The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-18
NEGROES AT THE SHRINE
TIE PREsBYTERIANS IN A FIX ON
THE COLOR LINE.

heuniting of the Church North and
South Difficult Of Accomplishment
on Account of the Brother in Black
"A Bombshell in the Chicago Pres
bytery.
CHICAGO, April 17.-The annual meeting
| of the Chicago Presbytery began Yesterday.
The most important feature of the proceed
ings Of the day was the preamble and reso-
lutions introduced by Rev. Mr.. johnson, Of
the Theological Seminary on the reunion
of the Northern and Southern Presbyterian
churches After setting out that they
heartily favor reunion Of the Northern
and Southern Presbyterian churches, solely
on the basis of common standard, they
assure the committee of the Southern
church that there is no change in views
concerning the spirituality of the church
as connected with its political deliverances.
The resolution then says:
We cannot consent TO the establishment of a
separate African Presbyterian church or to any
| provisional arrangement looking forward to the
organization of separate African Presbyterian
| church.
| We are willing to consent to an arrangement
in the interests solely of practical efficiency by
which the present boundaries and constituents
| OF the presbyteries and synods in the South
snail remain in statu quo provided this shall be
| the unconstraned preferences Of both parties
| interested explicitly expressed by the several
| presbyteries, and provided it be no bar to
| future adjustments according TO Presbyterian
| preferences, subject always, as heretofore to
the acts OF the General Assembly.
coLoRED PREsByrERY
If there are a sufficient number of ministers
| and churches to form colored presbytery in
any locality, already covered by the synod such
/ Rs.a hot aVstrVs l.,
ground desire it, but such presbytery shall re-
main In the same synod, unless there he a
| synod of our colored Christian brethren near
enough to which the presbytery asks to be at
| tached.
The reading of the preamble and resolu-
tlons created n profound sensation. DIR.
Gray protested that if such an utterance as
| that went forth as the deliberate expression
of the opinion of body of Christian MN
listers, quarter of century after the
| closing of the war; it would be most infa-
nous and disgraceful ut means that we
| shall go down there with arms and
resuscitate all the old issues Of
bloody and nearly forgotten war. The
presbyterles of Florida, Missouri, Ken
lucky and Tennessee have already signified
desire TO come over to the reunion, but not
a man of them would come in the face of
such an insult as this. The effort can only
result in the disntegration of that church."
INoN Ut. w luHTOW bdlu: "A powerful
body will come to the General Assembly
asking for reunion. We cannot stand on
this proposition. 1t would sweep us from
off our feet. But then, again, il we say
we will consent to reunion and coalesce
all the synods and all the
presbyteries embraced, doubt If we would
succeed. If we fail, it would be to the ever
lasting shame of the Presbyterian churclE
| don't believe in ecclesiastical utterances,
and [ am unshakably convinced that the
| introduc ion of the color line in religion is
| abhorrent to the best Christian sentiment
of the day"
The matter will come up again.
THE OUTCOME.
The matter was finally disposed of by the
adoption of the first portion OF DR.. Worces-
| ters amendment to Dr. Gray's substitute,
reading as follows:
RESOLVED, That this presbytery is heartily in
| favor OF a reunion with the Southern church on
the basis Of our common STANDARDS, pure and
simple.
The concluding portion, "and equal right
of all disciples OF Christ In every court of
Christs ohurchn was voted on separately
and on motion laid upon the table.