The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-05-07

and the historian Froude declares that
one-half the men who fought the British
at Bunker Hill were SONS and grandsons
of Irish exiles. The matter is extreme
ly curious, and has been too much neg
lected in American school histories.
When the British completed the con-
quest of Ireland in 1881, the adherents
Of the Established church in that island
were but one-eleventh of the total pop
ulation, while the Presbyterians and the
few Quakers and other Nonconformists
were third, all the rest being Catho-
lies. Nevertheless the government, with
faulty that now seems like insanity,
placed all the political power in the
hands of the smallest body, and in no
long time the Nonconformist ministers
Were even forbidden to solemnize mar
riages. EARLY in the Eighteenth century
religious liberty was fairly established
in America and the great exodus began
The Irish Quakers came almost in a
body, and within sixty or seventy years
over 300, 900 Presbyterians followed. In
every section of the colonies where they
were numerous they turned the seals
against England, and in upper North
Carolina, as it then was, their religious
and political leaders were the same.
There were seven Presbyterian dis
tricts in Mecklenburg county and all
chose delegates to the convention called
by Colonel Thomas Polk, great-uncle
to President Polk. In that convention
were one minister and nine ruling ell
ders, and so far as can now be ascer-
tanned every signer Of the declaration
was a member or attendant of some
Presbyterian church. Elder Abraham
Alexander was chairman of the conven-
ton, the Rev. Hezekiah James Balch,
pastor Of the Poplar Tent congregation,
made the first address in favor of indie
pendence, and Adam Brevard, who made
the first draft of it, has left his testimo-
ny that he took the Westminster stand
ards on the respective rights of citizens
and subjects for his guide. The month
also contains another memorable ami
versary, that of the death of Calvin,
who expired May 81, 1864.
Polite aSgand religious liberty are no
longer in issue, but Professor Charles A.
Briggs and Union Theological seminary
are with us, and the indications are that
their case will be very effectually 6s=-
posed of at Portland. So far as the
presbyteries have overturned the general
assembly they are practically unani-
nous against the professors views, and
several call very emphatically for cen
sure on the seminary. The presbytery
at Whitewater, Ark, unanimously re-
solved that it would recommend no man
for the ministry who should attend at
Union, and that of Ebenezer, KY. de-
clared its belief that the general assem-
bly, has the power and should exercise it
to remove any professor in any school
of the church whenever it believes that
the interests of the church demand it.
These are but specimens OF the demands
sent up.
The veto of the Detroit general assem-
bly, on the appointment of Dr. Briggs
has been ignored by Union, and the
New York presbytery has dismissed his
case as one not demanding trial at their
hands. So it would seem that the gen.
eral assembly will have to deal with all
three, and very possibly with two or
three other professors and some minis
tiers who have Endorsed the views of DR..
Briggs. As the assembly will consist of
the clearest headed men in the church
and be in the highest sense Of the word
deliberative body, it gees without say
ing that its proceedings will be of na-
tional interest.