PRESBYTERIANS. 



703 



Northern Assembly was received, and answer 

 was sent to it, with the approval of the Com- 

 mittee : u To the General Assembly of the 

 Presbyterian Church in the United States of 

 America, in session at Springfield, 111. The 

 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church 

 in the United States at Atlanta, Ga., sends cor- 

 dial Christian salutations, wishing you grace, 

 mercy, and peace." The Committee of the 

 Southern Assembly to which the propositions 

 for seeking a restoration of fraternal relations 

 were referred, reported, with a detailed state- 

 ment of reasons, against entertaining them. 

 This report was not acceptable to the Assem- 

 bly, and the committee having received several 

 suggestions in the way of propositions offered 

 for consideration of forms for messages to be 

 sent to the Northern Assembly, presented as its 

 unanimous conclusion the following paper, 

 which was adopted by the Assembly with only 

 three dissenting votes : 



In order to remove all difficulties in the way of that 

 full and formal fraternal correspondence for which, 

 on our part, we are so earnestly desirous, we adopt 

 the following minute : 



That, while receding from no principle, we do here- 

 by declare our regret for and withdrawal of all ex- 

 pressions of our Assembly which may be regarded as 

 reflecting upon, or offensive to, the General Assembly 

 of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of 

 America. 



Jtesolved, That a copy of this paper be sent by tele- 

 graph to the General AssemblV now in session at 

 Springfield, 111., for their prayerful consideration, and, 

 mutatis mutandis, for their reciprocal concurrence, as 

 affording a basis for the exchange of delegates forth- 

 with. 



The Northern Assembly replied to this, 

 May 20th : 



The moderator is instructed to telegraph to the 

 moderator of the General Assembly in session in At- 

 lanta, that his telegram is received with warm enthu- 

 siasm by this Assembly, and, in order to remove all 

 difficulties in the way of that full and formal fraternal 

 correspondence between the two assemblies, which we 

 are, on our part, prepared to accept, we adopt the fol- 

 lowing, to wit : 



While receding from no principle, we do hereby de- 

 clare our regret for and withdrawal of all expressions 

 of our Assembly which may be regarded as reflecting 

 upon, or offensive to, the General Assembly of the 

 Presbyterian Church in the United States ; and we re- 

 new the expression of our warm fraternal regard for 

 all who compose its communion, and our readiness to 

 exchange delegates forthwith. 



In connection with this minute the modera- 

 tor of the Northern Assembly telegraphed per- 

 sonally to the moderator of the Southern As- 

 sembly : 



As a matter of information, and in justice to all 

 parties, I would say that our Assembly's action on 

 your basis for fraternal relations was taken mutatis 

 mutandis with great heartiness, only two or three dis- 

 senting. 



Pending our action the following resolution was 

 passed : 



Resolved, That, in the action now to be taken, we 

 disclaim any reference to the action of previous As- 

 semblies concerning loyalty and rebellion, but only to 

 those concerning schism, heresy, and blasphemy. 



We were led in prayer after final action, and sang 

 the doxology amid grateful and profound feeling. 



We shall welcome words from your Assembly con- 

 cerning delegates. 



To these papers the Southern Assembly re- 

 plied : 



If the action of your Assembly, telegraphed by your 

 moderator to our moderator, does not modify the con- 

 current resolution adopted by your Assembly and 

 ours, we are prepared to send delegates forthwith. 



To which the moderator of the Northern 

 Assembly replied : 



The action referred to does not modify, but it ex- 

 plains, the concurrent resolution, and the explanation 

 is on the face of the action. There is nothing behind 

 it or between the lines. 



The dissolution of our Assembly is near at hand. 

 We may be ready for final adjournment this evening. 

 An exchange of delegates is impossible before Tues- 

 day. Shall we each appoint delegates this day to 

 visit the respective Assemblies next year ? We await 

 your answer with deep and prayerful interest. 



And to this the following reply was adopted, 

 and sent by the Southern General Assembly : 

 ATLANTA, GA., May 27. 

 To the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church 



in the United States of America, in session at 



Springfield : 



It was unanimously resolved 1. That the Assem- 

 bly does hereby declare its entire satisfaction with 

 the full and explicit terms in which the General As- 

 sembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United 

 States of America has expressed its reciprocal con- 

 currence in the paper transmitted to our Assembly on 

 fraternal correspondence. 



2. That we do unfeignedly rejoice, and render 

 thanksgiving to God for an event suited to take away 

 the reproach of alienation between bodies holding the 

 same standard of faith and order, and tending to 

 bring peace to our borders. 



3. That, inasmuch as it is impracticable at this late 

 day to have an interchange of delegates, the Assem- 

 bly does hereby appoint the following to your As- 

 sembly at its next session : 



Principals: Kev. William Brown, D. D., Kev. T. 

 A. Hoyt, D. D., Hon. B. M. Estes. 



Alternates: Kev. E. P. Farris.D. D., Eev. H. C. 

 Alexander, D. D., Hon. Patrick Joyes. 



E. K. SMOOT, Moderator. 



The Northern Assembly thereupon ap- 

 pointed the following delegates on its part : 



Principals: Rev. S. J. Niccolls, D. D., Ed- 

 win F. Hatfield, D. D., and Hon. S. M. 

 Moore. 



Alternates: Rev. Arthur Mitchell, D. D., 

 Rev. S. Iren&us Prime, D. D., and Hon. Will- 

 iam E. Dodge. 



III. UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN 

 NORTH AMERICA. The following is a sum- 

 mary of the statistics of this Church as they 

 were reported to the General Assembly in 

 May: Number of synods, 9; of presbyteries, 

 60; of ministers, 719, of whom 541 were re- 

 turned as serving as pastors and stated sup- 

 plies; of licentiates, 39; of students of the- 

 ology, 50 ; of congregations, 826, of which 661 

 were served by pastors and stated supplies ; of 

 members, 84,573 ; of Sunday-schools, 809, with 

 8,647 officers and teachers, and 72,596 schol- 

 ars ; number of baptisms during the year, 

 629 of adults, and 3,720 of children. Amount 

 of contributions : 



