Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-07-24
Correspondence Of the YOrkville Enquirer

Historical Spot of Interest to americans.
Correspondence OF the YOrkyille Enquirer.
BELFAST, Ireland, July 1T is not pos
sible for any one to give within any reason
able space, even Il synopsis of the proceed
ings of the Pan Presbyterian Council. The
sessions of the Council are two-the morn
ing session, from 10A. NJ, to 80 p. NJ; the
evening session, from P. NJ. to II p. NJ.
The morning session is devoted mainly to
the reading of papers, while the discussion
of these papers is reserved for the evening
session. Only few individuals participate
in these discussions. The Scotch delegates
have, perhaps, the greatest fondness for
making speeches. Generally, they are in
tensely dull. They all, as a rule, speak
very low, hum and haw, as if they did not
know what to say, and at the same time
nod, turn around and bow, as if they
thought every body was listening to them
or ought to listen. Besides this their da
lect is simply awful. Some Of the Scotch
delegates are men of worldwide reputation,
and some of them are men of profound and
EXTENSIVE learning; but as rule they are
miserably poor speakers.
The Irish delegates are generally men of
as great learning as the Scotch, and they
are far better speakers. 1t is evident that
the Scotch-Irish are superior, in nearly every
thing, to the Scotch. In the American dele
gates there is more fire, more push, more
aggressiveneSs, than in either the Scotch or
Irish. Only a few of the American dele
gates say anything. Those who do speak,
always deliver themselves with ease and
power.
The Moderator of the Council is changed
at each sitting. This is, perhaps, the best
arrangement, on the whole, that could be
adopted; but it is defective, in that the
Moderator is not permitted to learn by ex-
perience. With the Scotch and Irish Pres
byterians it is regarded as very great
honor to be chosen the Moderator of an eccle-
siastical meeting. In America, until re-
Gently, not much Importance was attached
to the position. 1t is an admitted fact that
the American delegates make, by far, the
best presiding officers. This, no doubt, is
accounted for by the fact that public meet
ings in which all classes Of society partici-
pate, are of more frequent occurrence in
America than in any country in the world.
In America the people govern and control
every thing.
There are some practices in the Council,
which, to a man born and bred in the South
ern States, is distasteful even to disgust.
Those who address the Council are required
to do so from the platform on which are
seated the Moderator, clerks, and chairman
Of the business committee. This platform
SC o1,n1 hx,o Airrtf ofc cfa IN, fho
So soon as the speaker presents himself on
the platform he is cheered most loudly, and
if the speaker is some man ofnote the cheer
ing is prolonged for a considerable time.
If the speaker is so fortunate as to say
something that is endorsed, he is cheered
again. The cheering is done by clapping
the hands, by beating the floor with the end
of an umbrella, walking-stick or anything
that will make noise. The whole thing is
ill-timed and out-of-place. To any individ
ual who has even moderate respect for Gods
house, boisterous cheering appears irrever-
ant. Some of the delegates have a custom
which is absolutely disgusting. 1t is this:
When a speaker is not distinctly heard,
which by the way is the rule, those dele
gates who are from the British Isles make
loud Kissing noise by blowing the breath
out of their mouths. The noise sounds ex-
actly like that of a goose when warning in
truderS to keep away from her goslingS.
When 1 first heard it I thought some per-
sons were Kissing the speaker, but discov
ering that the speaker was not disconnected
by it, but rather encouraged, I concluded
that they were possibly taking snuff. The
custom, habit or practice or whatever it is,
seems to be confined to the Scotch and Irish
delegates.
On Wednesday deputation from the
Wesleyan Conference, now in session in Bel
fast, was received by the Pan-Presbyterian
Council. Several speeches were made by
members of the deputation, and reply to
all of them by the Moderator of the Council,
Rev. DR.. Hays, of America. All the speech
es were good, especially the reply by the
Moderator.
Irish Methodism is very different from
American Methodism. Irish soil is not so
well adapted to its growth. The Wesleyan
delegates to the Presbyterian Council
lauded and extolled the works of Boston and
Erskine to a greater extent that l ever heard
them lauded and eXtolled by members of the
Associate Reformed Synod of the South.
In fact, one would have concluded, from
their speeches, that they were not only
good Presbyterians, but good Seceders. In
fact, l am convinced that the Wesleyan
Church of Ireland adhereS more closely to
the consensus of the Reformed Churches
than do several of the so called Presbyteri-
an Churches of Scotland.
The subject which produced the longest
and the most earnest and the most exciting
discussion was on the admission Of the Cum
berland Presbyterans as members of the
Council. After debate of several hours,
the report was amended so as to virtually
disapprove of what the Cumberland Pres
byterian Church has done in eliminating
o1x,i, {Inf,. ,fp,a nf Eoif
The report of the committee was amended
so as to read "that the Cumberland Presby-
terian Church be admitted without approx
ing Of the proposed revision" The vote
stood for the amendment 112, and a for the
original motion, which was to admit the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church without
pronouncing any judgment upon the new
Confession of Faith.
On Saturday, June the 2Sth, the Council,
as a whole, visited Tonduf and the Giants
CauseWay. They were accompanied by
several hundred friends. Theday was spent
very pleasantly, and to most of us it was
day full of wonders. The Giants Cause
way is one of the most wonderful sights to
be seen on the globe. Some time, when |
have more time, L may attempt a descrip-
tion of it, but at present it must be passed
over with simple mention. The only ac-
cident of the day was the throwing of Rev.
DR.. VIM. Irwin, of New York, from an Irish
jaunting car. BY the fall both bones of one
leg were broken. Otherwise he was not Sc
riOusly hurt.
On Sabbath all the Presbyterian pulpits
in the town, and in the adjacent country,
were filled by members of the Council. TO
your readers it may appear strange that a
place containing two hundred and twenty
five thousand Inhabitants is called town
but such is certainly the case. The distinc-