New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-09
VOTE DOWN CHURCH UNION
,nrsRyTERY MEMBERS OvERRULE
THIRTEENTH STREET CoNGRE-
CATION.
,,,croRY FOR DR. BUcHANANs OPPONENTS
RESIGNATION OF THE PASTOR AND
THE MAJORITY OF THE MEM
BERsHIP THREATENED.

THE MAJORITY OF THE MEM
BERsHIP THREATENED.
..ar long session in the Old First Presby-
.--,,r Church yesterday afternoon and evening
y .,,ch every side OF the matter was talked over
"a discussed. the Presbytery. by a vote Of "a
81 adopted a resolution disappearing the
.,or OF the Thirteenth Street Presbyterian
s...cb with the Fourth Avenue Church. which
W. .aused such a fight in the Thirteenth Street
'..rrecation AS a result, 1t is said there will
s-oSsbly be an exodus OF majority of the
I.rhers Of the church TO the Fourth Avenue
rs,rch. following probably on the resignation
- Dr. Buchanan as pastor.
THE Presbytery appointed a committee to go
=. ~. thirteenth Street Church and try to bring
-, harmony, but in view of the hard slap at
-. buchanan and the majority who wanted
=. ,o,n with the Fourth Avenue Church there
y v,ns likelihood that the committee VIII De
..,s 10 heal up the btternesses engenoereo III
~. ling fight over consolidation
The committee appointed at the semi-annuai
.,,,,ns OF the Presbytery to look into the mat
-. ~ which the Rev DR.. F. III. Marling was
.s.,r,nan. made a report on the affair. Ihis
N.-o,+ was that the committee had held near
Is one at which the opposing members vi
40. rbrteenth Street Church had stated why
49,, a,d not want consolidation, to winch the
.r,bers in favor Of consolidation and the pas
..nsa not been invited another at which the
.a.,or and his followers had alone been hearu,
80 last OF all, a hearing for the committee Oh
,ho Fourth Avenue Church. In view OF inc
,,,,srness that had been engendered In the INIT
,a.r,h Street Church over the matter the COM
,,,,,se advised that the Presbytery recomrhehu
lA1a
that action looking TO consolidation be oeiayeo'
o. the hope that one or the other OF the lac
,lons should change its views
A COMPROMISE REPORT.
r,,. WAS a compromise report. and a NUMBER
=, the conservative members OF the freso!'ei'
considered II almost victory for the anu-coh
sordation party None Of the men Immediately
Interested considered It So however. Inc mem
hars NJ the church who were pushing consoh-
dation considered it a report In their raVor anu
tho opposing party were inclined 10 ADMIT 'h''.
" was generally thought that the members OF
the church were coming round, ana 'ha'' a.
least the committee was simply temporizlng IN
favor Of Dr. Buchanan
BOTH SIDES HEARD.
The committee called attention to the iaise
minority against consolidation. and said tha'
the present IL cOulu UOl icNO'i''NN
the union Of the churches be approved AFTER
the reading of this report the Presp!'ery III
,,,,ad all who were interested to speak. There
were three committees present. one from tne
Thirteenth Street Church in favor OF consoiiua-
ton. consisting of David Freel, John U. bogar''
C. II. Masten, Or. T. Jewett. j. j. heyhoius
and w A. Richmond an opposing committee
from, the same church. made up Of William C.
@ It nv I l.
fred Allen. DR.. Leroy B. Sherman. Levi S. Holse
and w F. Stonebridge, and committee from
the Fourth Avenue Church. in favor of CONSOLE
dalton. made up of George E. Sterry' George f.
rndlam and NJ. ]. Mcmillan. They presented
their different views exhaustively' Inc FrespS-
terv then went into executive session, in the
sense of asking all those not members of that
body to retire. the proceedings not being open to
the public at any time. DR.. Buchanan then
stated his case and asked for an immediate APP
prevail Of the union
DR. Buchanan spoke for a long time. and he
made a strong plea for consolidation. 1t Is said
that there had grown up in the Presbytery
since the matter has been aired a strong feeling
Of criticism Of DR.. Buchanan's course in the
agitation for the union Of the two churches
Members Of the Presbytery who were said to be
IN FAVOR OF the union SdlO lIldl hc iiou DSSh Gil
tirely too active in promoting the consolidation
Dr. Buchanan defended himself against these
charges He saw the strong opposition in the
Presbytery, and made desperate attempt to
stem it. He used the bitterness in the church
as a reason for immediate union, saying that
It was impossible to go on now without 1t. and
arraigned the members Of the faction who have
been opposing the union. and said they had
What do you think" he cried. "of church
meeting where a young man will get up and
leaning across the piano. shout Come on. boys,
well down the Doctor?" The members of the
opposition had resorted to every mean scheme
to oppose the union and they had stirred up
50 much bitterness in the church that 1t would
be impossible for him 10 remain pastor Of 1t.
They had shaken their fists in his face and de-
fed him. He is said to have stated openly that
Il the Presbytery disapproved the union 1t would
mean his resignation and the breaking up Of
the church.
While the doctor was speaking and other
members Of the Presbytery aired their views.
the members of the three committees were in
one of the church parlors across the hall. Mr..
Bogert, OF the committee Of the Thirteenth
Street Church which was in favor Of consolida-
ton, openly stated that it was crisis. and that
as the Presbytery voted the fate of the Church
would be decided. IF the Presbytery votes
against the majority in the Thirteenth Street
Church." he said. "Dr. Buchanan and half the
church will leave"
1t was evident from the first that there was
no hope Of any consolidation resolution going
through, but the friends OF Or. Buchanan were
taken of their feet when DR.. Charles p Fag-
man, OF Union Theological Seminary. offered
substitute and 1t was passed by the strong ma
'or''y already told in which the report was
'"ahged TO read that "the Presbytery disap-
proves the union OF the two churches"
AN ATTEMPT TO RECONSIDER.
An attempt was made to reconsider this vote
Dy the Mortified compromise members. who de-
cared that such action on the part Of the Pres
pytery, being q blow at the majority OF the Thir-