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 THE 
 
 JEWISH SOCIETY 
 
 OP 
 
 NEW YORK, 
 
 ARRAIGNED AT THE BAR 
 
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 OF 
 
 PUBLIC OPINION 
 
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 V. 
 
 * ^ . .-■><»-.■'■ 
 
 BY 
 
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 THE REV. R0M:RT BURNS, D. D,, 
 
 MINiaTBR OF KMOX'S CHCBCH, *^ -^ 
 TORONTO, C. W. 
 
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 Judex damnatur c}oom nooeni absolvUw.— Publics 9tmv« , 
 Mens conscia recti. ii^ •. 
 
 
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 TORONTOi 
 
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 PIIDLISIIED UY CHARLES FLETCHEK. 
 61 YONOK STREET. 
 
 MUCCCLIir. 
 
 
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 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The perusal of the following pamphlet will put the reader . 
 in possession of the leading features of the case. It is 
 proper however to state,, that the main- design of the 
 publication is to examine and expose the statements which 
 have been put forth by the "Executive Committee" of the 
 Society in New York for " Meliorating^ the Condition of the 
 Jews," in reply to a statement by Dr. Burns of the result 
 of his visit to New York in October last on' the subject of 
 the matters at issue betwixt him and Mr. J. W. Macgregor,, 
 one of the Agents of the Society. Dr. B. had publicly 
 intimated his doubts as to the s.iid Mr. Macgregor being 
 am agent of the Society at of I, and. these doubts were based 
 chiefly on the character of the commission which he 
 produced, and the signature of the- President of the Society 
 appended to it, which Dr. Burns, onhis personal knowledge 
 of Dr. Milledoler and his- hand- writing, alleged not to be 
 genuine. Dr. Milledoler,, on^ being appealed to,, returned 
 for answer that all commissions duly certified by the 
 Secretary and Committee, were as a matter of course 
 subscribed by him as Pr^^sident, jmd that he had never had- 
 cause to douut the faithfulness of the Secretary. On the 
 strength of this statement,. Dr. B , at a public meeting in 
 Toronto,, relinquished his charge against the genuineness of 
 the document, and acknowledged. Mr. Macgregor as really 
 the agent of the Society. 
 
 Here terminated the matter so far as the question of 
 the agency was concerned,, but Dr. Milledoler having stated 
 in his letter that he did not know Dr Burns,, and had never 
 corresponded with him ;.and moreover the Piiesident's letter 
 embracing only the officiali credit due to the Secretary in 
 all' matters of the kind. Dr. Burns felt' iti his duty to visit 
 Pfew Vork, in order to expiscatealli matters affecting not 
 only the particular case of Mr. J. W. Macgregor, but the 
 gencrabhistory and oharaoter of the- Society whose agenti 
 he appeared to be.- 'I'he necessity of this became more 
 apparent from the solemn event of the death of Dr. Mille- 
 doler, which ha* added to the difhculties in the case, while 
 ,it has thrown! afound it a melancholy interest. 
 
 Dr.-Blirns, on his return to Toronto, called a public 
 meeting in his own Church, when he made a report of hit 
 
 f 
 
\r 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 visit to New York, the bearing of which was conclusive 
 in regard to the two main points — namely, in its satisfacto- 
 rily shewing that he had sufficient grounds and reasons for 
 indicating serious doubts as to the real character of the 
 agency in question ; and secondly, that leading office- 
 bearers of the Society were anxious to have the matter < 
 fully canvassed for their own vindication and for the better 
 regulation of their future proceedings 
 
 Since Dr. B.'s reply was published in the pages of the 
 North American, of Toronto, the " Executive Committee" 
 of the New York Society have met, and Uiey have seen it 
 their duty not only to declare Mr. J . W. Macgregor a duly 
 accredited agent, but also to take on themselves the respon- 
 sibility of all his proceedings, and those of his brother the 
 Secretary. This has shifted the ground of controversy, 
 and it is no longer a matter between Dr. Burns and the 
 agent, but rather one between the Society and Dr. Burns, 
 affecting the credit of the one or of the other, as the case 
 may be. 
 
 Mr. Charles Van Wyck is Chairman of the Executive 
 Committee, whose reply to Dr. Burns it is one main object 
 of the following pages to rebut. 
 
 It is not likely that the question will be settled soon. 
 New York will in all probability become the battle-field of 
 the combatants. From that city, evidence must be forth- 
 coming either for or against the Society ; and it is plain 
 that the interests of truth and of righteousness demand a 
 rigid and impartial investigation. 
 
 These prefatory remarks seemed necessary in order to 
 enable the reader to understand more easily the bearing of 
 the pamphlet, and to form his opinion regarding the 
 substantial merits of the controversy. 
 
 */ 
 
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 Toronto, January 10, 1853. 
 
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 office- ^ 
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 ;,^-. >,)!■":.■ ;.. ,, fil. 
 
 THE 
 
 JEWISH SOCIETY OF NEW YORK. 
 
 the 
 
 
 ''■•i-;t„ 
 
 The coiiverelon of Christian Frederick Frey, to the faith of Christ, 
 was an important event in the religious world. It is now rather more 
 than half a century since divine light dawned on the mind of that son 
 of Abraham ; and from the date of his change of sentiment down to 
 the period of hia recent death, his name has been associated more or 
 less prominently with the cause of the conversion of the Jews, both iu 
 Europe and America. It was in 1804 Mr. Frey made his first visit to 
 Scotland, in connexion with the interests of the London Missionary 
 Society ; an institution which then embraced the conversion of the 
 Jews as well as the propagation of the Gospel among the Gentile.*^ 
 While in the course of his tour in Scotland, I heard Mr. Frey preacOi 
 in the Secession Church at Linlithgow, to a deeply interested ami 
 overflowing audience. His subject was, the brazen serpeni as a typo 
 of the Redeemer, llie discourse was simple, clear, scriptural, ami 
 impressive. Few in Britain had heard the truths of CBristianity 
 from the lips of a Jew before ; and the impression on many minds \v;im 
 salulary. Mr. Frey continued in connexion with the Missionary 
 Society till the formation in 1809, of the *< London Society for the 
 promotion of Chrisliauity among the Jews," when he joined in its 
 actings, and occupied a prominent place in its councils. A few yenrs 
 thereafter, the London Society became exclusively a Church of 
 ICngland institute, as it has continued up to the present day. Mr. 
 Frey never became an Episcopalian, and Iherefore his relation to that 
 Society ueces.sarily terminated. He removed to the United States, 
 wh(!re he was honoured with extensive usefulness. lie became a 
 member of the Evangelical Baptist Church of the United States and 
 wrote several learned works, and died three years ago at Pontiac, 
 Michigan, in connexion with tho Church then under the charge of Dr. 
 Pyper, now of Toronto, C. W. 
 
 In 1819 the London Society, '* on a full and deliberate view of the 
 subject in all its bearings, finally deemed it expedient to reiinqaish thu 
 plan of afFordiiig temporal relief to adult Jews." To this resolution 
 
I 
 
 6 THK JEWISH SOCIETV 
 
 they were led mainly by the representations of Dr. Pinkerton, one nf 
 their ablest correspondents and most enlightened friends. In a valuable 
 communication, printed in the eleventh Report of the Society, now 
 before me, that gentleman fuggests to the Committee the following 
 principles of action : "■ That leaving the important subject of the resto- 
 ration of the Jews enfirely in the hands of Providence, and refraining 
 from spending their funds in the support of individuals of the Jewish 
 nation, professing attachment to Christianity, they flhould direct 
 their eflbits chiefly and unweariedly to the disseminaction of 'Christian 
 knowledge among the nation of the Jews at large, by sending qualified 
 men among them, who may travel from town totown, and from village 
 to village ; converse with them in their families ; reason with them in 
 their synagogues ; meet their objections ; remove their prejudices ; and 
 everywhere circulate the New Testament in Hebrew, in Jewish German, 
 and in other languages understood by them, -with short treatises 
 on vital Christianity, and on the Messiahship of Christ. Confine 
 your labours," said he, "to this rational. Scriptural, easy^ and most 
 benevolent object, resting assured, that in the prosecution of it, the 
 discoveries of Divine Providence will be of such a nature as to lea<ve 
 you and your labourers in no doubt respectingthe further instruments to 
 be employed, and the measures to be adopted for watering the seed of 
 Evangelical and saving truth when once -sown among this ancient and 
 interesting people." The Society have acted, I believe, ever since in 
 the spirh of these suggestions, and God has been pleased to honorthem 
 with much success. 
 
 At the very time when a resolution adverse to the principle of 
 tempoial support was thus adopted in England, a resolution favorable 
 to it seems to have been adopted and acted on in the United States. 
 In 1820 «he Society for " Ameliorating the Condition of the Jews" 
 wa« formed in New York, chiefly by members of the Presbyterian and 
 Reformed Dutch Chuiches. It has been supposed that Mr. Frey wan 
 the prime mover in it. This does not appear to have been the case, 
 as that gentleman was opposed to its leading principle. One of the 
 most ardent promoter* of the scheme was the Rev. Dr. Stephen Rowan, 
 Ministsr of the Eighth Presbyterian Church in New York, Who for 
 more than five years prior to 1828 devoted himself almost entirely to 
 its concerns. By his advice the Board of Directors did in that year 
 purchase a farm of 500 acres in the township of N' w Paltz, on the 
 Hudson River, for the reception and occupation oi Jewish converts. 
 Ample funds were provided by the friends ot the Society, and in Sep- 
 tember, 16'i8, Dr. Rowan received leave of absence from his congre- 
 gation for twelve months, that he might visit Europe on behalf of the 
 Institution. I was then in frequent correspondence with respected 
 friends in New York, and Dr. Rowan, on his arrival in Scotland, intro- 
 duced himself to me by letters from such friends. Of course every 
 
rton, one of 
 jnavaJuibJe 
 [ociety, now 
 le following 
 'f the resto- 
 refraining 
 I the Jewish 
 o'd direct 
 'f 'Christian 
 g qualified 
 jrpm village 
 pth them in 
 'dices ; and 
 ih German, 
 1^ treatises 
 • Confine 
 and most 
 of it, the 
 s to lea^e 
 fumeiits to 
 he seed of 
 luiem and 
 Jr since in 
 onorthem 
 
 inciple of 
 favorable 
 5d States, 
 le Jews" 
 Jrian and 
 ^rey was 
 he case, 
 e of the 
 Rowan, 
 who for 
 tirely lo 
 at year 
 on the 
 •nverfa, 
 n Sep. 
 ongre- 
 of the 
 pected 
 intro. 
 3rery 
 
 OF NEW ¥0E».' »V : 7 
 
 ikind and respectful attention was paid to adepu^y so accredited a« Dr. 
 R. was ; but I had serious doubts on two points, tl seriously questioned 
 the propriety of the whole scheme ; and I thoug[ht 'there was a aomc' 
 thing about the Deputy himself whieh did not accord with my notion* 
 of what such a representative and agent ought to be. My ipu^it was 
 not opened to him, but when he preached in the United SeceesioH 
 Church I went and heard him. My dilfiouhies were not remored. I 
 did not like the strain of the discourse at all — objurgatory — olainiing a 
 monopoly of every thing great and good to the scheme which it evolved, 
 and apostrophizing con amort ** the land of the brave and the free.'' 
 Most of the i«euds of religion in Scotland refrained from taking action 
 in the cause ; but Dr. R. did obtain encouragement both in Great 
 Britain and on the Continent. On his return to America the scheme 
 went forward under bis immediate patronage. He left New York and 
 became Principal of the Institution. The consequences were such as 
 pious men in New York and elsewhere anticipated. The farm en the 
 Hudson became the rendezvous of all the ^idolent and worthless from 
 'the ranks of the lowest classes of Jews in the city. It became a sink 
 of corruption, and a reproach to the Christian name. Over the fearful 
 aberrations of the Principal and his flock of adherents, charity draws 
 the veil. After a few years, the «cheme and its projector descended 
 to a dishonoured grave. 
 
