This, we are confident, was the proper attitude for the Society to assume.  No one wanted to grieve or irritate the Southern brethren, by clauses in the resolutions, which might seem uncalled for, or at all distrustful of their explicit utterances.  At the same time it should be distinctly understood that the unanimous action taken means that the Congregational churches stand exactly where the Presbyterians do, in not abating one hair of their principles, and in forever demanding that color shall prove no barrier to Christian fellowship in its truest, deepest intent.  This journal has taken this position repeatedly, and it re-asserts it.  Sooner or later, but as surely as the sun-rise, it will prevail, because it is right, and our grandchildren, if not our children, will wonder that any of our generation ever hesitated about it.

From The Advance.

Then, the question as to the color-line in the churches, as known to exist in the South, could not be ignored.  Our Congregational churches and their two great Home Missionary Societies, the American Home Missionary Society and the American Missionary Association, hold to certain principles respecting the universal brotherhood of believers in Christ, and for which they stand before the world as witnesses, historically, conspicuously, always and everywhere.  Do these newly constituted Congregational churches in the South stand with us on this point?  To ask this question implies not the slightest suspicion or distrust.  Not to have asked it would have been to betray a great responsibility.

For one thing, the Home Missionary Society could not afford to even seem to be indifferent to a matter of this kind.  And if there is to be this close fellowship and co-operation and mutual assistance, there should obviously be, from the beginning, the most perfect frankness.  The best way to insure permanence of happy mutual relations is to begin right.

* * * * *

ATLANTA UNIVERSITY.

The State officials of Georgia are disposed, perhaps it might be said they desire, to renew the gift of eight thousand dollars to the Atlanta University, insisting, however, upon compliance with the color-line requisition.  To this, the University cannot yield.  The controversy on that subject was not of its seeking.  The children of the professors had for years attended the classes, and the State Examiners had known this all the time and had made no objections.  The demand for the exclusion of these pupils from the classes was suddenly made by an outside pressure, and was not provoked in any way by word or deed of the teachers.  To surrender now is simply to yield a principle for money.