Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-25
AN UNCHRTsTIAN BARRIER.
Northern Presbyterians Refuse I
Abolish their Imnntatinns

Northern Presbyterians Refuse tn
Abolish their Imputations
LEXINGTON, May 24.-The Presbvte-
rian General Assembly South opened to-
day ith prayer by S. C. Alexander. of
North Carolina. Communications touch
ing on the observance of the Sabbath were
referred to the Special Committee on Bills
and Overtures, and recommended that
the substance of the Overtures be pub
lished in the minutes. Telegrams and
Christian salutatiOns were read
from the Young Mems Christian
Associations Convention at Milwaukee
and from the Cumberland PRESBYTERIAN
Assembly at Nashville. The Assembly
returned the salutatiOns. The Committee
on Home and Foreign Missions reported
both fields in good condition. The Com
mlttee on Resolutions and on Fraternal
Correspondence with the Northern AS
sembly reported that it should be carried
on by delegates in 1884 and 1885, and
afterWard by letter. DR.. SmoOt read a
letter from DR.. Brown, delegate to the
Northern Assembly stating that DR.. Crosby
had offered resolution in the Northern
Assembly sweeping away all imputations
against the Southern Church, which was
referred to Rev. Drs. Herriek, Johnson,
Breckenridge and Crosby, and that ma
iOrity of the committee reported against
the resolution. The letter caused some
excitement in this body, and will proba-
bly, be barrier to more expressions of
fraternity. DR.. Nicoles, Of the Northern
Assembly, took his leave to-day in a feel
ing manner.
DIR. McElwain's resignation as Secre-
tary of home missions was accepted by
the assembly, he having accepted the
Presidency of the Hampden Sydney Col
lege.
The misunderstanding of the action of
the Presbyterian Assembly in fraternal
relations, makes further statement of
the facts necessary. On Tuesday the
Committee on Overtures reported and re-
commended the following:
LiesOtUed, That all correspondence with
other ecclesiastical bodies shall be con-
Quoted by letter.
At the afternoon session DR.. Bullock
offered the following substitute:
While it is our rule to conduct our cor
respondence by letter, yet under the present
extraordinary circumstances, and to
avoid the appearance of discOurtesy, the
assembly deems proper that the present
delegates be commissioned to the General
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in
the United States. After a lengthy dis
cusslOn the subject was laid over as un-
finished business. When it was taken up
on Wednesday the discussion was kept
up at great length. At the afternoon
session G. r. Hemphill offered the follow
ing substitute:
ReS0lced, That the method of cOrres-
pondence by letter, which now obtains,
between this Presbyterian Church, in the
United States, and other churches, except
the Reformed (Dutch) Church and the
General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States of America,
he extended to these bodies, with the eX-
ceptiOn, however, that delegates be ap-
pointed to these respective churches at
their next meeting, to convey our cordial
Christian salutatiOnS and state to
these bodies the methods of
our future correspondence, in the hope
that it may meet their approval and that
the attention of our Presbyterians be
called to this action of the General AS
sembly.
This substitute was adopted by I13 ayes
to % nays. Without reaching a final
vote the substitute was referred to the
committee of seven to perfect the phrase
OlOgy of the resolution.
The report of this committee is made
the special order for Friday, when an eX-
citing debate is expected.