New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-13
and manufacturing companies to own stock In railway
corporatOns.
DR. JoHyHALl AND THE UNION SEMINARY

TO the Editor Of The TIL D II o
Sir: In n report of the last meeting OF the botiu
of Directors OF Union Theological Seminary iuniS1u
know not by whom--we had no reporters presenV-
occurs the following sentence: 1t was noticed, nov"
ever. that the Rev. Dr. John Hall retired from the
meeting the plea Of important engagements e's0-
where before vote was reached
This Is the only reference TO myself and Is so liable
to a certain misunderstanding that l feel bound to
state the facts.
was at the meeting from its beginning at O'Clock
until quarter past s. when had TO leave, as was
under a promise to lecture to Presbyterian church
at White Plansa labor Of love-" Mt the request OF us
acting pastor and my valued friend.
Up to the hour OF O'Clock. the point urged by
several members II do not give names, because have
only one object In mind, was that the seminary IN
the arrangement made with the General Assembly
twentyone years ago, did what was ruled against IN
its charter. what Illegal. and what in law for
feed its rights to It's property and that therefore, the
Assembly had power. and could have none. TO veto
an appointment of professor. This plea was sup
ported by high legal authority and evidence was
given that Of the directors apprehendcd all this,
when the late Dr. Adams framed the overture made to
the General Assembly the acceptance Of which placed
Union Seminary in new relation TO the Assembly.
To all this as matter of fact, had nothing TO
say. Legal technicallty1s sometimes one thing and
equity quite another. The question before the board
we had placed the institution. Csee minutes Of Assem-
bly, for 1870, PIP. II. 14s) felt bound 10 say that
our Immediate duty is TO go the Assembly and say In
plain language We erred when we placed the insti
tuition under the Of the General Assembly, for
We precuded by charter from doing so. We
mlsled you, unintenonally of course, and gave you
powers which had right to give For twenty
one years have been under your care. under mis-
apprehension for which We the directors, re-
sponsibe, and are deeply sorry" So clear did this
obligation seem to the exponent of the defence, that
he framed q sentence and offered to put it in his
paper, embodying the acknowledgment. on this pa
per- though its adoption moved and seconded, no
vote taken
/ added that the natural outcome, from the facts
stated must be the separation of the Union seminary
from tho Assembly, after relation established, on
our own motion, for twenty-One years, and which
made the Assembly responsible for our work, before
the churches; and that then ii would become ques-
ton TO some of US whether could in the circum-
stances, remain members Of the board. We invited
the Assembly TO take under its 1t accepted
the responsibility, and it acts under of it, We
say to it, Hands off! We had no right TO put
ourselves under your care, yOu, and we, and the
world understood It, for these one and twenty years."
1 mention these things "to correct the impression
that the report in The Tribune would suggest namely,
that had opinion the matter, that did not
desire to be committed to any side" My conviction
l stated in the planest that I could urging the
obligations on men, Christian men, as pub
lie Christian body whose proceedings now interest so
much the community.
have venured to put in quotation marks the point
my position or deterd myself but as / am to be out
of the country for some little time, wish to save
criticS-higher H%er-trOuble In specializing upon my
motives. Yours must truly j. HALL
New-York, June II, 1891.