 Of the Institution I heard no more, till in 1844, Dr. Baird's volume 
 on <■ Religion in the United States," again brought it under my notice. 
 After adverting in a few words to the general scheme, he says : "Some" 
 how or other the project did not answer the expectations of its projec- 
 tors, and so much did the Society lose the confidence of the Christian 
 public, that for a while it seemed entirely U^t sight of.'* He speaks 
 of the efforts then making to revive it, and of its Capabilities as an 
 incorporated and endowed institution. In this he is wrong, for whatever 
 may be its incorporated privileges, it has now at least, I am happy to 
 say, no endowment. 
 
 It is about ten years since the effort to revive the Society under a 
 re-organization was made, and the honored names of Dr. Milledoler, Mr. 
 Hirschell, of Iilington, London, Dr. Proudfit, of New Brunswick, and 
 the Rev. John Lillie, of the City of New York, withothars, stand forth 
 with, prominence. The "Jewish Chronicle," a monthly circular of 
 intelligence, became the organ of the Society. It was printed first in 
 the newspaper form, but since 1844 it has been brought out in the i'ortu 
 of a neat octavo of 32 pages. From 1842 to 1848 it was under the 
 editorial care of the Rev. John Lillie, the " Secretary for Domestic 
 Correspondence," a gentleman to whom the Society for these six years 
 was under the greatest obligations, as a main instrument in the attempt 
 to revive its claims on the Christian public. His successor in the 
 editorship was the Rev. Alexander PI. Wright, minister of one of the 
 
8 
 
 THC immU SOCIBTY 
 
 > 
 
 Presbyterian Churches in New York, who held the office, hofwerer,. 
 only about eighteen months, when he was succeeded by the present 
 editor, the Rev. Edwin R. MacGregor, a clerical member of the Se- 
 cond Presbytery (0. S.) in the City of New York. Nine volumes of 
 this periodical have been published. While under the care of Messrs. 
 Lillie and Wright, many excellent papers appeared in it; but for the 
 last three years there has been a visible falling off. Many trifling papers 
 have been inserted, and the whole concern demands a « redding up." 
 Although I have seen the Jewish Chronicle, and perused it mora 
 or less caiefully since 1844, the claims of the Society which it advo- 
 cates were not brought under ray notice till the month of August, 1850. 
 A young lad, calling himself *< J. W. Macgregor," waited on me in 
 Church street,, where I thea lived,, and asked the use of Knox.'s Church 
 on a week night, for a Lecture and CoUestion in behalf of the Society, 
 (^n asking his credentials, a paper carelessly written and signed "£. R. 
 McGregor" was shewn me. It stated that the bearer had been nained as 
 Agent in behalf of the Society in N. York for ** Meliorating the Condi- 
 tion of the Jews," and that he was authorized to make collections in its 
 behalf. The personnel of the young man did not accord with my notions 
 of an accredited representative of an important religious institution. 
 The Society I. remarked, had been known to me of old, and I was happy 
 tliat it had been revived ; but that 1 would have looked for some 
 minister of standing and known character as its deputy to the Church 
 in Canada. <*Have you no letter to shew me," I asked, "from Dr. 
 Milledoler, the President, who is well known to me and' a few lines 
 from whom would have been everything that is required ?" He 
 Maid, he might have had it, but that the signature of his brother the 
 Secretary was thought sufficient. He promised however to have this 
 attended to on any future occasion; and on this, I gave himthe use of 
 the f^hurch as he requested* " As you are not going to preach," I 
 remarked, " you had better take the desk." " No," said he, *' I prefer 
 the pulpit," and instantly mounted. A respectable congregation had 
 i,iathered, including one or two ministersi The young man gave out 
 a text, and did preach. The Sermon made no. other impression on ray 
 mind than just this, that it was vague, desultory, and inept, and 
 abounding with questionable statements^ BUt the appeal on behalf of 
 the Society was so feeble ; so utteily destituteof facts beafing at all on 
 its active operations ; so little in keeping with what the punted bill 
 issued by the deputy had promised ; that the impression on my mind, 
 ;mhI probably on the minds of others was, that whatever may have been 
 tile history of his nomination, the nominee was a very lame represen- 
 tative of any Society claiming the patronage of the citizens of Toronto 
 or of tlte inhabitants of Canada. At the close a collection was taken up 
 amounting to some five or six pounds, and the young man left the chy 
 nexi morning. A^i- an additional evidence of his peculiar fitness for 
 
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 'd it more 
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 ist, 1850. 
 
 |on nae in 
 
 ■'a Church 
 
 Society. 
 9cl '< £. R. 
 
 nahied as 
 be Condi- 
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 istitution. 
 
 'as happy 
 for some 
 
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 'ave this 
 
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 or NEW YOBX, 9 
 
 tke work of an intelligent agentship, a notice appears in the Sept. 
 Chronicle, of 1860, thus :— « Toronto, Rev. Mr. Knox^s Church, $33 P* 
 
 Precisely one yeas after this, Mr. Morris Julius Franklin came 
 to me with a note of recommendation from my son at Kingston. Ha: 
 add me the printedi narrative of bis life for 124.cenits. It is now before 
 me, and I have repeatedly read it with coosideiable interest. It i» 
 certified and recommended by Mr. Edwin R. McGregor, whose '< pre- 
 face" to it contaiiM some allusions to clergymen of standing that mighe 
 have better been omitted. Franklin is a native of Prussian Poland ^ 
 born in 1831 ;. of Jewish parents ^ ami he was educated ia the strictest 
 observances of modern Judaisrai. The incidents which befel him in 
 Fngland and in America,, together with the circumstaoceS' of his con- 
 version to Christianity by means of the preaching and conversation of 
 the Rev. Edwin R. McGregor, are also narrated in a simple and aifect- 
 ing manner. Havir>g studied in an Academy at Newburgh, and having 
 obtained assistance in his studies from various quarters, he entered 
 the University of New York, whene,. in 1851, he describes himself as 
 enjoying a wide field of usefulness. ** And I continue," says he, p. 
 46, '* by the blessing of the Lord,, my studies and my colporteur labors 
 among my brethren." 
 
 It seemed to me rather strange that the ** Executive Committee" 
 of the Jews' Society of New York should devolve their second mission 
 to Canada on a youth of 20, unassisted by a senior. He referred 
 to the visit of Mr. J. W. McGregor in 1850, and to the objection, I had 
 taken to his want of due credentials ; offering to me at the sanne time 
 a document bearing to be a commission as "-General Agent" for the 
 Society, subscribed by Mr. E. R. McGregor,. Dr. Milledoler, as Presi- 
 dent, and a third, whose name 1 do not now recollect. The aspect of the 
 document, its style of diction, and unbusiness-like debut, rather repelled 
 me; while the clerk-like, dashhig signature of the venerable President 
 did not at all comport with my previous notions of Dr. Milledoler. I 
 had been familiar with the character and status of Dr. Milledoler 
 since 1813. We had many mutual friends ; and when in 1844 I was 
 personally introduced to him, my feeling was rather that of olil 
 acquaintanceship than anything else. Among my hundreds of 
 autographs I never doubted that one or more of Dr. M.'s would be 
 found ; and my having since travelled 1200 miles to obtain one, is 
 surely no presumption against my honesty of puipose, whatever 
 impotent malignity may say. 
 
 If my doubts were not removed by the external evidence of 
 veritable documents, they were confirmed and settled down into some- 
 thing approaching to certainty, by a strict examination for an hour, of 
 the young man. I had to remind him that his name was not *' Masts'" 
 but " Morris" ; two words which he confounded. He stoutly denied 
 that there ever had been any division ia the Israelitish monarchy ; acd. 
 
 -I! 
 
10 
 
 THE JEWISH SOCIETY 
 
 be insisted that the captivity of the ten tribes and that df'the two tribes 
 took place at one and the same time, and in fact were identical. Other 
 strange anomalies appeared, partly it may be from ignorance, partly 
 from sceptical illusion ; but the conclusion was, I refused him my 
 pulpit. He went to the Rev. Mr. Jennings, of ithe United Presbyterian 
 Church, and preached in his Church at three o'clock on 'the following 
 Sabbath. A large congregation assembled, ^and ahhough very Httle 
 satisfaction was felt in the details of the youthful advocate, a respectable 
 collection was made.* 
 
 Another year passed away, and the citizens of our good " Queen 
 City of the West" were to be complimented by Mr. Van Wyck and 
 his "Executive," with a third visit of a "General Agent" ofithe 
 " Am. Soc. Mel. Con. Jews." This was my quondam friend Mr. J. 
 W. McGrepror, who had not grown in size whatever he may have 
 grown in wisdom during the intervening two years. On Friday, 
 August 6th, he produced a commission every way the same in all 
 substantial respects with that of 1850 and 1€51. It announced him 
 (Mr. J. W. Maogregor) as " General Agent" of the " Am. Soc. Mel. 
 Con. Jews," leaving us Canadians and others of course toifind out for 
 ourselves the import of these cabalistic abbreviations •; and it gave 
 him power and authority to •' Lecture, " " make Congregational 
 rollectious," and "otherwise help the cause of promoting Christianity 
 among the Jews." The document was ailorned at each corner with 
 bits of paper pasted on, and on each of these bits of paper was printed 
 a sentence of unpointed Hebrew. It hud appended to it the names 
 " Ph. Milledoler, President ;" " F. P. Lord, Recording Secretary ;" 
 aud " E. R. Macgregor, Corresponding Secretary." 
 
 After roailing the documeiif, I made reference to the visit of Mr. 
 Morris Franklin, in 1851, and to the objections which seemed to me to 
 lie against the genuineness of the commission produced by him; adding 
 tiiat tlin pcper now produced by Mr. J. W. M. was liable to the very 
 same objection. Its appearance and phraseology were uidike what I 
 would have expected from a Society headed by such respectable indi- 
 viduals as those whose names I had s« often seen on the covers of the 
 Jewish Chronicle. The individual a-^ain selected as the agent did not 
 answer my ideas of the qualifications and st.itns which such an important 
 commission seemed to deinfind. Dr. Milledoler was known to me ai 
 a very aged man, probably between seventy and eighty years of age, 
 and I had a recollection of his hand-writing as more of a square 
 cliaracier, and of somewhat tremulous formation, than the one appended 
 to the document before me. Reference was also made to the visit of Mr. 
 
 Fral 
 
 his 
 
 pro^ 
 
 of 
 
 miH 
 
 * It will \ie ri!roll('cti-(1 liy )iuiidrv(N who wure preiiuiit on Aiivunl 8th. 18S3. in Mr. 
 Riml '• Churcli. th»l Mr. Jiiiniiivi* i>|Nilti' <>>' " leu |><iiiiiiU."ii'< rKJIrrlcd cm tlir (lOCHMioii. and 
 thai hr had ax^'prminrd il« Hirivntnt (he TreB^iiry ill New Voilj, TlH'rc inuitt l)« iiiin* mii* 
 litiii' hire ; Tor in llic SHf|)lMiul<cr No. uC llit Juwisli CtiiDiiicIf, iiuw on my tuble, the turn 
 ibinauiicea it only {|37. 
 
OF NEW YORK. 
 
 II 
 
 letwolribea 
 tical. Other 
 nice, partly 
 8d him my 
 resbyterian 
 e foJJowing 
 h very littJe 
 respectable 
 
 >d "Queen 
 Wyck and 
 
 "t" of the 
 end Mr. J. 
 
 may have 
 'n Friday, 
 
 me in all 
 need him 
 Soc. Mel. 
 ind out lor 
 1 it gave 
 relational 
 >ristiaaity 
 mier with 
 as printed 
 he names 
 cretary ; 
 
 ';" 
 
 t of Mr. 
 to me to 
 i; adtling 
 the very 
 ' wJiat I 
 lie indi- 
 s of the 
 did not 
 iportant 
 > me as 
 of age, 
 square 
 lended 
 of Mr. 
 
