New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-16
FEARS @JIM CROW" IN PREsBYTERY.
Says ADDICTION Of Tennessee Memorial
Would Be liquidation Of Principles

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: The Tribune in the issue Of April II pub
Hshed transactions OF the powerful New-Yorx City
Presbytery and Incidentally. It's passive action
the concurrent recommendations BY the Joint
mittee reunion with the Cumberland Saints.
Should the Presbyterian Church In tho United
States Of America. which will meet In General As
semoly at Buffalo on Nay is. adopt the recon-
mendatous. against the adoption Of which Drs.
Booth. Alexander. and Parkhurst spoke II will bs
practically a Jim Growing of cOIOred presbyters
in the South and reputation of its heretofors
well known policy Of not drawing the color line.
The Presbyterian Church in the United states OF
America refused year ago adopt separate
presbyteres for the cOlOred and white races. as
prayed for by OveTtUres from Union Presbytery.
sent up through the Synod OF Tennessee which IL
now known in ecclesiastical realms as that Ten
nessee memorial" The matter comes up for fnaI
decision in the next General Assembly should
mere De union between the Northern and Cumber
ldlu FIe5uy tSTltn churches on the basis or the
adoption OF the recommendation popularity known
pudiation OF the fundamental characteristic prin-
GIS Of l9 @ ans mat al governmental
ms yestment OF power in the hands OF the
Of the "Olack and tam pres5yter. The idea OF
genius Of the Presbyteria1 Church There are
irish i, bohemian. German Italian. Norwegian and
no Irish. German. Magyar or Italian presbyteries.
Then. making provision for separate pTesby-
teries Tor "A particular race or nationality" Is
The second fundamental principle Of the Pres
bytertan Church is equality. IAN men are free
and equal But the Cumberland PRESBYTERIAN
Church does not believe in the equality OF man.
They believe that the Angio-saxon is superior and
the colored race inferior. Here the Northern Pres
byter1an Church's teaching is Numerically opposed
10 that Of their Cumberland brethren.
The third fundamental characteristic principle OF
the Presbyterian Church North is 'the parity
or the ministry. All the ministers are bishops.
all are brethren no one minister has any power or
the stiCkler for all the Southern denominations
Ihey desire to separate from their coOred brother
cal brother. Hence they would rather not have
them with themselves in the semi-annual presby-
down. or take seats in the church galleries. re-
main mum in their Church tudicatOries and keep
otherwise perfectly quiet
But back OF 1t all, the real African IN the wood
pile IS that the South Is afraid OF social equality
The Cumberland divires have injected into the
concurrent recommendations their own diseased
sentiment. which they want the Northern Presby-
terians to make part OF the organic law. Here Is
the mistake OF the Southerners Social Equality ia
regulate the tastes. incIinatiOns. attributes quail
ties and social afinities OF men. Now. how much
Presbyterian Church to adopt sentiment which IA
based on race hatred?
COMMITTEES on chu.ch union was In catering to thu
SOutherners' sentiments, knowing fun well that
the PRESBYTERIAN Church would hardly adopt the
report with It's present Jim Crow rider" IN
Ike the Roman Catholic Church the Salvation
Army or the Episcopal Church, the Northern
Presbyterian Church IN the assembly at Buffalo
municants. That Tennessee memorial will be-
gin the battle royal. and the scenes which this
bly, viii cause the bttterest and most acrimonious
debate that has ever been or heard IN thu
rick Johnson rider" when the Northern and South
ern Presbyterian churches split The colOred pres
byters have elected as their commissioners their
eolest men !he nEnJ IS now on VERITAS.
New-IOrk. April Is, 1903