The National Reform Convention at Cincinnati.
Correspondence of the Detroit Daily Post. Cincinnati, Jan. 31. The National Convention, to secure a religious amendment to the Constitution, met to-day at Thorn's Hall, and about 250 delegates were present from different States. The convention was called to order by Prof. O. N. Stoddard, of the Wooster University, of Ohio, and the object of the convention was fully stated by the Rev. D. McAllister, the Secretary. Prof. Stoddard read the call for the convention. M. B. Hogans, one of the Judges of the Superior Court of Cincinnati, was chosen President. Judge Hogans delivered an address on taking the chair. He congratulated the delegates that they had met peacefully, without regard to sect or party, to discuss questions of much moment, and he welcomed them to the State and city—the heart of the Nation. He firmly believed a vast majority of the people of the United States approve of the scope and end of this movement—the explicit acknowledgment of God in the Constitution—is but a recognition of an obligation on the part of the State, as binding on the National conscience as on that of its independent members. The nation is not a compact, and does not live by the will of a man. It has its foundation in man's nature, and existed before constitutions and laws. People clamor for legislation against evil, but forget that insidious forces, tending to National ruin, find strength in the fact that the temple which the Nation has built for itself, does not blaze with the glory of ineffable presence, nor does its garments, made with its own fingers, shimmer with the halo of its divine origin before the people, and so, casting and reflecting the influence of the State on the people, and the people back on the State, the process of decadence may go on to the utter ruin of the Nation and its temple. He would not speak of methods for attaining the end desired by this convention. The agitation of this question, he felt sure, would not end till rightly settled, for we have learned from our own history that in the long run the people are right. Letters were read from Judge Strong, of the Supreme Court of the United States; Prof. J. Seely, of Amherst College; Dr. Patterson, of Chicago, and others, expressing regret at inability to attend. Secretary McAllister read a report of his doings since October, 1871. Information had been received of 30 organizations, with memberships of between 200 and 300, besides there has been much public discussion. Within the year, over 200 public meetings were held. A National Convention was deemed advisable, and Cincinnati was selected as the place, because it was the scene of the agitation of the question of the Bible in the schools. Experience confirms the belief that the progress of a movement depends on the thoroughness of its presentation to the minds of intelligent citizens. The schedule of the topics for discussion at the convention, with the names of the leading speakers, is as follows: “Relation of Education to Religion,” the Rev. A. D. Mayo; “Moral Character and Accountability of the Nation,” Prof. J. R. W. Sloane; “Neutrality of the State in Morals and Religion, a Thing Impossible,” Prof. Taylor Lewis; “Relation of the Written Constitution to the true Character and Welfare of the Nation,” Prof. O. N. Stoddard; “Practical Value and Effect of the Proposed Amendment,” the Rev. T. O. Stevenson. The Secretary suggested the publication of the proceedings to stimulate lecturers and to keep the discussion before the people. He believed that, in the language of the distinguished Judge who presided over this convention, “the Christian sentiment in regard to the government of this country is crystallizing, and this amendment is the form it must take.” The disturbing element came by a notice given by F. E. Abbott, editor of the Toledo Weekly Index, a paper devoted to the interests of free religion, that he desired to utter a remonstrance against the object of this convention. Objection was made, and he appealed to the chair to say whether or not he could utter such remonstrance. Thos. Shaw, of Cincinnati, said if this were a National Democratic Convention, a Republican would hardly insist on naming a candidate for President, and he thought the same rule should apply here. The Rev. A. Ritchie thought a respectful remonstrance ought to be received, as it would provoke discussion, and if this movement could not bear discussion or light, it ought to be abandoned. Chauncey Barnes of Athens, Ohio, welcomed this element of opposition. It was the scourge that would elicit the truth. Jesus Christ was the more clearly revealed because of the opposition he met. This remonstrance should be received in kindness, and killed by kindness. On motion, Mr. Abbott was requested to reduce his remonstrance to writing, and present it to the Committee on Business, to whom the whole subject was referred. At the evening session addresses were delivered by the Rev. A. D. Mayo and Prof. Sloane. The Committee on Resolutions reported a series of resolutions which were laid over for discussion. They declare that the State is exercising jurisdiction over 1,000,000 human beings, and as a sovereign arbiter of life and death, and as an educating power, it is necessarily a moral character, and the accountability is its own; that it is the right and duty of the United States, as a Nation settled by Christians, with Christian laws and usages, and with Christianity as its greatest social force, to acknowledge itself in its Constitution to be a Christian Nation, and that a failure by this Nation to acknowledge its relation to God has fostered the theory that the Government has nothing to do with religion but to let it alone; and that the State laws in favor of the Sabbath, Christian marriage, and the use of the Bible in the public schools, are unconstitutional; that we recognize the necessity of complete harmony between our written Constitution and the actual facts of our National life; and the true way to effect this harmony is not to expel the Bible and abrogate all the laws enforcing Christian morality, and abolish all devout observances in connection with the Government, and all idea of God and religion from our schools, but to insert an explicit acknowledgment of God and the Bible in the fundamental law, and that the proposed religious amendment is directly opposed to a union of the church and the State. The convention will close its sessions to-morrow.