The National Reform Convention at Cincinnati.
FROM the Detroit Post’s concluding report of the Cincinnati Convention, we give the following extracts, in addition to what was given last week:— CINCINNATI, Feb. 1. The National convention in favor of a religious amendment to the Constitution met this morning; Dr. Browne of Titusville, in the chair. The Committee on business reported in favor of allowing the remonstrance of F. E. Abbott to be read. Mr. Abbott did not read his remonstrance, but made a few remarks indicating its character, to which the Rev. A. D. Mayo briefly replied. The discussion was then stopped by a motion to have the remonstrance referred to Dr. Mayo with instructions to present it with his reply for publication. The resolutions presented last evening were then taken up seriatim, discussed, and passed with slight amendments. In the third resolution the word State was stricken out so as not to limit it to State laws. The discussion on the resolution in regard to the Bible in schools was somewhat extended. The Rev. H. H. George made the point that the question of the legality of the requirement to have the Bible read in public schools was now pending in the Supreme Court of Ohio, and would, if possible, be taken to the Supreme Court of the United States where, although Justice Strong was chairman of the convention, and other Christian men were on the bench who were desirous of giving the Bible to the children of the country, yet they would be obliged to decide the matter according to constitutional law, and in the Constitution of the United States there is no law recognizing religious morality, and therefore the enemies of the Bible have much to hope when the question comes before that court. The substance of Mr. Abbott’s remonstrance was that this proposed amendment would have a tendency to create an aristocracy of Christians; would incite persecution; would render incapable of holding office all citizens who could not subscribe to the principles of Christianity, and warned the delegates that the surest way to secure the ruin of the country and of the Christian religion itself was to ingraft a creed into the constitution of a State. The Rev. A. D. Mayo replied to Mr. Abbott. He said this protest contained the gist of popular objection to this movement; that the Nation will be bound to deny all political rights to all who do not believe in Christianity, and it will cause persecution, and finally a bloody war. It seemed strange that such calamities should be foretold, for what this convention asks is but to put in the Federal Constitution, what is already incorporated in nearly all the State constitutions. * Missouri, after the Rebellion, formed a new constitution, and put in its preamble a more full acknowledgment of the dependence on God than any State. It even thanked God for saving them from the Rebellion. They did not disfranchise disbelievers, but enfranchised the very rebels they thanked God for delivering them from. No union of church and State followed, for they gave a most tremendous guarantee of religious liberty. Thus the people of the United States will finally do. They will persecute no man save him who seeks to destroy the inheritance of American freedom, and he will be destroyed. [Applause.] The Committee on Enrollment reported more than 250 delegates from 10 different States, viz.: Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Kansas, and West Virginia. Evening session.—Before the final adjournment a committee on nomination of officers was appointed, as follows: The Rev. J. F. Morton, W. H. French and H. Martin. Addresses were made by Prof. Stoddard on the relation which the character of a State bears to a written constitution, and by T. P. Stevenson, editor of the Christian Statesman, of Philadelphia, on the practical value and effect of the proposed amendment. The Committee on officers reported the following for the ensuing year, and the report was adopted: President, Judge Wm. Strong, of the United States Supreme Court; Vice Presidents, Gov. Washburn, of Massachusetts; Gov. Harvey, of Kansas; Gov. Padelford, of Rhode Island; Ex-Gov. McClurg, of Missouri; Lieut. Gov. Cumback, of Indiana; Judge Murray, of the New York Supreme Court; Judge Hogan, of the Superior Court of Cincinnati; Felix R. Brunnot, of Pennsylvania; John Alexander, of Philadelphia; Charles G. Nazro, of Boston; Thomas W. Bicknell, Commissioner of Public Schools of Rhode Island; James W. Taylor, of New York; Prof. Lewis, of Union College, New York; Edward S. Toby, of Boston; Bishop Eastburn, of Ohio; Bishop Cummins, of Kentucky; President Finney, of Oberlin College, Ohio; President Merrick, of the Ohio Western University; President Cummings, of the Western University; the Rev. A. D. Mayo of Cincinnati; Bishop Morris, of Ohio; the Rev. Dr. McIlvaine, of New Jersey; Professor Stoddard, of the Wooster, Ohio, University; Bishop Simpson, of the Methodist Episcopal church; Dr. Blanchard, President of Wheaton College, Illinois; Dr. Hart, principal of the State Normal School, of New Jersey; Bishop Kerfoot, of Philadelphia; Bishop Huntington, of New York; Dr. Cuyler, of Brooklyn; Bishop Scott, of Delaware; Prof. Seely, of Amherst College; Bishop McIlvaine, of Ohio; President Miner of Tufts College, and the Rev. Dr. Edwards, of Illinois; General Secretary, the Rev. D. McAllister, of New York; Corresponding Secretary, the Rev. T. P. Stevenson, of Philadelphia; Recording Secretary, the Rev. W. W. Barr, of Philadelphia; Treasurer, Samuel Agnew, of Philadelphia. The Executive Committee, in addition to the Secretary and Treasurer, are the following: B. P. Sterling, Joshua Cowpland, John Alexander, James S. Martin, the Rev. Dr. Wylie, Robert Taylor, Wm. McKnight, Thomas Walker and Thomas Brown, of Philadelphia; the Rev. Wm. L. Owens, of Pennsylvania; Henry Harrison, Geo. Silver, Robt. B. Maxwell, Wm. Neely, Walter T. Miller, James Wiggins, Henry O’Neill, Hugh Carlisle and James Spence, of New York; D. Chestnut, of Pittsburgh; Henry Martin, of Cincinnati. The usual vote of thanks followed, after which the convention adjourned sine die.