The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-05-26
Seal and Other Committee Reports Dis
cussed by the Northern Assembly.
Animated Debate Over Q Proposed Black List
What Has Been Done in Behalf Of Freed.
men-More Young Ministers Needed.
Work of the Educational Department Of
the Southern Branch of the Church.
Mission Superintendents Located by United
Presbyterians, in Session at Bloomington,
Ind.-Cumberland Assembly.
NORTHERN ASSEMBLY.

AEh
The Seal, Work Among Freedmen and Edu-
cation Discussed Yesterday.
DETROIT. May 25.-At the morning session
of the Presbyterian General Assembly, after
devotional exercises AID the references of .
few overtures to the committee. the
discussion on the seal was taken
up. DR.. Baker and Elder Junkin. Of
Philadelphia. spoke In favor of the seal
Judge Shipman, of New Jersey. o class
mate of moderator. said. Elder Junkin's
welLknown b~enevolence is shown in his
posed TO put on the cross in the seal. In
case it is left they ought to inscribe under
it, N. B.-This is not the devil Besides.
the head ought not to be hanging down. IL
looks as if he was just going to bite" The
matter was then laid aside.
The standing committee on freedmen re-
ported through DR.. Erskine. of Carlisle.
Pa. Following is a synopsis: Two churches
have become self-sustaining. There Is en-
~couraging progress at Biddle University;
Charlotte, n. G.; Concord, n. c.; Crockett.
Tex; Cotton Plant, Ark; Augusta. Ga;
Abbeyville, S. c.; Danville, Va; B~urkevilie.
Va; Chester. Charleston and Beaufort, s.
c., and Pine Bluff. Ark, and we hope to
have one in Mississippi under the patron
age of Illinois leaders. We received from
1865 tour first year, to 1863. s126. 29s. 9S; from
1870 to 1880. s513. 1926 &c., from 1881 TO 1921.
81, 1S6. 400. SO. making a total in twenty-six
years of 81. s96.096.21.
The total for last year was $176. 5000.
This does not in clude what the freedmen
have given in self-snpport Total number
of whito missionaries. II. and of colored,
100; Of white catechists, 4. and of colored,
10. Teachers: white males, 10; colored, "a;
white females. 80: colored. IS. Churches
organized in the year, z; total churches
under our board. 169; missions. IL; commu-
nicants added during the year on certif-
cate. 193, and on examination, 1896; total
communicates, 1856: total Sabbath
schools, 259; total pupils in schools. 1922;
total schools. "a; total pupils, l1.029; total
uting, 1891; Sunday-schools contributing,
324; wOmen's missionaries and bands con-
tributing, l.121. The freedmen are here to
stay and must be educated IN the south.
There has been much increase In their
wealth, but not much If any Improvement
in their moral condition. Religious labor
among them Is fruitful as almost nowhere
else. We have only been laying founds-
tiOu6. VIZ VI cnlaIk0 III OI0CL W Ll6kO
right use of what has been done.
Rev. DR.. Allen, secretary of the board,
said that his interest In the work had been
growing ever since he was q boy on his
fathers plantation, and especially during
the eleven years of his secretsryship. The
present generation of negroes" he said.
will largely decide the character Of all the
generations who will come after them, and
the future of the country. The only solu-
ton is a Christian education for HIM. No
man can tell how much o negro can learn;
he has Just started. You will see tonight
several young colored fellows that look az
we'll and can preach as well as many OF you.
Then they are coming to the front in var
ious lines of business. One Of them In
Kansas owns q street railway, and Is just
buying another. They pay taxes on $780,
600 worth of pro perry"
OF CHURCHES AND MINISTER'S.
The standing committee on bringing to-
gether vacant churches and unemployed
ministers reported through Rev. Herrick
johnson. D.. D.. of Chicago. certain recon-
mendations which were to strengthen the
Episcopal power of the presbytery. After
quite an animated discussion Of
its provisions by DIR. Lowery. of
Philadelphia. who opposed the fourth
section as being a blacklist of ministers
and churches who. for any reason. decline
to come under the proposed arrangement.
H. JOnuBOn edlQ no eucu isl WeulG DC pun
lished. DR.. Macon thought the numbers
and not the names should be reported.
Elder Van Rensselaer,, of New York. thought
we ought to have more black-llsts of those
who won't mind the assembly. Elder Tyn-
dial. of California, thought good advice was
better than q list. unless we 60 further and
fix q penalty. DIR. Moore thought discipline
was q matter as TO which We cannot dictate
TO presby teries. unless the existing consti-
tutionaI prohibition be removed in the pre-
scribed wav.
Stated Clerk Roberts thought the whole
matter must be sent down TO p~resbyteries.
Another brother thought this blacklist
would soon become q roll of honor. DR..
HerrIck johnson thought 1t was only Tor
means of getting information as to the
workingof our plant. Mr.. Smith, OF Shang-
hal. thought the matter should be left to
the presbyteries. President Patton recon-
end thar, before final enactment. il be
referred TO a special committee TO report to
this assembly on the question of the consti-
nationality of the plan, which he doubted,
but offered to withdraw his motion till all
the sections had been acted upon. Leave
to withdraw was, by vote, refused, and ad-
journment cut of further debate.
In the Tort-street Church a large crowd
gathered this evening to hear addresses in
behalf of the work among the freedmen.
Rev. j. i. Gibson, Office secretary of the
board, with Rev. Messrs. Wilson. of Geor-
gia; York Jones. of Virginia; Haskins, OF
North Carolina, and Watkin. of South Car
olina, colored missionaries. made some sd-
dresses which were listened 10 with much
interest.
In the afternoon the report of the COM
mittee on correspondence between churches
and ministers was fixed for the first order
Tuesday morning.
The postponed discussion OF the seal was
taken up. the serpent symbol being advo-
Gated by DR.. w. A. Bartlett. of Washing
ten, ID. c., who thought that the conclusion
reached IN the learned and exhaustive in
vestigation of the committee should be
given great weight. He said: II hope the
snake will 90 in. Christ said: BE wise as
serpents.' Our prejudice against the beau
tiful creatures Of God-as truly His as we
are-is unworthy Christian man,
Or. McCook, of the committee, SAID: The
serpent on the seal is not an animal. Our
Scotsh-Irish ancestors understood the
meaning of emblems aud put the serpentin
their seal" He defended the Latin of the
motto. "Christus Exaltatus Salvador It
is good vulgar Latin, he said, il not Cree
ronean. We rave had this in this church
one hundred years. He objected, on her
aldo grounds, TO adopting the seal or arms
of ancestors without changing. as that in
wolves contempt for the original. and also
to the open Bible. as that il the device OF
several other religious bodies. 81 believe
in q Bible.n he saId. without mistakes in
natural history" and he told Of q supposed
mistake that weak-kneed apologists had
found in q statement by Solomon s TO the
habits of the ant. which very recent study
had prova6 20 ha rarrecf