The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-06-06
A PREACHER FROM TEXAs.

A PREACHER FROM TEXAs.
DR.. Smoot Drives Nall In the Coffin o
Presbyterian Union.
BALTIMORE, MD., May 29.-The South
ern Presbyterian General Assembly
spent an of to-day wrsnghng. Organic
union reused the members to feve!
heat, and DR.. Smoot, of Texas, made 6
red-bot speech. The report of the com.
mittee on overtures, declaring organic
union imprscticable, was further con
sidered and finally adopted by vote oI
S5 to 10, thus killing the scheme. Sc
impassioned were the speeches that the
Moderator had frequently to call the
speakers to order.
DR.. Smoot, of Texas, created sena,
ton. He hourished his right arm and
almost shouted:
"These Northern brethren keep talk
ing about what We owe this country. We
started out on the principle that we
would conserve the interests Of the
Church of God at the expense of the
country, whether it stands or falls. I
owe nothing under God to the country.
I pay my taxes, abide by the laws and
the powers that be, and love my family.
I don't mean to tie myself to the apron
strings of any Haunting government.
Talk about the country being united!
It is not. You might as well talk
about uniting the Democratic and Re
publican parties. They talk about the
color line. Why, white woman actually
went to member of the Legislature in
Texas and asked to have the laws
changed so that she could marry great,
big, black, stslwart negro, on the ground
that he was flesh and blood like any
other man. The only difference was in
color, which was the most superficial
thing Of all. They tell us that it will be
discourteous to the Northern Assembly
not to seek organic union. But these
brethren have forgotten all the wrongs
of the Northern Assembly to us. I say
it kindly, Christianly, bluntly, I don't
want organic union. But the Northern
brethren are sharp. What they don't
know is not worth knowing"
The Rev. j. A. Waddell, of Virginia,
a precise little man with gray beard,
took the platform, with his manuscript
in his hand and his umbrella held close
" under his arm. This created great
deal of amusement. He did not mind
that, however, snd, undisturbed by a
suggestion that came from within few
feet of him to drop his umbrella, he held
on to it and proceeded to deliver him
self against organic union. Organic
unioc by fusion, he declared, was dan
gerous. Organic union was no. com
manded by Christ or required by the
Gospel.
The Rev. S. M. Neel said: 'The great
question OF church unity has fallen upon
our age. T carried musket in the
Southern army for four years, and for
that I might be supposed to be opposed
to the North, but I want to do what the
Church of Christ wishes me to do, and [
mean to do it. The first question that
us was IS to the spirituality Of
the Church, but if there had been no
war there would be now no separation.
Thank God the war over, and now shall
We stay separated? We have been told
that the Northern Assembly lodged our
questions as to peiagianism and semi
pelagianism. don't believe it. I be-
lieve they met rs squarely like men,
Mr.. r. 4. Simpson, ruling elder
from the Synod of Alabama, said: elf
unity is not needed in matters eccles!as
ticsl let us abandon our Presbyteries and
our Synods and 80 back to Congrega-
tionalism. It is time for US hide our
heartburnings of the past and 60 for
ward in the work that is before us. The
Northern Assembly did not evade our
questions as to heresy, as they have been
charged with doing. They are just as
sound on that subject as we are. These
questions have sll been sifted until it
has become ridiculous. We are told
that We are making progress. What
PROGRESS have We made with the colored
man? This is solemn question that
oonfronts US in the South. There is our
field of evangelizstion. We should lay
aside all prejudice and take up this duty.
It is alone our duty, who know their
so well. After twenty
years of professed evangeGzation can
you point to a single Presbytery that has
done anything?"
A voice: eyes; in North Carolina and
South Carolina"
MIR. Simpson, continuing: eyes, that
is all we have accomplished among q
people who have been for one hundred
years our tutelage."
Dr.. Smoot, of Texas: ''Yes, and if the
Northern preachers had let US alone We
would have done more"
The Moderator: "Order!"
Mr. Simpson: 'I deny it.
DR.. Smoot: "You can't deny as to
Texas. You haven't seen it.
Mr.. Simpson: 81 don't undertake to
speak for Texas. They have such funny
things down there that I would not be
at anything that happened
there. How can We accomplish any
thing with two churches working side by
side both jealous of each other?'
Most of the members say they are
glad the question has now been finally
dropped.
A Forgotten Man.
Sousherner, who saw much of William
Gilmore Simms in his later years, says