 I. ill Mr. 
 inn. Riid 
 Ti« mif 
 lie lum 
 
 Franklin, and the circumBtances of his commission, and the memoir of 
 his life. Of all this Mr. McGregor professed entire ignorance, and 
 protested against hia being in any way implicated in the proceedings 
 of that individual, or any other who might have preceded him in the 
 mission to Canaila. This added considerably to my suspicions ; but 
 not wishing to do anything rashly, I proposed tl'tit he (Mr. J. W. M.) 
 should telegraph Dr. Milledoler at New York that day, and an answer 
 ^ would be received in lime sufficient to make arrangements for Sabbath. 
 f To this the gentleman demurred on the single ground of expense. I 
 reasoned with him 'that as an accredited and paid agent of the Society, 
 he should be ready at all times to satisfy the reasonable scruples of 
 such ministers as had provod themselves on former occasions friendly 
 to the Society; that it could do no harm ; and that the item of expenso 
 could not be very heavy. He proposed to me another plan, namely, 
 tiiat of bringing to me the written testimony of one of my brethren of 
 the city, who could attest the Society favorably on his own personal 
 :'., knowledge. To this I at once agreed, and on his nivming the Rev. 
 
 John Jennings, minister of the United Presbyterian Church in Toronto, 
 I immediately addressed a note to that gentleman, expr.^'-^ing my 
 doubts as to the Society in (juestion, and begging his canu.J advice. 
 Here let it be observed that my letter t"ok little or no notice what- 
 ever of Mr. Mcdresor himself; a clear proof that no malun animuB 
 as to him had anythinsr to do with the matter. My anxiety was prin- 
 cipally about the Society, and the logitinuicy of its claims on Chris- 
 tian support. Mr. Macgregor carried the note to Mr. Jennings, and 
 next day he returned with the reply. Mr. Jennings enclosed a 
 I copy of the list ol' otiice bearers, referring to their known respectability 
 
 as a sufficient guarantee, and informed me of the agent being the 
 brcther of Mr. K. Macsregor, the Secretary, a I'reibjterian miniiiter 
 in New York of eHtnblished reputation. 
 
 *' This will do," said I ; " my scruples are removed, and I will in- 
 timate the meeting from tho pnlpil to-morrow. Mr. Jennings will get 
 Mr. Roaf's pidpit." " Would you come yourneH and hear me," Hsked 
 the young man, "and if not siitislied you can niiike your remarks." 
 (Observe, I had told him the diiy before that I had not been satisfied 
 with the appearance ho had made in my own pulpit two years before.) 
 «' My class of young men meets ut llu) same hour ; but I think I will 
 bring them over with um and hear you." These were as nearly as I 
 can remember the words of my reply. We prirted in the best spirit 
 and he went away to make his arrangements. 
 
 On Sabbath, August Htli, a large and respectable congregation 
 assembled in the ConuMegationiil Chin<'h, Adelaide street, at 3 o'clock, 
 P. M. The Rev. Mr. Rattray, of Drummondville, occupied the pulpit 
 along with Mr. J. W. Macgrcgor, and took charge of the devotional 
 exercise*. Mr. Macgregor read out as his text, Rom. x. i. <• Brethren 
 
THE JEWISH SOCIETY 
 
 V I 
 
 !1 
 
 my heart's desire and prayer for Israel is that they may be saved.*' 
 The discourse was read, and as I took my seat near the pulpit I had no 
 difiicuhy in hearing every part of it. The orator had not gone on any 
 length when I felt my mind disturbed and distressed in the most painful 
 way, by the crude and unscriptural sentiments which were brought 
 forwanl ; and any one might have seen with half an eye that the con- 
 gregation sympathised with me in my feelings. More than once I 
 felt as it were the call of duty to interrupt the preacher in what 
 appeared to me his reckless career ; and once and again I looked to one 
 of my brethren sitting near me to catch if possible an indication of his 
 feelings. Mr. M., however, was permitted to go on without inter- 
 ruption to the end of his discourse, and I had some hopes that amends 
 might in some degree be made for the absurdities of the discourse by 
 the fulness of his details regarding the Society. I am sorry to saj', 
 this was far from being the case ; as the statements regarding the 
 Society were very scanty and every way unsatisfactory. When all wa.s 
 finished, Mr. Rattray stood up in the pulpit and reciuested the collectors 
 to take up the collection. I felt that this was the critical moment, 
 when conscience and duty must be adhered to on the one hand, in 
 contradistinction to the inikience of custom and false feeling on the 
 other. Do I regret what I did ? Unworthy would I have been of my 
 status as a Christian minister had I not lifted my testimony against 
 views which were grossly erroneous and spiritually pernicious. Every 
 one who heard me must have felt that it was the heterodoxy of the 
 Sermon and the pauperism of the address that weighed most in my 
 minil, and dictated my appeal to the people. At the same time I did 
 say, and with some prominence too, that I had eiiteilained douhls as 
 to the credentials of tlu; aircut ; tliat tlicse iloubts I had dismissed from 
 my mind in coiisfqueiice of the favorable testimony borne by my 
 brother in the ministry ; btit tluit after wluit I had heard that day, they 
 had returned to my mind with redoubled forc(?. The signature of Dr. 
 Miiiedoler I had known, and the one appended to the connnission in 
 (luestion did not answer to it at all. Moreover, the character, the 
 position in the Church of C,m\, and the personal appearance of tiie 
 venerable nnui, wen; as familii'r to me a^t those of any of the members 
 of my conifrt'gation. And what did I pro]X)se to do ? Did I pass a 
 sentence ou the yonnu: nuin, and jiropose to hand him over to the police, 
 or to Ills Worship tlie Mayor, to he (h-ait with as an imi>ostor (»• as a 
 rogue? I did not. 1 sinijjly sui/gested the propriety of delaying tlio 
 collection till Monday evening, by which time teley;raphic information 
 would be ohtained from New York. Mr. Laidlaw, one of the 
 members of my own conirregation, sie.'gested the idea ol taking up the 
 collection at the time, but retaining it till the (|uestion was definitely 
 st'ttled. To this I at once agreed ; the collectioii was taken up } and 
 
 t0 9M 
 
 motiN 
 
 ago I 
 
 broii 
 
 hadl 
 
 has] 
 
 of 
 
 Socj 
 
 pap| 
 
 its 
 
 AbJ 
 
 ! i-^ 
 
, "lay be saved." 
 
 F not gone on any 
 fntlie most painful 
 ^Jch were brought 
 
 eye that the con- 
 >re than once I 
 reacher in what 
 |n I looked to one 
 indication of /«« 
 
 >n without inter- 
 ps that amends 
 ^e discourse by 
 ■"'O'-ry to say, 
 regarding the 
 • ^^benaJJwa... 
 -d the collectors 
 itical moment, 
 
 «»e Iiand, i„ 
 
 feeling on the 
 ^« been of my 
 
 ™«ny against 
 '«'0"s. Every 
 ••odoiy of the 
 "Jo^t in njy 
 fne time J did 
 "ec' donhis as 
 i^nissed fvom 
 'orne hy ,„^. 
 
 '^' ''ay, Ihey 
 "itiiie of j)r. 
 niiniNsioi, ill 
 '•raclor, tile 
 ani-i' „/• tj„. 
 
 e Jnember.s 
 ^ l»isH a 
 "'•' police, 
 *tor or lis a 
 '•'lynii? tJio 
 I formation 
 J of tint 
 "v lip tho 
 'w'iiiilely 
 "P i ajjd 
 
 OF NEW YORK. 
 
 13 
 
 to shew that I was very far from allowing prejudice or any selfuh 
 motive to sway me, I threw in my collection v" the rest. 
 
 But what of Mr. Macgregor's " Sermon 'i Mr. Van Wyck and 
 the " Executive Committee" tell us in their nu nifesto that they have 
 examined it ; that it contains nothing of the kind alleged ; and that due 
 allowance should be made for difference of opinion. I have perused 
 the discourse, and the reading confirmed all the impressions made by its 
 recital. What sort of views Messrs. Van Wyck & Co. may hold of 
 the essential truths of God I know not ; but of this I am sure, that if 
 they mean to send us another importation into Canada of the same 
 commodities, the cry on our part at least for a revised and improved 
 tariff will be loud and long. I learned when at New York two months 
 ago that the Sermon had been preached by Mr. E. R. McGregor, the 
 brother of J. W., in a New York pulpit, two years before, and that it 
 had given then anything but satisfaction. The probability is, that it 
 has been circulated far and wide, and its dogmas seem to form a sort 
 of vade mecum for the guidance of the colporteurs and agents of the 
 Society ; and I tell Messrs. Van Wyck & Co., that it is a pernicious 
 paper, and far better fitted for bringing back Christians to Judaism in 
 its worst form, than for leading on the minds of the children of 
 Abraham to the glories and the grace of Messiah the Prince. 
 
 Tlie particulars on which I dwelt both in my appeal to the 
 congregation on August 8th, and in my written communication to the 
 Society of Nov. 4th, from Quebec, wore the following. In the first place, 
 Mr. Macgregor traced up tlio calling of Abraham and the Jews into 
 covenant with Jehovah, not to the sovereignty of God aiul the purposes 
 of his grace, but to the inteilectn;d and social (lualitics of the Jews as a 
 people, fitting them peculiarly for the end in view, lu the second place, 
 he represented the Christian Clnu-i-h as enjoying perfect peace and entire 
 harmony of sentiment so long as the membership was confined to Jews ; 
 and maiuiained that the causes of error and of division were to be all 
 tracked to the ndniissiou of (Jenliles into the Cliurch ; and that matters 
 will not fare well with the Church until she shall return to the primary 
 arrangement. In the third place, he put this strange construction 
 oil Paul's desire " to be accursed from Christ for his brethren's ''.ike," 
 ihat there was nothing at all surprising in it, seeing Paul kne\v very 
 well that the loss nicinntd thereby would be amply nuule up by the 
 accession of thousands of intellects every way as good as that with 
 which God had endowed him. \n the fourth place, while he did not 
 set asiih^ the doetiine of the real deity of Christ, lie certainly ascribed 
 his moral eurcUencits very nmeh to the ciicuinstance of his being a 
 Jew. 
 
 On all these topics, the recklessness of assertion, and the flippancy 
 and unscripturulnrss of the remarks wliicli issued from tlie lips nf 
 
 \\ 
 
 
•t 
 
 i \ i 
 
 I 
 
 !S 
 
 : . i 
 
 n 
 
 'iii; 
 
 '.i| 
 
 W' 
 
 1 ; ! 
 
 1 1.. 
 ', I 
 
 ! 
 
 }% THE JEWISH SOCIETY 
 
 the orator, made me shudder ; and one fact in this connexion speaks 
 volumes — although three large congregational meetings have discus- 
 Bed the subject — August 8th, August 19th, and October 26th — not one 
 intelligent hearer has been found to say that he felt at all satisfied with 
 the sentiments of the discourse. I now call on the " Executive Com- 
 mittee" to publish the discourse, as a specimen of their dealings with 
 the descendants of Abraham, or of the terms on which they base their 
 actional procedure. If the discourse is printed as it stands in the MS, 
 there is not a man of truly evangelical views in the United States who 
 will not repudiate it. Your plea, Mr. Van Wyck, for liberty to your 
 agents to indulge in a little latitude on the subject of the Jews, will noC 
 avail you here. Gentile churches, even not the very highest in point of 
 orthodoxy, will decline acceptance of the commodity ; and intelligent 
 Jews will say, " that is all very, good, and. therefore we wait for your 
 joining us, instead of our going over to ^o«." 
 
