Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-29
DEATH STOPS PROCEEDINGS,

Washington.
DEATH STOPS PRoCEEDINGs.
| Judge Rreckinridge Stricken Down in thu
Presbyterian General Assembly.
II feel thatL have discharged my duty faith
fully" said Judge s. NJ. Breckenridge Of st
Louis in the Presbyterian General Assembly il
Detroit yesterday. Slowly and distinctly came
the affirmation. followed by this apology: 90
ask you to excuse me from further words
Thirty seconds later he had fallen PROSTATE or
the platform and within five minutes the an
nouncement was made by the startled clerk
Judge Breckenridge is dead
The Fort Street Presbyterian Church wal
crowded both morning and afternoon, and the
striking down in moment Of one Of the mos,
influential elders in the assembly produced 9
sensation never to be forgotten by the nearly
| Two thousand persons who witnessed the sol
| emn spectacle. The hymn GOD Moves in 9
Mysterious Way" voiced the sentiment Of the
audience, and it was one Of the half dozen
hymns which interpreted the prayers and re-
marks while the committee appointed to take
action on the death of a fellow commissioner
were preparing their minutes.
| For three and q half hours yesterday morning
there had been discussion. earnest and at times
exceedingly animated, but maintained through
|
upon the GOO commissioners who were soon to
vote upon the question of Professor Briggs ap-
pointment.
| JUDGE BRKCKINRIDaHs SPEECH.
| After short recess the assembly was called
TO order, and the first man to gain the modera-
tor 8 eye WAS Judge Breckenridge, q member OF
the committee that had voted in favor Of the
veto OF DIR. Briggs. He began with the state
ment that he did not believe in long speeches,
but his friends felt that perhaps if he should
| give an opinion growing out of his legal ex-
perlence IN regard to the relation OF Union
Seminary to the assembly that it might help to
| bring those who were in doubt as to the consti-
| tutonal aspects Of the case to q right under
standing. It was his opinion that the appoint
| ment should not stand, and without any pas
| sion, without any tone of bitterness and with
out personal allusion, except to.avow his be-
| lief that the ministry Of the church should not
| be trained by man who held the views that
DR.. Briggs set forth in his writings, he closed
| calmly with the remark: Il have discharged
| from further words"
Here his voice trembled slightly and those
| sitting near him saw that his knees were bend
ing, and in an instant before those at his side
could stretch forth hand to save him, he had
fallen to the floor. DIR. Sheppard, physician.
was on the platform beside him in minute
and the judge was carried into the pastor 9
| study. silence as of death fell over the as
senb!y The galleries were thronged with WIS.,
itors and scores of people were standing. Per-
feet order was restored, and while the assembly
was Iii suspense DIR. Hays of Kansas City sug
gested that prayer be offered for the afflicted
commissioner. DIR. Green, the moderator,
asked him TO offer the prayer.
THE ASSEMBLY ADJoURNs
Hardly had he closed when the stated clerk
announced, Judge Breckenridge is deadw A
committee was appointed to prepare suitable
minute regarding his death, and Dr. Hays was
made chairman. Arrangements were made at
once to send the body to st. Louis. Then came
the question what to do. No one felt like con-
tlnulng the Briggs discussion, still less did any
one desire to attend the banquet in the even
ing, for which extensive preparations had been
made For perhaps an hour the great audience
remained, now and then q commissioner lead
ing In prayer or announcing hymn or indulg-
Ing In remarks appropriate to the occasion.
Dr. Ersklne OF the Carlisle presbytery, the
venerable DIR. Smith of Baltimore and others
spoke of the personal work of the deceased COM
missioner, and gave effective words on the
necessity OF being prepared for death. Dr.
Ersklne referred to the death of Secretary
Window in New York last winter. The assem-
ply adjourned to meet this morning and de-
cided to spend the evening in prayer at the
hours which had been set apart for feasting.
DIR. BARTLETrs SPEECH.
DR.. Bartlett of Washington spoke in favor of
the report on DR.. Briggs yesterday after The
STARS report closed. DR.. Bartlett's speech
caused many smiles. Among other bright
things he said:
The great, simple question is as to whether
this shall be postponed another year. That is
the question, and the main point il as to
whether it can be done. The Interpretation of
the record is that it must be done this year or
that the general assembly loses its power to
N he FIN I boz
way in which all parties could be considered,
and In which the unity and harmony of this
great Presbyterian church could be preserved.
l am certain there are no two purposes about
the advisabili.y Of doing just that thing Now
we are mere as company Of Christian be-
levers l am in favor of the immediate
action on this report, If action must be
lakeland don't say that we should veto this
appointment for the present. The imputa-
tion always is, by men who argue for the higher
criticism, that every Presby minister is
fool and that nobody ever read the Bible or
had any private secret revelations but them
selves. lLaughter.l l wish to say that over
thirty years ago was in the German UNIVERSE
ties, and can take DIR. Briggs books and do
for them with absolute certainty what he
guessed at with Moses, ard can show him
where he took every one of his positions from
nationalist German professor over thirty years
ago; and am prepared here to vindicate that
statement. Applause. Now. gentlemen,
tntTc Is scuOidrsulp anu tnere Is Scholarship.
No one ever doubted but what Strauss was a
scholar. He is not a very learned man, and he
began his career by tearing Moses to
pieces, and he ended by stripping Christ
Of everything but being a plain Naza-
rene peasant Yes, there is scholarship and
scholarship Why. Ignatius Donnelly is scholar
He has marvellous secrets that nobody else has
| ever pried into. And right here wish to say
about these intimations-in all these addresses
that l have heard on the higher scholarship
about tine marvellous teachings they are CAB.
bling about, the wonderful things that they see
which nobody else has ever explored-why.
gentlemen, you could talk that thousand wears
and back to peasants, but that is the charlatan-
ism OF scholarsh today. wish further to saw
u word about scholarship. The impression ia
always made that we don't want light. We saw
let the light in. The Presbyterian church seeks
scholars, but it does not on insufc ient evidence
ask men to draw differences that shatter the very
foundations Of faith.
And now IN regard to hercsy. This is not an
age Of heresy hunting. Why, there is no such
thing In the air. The response that the Pres
byterian church officially has made to ten wears
of heresy hunting is seen this morning in the
report Of this committee. The heretic has
hunted the church and not the church the
hereto, il there is any heresy. For ten long
years, in book after book, periodical after peri
in the inaugural address
the Presbyterian church has been pursued
The man has rubbed against it with chips on
| his shoulder, defying IL in every way. Who
| has made this disturbance? L. it the Presbv
terrain church, through spies and queer and
| dor n atr rfi. pcha siru a a