The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-05-21
MET IN ANNUAL SESSION
General Assembly of Southern
Presbyterian Church
His Election Regarded First Real Test
of Strength of Opposing Factions In
Matter of Closer Relations-Reports
OF Committees

sHdlAS I'll tue Llule-HOuOTeO OOXOlOgy
Praise God From Whom ALI Bless
ings Flow the forty-seventh tnnual
general assembly of the Presbyterian
church in theUnited States (Southeru
Presbyterians) began a ten days ses-
sion here today. Every seat in the
church was occupied by commission
ers and visitors. After DR.. Allen G..
Hall. of Nashville, the moderator, had
called the assembly to order, paryer
was offered by DR.. James P. Smith, of
Richmond, Va. DR.. J.. r. Howerton,
OF Montreal, N. c.. read a lesson from
the fourth chapter of Matthew, it be-
ing the story Of Christ being tempted
in the wilderness after forty days Of
fasting. Another prayer was offered
by DR.. w. x. Alexander, of Memphis
and after a song DR.. Howerton deliv-
cred the opening soFE2on, his text was
from the fourth chapter of Matthew,
the eighth, ninth and tenth verses, re-
lating to the temptation of Christ.
AZ LIZ tO44S1LS1O1 VI LII. 11O" e I'LL -
sermon, DR.. Hall announced that the
assembly would proceed t elect a
moderator. The first nomination was
that of DR.. J.. r. Howerton, of Mon
of New Orleans, and Or. Russell Cecil,
of Richmond, Va, were also nominal
ed. The roll was her called and the
result was as follows:
DR.. HowertOn, 81; DR.. Alexander,
20; DR.. Cecil, 81. AS it required &c
votes to elect, another ballot was ne
cessary. The second ballot resulted:
DR.. Howerton, SO; DR.. Alexander, s;
DR.. Cecil, 76. DR.. Howerton was de-
clared elected and was escorted to the
rostrum.
The report which the executive COM
mission of the alliance of the reformed
churches throughout the world, hold
ing the Presbyterian system, will make
to the general assembly of the South
ern Presbyterian church which met
here today has been made public. Tie
report says that each year it becomes
more apparent that the Christian
church at home cannot furnish SUI
ficient missionaries for the evangelical
ton of the heather peoples, nor can
sufficient physicians be sent from home
lands to supply the needs of foreign
mission fields. Three hundred thous-
and physicians are needed alone in
China, says the report. The United
Presbyterian church has recently been
appealed to to send owe 400 mission
aries for their field in Egypt and In
dia. Equally great need is felt in all
mission fields. The report says the
only possible way of meeting the need
is the establishment of we'll equipped
schools, seminaries, colleges and hos
pitfalls for the raising up of a native
ministry, native teachers and native
physicians. AS to home missions. the
report says that all the churches are
awakening to a deeper sense Of res
possibility for the United States. The
report gives details of what the
churches are doing in continental Eu-
rope, saying that the Bohemian work
needs systematic aid. The report gives
a resolution adopted which dip
recates "the effort in many places in
our country by the Roman Catholic
church to produce sympathy for the
Catholics of France by charging perse-
cution Of the church against the
French government. We believe that
this charge is based upon false as
sumptions and that these efforts are
revealing and developing a spirit con-
trary to free institutions and the true
liberty of our land"
The report of the committee of the
Southern Presbyterian church named
to represent that body at the inter
church conference on marriage and
divorce which will be submitted to the
general assembly, was made public to-
day. The report, after reviewing the
work of the national congress on mar
riage and divorce and the inter-church
conference on that subject. says that
the 'aw plays but a minor part in the
eradication OF the evil and that the
real remedy is a moral tonic to be
administered internally to the who'll
people, which working from within
outward, will first purify the heart
and then the life of the people"
After considering the plan for active
and aggressive work on moral lines
adopted by the inter-church confer
ence, the committee recommends
great care and vigilance in the OBJ
servance of our law on divorce by
all of our ministry and people
It is also recommended that the
committee be continued.
The election was regarded as the
first real test of strength Of the op-
nosjnp factions in the matter Of clos