 On Monday, August 9th, I was waited on by. the Deacons of the 
 Congregational Church, in which the Sermon had been preached,, 
 along with three or four other friends who had been present on the 
 occasion. I name particularly the Rev. Mr. Harper, and Mr. William- 
 Osborne, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church ; Mr. Tolfrey, Mr. Rowel, 
 and Mr. Snarru of the Congregational, and Mr. John Laidjaw of 
 my own Church. They came to me in the best spirit and from 
 the best motives. Very naturally did they ask me for a specimen 
 of Dr. Milledoler's real hand-writing. I told them that I had had 
 no doubt of finding it among the hundreds of autographs in my 
 possession ; that hitherto my search had. not been successful ; but 
 that there was not the least difficulty in telegraphing to Dr. Milledoler 
 himself that very day. This was at once agreed to, and we settled 
 together the terms of the telegraphic dispiitch, and they were thca : 
 " Did Dr. Milledoler officially sign a Commission, to Mr. J. W. 
 Macgregor, on July 1st, 1852; and does Dr. M. entertain the same 
 opinion of 'he Society this day as he did when he signed the Commis** 
 sion." As Dr. Milledoler was not resident in New. York, it wag 
 resolved to send the dispatch to Dr. DeWitt, and Mr. J.W. M. was 
 entrusted with its speedy ilespatch. I ask you, Mr. Van Wyck, and 
 you Mr. Libbey, and yviu Mr. Edwin R. Macgre;L;or — Did the dispatch 
 ever reach Dr. DeWitt? If he was from home at the time, did he 
 ever hear of it when he didicome home ?' It nover was sent to Dr, 
 De Witt, and the oxvellenti man was first apprised of it by me on 
 October 2lHt, in hij» own house ! 
 
 Mr.. J. W. Maogregor was noti withi the friends when they called 
 upcnme ;: but on my suggestion, he was sent for ; and an examination 
 on various points of evidence proceeded with. To the q\iestion — How 
 is it that your name never appears in any of the lists of agents-published. 
 in tlie Reports of the Society ? He repliedthat hohad particular reasous> 
 
 Bor 
 he I 
 
 bul 
 intl 
 thJ 
 
 ^1 
 
hnnexion speaks 
 Jgs have discus- 
 
 br26th-~^t one 
 '^i satisfied with 
 Executive Coin- 
 er dealings with 
 they base their 
 *ndsintheMS 
 
 iited States who' 
 
 IJiberty to your 
 
 • Jews, wijj nop 
 
 fiest in point of 
 land intelligent 
 J« wait for your 
 
 beacons of the 
 
 sen preached,. 
 
 •^^ent on the 
 
 ' ^'- William. 
 
 y» Mr. Rowel, 
 
 ' I-aidlaw of 
 
 "* and from 
 ■ * specimen ' 
 
 '* ' had had 
 "■aphs in ^y 
 ce8«ful; but 
 »•• Milledoler 
 
 ^^ settled 
 were fhec. . 
 
 Mr. J. ^ 
 
 " the same 
 e Commis- 
 ^^> it Was 
 ^- M. was 
 ^y^% and 
 " dispatch, 
 '» did he 
 
 y me on 
 
 OF KCW YORK. 
 
 15 
 
 of. his own for this, but would not let us know what these might be. 
 To> the' question*— How. is it that of three visits to Canada in three 
 successive years, on tha affairs of the Society, not the slightest notice 
 appears- in any of the reports or im the; Jewiish< Chronicle ? He replied 
 that it was not usual to publish such things,, but that the moneys 
 received were entered in! the printed lists. To the question — Did you 
 ever see that book ? (holding out Mr. Franklin's Life.) He replied in the 
 negative. On reading his brother's preface to the book, the question 
 was put — Haveyou any idea who wrote thafc? He replied that he had 
 not. On being asked. Why did you come away from New York with 
 only one copy of your latest report ? He said that reports \ re trouble- 
 some to carry. On being asked, Whati might be his exar /ccupation ? 
 he replied that he would not tell us — it was no business ol" ours. The 
 gentlemen present may perhaps remember more than I have put down ;• 
 but the above' is a specimen ; and I ask any fair man of common 
 intelligence — Is- there anything here calculated to. remove doubts from 
 the mind? 
 
 On Tuesday, August 10th, Mr.. J. W.. McGregor got the following 
 return telegraphic dispatch /rom his brother : 
 
 "Toronto, Aug. 10, 1852. 
 " By Tefegrapk from New York. 
 
 "Dr. Dewittis out of towni Tell Dr. Burns I will write him. The signa- 
 tures in yourpaper are genuine and ofiicial, 
 
 "E R. McGnEGOB." 
 
 W7ien.'wa9 this dispatch shewn to me ? Not for eight days after 
 its receipt ! and by that time I had received a very long and very 
 unsatisfactory, thnush withal friendly, letter, from Mr. Kdwin R. 
 McGregor. Mr. J. W. M. and Mr. Snarr, one of the friends present 
 on the Monday se'nnight before, happened to come to my house just as 
 I received it, and on reading it, along with the above telegraphic 
 dispatch, they asked if I were now satisfied ? Very far from it, said 
 I, putting also the question — Is there no reply from Dr. Milledoler? or 
 Dr. Dewitt? The next question was — What shall be done ? At this 
 moment, Mr. McGregor held his commission in his hand. I asked it 
 of him, and said, Whfit would you think of sending this to New York ? 
 adding, Wo might have houl a reply before- this by the regular mail. 
 The proposal of sending the paper to New York caused some excite- 
 ment in the young stranger, and he made a grasp at it in my hand. 
 "Oh no," said I, "this should remain with us; it should be put into 
 the hands of a neutral person. Mr. Snarr will you keep h ?" On 
 his declining to do so, I immediately said, "Oh, would you, Mr. S., and 
 Mr. M., step over to Mr. Jennings' — you know his house — and give 
 him my complimenl.s, and ask himto oome over that we may consult 
 
 A 
 
 • Two of the gentlomen, Messn. Harper andiAitllaw, had reUred aAw tb« Iclagraphia 
 ditpaicb wu agreed on, and before tb« exaniinution of Mr. Macgregor, 
 
i<( 
 
 16 
 
 THE JEWISH SOCIETY 
 
 ll 
 
 ! il 
 
 J 
 .(I 
 
 < ' 
 •/' 
 
 ; I 
 
 i '. 
 
 (! 
 
 1 ! 
 
 1 
 
 J 
 
 i' , 
 
 , next morning, to 
 
 as to what is best to be done ; and I will keep this till you come back, " 
 They complied, in toorda; but I saw no more of them. This was 
 about two o'cl«ck, I think ; and wilhin three hours after, I received 
 from Patrick Preeland, Esq., Barrister at Law, a note, intimating that 
 he had been « retained" by Mr. J. W, Macgregor, and that he 
 demanded back the paper by ten o'clock. A, M. 
 prevent further action. 
 
 From this I drew the inference that the young man had been ad- 
 vised to pat himself under the protection of law ; and as Mr. Freeland 
 gave me tail ten o'clock next morning, I took advantage of this, and 
 sent the disputed commission by the hands of an intelligent young 
 friend, to Mr. Jennings, with the request that he would keep it for the 
 jiight, and that I would come over to his house alt uine o'clock next 
 morniiis'. The friend returned in about half an hour, bringing back 
 the commission, with a message to the eflSsct " that Mr. Jennings 
 wished to have nothing more to do with the business, and that Dr. 
 Buins might come or not as he pleased." I felt surprised at this very 
 <lry message, as Mr. Jennings and I were then and had been long 
 on terms of the most cordial friendship. I questioned my friend 
 particularly as to what had passed between Mr. J. and him, and found 
 that two friends were with Mr. Jennings at the time ; that Mr. J. 
 was shewing them a specimen of the handwriting of Dr. Milledoler, 
 which he and they thought exactly the same with the signature at the 
 commission. My curiosity was greatly excited, and I asked eagerly 
 if Mr. Jennings did not oiler to send it to me, or invite me to come and 
 examine it ? Mr. Mackay, — for that is the young man's name, — 
 replied that he said not one word on the subject, but expressed a wish 
 not to be troubled. As may be inferred, I did not go to the house of 
 Mr. Jennings, but just as ton o'clock struck, I was in Mr. Freeland's 
 office, and put tlie commission into his hands, with my reasons (in 
 writing) for retaining it. In this I rather think I erred ; for the docu- 
 ment was of the character of a public one, and as a passport to the 
 pockets of my people, I was entitled to keep it till its genuineness was 
 put beyond question. 
 
 I heard nothing more of the matter till Thursday the 19th, when 
 at five o'clock in tlie afternoon, returning from some diets of pastoral 
 visitation in the country, I \v.is passing the place of business of Mr. 
 Angus Mrlntosh, at tl)e foot of CIiuitIi Street, when that gentleman 
 (who is one of the members of Knox's Church) called me in, and 
 pointing to a copy of the Globe newspaper of that day lying on the 
 table, said, <' Have you seen that ?" I read an advertisement of a 
 public meeting to he held that evening, with the view of giving me 
 
 * I rould not !jo that ni'i^ riiooii. btiiiv sjiecially tsciipieil in mnvcrsiiig willi young ccMn- 
 iimiiiranis. 
 
or MXW YORK. 
 
 » 
 
 aucome back." 
 "n. This was 
 fter, I received 
 intimating that 
 and that he 
 it morning, to 
 
 had been ad- 
 Mr. FreeJand 
 » of this, and 
 lligent young * 
 teep it for the 
 o'clock next 
 ringing back 
 ^r. Jennings 
 and that Dr. 
 
 i at this very 
 
 d been long 
 
 d my friend 
 
 n, and found 
 
 that Mr. J. 
 Milledoler, 
 
 lature at the 
 
 ked eagerly 
 
 ■0 come and 
 
 I's name, — 
 
 38ed a wish 
 
 he house of 
 
 Freeland's 
 
 reasons (in 
 
 ■ the docu- 
 
 port to the 
 
 eness was 
 
 th, when 
 f pastoral 
 ss of Mr. 
 entleman 
 in, and 
 r on the 
 ent of a 
 ving mo 
 
 t 
 
 an opportunity of substantiating my averments regarding Mr. M.'s 
 commission. This was ihe first notice I had of the meeting. At this 
 moment Mr. Jennings happened to pass. We called him in, and 
 enquired if he knew anything of the meeting. He declared his entire 
 ignorance of it, but advised me to attend ; which I told him it would 
 be impossible for me to do, as it was the night of my weekly lecture. 
 We conversed half an hour, chiefly, not entirely, on the subject of the 
 meeting. Mr. Jennings told me that I was " fairly in a fix." To this 
 I demurred, declaring, as I had done repeatedly before, that nothing 
 short of a direct communication from Dr. Milledoler would satisfy me. 
 Little rlid I dream of such a communication being in the city at that 
 instant, and that Mr. Jennings had seen it, or was aware of its 
 contents. Well did he know the importance of such a communication 
 to me and to the cause of truth ; and assurerlly had he been in my 
 position, I would have hastened to give the friendly notice. 
 
 On my return home about six o'clock, I found on my desk a copy 
 of the bill announcing the meeting, along with a sealed card in the 
 following words : " Toronto, Aug. 19th, 1852. — Mr. McGregor begi 
 leave to call the attention of the Rev. Dr. Burns to the enclosed notice 
 of the public meethig this evening, and requests his atteudence." 
 Well — the meeting was held. I attended ; made a long speech ; and 
 brought forward much of what has been stated in the preceding pages. 
 It is plain, that had I been made aware, either by Mr. Jennings or by 
 any one else who knew it, that the very thing I so earnestly desired as 
 conclusive proof was actually on the table all the while, having reached 
 the city by the day's mail, my course would have been entirely changed. 
 Had [ ?oen the document in time, I would have probably scrutinized 
 the handwriting iu both instances, and, with the aid of bankers or 
 others usually skilled in such things, have come to some probable con- 
 clusion. One thing at any rate is clear. I would have done at the 
 beginning of the meeting what I did at its close — acknowledged the 
 apparent identity of the autographs ; regretted my unaccountable mis- 
 take ; and received the young man as really a deputy. 
 
