St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-27
WILL HEAR THE CASE.
DR.. Briggs Enemies. Gain a
Victory in the General
Assembly.
It Was Decided to Hear the
Appeal at the Present
Session.
Formal Trial on the Charge
Of Heresy Will Begin
Today.
No~xx II a-r EUnnnH6 TIL OF n
Many Speakers Express Their
Condemnation of the De-
PENDANT.

WASHINGTON. May 26.-By vote of
400 to 145 the Presbyterian General as
sembly this afternoon decided to enter
tain the appeal i'll the case of DR.. Briggs,
and the assembly will proceed with his
trial tomorrow morning. The roll call
on the resolution of the judicial CON-
mittee that the appeal be entertained
began at 4:15' p. IN. 1t was taken amidst
an almost painful silence, during which
the defendant watched with feyerish
anxiety the progress of the vote by the
tally sheet kept by his friend, Prot.
Brown, who sat at his elbows. All over
the house and in the galleries the vote
was followed on the call of members by
interested ones who could not wait for
the official announcement of the result.
While the roll was being called Mod
orator Craig yielded the chair to ex-
Moderator William c. Roberts, d. D.,
and himself voted AYE" When the
clerk had finished the call of the synod
of New York, and Prot. Briggs found
that his position III favor of sending the
appeal to that synod had been approved
by majority of its commissioners out
side of his own local presbytery, the
commissioners from which did not vote,
HE seemed Relieved,
and rose from his half-leaning position
over Prof. Brown to the upright pose he
had maintained throughout the trying
ordeal. Through the long hours of the
morning DR.. Briggs sat almost notion
less, following the words OF the speak
erS with the utmost attention. There
were many evidences of feeling, and
several of the speakers took advantage
of the opportunity presented by their
position to arraign the defendant. to
shake their fingers sternly at him and
otherwise to express their cOndemna-
ton. AS one brother expressed 1t,
They forgot for the time ing they
were members of the court of Jesus
Christ" 1t was an interesting spec
tacle. 1t was scene and a gathering
never to be forgotten.
Something of a sensation was created
during the debate by Elder McDougall.
of Cincinnati, who made an attack on
DR.. Briggs. He referred to certain re-
marks which the doctor had made i'll his
speech in his own defense, and said that
he had offered, if the case were sent back
to the synod, to waive a constitutional
right.
NO" said DR.. Briggs, interrupting.
Douga ' ToS will IT, get t ths cale e back i
to the synod and then you will insist
upon all the Constitutional rights you
can think Of"
In a Bitter Strain.
The elder continued in bitter strain,
and now aud then a murmur of surprise
swept over the assembly.
DR.. Briggs asked for moment in
which to reply TO Misrepresentation of
himself which he asserted Mr.. McDoug-
all had made. There were cries of mo,
no, Hear him." ETC., the negatives be-
ing strongly in the majority.
DIR. Briggs has right to protection"
said DR.. Duffield, the venerable profess
sor of Princeton, land if his words have
been miSrepresented he ought to be
given an opportunity to explain them"
Even to this appeal there were loud
cries of mo, no." but the moderator
finally decided to give DR.. Briggs one
not offered to waive any constitutional
rights before the synod, but had said
that. he would leave the settlement of
those rights to the decision of the synod.
The bitterness of spirit manifested in
Mr.. McDougall's remarks brought to
the surface much of that Subdued feel
ing which has been kept under cover
for so long.
Elder Thomas Kane, of Chicago, ia
vored sending the case TO the synod
He said at the outset that he was no DR..
Briggs man; that he was no prosecution
man; and least of all was he a religious
press man. IF you want to put your
hand" he said, upon
The Sore Spot
of this business, you will find 1t in the
so-called religious press of the Presby
terrain church." For this he was called
to order, and promised not to offend
again. having had his say. General as
semblies. he said. were not ihfallible.
''If you want to have Il few minutes
amusement" continued Mr.. Kane, land
you'll need it before this proceeding
draws to a close, turn TO the minutes of
the general assembly of 1892 and read
what they say of the assembIy's action
upon the worlds fair" Here the
speaker was called TO order, and he con-
Guided with all appeal for the assembly
to keep in the same old way in which it
had travelled for hundred years-keep
in the middle of the road.
The venerable DR.. Duffield, of Prince
ton college, SAID he had great personal
appreciation of the scholarship and
Christian character of DR.. Briggs. IF
his logical faculties were equal to his
scholarship, do not know his equal, in
the intellectual world of America at
least" AS soon as the gayel fell on
DIR. Dufield the
Most Sensational Scene
of the assembly so far ensued. In the
course of the venerable doctors re-
marks, his statement OF Briggs teach
ings was questioned by several commits
sioners, and the professor himself gave
utterance to an expression which could
not be understood by the reporters.
But as DR.. Duffield stepped
down he came almost into di-
rect contact with Prof. Briggs,
who. with flashing eyes, had sprung to
his feet demanding to be heard. A
storm of dissent and cries of "Order"
Immediately broke over the assembly.
A scene of great excitement and dis