New-York tribune., 1902-05-23

Presbyterianism raised its beautiful banner of
blue few feet higher its historic standard
yesterday. The Fifth Avenue Church where
the General Assembly is in session. was filed
with an interested audience The stories of the
long debates, not always entirely harmonious
had attracted many people from other churches;
they wished to see whether their Presbyterian
friends would denounce their own standards and
those who have seemed to attack them. More
than a hundred editors and reporters were
present to flash the news of the result across the
contnent, or to paint pen pictures Of the scene
for the papers which they represented. The
commissioners themselves were in a state of
expectancy While their convictions had been
forming through the week that the report was
an admirable one upon which they We're TO cast
their votes, the committee had said frankly that
Its members had found it easier to exercise the
critical than the constructive faculty in dealing
with Confessional literature. Released from the
sanctity Of their owp room. would the members
Of the committee hold together the floor Of
the assembly when they admitted further IN
their report that every member had surren-
dered TO the others, not principle but prefer
snces- Runors OF division of sentiment as to
the proper disposition of the Brief Statement
had reached the ears of some of the commits
sioners. Further, some of the men themselves
had declared with positiveness born of deep
conviction that they would be obliged to amend
the Brief Statement and to fight to the end
any attempt to get it before the presbyteries
for their approval or disapproval.
The power OF a presiding officer never
shown to better advantage than yesterday, when
DR.. Dyke proved himself to he literally a
master OF assemblies. 1t was expected that
the debate would extend over an entire day
at least, and perhaps over two days. In pleas
ant reference to a debate between an Irish SER
want and his employer who had spent an entire
afternoon in debating the question whether po-
tatoes grew best in light, sandy sofia prop
osition laid down by the master and accepted
heartily by the employe at the outset Of the de-
bate-the moderator expressed the hope that
there would not be too many speeches on the
part OF those who agreed with another At
the same time, he offered the fullest liberty Of
expression TO every member of the assembly.
declaring that during the discussion he was not
a member OF the revision committee or Of any
party but simply the servant of the commits
sioners who had chosen him as the moderator.
motion TO limit the speakers to ten minutes
each with the single exception Of the chairman
OF the committee. was happy omen.
TO SEND ovERTURES TO PRESBYTERIEs.
The next step taken also foreshadowed peace.
Dr. van Dyke recognized President Moffat, OF
Washington and Jefferson College. who wished
to move that the Assembly should adopt that
part Of the revision report which related TO the
changes in the Westminster Confession. with
view to sending the overtures containing them
to the presbyteries. This motion was seconded
by President Kerr of Bellevue College. near
Omaha The significance OF these two recogni-
tons by DR.. van Dyke was not apparent at first,
but it became so later in the morning, as Dr.
Howard Dufield Of this city; DR.. r. S. Holmes.
OF Pittsburg. and DR.. Wilson Phraner. Of East
Orange, y. J., rose in turn to speak in favor Of
the report These men, with DR.. van Dyke,
who also spoke by request. we're the six candi-
dates for moderator. A more graceful act on
the part OF presiding officer could scarcely be
imagined. II was simply another illustration
Of the Christian courtesy which has made DR..
van Dyke so extremely popular even among
those who do not always see eye to eye with
him IN ali things.
DR.. Moffat the harmoniZer at the Phila-
delphia Assembly. It was his motion which
welded the two parties, far apart when he rose
70 speak, into an harmonious whole Yesterday
IL seemed when he had finished as if there could
not be q single dissenter when the vote was
taken Tall Of stature, not averse TO a discus
sion on Calvinism, fair in his treatment Of those
who oppose his views, he repeated his victory
Of year ago.
DR. DUFFIELDS EARNEST APPEAL.
The address of DR.. Dufield hour later, in
regard TO the Brief Statement. gem. His
analysis Of the Brief Statement must have sur
prsed even the committee that had prepared H.
His language was rhetorical and his earnest
appeal, not simply for the adoption Of the state
ment. but for it's unanimous adoption produced
deep impression.
DR. R. r. Booth, in his first sentence, ex-
pressed his entire satisfaction with the Brief
Statement, and his desire that it should be
adopted speedily and with unanimity. Strangers
who heard DR.. Booth speak the opening day
expected when he rose that he would oppose the
statement with vehemence, unless il was mod
lhed in some particulars They did not know
N ~. Booth any better than they knew DR. Dur
lela With voices, not of Pentecost but or
BABEL sounding in the air. shortly before the
assembly met, Dr. Booth an ''ironclad |
Ffesbyterian," and would rather die than yield
an inch TO those whom he considered untrue TO
me iaith and unjust toward their brethren I'm
oer the melowing influences of a week in an
assembly marked for its devotional spirit, and