 But, it has boon asked by the parties most nearly affected, why 
 not let the matter sleep now '{ Sleep ! Impossible. The letter of Dr. 
 Milledoler did not so much as touch upon the only points which the 
 meeting at my house on the 9th August considered pertinent to be 
 telegrai)hed. It neither asserted the signature of the deed on the 1st 
 of July, 185*2: nor did it indicate a change or no change of sentiment 
 as to the Society. It merely declared confidence in Mr. Edwin 
 McGregor — and not a syllable as to his brother, the "General Agent." 
 But it did, moreover, non-plus all my conceptions of personal identity, 
 and anailulnte at one fell swoop all my powers of reminiscence. The 
 old gentleman "did not know" such a person as Dr. Burns ! Was I to 
 stand this? Did [ wail till my powers of vaticination— in this instance 
 
18 
 
 THE JEWISH SOCIETY 
 
 more clear than those of reminiscence— c/awoyei the death of th^ 
 venerable man ? The Globe sapiently hints this. No— Mr. Van Wyck J 
 — the matter was not absent from my mind foi any length of time at 
 all ; and Mr. E. R. McClrogor knows well that a very few days suf- 
 liced to bring from my pen pretty lengthened epistles both to him and 
 Dr. Milledoler. Thai Dr. M. did not reply was to me no matter of 
 aurpnse ; and I contemplated from the first a personal visit to that aged 
 patriarch. Mr. E. R. McGregor, however, ought to have answered my 
 letter ; and my visit to New York was the means of letting me know 
 that tlie letter to Dr. M. had been seen by him too. Two weeks 
 elapsed, when a member of my congregation, connected with one of 
 the most inllueutial \vholesale establishments in our city, Mr. R. D. 
 Macpherson, called on me and oilereil to carry any letters or paper* 
 lor me to Now York, or to make any enquiries I pleased as to the 
 matter in question, as lie would have occasion to remain in that city 
 for two or three weeks on mercantile business. Taking advantage of 
 his kiud oiFer, I addressed a few lines to my friend, the Rev. John 
 Thomson, formerly of St. John, New Brunswick, now of the Associate 
 Congregation, Grand Street, New York, recpiesting him to accompany 
 Mr. Mc'Pherson to the jNTessrs. ilcCregor, and to request of them the 
 inibrmalion I wanted. That iufonnation embraced these two impor- 
 tant points; first, an extract from the minutes of dates August 1850, 
 185 1, and 18.t2, jiomiiiating Mr. J. W. Macgregor, and Mr. Morris 
 Julius Franklin, as " (Jeneral Agents*' of the Society; and secondly, 
 a n<jtice from tlie Society's Reports of 1850, 1851, of the results of 
 the visits of these two gentlemen to Canada. On September 6th 
 they did call at the oliice, and the following mhiute was inuJe out 
 by them at the time, and is now in my possession : 
 
 " The Rev. Mr. .M:ica:regor says, it is not in his province to make extracts 
 from tlie minutes of the Society, and says ho will consult the Corresjioniling^ 
 Secretary on the sul)ject. Suys also, lie does not know whether It were 
 advisable to let extracts from the minutes of the Society be made for tho 
 satisfaction of Dr. lUirns or any one else. On the offer being made to make 
 the extrucis without putting JVlr. JIacgregor or the Corresponding Secretary 
 to the trouble of doing so; he said, lie did not know; he would consult the 
 Correj.])oiiding teccietary on the subject, and that tliey had no time to spend 
 on such matters. He also icfused to give the Corresiionding Secretary's 
 addiess, and contented himself wiih saying that tho minutes ol the Society- 
 were up town, and could not be had to-day. — fl. D, McI'herson." 
 
 '' The above is a faitliful record of Mr. Mucgregor's statements in regard 
 to the extracts from minutes of the S. A. C. J. — John Thomson." 
 
 On September 11th, Mr. McPherson repeated his call at the office; 
 <aw both the brothers, and received fronr them a flat refusal; Mr. 
 Edwin Macgri'gov .saying that they vvoukl not gratify Dr. ]>urns, "as he 
 was a tlangerous man, and would do them injury." He also declared 
 that the Society did not hold itself responsible for its agents. 
 
 Now there are here three things worthy of notice : first, the Cor- 
 responding Secretary with whom Mr. E. R. McGregor was to consult, 
 
OF r. 
 
 YORK. 
 
 19 
 
 e death of th& 
 r. Van Wyck J 
 gth of time af 
 few (lays suf- 
 Itolli to him and 
 e no matter of 
 isit to that aged 
 e answered my 
 ■ttiiii^ nie know 
 Two Weeks 
 led with one of 
 \ty, Jlr. R. D. 
 Iters or paper* 
 !easei.l as to the 
 in in that city 
 advantage of 
 he Ee^^ Jolm 
 f the Associate 
 I to accompany 
 ist of them the 
 ise two impor- 
 i August 1850, 
 nd Mr. Morris 
 and secondly, 
 ' the results of 
 September 6th 
 was made out 
 
 make extracts 
 3 Corresjioncling' 
 rhether it were 
 u made for the 
 
 1 made to make 
 iding Secretary 
 lild consult the 
 o time to spend 
 ing Secretary's 
 
 ol the Society 
 
 ON." 
 
 uents in regard 
 
 IN." 
 
 11 at the office; 
 refusal; Mr. 
 >urns, " as he 
 also declared 
 nts. 
 
 irst, the Cor- 
 18 to consult, 
 
 ¥ 
 
 is no other than Mi. E. R. McGregor himself; he and he only being 
 the Corresponding Secretary, as is evident from his signatures. This 
 "olf-consultation may be a very useful thing, but surely the proposal is 
 somewhat unusual. Secondly, what injury I could do to the Society 
 by the extracts in question it is ;.ot easy to see, for if it appeared that 
 the Executive Committee had given the commission whose authenticity 
 T doubted, the thing is settled, and any damage cotxld oidy recoil 
 upon me, as my suspicions would thereby bo proved to be groundless, 
 lu the third place, the Society is not at liberty to hold itself free of 
 responsibility for the doctrines promulgated, or the actions performed 
 by its agents, any more than a mercantile house is at liberty to throw 
 the responsibility off itself and to land it on its paid employees, for on 
 such a principle as this all confidence in commercial transactions 
 would be at an end. 
 
 A few days after the above, my excellent friend, Mr. Thomson, 
 on whom the breath of slander cannot light, received the following 
 communication from Mr. E. R. Macgregor, which I copy literatim 
 et verbatim from the original before me : 
 
 "Nkw Youk, September 16, 1852. 
 
 " Rev. and De.mi Sm — I have just been informed that Rev. Mr. Thomson 
 has given circulation to a report that Mr. J. W. Macgregor, Agent, lately in 
 Toronto, Canada, had visited that and other places in Canada for a number 
 of years past; had collected money for the A. >S. M. C.Jews, (as he aflSrmed) 
 but that these moneys liad never been acknowledged, as received by the 
 Treasurers of saiti Society. As Rev. Mr. Thomson has assumed some respon- 
 sibility in the circuUitiou of this calumnious statement, he will be kind 
 enough for his own sake to give us the names of the originitors of this 
 statement, or else deny over his own signature having anything to do with 
 said circulation. I may express the hope that this matter will be left to 
 perish in Toronto where it originated, and not force us to make it public 
 here. 
 
 "E. R. MACGREGOR, C..S.J.S.M.C.J." 
 
 Rev. Mr. Tuomson. 
 
 Mr. Thomson having returned an answer in the negative to this 
 ^^ingular epistle, the ''Corresponding Secretary" sent the following 
 note : • 
 
 "New York, September 16, 1852. 
 
 " Rsv. AND Drar Rill, — I thank yon for your prompt and decided ve\)\y. 
 It relieves mv mind fruru mufli embarrassment and anxiety. The young man 
 introduced by yourself from Dr. Burns, I would advise as a friend, through 
 you, to let the matter alone, between Ur. Burns and others, as ho can do 
 no good, and may do harm. Excuse my liberty, and believe me, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " E. R. MACGREGOR." 
 
 In my *< report" I had characterized Mr. Thomson's reply as 
 " indignant." Perhaps that word did not apply well in regard to any 
 thing that could have issued from such a man as Mr. Thomson, who 
 is characterized by great self-commaml and meekness of temper; 
 Inil assnreiUy he must see a very little way who does not see in the 
 reply of that gentleman a most severe censure on the agencies of the 
 
20 
 
 THE JEWISH SOCIETY 
 
 
 Society. ** In the Society I have no interest whatever save in so far 
 
 as its declared object would lead me to wish it God-speed, provided 
 
 that its instrumentalities and appliances are such as are commended 
 
 in the Holy Scriptures." 
 
 Mr. E. Macgregor has thought proper to give a different version 
 
 of these matters from the above. I shall let Mr. Macpherson speak 
 
 for himself ; and so soon as Mr. Thomson's mind is relieved of the 
 
 immediate pressure of a painful domestic trial, he will perhaps let the 
 
 citizens both of Toronto and of New York know the exact truth of the 
 
 whole matter. 
 
 Toronto, 30th December, 1352. 
 Reverend and Dear Sir, 
 
 I WRS veiy much surprised indeed to observe in the North American of 
 24th instant, (in reference to the Jew case) a statement in which the Rev, 
 Edwin R. Macgregor is made to deny having used the word " Correspondint; 
 Secretary" in the interview between him, tlio Rev. John Thomson of New 
 York, and myself, in the montli of Septembei" last. That he did, I can 
 testify at any time; even, if the signature of the Rev. Mr. Thomson to 
 the minute drawn up at the time, as a faithful record, was not already proof 
 sufficient. Mr. Maogregor's jumping to tlie conclusion that Mr. Thomson 
 must have been very much confused in his mind at the time, I cannot 
 understand, and it is seemingly put there as the best excuse that occurred to 
 him at the time. Mr. Thomson was nothing more than a mere spectator after 
 the iutroduction was over. He did not enter into the subject matter at all, 
 and consequently there was no occasion for his being confused ; and if 1 
 except the smile with which Jlr. T. heard the announcement that the Society 
 was not responsible for the acts of its Agents, there was little or notiiing 
 occurred during the interview to indicate whether he felt interested or not. 
 There was no occasion for confusion, and least of all on the part of Mr. 
 Thomson. In f»ct, the most confused of the party was Mr. Macgregor 
 himself, who seemed, from his excited state at the time, to feel less at home 
 than any one present. If, therefore, there is anything wrong in the matter, 
 it is altogether on Mr. Macgregor's part. 
 
 Again, with reference to Mr. Macgregor's statement, " that I did not 
 deny having received the information from Mr. Thomson" (when asiced if he 
 was the party who told me that moneys collected by the Society were not 
 accounted lor) it is most unfounded. The question asked me was, '■ have you 
 been circulating the report here that the money collected was not accounted 
 lor," at the same time handing out for examination one of the Jewish 
 Chronicles, in which, on one of the last p.ages, was entered so much collected 
 in "Mr. Knox's ClRirch, Toronto." The word "Mr. Knox'^' was drawn over 
 with ink, and "Mr. Burns^^ inserted instead, with the pen. As one interested 
 in the laying out of moneys publicly collected among us, I made the enquiry, 
 and was politely told I had no business to inquire, neither would I know 
 anything of the matter. The above is one instance of the civility I received 
 at the hands of "the Correspondmg Secretary of A.S. M. C.J." 
 
 I am. Dear Sir, yours most respecfully, 
 
 R. D. Maopbbrson. 
 Rev. Dr. Burns, York Street. 
 
 After the unsuccessful attempts thus made to obtain satisfactory 
 information, I resolved to go down personally to New York, and 
 prosecute the search. The unexpected death of the venerable Presi- 
 dent of the Society brought my resolution to a point, and on October 
 15th, I proceeded to the " Empire City," returning home on Saturday 
 the 2ard. 
 
 M 
 of the! 
 one of I 
 hold tl| 
 for Ar 
 consta 
 myhd 
 meetiil 
 Amer\ 
 of a 
 diffi'tJ 
 
 say ti 
 thin, 
 
save in so far 
 jeed, provided 
 [re commended 
 
 perent version 
 pherson speak 
 Sieved of the 
 prhaps Jet the 
 Y truth of the 
 
 Imber, iggg. 
 
