New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-23
PRESBYTERIAN DEBATES.
TOPICS CONSIDERED BY THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY.
NEGRO LYNCHNG STRONGLY REPORTED
uPoN-DR. BIRCH DEFENDS NEW
WORK PRESBYTERY.
rsr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
Minneapolis Mimi May -Four Brother IN
Black" occupied the bulk Of the time to-day IN the
General Assembly The topic of the morning session
was the FreedrDen's Beard. and in the evening the
popular meeting was held in behaif OF the same
Board SO interesting the first session that' IN
stead of closing the subject at noon. as Is usually
done. an adjournment taken until afternoon
that additional time might be given to the SUBJECT
Ordinarily the report OF the Standing Committee is
read by the chairman and then the secretary OF
the Board makes his speech but to-day the entire
Assembly insisted taking at once. ana IL WAS
agreed by all concerned that the remarks mace ."
the floor OF the Assembly were more effective thah
any that could have been given by any secretary
The Board closed it's year with debt OF s'V'VV'
and as every other Board had begun the new year
free from debt It decided 10 raise TINS snla''
amount before final action was taken upon '''0
work OF the year. For two weeks the question mas
been agitated throughout the Church anu '''s
morning the result was seen when man aIter i"""
arose and pledged for his church or Presoytery' ol
,pdividuallv n given amount, the total OF the
pledges reaching more than $4,000 ana thus' iol
the first time In decaGe. at least every Do''N
begins the year without the shadow OF den'
lanes Yereance OF New-York. announced mat
The Commissioners from that Presbytery' while
not authorized to subscribe the $500 allotted TO H.
na.ertheless would endeavor TO secure 1t from
their churches The Fourth Church OF chicago
sent a telegram TO the effect that $3.50 was raised
there yesterday for the debt: Alaska ana Ai'ica
paid their quotas. while kilograms pieuses anu
personal notes were sent TO the Mooera'o' ioi
nearly an hour. until finally 1t was announced
that the matter would be taken up again In the
afternoon.
Then came the addresses. DIR. Cowan. the sec
rotary said that his speech had been spoiled by
the action of the Assembly He had come pre-
pared 10 show how the debt had been accumuIateu'
how II might be removed and TO suggest that now
ht
was removed made a speech unnecessary severai
colored missionaries and one Indian were also
heard on their work in the South. The following
.,ronp language was used in the report of the
committee and referred back for modification:
The freedmens cause appeals to US viii pe ecu
maIeAc preiudices and barbaric caste spirit
that are to-day devising new tortures Tor the
We Join heartily with our fellow-citzens and
fellow Christians OF the South IN their nor
a time which behods an incredible development of
antinegro savagery among men Of the 3aseG sE orr
indians delight in the infiction Of physical tor
Inent repeated at the lynching Of negro; when when
Victim as he slzzles in the flames, mutilate him
s %tn ng While Tff s1 the body falls whiting in death
and cut up the still warm flesh for souvenirs; al
show her sympathy for the oppressed. TO pledge
herself afresh in sacrifice ana service 1or the res
cue and redemption of the negro from his suffer-
n Is the cause which the Church must hold
sacred. because it is the cause of patriotism The
enlargement OF our responsibilities over strange
and distant peoples accentuates our sense or any
lack Of completeness In our own National condl-
lions. We believe that the advance made by me
,colored race since Its emancipation is uneXampled
and benefcent Victories yet TO be achieved before
we can have full confidence IN ourselves as race e,
civilization. II Is cause that oners the nighest
70 hd ana 9ur naturally
Christians. an inhdel has never been known among
for their industrial moral and religious upbuild-
ing
EDUCATION TO BE INQUIRED INTO.
In the afternoon the Board Of Education occupied
hour. and. ike the other boards Of the Church.
reported itself free from debt. The Rev. Dr. W.
r.. Kirkwood. the chairman OF the committee.
closed his report with reference TO the oyertures
from the presbyteries OF Chicago and Schuyler in
reference a minute and comprehensive inquiry
into the cause OF ministerial education. The COM
mittee recommended that the Assembly should APP
point COMMITTEES 10 confer with the authorities
OF the Presbyterian theological seminaries and
other educational institutions. and with the Board
OF Education. making thorough investigation Of
the subject and reporting to the next Assembly.
The Rev DR.. Edward b. Hodge. the secretary OF
the Board OF Education. made an interesting ad-
dress, in which he assured the Assembly that his
Board would cheerfuly welcome the proposed in
The Committee on Reduced Representation urged
the Assembly TO decrease its membership hereafter.
present system OF electing commissioners. but 10
make the unit Of representation thrtysx ministers
instead OF twentyfOur, as at present. II this
luton were accepted, every Presbytery having
thirty-six ministers would be entitled to one min
semoly and an additional minister and an elder for
each additional thirty-six ministers. Any PTesby
terry having less than eighteen members would
have only one commissioner, minister and an
elder taking the place in alternate years. This
change the basis OF representation would reduce
the number Of commissioners from 672 to 422 The
alternative resolution reported by the committee
a a different
eentation. 1t was proposed TO make tho number OF
ters the basis II was proposed 10 make the basis
OF representation one minister and one elder LOT
committee did not wish TO relegate the Presby-
terry 10 a secondary or unimportant place in the
delegates Of a synod should be distributed for
election among several presbyteries, so as TO
secure an equal representation from the Synod or
ministers and elders in the Assembly.
DIR. BIRCH on NETWORK PREsBYTERY
Dr. G. w. F. Birch. of New-York. made the
speech OF the afternoon. saying in substance
The time for reducing the General Assembly has
not come and i hope II never will come ZAP;
plause) While We are PresbyteTians, we should
keep near the people as we can. The larger the
Church, the larger the Assembly should be- The
N Constant touch with the smallest Presbytery and
the smallest church in that Presbytery. We are
something about pulling SappiaTse1 but lever
pulled a wire myself (More applause) ! know
something about wire-pullng in New-York. Q>augh-
II the changes proposed are made you would find
the Synod of New-York run by about fifty
The size OF the Assembly saves US from the effect
of wire-pullng. The questions which separated the
Church recently ran over five years. do not be-
lieve that fifty men in any one year are returned
10 the next Assembly What does that mean2
About three thousand men voted on these questions
and they all voted for the Bible and the constitu-
ton. Some has called large Assembly
mob Why. Mr.. Moderator you might we'll call
the children OF Israel. who gathered three times
year, mob. / wish / prepared 10 speak
this question. but you know what l mean l say
what we want 10 do I'm this matter is to let well
enough alone. And then you talk about ministers
without churches. In NewYork we have many such.
and know them all. / have reason know them
all. Uaughter) AS ! read the Lords commits
sion. man does not have TO be always preaching
in order 10 he feeding the flock
And want to say something else about the New
York Presbytery. II Is popular to refer sneeringly
10 us but ] tell you that Presbytery Is no
worse than any other Presbytery. II is a SANDER
AGAINST the New-York Presbytery. The best friends
thai I have there scarcely ever agree with me.
Let US keep TO the good old way and do the good
old work.