern Presby terrain
Church, in Atlanta. during the greater part
of Thursday and Friday. The case was ar
gued IN behalf of the Memphis Presbytery,
which had decided that Mr.. Park had no
right 10 vote in the presbytery. by the Rev
J. NJ. Rose, of this city, and on behalf OF the
Synod OF Memphis, which had reversed the
decision OF the presbytery, by the Rev. DIR.
Craig, of Holly Springs, Miss. These gen
tlemen thoroughly understood the matter in
hand, and their manner OF handling the case
utterly forbade the entrance OF anything
like spirit OF strife. In the eloquent lam
guage of a prominent Presbyterian divine, in
1865, while the country was still rocking in
the subsiding swell of civil war, this church
declared that it knew the colOred people
only as sinners lost and 10 be, through
means OF the church, brought into the posi-
ton of sinners saved" The church at diff
ferent times changed its plans of operation,
experience proved, to be needful. 4 theo-
logical institute for colored men, under able
teachers, was established at Tuscaloosa, Ala,
and is in successful operation. The Presby
terry of Memphis desired to help on the work.
They had two or three good, but uneducated,
colored men who, they thought, would
MAKE SUITABLE PREACHERS
for their race, and they thought that an act
of the General Assembly Of 1869 authorized
them to ordain these men to the ministry
with a view, az soon as the way should be
clear, of setting them off into a colored
presbytery Without giving them right to rule
Mr.. Park One Of their candidates was ac-
cidentally killed, and the separate church
project failed Mr. Park was thus left for
seven years in the white presbytery. He
was humble, not aggressive, respected by all.
At last the question was raised in presbytery,
not by Mr.. Park, but by white member, as
to Mr.. Parks right to vote. Presbytery said
he had no such right. A question Of church
government was thereby raised as to whether
a minister could be ordained without this
right, and complaint was carried to synod.
The synod reversed the decision oil presby-
terry, and the case went to the assembly. The
question OF color came in incidentally. The
christian spirit, the gentlemanly manner,
and the able argument OF the Rev. Mr.. Rose,
commanded the admiration of ALL The First
Presbyterian church of Atlanta was
crowded, and many leading men OF the
church were on his side, among them the
Rev. VIM. Brown, OF Virginia, DIR. Lefevre,
of Baltimore, DR.. Alexander, of the Viz
ginia Theological Seminary, and DIR. Girar-
deau, who spent large part of his life in
ministoring to the colored people in Charles
ton, S. c. DR.. Craig responded on behalf of
synod, and held his audience one hour and
twenty minutes. His side was strongly
favored by DIR. Faris, of ST. Louis, Dr.
Richardson, of Virginia, DIR. McIlvain, OF
Baltimore, DIR. PETER, Of Washington City,
and number OF others. The lawyers en-
tered freely; the Hon. T. w. Turley, of
Nashville, in the negative, the Hon. L. j.
kirkpatrick and the Hon. Robert Collier,
both of Virginia, Mr.. Ewing, of Tenne see,
and others, in the affirmative. The battle
was fought all over the ground-hotly con-
tested. When the last gun was fired the
vote settled it by eighty-oDe to forty-two that
MR.. Park HAD THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN
PREsBYTERY.
1t was clearly shown, however, that he
was ordained with the understanding that
he would not attempt to rule over white
churches, but this was settled to be waiv-
| ing of his right not destruction of it.
Two fixed points in Presbyterian government
we're thus reiterated, viz:
Fyrst-That there is but one ordination
| to the ministry in the Presbyterian Church.
| He whom a presbytery ordains is ordained
| with all the rights of a minister, until his
ordination itself is attacked and overthrown.
Sccond-The Presbyterian Church consti-
| tuition knows no race or color. lie whom
| the proper authorities choose to admit TO
| privileges is admitted in full.
Both sides wanted to do that which would
enlist the church in behalf of the colored
| people. Each party claimed that its posi-
| ton would be best for that purpose. A good
| deal of the battle was a wrestling of the
giants, a part of it very humorous. The re-
suit will do good.