 'American of 
 i^ch theRer. 
 Corresponding 
 ^mson of Now 
 \H i can 
 
 ■inomson to 
 already proof 
 '"'• Thomsoa 
 ^^> I cannot 
 ' occurred to 
 peclator after 
 raatter at nil 
 '^ ; and if I 
 t the Society 
 or notiiing- 
 Jsted or not! 
 part of Mr. 
 • ^Vacgregor 
 'ess at home 
 the matter, 
 
 t I did not 
 
 asked if he 
 
 y w-ere not 
 
 ' hare you 
 
 accounted 
 the Jewia/t 
 
 " collected 
 Irawn over 
 
 interested 
 e enquirjr^ 
 
 ' i know 
 f received 
 
 OF NEW YORK. 
 
 ^ 
 
 *Rsoif. 
 
 sfactory 
 k, and 
 ' Presi- 
 ^ftober 
 turday 
 
 M 
 
 
 My first object on arrivinf^ at New York was to obtain a specimen 
 of the hand-writing of Dr. Milledoler, and with this view I applied to 
 one of his old students, now a learned and pious clergyman, who had 
 held the office of Secretary to the Society in question, namely, that 
 for Ameliorating the Condtion of the Jews; and who was thus in 
 constant communication with the venerable President. He put into 
 my hands the document which on my return was laid before a public 
 meeting at Toronto, and is now deposited for inspection in the North 
 American office. Of the genuineness of this document not the shadow 
 of a doubt can bo entertained. The signature here is altogether 
 different from that exhibited by the agent in question, and I can only 
 say that had the commission to Mr. J. W. Macgregor been at all like 
 this, not a suspicion of its correctness as a veritable document would 
 by me at least, have been indicated. 
 
 With regard to the declaration of Dr. Milledoler that he had had 
 no acquaintance with me, I iound no one in New York, in New 
 Brunswick, or in Princeton, with whom I conversed on the matter, at 
 all surprised. Eight years had elapsed since the visit of the deputies 
 to jVmerica. My place of residence then was Paisley in Scotland, 
 not Toronto in Canada. I was only one out of five representatives of 
 the Free Church on the occasion referred to ; and Dr. Milledoler was 
 bowed down with infirmities and years. There is now before me, 
 and I shall lodge it with my other ilocuments in the office oi tiie Nortk 
 American, a letter dated September, 18-45, from the Rev. Dr. Janeway, of 
 Now Brunswick, a clergyman of learning and piety, and of nearly the 
 same age as Dr. Milledoler; and in that letter he speaks of previous 
 communications betwixt us on matters of importance, and subscribes 
 himself my "friend and brother;" and yet when on October 19th last, 
 and in company with the Vice-President of Princeton College, I called 
 at the house of this venerable man, where in 1H44 I had enjoyed 
 his hospitable kindness, Dr. Janeway did not recognize me ; nor was 
 it till I had again partaken of his hospitality, and been two hours in 
 conversation with him, that at length the reminiscences of other years 
 returned, with their full force. The fact may appear surprising, but 
 so are many facts in the philosopiiy of memory. On the same day on 
 which I called on Dr. Janeway, 1 met with a venerable clergyman of 
 New Jersey— the Rev. David Comfort, one of the Trustees of Princeton 
 ("ollege — a man of ninety years of age, but with faculties wonderfully 
 entire. lie was on his way lo attend the Synod of his Church, which 
 met that day in New Brunswick City, N. J., under the impression, 
 as he said, that it would be his la.st oppoitunity. I put to him several 
 questions as to my predecessor at Paisley, President Witlierspoon of 
 Princeton College, who died in 170H. He gave me veiy distinct 
 answers, but added emphatically — " .Vsk me of things seventy or 
 eighty years past, and I will tell you of them far more distinctly than 
 
 <Jtlr~. 
 
 r \ 
 
22 
 
 THE JEWISH SOCIETY 
 
 of Dr. Wilherspoon and his time !" And yet of Dr. W. and hie time 
 
 we can say — *< 'tis sixty years since." 
 
 As Messrs. Van Wyck, Macgregor & Co. have made a most 
 
 perverted use of the facts as to my altemped interview with the 
 
 '< Corresponding Secretary" and his brother, I shall state these facts a 
 
 little more fully than I thought it necessary to do in my " Report." 
 
 The passage to which I refer is the following, and in point of Jesuitical 
 
 cunning and malignhy, it distances anything I ever met with in the 
 
 writings of the disciples of Loyola : 
 
 '' The only point which the Commiltce have to notice is the extraordi- 
 nary circurDstaiice, admittt d by Dr. Burns in his report, that he entered the 
 Society's office, and from the private papers and memoranda of the Society, 
 took au article o( minute with reference to our agent's visits to Canada, not 
 addressed to him, nor hoarini; any indications tliat it belouged to him, and 
 that he took possession of it and carried it away as his own property, and 
 unwarrantably gave it publicity in his leport as published in the North 
 Jlmerican." 
 
 Before calling at the Society's ofhce I thought it right to ask two 
 respected friends in the city to accompany me as witnesses. " The 
 
 little man will shew feather " said the Rev. Mr. to me when 1 
 
 spoke of bearding — not the lion certainly — but the civet cat, or mayhap 
 the jackall, in its own den. We went accordingly, but found both 
 brothers absent, and the firm represented by a cousin or nephew of the 
 same name, a smart young lad of perhaps 12. The Rev. JMr. Pinney, 
 Secretary to the Colonization Society, occupied a desk in the same 
 apartment. He introduced us to the young partner in the concern, who 
 was busy revising his lessons in the Latin Grammar for school next 
 day. Having been furnished by him with pJ'p ;i, pen, and ink, I wrote 
 to Mr. Macgregor a few lines explanatory t.l my object in waiting on 
 him, and requesting that he might be in llie olhce next day at 1 P. M. 
 The young man promised to deliver the letter into Mr. Macgregor's 
 hands m the course of the aftonioon, it being now three o'clock. Next 
 day the same gentlemen and I cullei! a few minutes aftei one. The 
 same young man presented liiinself, telling us that he had faithfully 
 delivered the card into Mr. Macgrego -'s hand, but that he gave no 
 answer, avA was not in the premises. We all sat down in the office 
 and consulted as to what was best to be done. Scarcely a minute 
 elapsed, when looking round I noticed a sheet of paper lying on a 
 small desk in a corner of tlie room. I took it up. and hastily glancin 
 it over, said to my two friends, " Here is the reply to my letter." i 
 read it aloud ; and here it is, lilercUim el vcrbulini : — 
 
 " Mr. McGregor would say that Dr. Burns has publically charged 
 his brother with being *• an imposter " or to that effect, has attacked 
 Mr. McG.'s own ..l.uracter, has injured the S. A. M. C. Jews, has 
 been obliged lo make a d)!ic t'?cknowlei'gmetit that he was wrong, 
 paid a voluntary 'A:'^".:,<j lowar . making the public collection for the 
 Society which th'ou^^-h big .statements and representations was lost 
 
 to it, an 
 but Itit ' 
 aUowini 
 but will 
 will ««l 
 
 to Dr. 
 
 0\ 
 not tel 
 that h\ 
 it in 
 repai'l 
 drawil 
 
 
 mte *w f ?'»*'|j^WW<T?gtj 
 
m 
 
 or NEW YORK. 
 
 38 
 
 and Mb time 
 
 iiade a most 
 fi«^^ with the 
 ' tJu'se facts a 
 h "Report." 
 |t of Jesuitical 
 ■ ^^it^i in the 
 
 J the extraordi- 
 l''e entered tJ.e 
 F the Socieiv 
 ' Uuada, not 
 -' '0 "iia, and 
 ■property, and 
 I'D the JVorth 
 
 ' '0 ask two 
 |ses. '.7'j,e 
 
 me when J 
 
 or mayhap 
 
 ^ound both 
 
 '^'owofthe 
 '^''- Pinney, 
 
 the same 
 'ncern, who 
 choo] next 
 ^K 1 vvrote 
 vailing- oji 
 
 i« 1 P. M. 
 ^cgiegor's 
 '^- Next 
 
 aithfuIJy 
 gave no 
 e office 
 minute 
 fir on a 
 ancin 
 
 r." ; 
 
 larg-ecJ 
 icked 
 > has 
 rong, 
 • the 
 lost 
 
 to it, and agreed to give the patties no moie .mnoyance in the case, 
 but let the matter forever drop. But as Dr. B. for some n;, lus is uol 
 allowing tlio matter to rest, Mr. Mcfi. declines seeing Di. 15. at all, 
 but will assure him that unless he can let the matter alone, his brother 
 vviU feel compelled to prefer a cliarge of slander againsi uiiii in our 
 Cciurtf of Law." — And tliis paper "bore no indication- tljal it belonged 
 to Dr. Burns " ! 
 
 On reading the above, I said to the young man, Did Mr. McGregor 
 not tell you to give this to me ? He leplied in the negative, stating 
 that he liad not chanced to see it before, but he left it to me to put 
 it in ray pocket if I crose lo lo so. We then left the room, and 
 repaired to the hou'^^ ^' >• IriiMid, where the following attestation was 
 drawn up and pi^iie i . 
 
 « New York, October 21, 1852. 
 
 « Thfr undersigUc'J having been requested by Rev. Dr. Burns, ol 
 Toronto, to !. J present at an interview he proposed to have with the 
 Officers i)i the Society for ' Meliorating the Condition of tlie Jews,' 
 called at the office, rear of Brick Cliurch, this dav, but instead of 
 meeting with any one connecteil with the said Society, nnderstoo i that 
 Re\. Mr. McGregor hati left, docliniug to meet Dr. Jkiins. lie left, 
 as we understood, the note on iiist page of tbis slieet hjr Dr. Burns. 
 We were present when Dr. Burns received and read it.* 
 
 « J. AUCHINCLOSS, 
 <' ALLAN HAY." 
 
 Mr. Charles Van Wyck, and the Executive Committee, have 
 publivshed to the world tlieir opinion that 1 got the above document 
 in a stealthy and ilishonorable way ! Honorable men ! — what do you 
 suppose Mr. Macgregor intended to be made of the note ? For whom 
 could it be designed if not for me ? I took it up openly — read it aloud 
 — and young McGregor and Mr. Pinney heard it read : and neither of 
 them brealhed an objection to niy putting it ii to my pocket. 
 
 On the document itself I have a few remarks to make. In the first 
 place I never applied the term ** impostor" to Mr. J. W. McGiegor. 
 He knows well that in the presence of the gentlemen who met at 
 my house on the day after his lecture was delivered, I expressly used 
 these words — " I do not say that you appended the name ; all I say is, 
 that it does not appear to me to be Dr. jNlilledoler's hand-writing." ] 
 havp I Hen t'di' on good anlhoriiy that it is not uncommon in the 
 Un... I Stales for th.e Secretaries oi benevolent Societies to append the 
 names of office bearers to minutes of meetings, without any one 
 supposing it a forgery in the ciiminal sense. The practice, however, 
 cannot bo justified, and specially in the case of a document designed 
 for the raising of money. — In the second place, I am not ashamed to 
 acknowledge that I did olfer to make up any loss that might be 
 sustained by the Societ), or Mr. M., if it turned out that the document 
 
 'Die oiigiiiul is iu the oiEiu ol thv Aorlh Amtrkan, Toronto. 
 
