Year: 1871

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Colleges, and carrying them on to higher
fields of science-to keep for our Church
and country class of men who may be
standard bearers alike in the army of science
and of the hosts of God. Therefore, |
think the wiser policy would be first to ma
ture the plan more completely, and then refer
action upon it to our next Assembly. Iven-
ture, without wishing to cut off debate, to
move that this report be referred back to
that committee to develope in more COM
pleteness the scheme that is conceived in the
report, and report it again to this Assembly,
with a view to its being finally laid over to
the next Assembly.


| r. NJ. Pdtton-I was struck with the shape
in which that report was made. 1t appear
ed to me to harmonic any conflict that
might arise among the members of the Con-
vention from which it emanated, as to its
subject matter The proposition to amend
made by my friend on my left, would be
tantamount to destroying fully the action of
this body upon the question under consider
ton. Why was this report made by that
learned and able committee? What was the
object of the Convention which was called
in advance of the meeting of this intelligent
body? 1t was one. sir, equal in Importance
to almost any other project that could re-
ceive the attention of this Assembly-the
education of the children of our country
You, sir, with whom have been so long ac
quainted, have lived long, and when | look
over this body / find many others whose
1 h., II,
Sir, you the honored presiding member of
this body, have much to do. You feel TO-
day just as l and others feel, that we never
saw the time when we had so much to do as
we have at the present time and so little
time to do it in. Let us work to-day whilst
we have hands, and heads and hearts to work.
Will you vote for an amendment which will
virtually destroy that report? If you take
away all control of this supreme court Of
the Church, you take every thing away.
Will you dispose of this important matter
in such way that it will have no effect, no
virtue, no influence with the churches, the
eleven Synods represented here, and the
thousands of our good people? No, think
not, brother Moderator l maintain that
an investment in this kind of enterprise, un-
der the control of the highest court of the
Presbyterian Church, is one that would not
only tell in time, but it will tell in eternity.
1t will tell all the way through life. [ con-
slider it permanent investment. viii you
say to these people: ave will permit you
to give your money, but we will not exercise
any control over the enterprise?" do not
think you will The member on the right
presented precisely my idea. We do not
want this body to mix itself up with dollars
and cents, in receiving money for an enter
prise like that. That is to be done as a
separate matter We want the influence of
the Presbyterian Church through its highest
Court l do not think that under that re-
port, it will be the province of any Presby-
terry, Synod or General Assembly to raise
money. The object is to encourage the peo-
pie in these Southern States mot so poor as
represented by many to 60 into an invest
ment of this kind. All over our country
there are men looking out to put their money
in safe place; and where can they place it
so safely as in the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church You do not control
dollars and cents so much as your patrimony.
The influence wanted is your smile upon the
institution. As understand it, it will be
controlled by financial men--a Board of
Trustees. may be excused for saying that
l have for many years been connected with
an institution, the Synodical Female Col
lege at Florence, under the care of the
Synod of Nashville originally, now Men,
phis, which never asked the Synod to con-
tribute one dollar. The dollars and cents
are taken care of by trustees. All we ask
of the Synod is to give US their smiles. Let
us have religious instruction for our children.
Although they teach no denominational
peculiarly, it is religious school, synodi-
cal school. 1t sends out its influence every
where, it is the pride of my life. Hundreds
of young ladies have been educated at that
high school, now under the care of DR.
Mitchell, that enterprising Irish gentleman;
and we do not often send out anything but
Presbyterian girls. Now we want to send
out Presbyterian boys from a school of
higher grade. could cite other schools,
but that is more directly on my mind. This
illustrates, to my mind, the care which this
Assembly is to have over this enterprise


| While am on my feet, l may be pardoned
for asking, by what means is this educa-
ton to be acquired? A very interesting
subject. We want in little while, boys
and girls to take our places, who shall be
more enterprising and better Presbyterians
than we have been. This Assembly is but
in its infancy, but we are rising to our feet.
| do not want to be compelled to send my
sons far abroad-to Germany or the extreme
North. want school in the bounds of
this Assembly which will raise our boys to
as high scale as in any part of the Union.
1 have no education myself and know the
Importance of it. want our boys educated
at home, under parental influence, and par
ticularly the influence of our society.


| Let US take the report as it comes from
the hands of the Committee Not only in
Church Courts but in other bodies, it is the
case that committee, when they 90 into a
committee room, can understand report
better than we can by simply reading the
proposition. This report harmonizes all the
way through it makes perfect work; for us
: to make amendments would destroy its har-
mony and ruin the whole enterprise.


/ Rev. A. NJ COwan, (from the Presbytery
of Central Ohio, Mr. Moderator, am
Virginian by birth and education, and COM
menced my ministry in the old Hanover
Presbytery. [ shall endeavor to speak with
some knowledge of the state of things in
the South. Isuppose, sir, there is no thought
of injuring the Colleges now existing in the
Synods attached to this AssemblY-either
as to numbers, location or influence. Are