 '!•:■ 
 
 le^r^-AAi-i^t.*.^ 
 
M 
 
 THE JEWISH SOCIBTY 
 
 was a genuine one. The evidenc in its favor is not even yet absolutely 
 conclusive ; but surely it is not against me to have it said thui I was 
 more easily satisfied than I needed to be. Beyond all question, 
 however, I never pledged myself *' to give the parties no more 
 annoyance." What "annoyance" could I give " the parties" ? It 
 lie» rather on the other side; for wliy, do not " the parties" annoy me 
 with an action at law 1 They could not possibly sustain any annoyance; 
 yea, they boasted of " a glorious victory." To me the annoyance 
 was every way painful ; and I never dreamed of anything else 
 than a scrutiny on my part into all the circumstances of the case ; and a 
 few days only passed ere I wiote to three parties in and about New York 
 regarding it. With the young man Mc(}regor himself, I may perhaps 
 have been done when the transaction at Toronto closed, but not with 
 the Society. Macgregor had apparently vindicated himself from any 
 doubts as to the legal hearing of iiis commission ; but the question was 
 shifted back to the body that conimissionrd him ; and if every thing 
 13 square in this connexion, I beg to know where can there be 
 " annoyance" to one or all of the partners in the respectable firm of 
 Messrs. Van Wyck, Macgregor and Co. ? 
 
 " Dr. Burns, for some reasons, is not allowing the mitter to rest." 
 Certainly he is not, aird the " reasons" may be seen by the blindest 
 Manhattan mole. But what has Charles Van Wyck to fear ? and why 
 is •'the nice young gentleman" alarmed? True indeed; you, Mr. 
 Wm. Libbey did put to me in Dr. Dowiit's dining-room, the ominous 
 question — " Who are your employers" ? My reply, as you remember, 
 was a short and solemn one — " Sii', I am here of my own will, at 
 my own expense, and for the glory uf the (ind of truth." Purhaps you 
 may tell our young hoi)oful the <* reasons" why I '• do not let the matter 
 rest." By the way, that young h()i)oruI gave himself out to mo as a 
 Congregational student; I have learned at Now York that he is a 
 student of the Old School Presbyterian Church. 
 
 The threat at the close of Mr. Macgiegor's note was a hint to me 
 •' to clear out" with all funvtiiiienl speed. Was I inclined to listen to 
 it ? 1 was not ; for on Dr. Dcwitt and Mr. I.ibbey asking me to rernaiu 
 and meet the '' Executive Conrmittee" I agreed to do so, although to 
 my great inconvenience. The meeting was po^tpon^Hi, however, on my 
 uruiei taking, at the suggestion of these gentlemen, to communicate 
 with Mr. Libbey in writing.. 
 
 So mudi for my ransacking your depositaries, Mr. Van Wyck, and 
 abstracting pnpors to which f had no title. I wjaieli Webster's Joluieoii 
 lu vuiu for a ti. rm adequate to express my righteous indignation. 
 
 Tho ili.«crenancies littwixt the account given by mo of my 
 interview with Dr. DoWitt and Mr. Libbey, and that published by Mr. 
 Van Wyck and tho Kxecutivo Cummiltee, are more apparent than 
 roal. They may uU bo oxplainoil by tho simple matter of fact that 
 
 both thi 
 
 that M 
 
 BomeVi'j 
 
 otber, 
 
 have 
 
 may ^ 
 
 v?hol<:| 
 
 tI 
 
 fittest 
 
 was tH 
 
 Cbuvt 
 
 Co\oi1 
 
 Jcwij 
 
 bow 
 
 
M ihuL I wa, 
 V <]uestion, 
 P "c- more 
 Irties" ? /^ 
 
 "««oy We 
 ^""oyanco; 
 |a«noyaiice 
 V^'"i' else 
 
 pew York 
 fy perhaps 
 
 ^^^rn any 
 
 iJstion was 
 
 [•-^'y thing 
 Jtiiero be 
 [•^ fii'm of 
 
 <o rest. " 
 
 "id why 
 
 f'^". Mr. ' 
 
 '""'nous 
 lumber, 
 '^''Z, at' 
 'i'« you 
 'natter 
 o as a 
 a Js a 
 
 'ome 
 t'n to 
 iiaiii 
 r'i to 
 my 
 •ate 
 
 ind 
 
 eu 
 
 'y 
 
 r. 
 
 n 
 t 
 
 OF NEW YORK. 
 
 95 
 
 both these ifentlemen were present at the time of the ooiifcionce ; 
 that there was an entho harmony of sentitnenc jetwixt them ; that 
 sometimes the one made a statement whicli was concuired in by the 
 other, and vice versa ; and that from the very nature of the^case, I may 
 have given in certain cases the initiative to Dr. DeWitt, when it 
 may have been due to Mr. Libbey. 1 sliall, however, go over the 
 whole conference again, and tax my recollection to the very utmost. 
 
 The i)erson who suggested Dr. DeWht and Mr. Libbey as the 
 fittest members of the Society with whom to deal in the matter, 
 was the Rev. Mr. Pinney, a preacher of the Old School Presbyterian 
 Churcli in New York, and Assi.itaat Secretary to the American 
 Colonization Society. lie occupies a desk in the same room with the 
 Jewish Society, for the commendable purpose of saving expense, and 
 ho was present on both ocrasions of our seeking an interview with the 
 fy Messrs. Macgregor, seeing and iiearing all that passed. Sympa- 
 
 thizing witli mo and my fiieiids, Messrs. Aucliiiicli)>s and Hay, mi our 
 disappointment in not obtaining an audience of these gentlemeti, ho 
 hinted to us the propriety of waiting on Dr. DeWitt, who was the 
 oldest Vice President of the Socit.ty, and looked upon since the death 
 of Dr. Milledoler as substantially its President ; and on Mr. Libbey as 
 being the Treasurer of the Socii.-ty, and therefore an important offico- 
 benrer. Wo took his advice, and immediately repaired to 55, Dey 
 Street, and called lor Mr. Libbey at his place nf business. Not limling 
 him in the place, we saw one of the paitners, ami left a >pe('ial 
 message for Mr. Libbey to meet us in the ofiico of Messrs. Huckham 
 & Smailes, Solicitors an i Atlornies, 3, Wall Street ; as our business 
 was one of importance. In the ollice of these gentlemen wt.- waitt.'d 
 for proliably an hour, and Mr. Libbey imt appearing, we separated, find 
 it was rcisulved that I should go singly to the house of Dr. DeWitt, 
 which is probably two miles Imm Wall Street, and I did not think it 
 necessary to take my (Vieiitls further. A im.'ssuge, however, was left 
 for Mr. Liubtiy, should he yet cuuio to Wall Street. Aceoulingly I 
 proceeded by omnibus to Dr. DeWitt's, and arrived there about 3 v. m. 
 The Dr. and i wore l(jg(;tlier for about a (jnarter of an houi, wlien Mr. 
 Libbey appeared, having follnwcd me from Wull Strec;!. Our conver- 
 sation hitherto had turned mainly on a visit which Di. D. had paid to 
 Dr. ("haluKMS at MorninjL,side, a jdioit time bi foro his denlh, and nn tlio 
 remarkable circumstance of his (Di. D.) having hea;d on one and the 
 sanio Sabbath in Edinburgh three of the leading pnnichois in the Free 
 Church, Doctors (Iiudiin, C.uullish, and (Jutluio. When we entered on 
 the immediate object of my cull, and I was comiaenling on tlu! terms 
 of Mr. Macgreyoi's tomminsion, ISlr. Libbey jeined us. I resuineil, 
 und laid before belli gentlemen the leading features of the {■,im\ It 
 did not ajjpcar that Dr. DeWilt liad gut ihe telegraiihie li,-patc!i rc:^arJ- 
 ing Mr. Macyregor't commission ; nor did it appear that I'.r, Libbey 
 
26 
 
 THE JEWISH SOCIETY 
 
 was aware of the visit of Mr. J. W. Macgregor to Canaila at all. The 
 description they both gave of that young man was this — that he was a 
 student engaged in his preparatory studies for the ministry — that he 
 was occasionally employed as ether students are in canvassing for the 
 Jewish Chronicle, or as a Colporteur — that he may have now and then 
 been sent to some district of the city or neighbourhood to obtain a few 
 subscriptions to the Society ; but that ministers of known standing are 
 usually sent as general agents. They both expressed surprise that we 
 admitted Mr. J. W. Macgregor to our pulpits ; Mr. Libbey specially 
 asking, '< Do you think we meant him to preach?" I read to belli the 
 gentlemen the tern^s of the commission from a copy I had taken, and 
 appealed to the terms "genera' agent," ''lecture," "make congre- 
 gational collcctioas," as naturally suggesting the inference bolhto the 
 d^ent himself and to us that public discoursing, or whatever you may 
 call it, was meant. At all events, Mr. IVIacgr Jgor and Mr. Fianklin 
 on every occasion claimed and occupied the pulpit. Dr. DcWitt said 
 that in the absence ol Dr. Milledoler he had occasionally signed 
 Society documents, but he added with emphasis, making a significant 
 motiou with Ins arm, '' as to signing anything like that" (plainly 
 meaning l!ie cummi.^sion) " be never could think of it." Mr. Libbey 
 then asked, Had it the Trepsurer's name ? 1 replieit in the negative, 
 a<lding that j;o,sv;/Wy lh(» commission to Mr. rranklin in 1851 might 
 have it, but that I thought not. Assuredly the one produced by Mr. 
 Macgregor in August last had it not. On tliis Mr. Libbey repi.-ated 
 what he h:id already statcil, that all such commissions have the 
 I'leasurer's name as being essential to their proper authentication. 
 He added to this ell'ect, tliat if in this instance an exception was made, 
 it must have been at some meeting where lit* (the Treasurer) was not 
 lire-eut, and where he could have no know led u'<! of it. In that casi", I 
 remarked, a minute of the tiling will be lortln-omiiig. 
 
 Into the paiticulars of the erroneous iloctrines taught by the 
 Society's agent from tin; pnljiit of Mr. Roaf 's Church on Augiisl Stli, 
 I entered fully. Hotli gentlemen concurred with me in eondcnining 
 the views then and there set forth, but Mr. I/ibbey seeme 1 to think 
 that some latitude in reirard to privali* opinion on the jmrt oi' an ngent 
 might be iillowi'd, without tlie Society being responsible. I replied, by 
 referring to the dillerencc betwixt minute points on which Christians 
 might dilli'r, and which did not rcquiu to be touched on at all by an 
 agent, — and Iciidiug views ax Hxliibited by those who weris nnlnially 
 looked on as exponent.", of the Society's principles. Dr. HcWiil 
 entirely concurred with nw, and Mr. Libbey acknowlrdgrd \ln, 
 roirectnes.s of the distinction. 
 
 " It is my intention,'' said I, 'Mo bring tin" wlmle nuitter, from 
 IS.IO to the presi'iit day, before the public in one of the rtdiuious 
 now.spnpers of tin' city." " Had you not better," asked Mr. Libbey, 
 
 << ine^ 
 
 ibeml 
 
 t\ie i-lj 
 
 Uic Cl 
 
 a ii"^) 
 
 of A 
 
 was ' 
 
 reiuil 
 
 to if 
 
 nisi 
 bull 
 in 
 bvol 
 
 LUl 
 
 paJ 
 
 At .v.". 
 
 
 •^iNMMlWi 
 
OF NJEW YORK. 
 
 27 
 
 f^ihhii\ 
 
 y the 
 
 '"ink 
 
 , hy 
 
 iuijs 
 an 
 lly 
 ■/If 
 
 hv 
 
 n 
 1 
 
 4 
 
 
 **meel with the Executive Coiuinitlee lirst, ami lay the matter before 
 them." <* With all my heart," 1 answered, slating at the same time 
 the dilTiculties whicli I found in the way of a personal meeting will; 
 the Committee beioro leaving New York. Both gentlemen proposed 
 a meeting tliat cvenhig, and two places were named, in one or olher 
 of which we might meet. Mr. J.ibbey and I then came away. It 
 Avas now about four o'clock. Mr. Libbey left me in the stieet, and 
 returned for a few minutes to Dr. De Witt's, ami on coming up again 
 to me said, " we lind some difhcully in hulding a meeting to- 
 nigiit, as the members live at some distance, and our time is limited ; 
 but it occurs to Dr. Dewitt and myself that you might put tlie particulars 
 in writing, addressing them to me as Treaaurer, and ihay will bo 
 brought before the Executive Committee at its (irst meeting." To 
 t'.iis 1 at once agreed ; and after ho had put me on the right road to Mr, 
 I>il lie's house (whither 1 was going) we shook hands cordially and 
 parted. 
 
 I arrived at home on the Saturday following, but the Mission 
 Committee of our Synod having commissioned me to snp])ly the 
 Churcl. at Quebec fur a few Sal'baths, I uent lliilher at tlie close ol 
 the week following; and thus it was .November lih belore 1 had time 
 for drawing up my statement fis promised. On that day 1 piepared it 
 and sent it oil by post to Mr. Libbey. ll exhibited the leading 
 features of what I have given in the preceding part of this appeal; 
 and it embraced the case of Mr. Macgregor's first visit as well as his 
 flecond, and specially too that of Mi. Franklin; giving due prominence 
 to the views of docliine put forth hy Mr. Macgregor in his second visit. 
 To this communication 1 received the following reply: — 
 
 Nkw York, N'oveinbcr '20, 1852. 
 Rev. Robert Burns, D.D., (^ttiber, 
 
 Mv 1»i:aii Sir, — Vdiu- favor midcr dalo of -li'i in.stant is i)(;forc nio, 
 having' arrived in diif course.' ot' mail. 
 
 Tlio timp iutcrvLMiinnf to tlio regulur nicrtinp of the Expcutive rom- 
 iniltcf of our Society, lias ,kl;iyed my acknowledgment of its reception to 
 the pie.-^ent time. 
 
 Acconiiiif? to your re((uest, f jiresmted yonr letter and brought the 
 subject matter thoiein contained bet'oro the Lxeeiiiivc Committee of the 
 American Society ''fur Anielioratlnfr the Cor.diiioii of the Jews.'' After h 
 free discussion of its ediiteirts, it w:is ri fined to a ^uh-Comniitiee to iuves- 
 tiujate tlie statenifnts therein set forth, and report at tlie next m'l tiiij? of the 
 Executive ('onimillce, tia' result of which wiien iletenuined, 1 |ireriunic will 
 be comniuuiciited to you 
 
 I icniain, Dear Sir, with respect, youis truly, kc , 
 
 Wii.i.iA.M I.nsnKY, 
 Treasurer A, S. M. C. Jews. 
 
 From the terms of this lettor, I very naturally inferred that in 
 "investigating the statements set forth " in my letter, any ililiicullies 
 which might occur would be brought undtir my notice in the snapo 
 of u ca»o for further o.xplaiiatioii ; and that *' tho result " would bu 
 
THE JEWISH SOCIETY 
 
 is 
 
 IP 
 
 d 
 
 communicated to me in some other form than through the pages of 
 a newspaper. But so it is ; and within exactly five days after the 
 date of Mr. Libbey's letter, the Sub-Comraittee has " investigated ;" 
 the report has been submitted to the General Executive ; and the 
 whole "action" concluded forthwith ! No minute either of the Sub- 
 Comraittee or of the Executive Committee is forthcoming. No list of 
 members present on either occasion is j^iven. It does not appear that 
 Dr. Dewitt (a most important member) was present at all. You, 
 Mr. Van Wyck, subscribe as " Chairman ;" but I demand the names 
 of your co-assessors — and the minutes of your meeting as an Executive 
 Committee — and the reasons why you pass over entirely the cases of 
 Mr. J. W. McGregor's first visit to us in 1850, and of Mr. Franklin's 
 in 1851. 
 
 Mr. Libbey denies that he said anything a? to Mr. Edwin 
 McfJiegor having been invited to visit Montreal in 1851, and of his 
 having been appointed to visit that city, I must have misunderstood 
 Irim, then ; but will this make the case any better for Mr. McGregor ? 
 It seems now lliat the plan of a visit to Canada at all had not been 
 concocted, and that neither of the IMcGrogors had been commissioned 
 to carry it out. 
 
 I shall now take up in order those assertions or pleadings in the 
 *' action taken " by the " Executive Committee " which have not been 
 rebutted or swept away in the course of the foregoing statements. And, 
 
 1. Mr. F. P. Lord, it seems, saw Dr. Milledoler sign the commis- 
 sion to Mr. J. VV. McGregor to be " General Agent'* and to " lecture 
 and make congregational collections, &c." There is a little bit of a 
 legend about tliis '•' irroat unkuinvii." At our first call at the office, I 
 asked the third McGregor, Who is Mr. F. P. Loru? The urchin 
 gave a most impressive shake of the head, and whispered *' I do not 
 know." Honest Mr. Pinuey, of the Colonization Society, was within 
 a yard of him, and turning round said, <' Don't you know the boy that 
 writes with you"? "Boy," said I, "is he a boy?" "O yes," 
 rejoined Mr. Pinney, " a young man of seventeen perhaps." And is that 
 the " Recording Secretary of the American Jews' Society"? I asked. 
 " heonly ccipii'S papers." " Perhaps," said I, " he may do for that ; 
 but who m-,iy this David \\ Lord bo ?" " The father of Mr. F. P.," 
 answered Mr. Piimey. " Exactly so," said 1. And the " boy" Mtp 
 Dr. M. sign his name to the Commission ! Indeed ! Perhaps Mr. Libbey 
 may tell us whetiier the "boy" took a sail to Staten Island for the 
 purpose of seeing this done, forassnruiily Mr. L. cannot have forgotten 
 Ids having toM mo in Dr. Dewitt's that Dr. Milledoler had not boon 
 present in the committee room for twelve months before his death, and 
 thaXit/ifn ho hud with great ditliculty been carried up stairs. 
 
 ()l>s("rve, Mr. Van Wyck, I do not al)soliitfly charge Mr. F. P. 
 Lord with saying what is not true ; I only mean to say that there is 
 
 • K . * w,, ^_^ .' ■j.-n mttf. 
 
 . u iiiM'-. I I 111 
 
OP NEW YORK. 
 
 29 
 
 pe pages of 
 
 m after the 
 Ivesfio-afed ;» 
 Vj ^nd the 
 
 I ""f the Sub- 
 •^0 list of 
 [appear that 
 «'^- You, 
 I '^e names 
 
 ^■vecuf.ve 
 'i^ cases of 
 Pi-ankiin'a 
 
 Edwin 
 
 "id of hig 
 
 "('«rsfood 
 ''Gregor ? 
 "ft been 
 "Jssioned 
 
 ?s in iho 
 "ot been 
 Arid, 
 '«mrnis. 
 lecture 
 bit of a 
 ffice, / 
 U'ciiin 
 io not 
 ■^'iJhin 
 V Jhat 
 res," 
 <tiiat 
 iced, 
 'iaf J 
 
 u >» 
 •» 
 
 tato 
 
 Jey 
 
 the 
 
 en 
 
 Jn 
 
 Id 
 
 something anomalous about it. Mr. F. P. Lord's name follows Dr. 
 M.'s, and then Mr. Edwin Macgregor subscribes. Suppose that all 
 the three signed at one and the same time, it must have been either in 
 the Committee Room in New York or at Staten Island. In either case 
 it seems strange that Dr. Milledoler could not recollect a matter so 
 recent, but refers us simply to his general confidence in Mr. Edwin 
 Macgregor as the olhcial organ through whom all such matters were 
 transacted. 
 
 2. To the declaration made, '< that the Committee do not send out 
 agents who are not qualified for their business ;" I reply, that as to 
 that, impartial men must judge for themselves from the evidence 
 adduced ; and I am iacliued to think that if there is anything at all in 
 the facts and statements brought forward in this my appeal, two agents 
 appear to have been sent forth by the Society " not " very well 
 "qualifie(i for their busiiiiesH.*' If "their business" be the getting 
 of money, iiulead, Jbr that they may be very well qualified; but as 
 expounders of the Society's doctrines and deeds, and as leally good 
 representatives of an Institution so rcspectabhi in its nomenclature, I 
 must demur to the averment that the Society sends out none '< not 
 qualified." The apparent want of suiliible qualifications in Messrs. 
 McGregor and Franklin was one main element in the doubts which 
 were expressed by nie as to those persons being Agents for the Society 
 ntall; and the»e doubts I "ya<6//c'«//// " announced on August 8th to 
 all who were in 'UitUndciicc''' in Mr. Roaf's Church. 
 
 3. "The Corresponding Secretary does not fot any reason take 
 the sole responsibility of sending out agei.ts, but is always under the 
 advisement of the Committee." And why, then, I ask, did he so 
 obstinately refuse to .^hew llie niiimte of the CommUtee's "advise- 
 ment,"' when that most squeezable body of men "iidvised" a Mission 
 10 Canada, not once, but once, <M'icc', /^n(e ? Wliat has " the boy " 
 F. P. to "record," il it is not just such "advisements;" and what 
 has Mr. E. Mc(Jregor to "correspoiid about, or with whom is he to 
 correspond," if anything relative to an incursion into another land and 
 into other churches, is omitted from the books, and the whole of these 
 movements left as an absolute blank in the history of the Society? 
 It follows, indeed, and I can readily believe it, that between the 
 Committee and the Secretary "there is a mutiia! understanding in all 
 such matters." This is all very well for yourselves, gentlemen, but 
 eurcly strangers to whom you send tor money may be forgiven it they 
 are not quite clear as to such "mutual understandings." Mr. Van 
 Wyck, you have read (Juy Mannering ? If so, do you think there was 
 no " nmtual understamlmg " betwivt your countryman, " Captain Dirk 
 Hatterick" and his lovely comrades along the shores of Ayrshire? 
 Such "mutual understandings," I can assure you, are essential to 
 
V 
 
 I 
 
 ).) 
 
 ' ? 
 
 30 
 
 THE JEWISH SOCIETY 
 
 ' I 
 
 all such <<cave" transactions as are not meant to be "publically" 
 inatle known. 
 
 4. Mr. Van Wyck denies that I was requested by the " Executive 
 Committee" to submit my views and suggestions to them. I never 
 said ISO. The Executive Committee had not met when I was in New 
 York, but surely Dr.DeWitt, the lirst Vice-President, and Mr. Libbey, 
 the Treasurer, form a fair representation of that Committee, and they 
 did ask me to do so. I complied with ihe request ; transmitted a 
 pretty full view of the whole matt(;r, and the Committee not sympa- 
 thising with me in tiiis matter, I now lay the case before the public. 
 
 5. The following precious specimen of reasoning must not be lost : 
 " Dr. Burns transcended his duty when he 'impugned ' the genuine- 
 ness of the documents" (of Macgregor and Franklin) " and in 
 pursuing his suhse(jnent line of conduct, of seconding their efforts, 
 and sanctioning their mission in VHrious ways, he remiered any attempt 
 on their part to remove his scruples afterwards unnecessary." It is 
 then distinctly alleged that 1 communicated my "scruples'' to the" 
 agents, simply as " scruples," asking those agents to remove ihem. 
 This is surely different from brnntling the agents as '• impostors," and 
 can tiiere be anytiiing unreasonable in seeking aid in the removal of 
 "scruples" t>om those best fitted, or presumed to be best fitted, to 
 give it? And why, then, did Mr. .1. \V. Macgregor ou the 6th of 
 August last refuse to telegraph to New Yuik in order to remove my 
 " scruples"? and why did he taake a desperate grasp at his " commis- 
 sion" in my hand, when 1 simply hinted that it might be sent bodily 
 to New York to be " stamped" as genuine ? and why did his brother 
 refuse to favor me with a note of the appointment of Mr. J. W. 
 Macgregor to the Canada mission when ha kntiv wcU that I could not 
 by any possibility make any such use o*" an extract of this nature as 
 could injure the Society or himself ? And, Mv. Edwin, what sort of 
 argument is this, — that because forsooth I helped your brother and 
 Mr. Franklin " in • rious ways," therefore I forfeited my title to have 
 my scruples removed? One would reason on a principle the very 
 opposite of this ; namidy, that because a man is generous, and in apite 
 of his doubts, and in liie cuutidence of having liiem all removed, shews 
 kindness to the pui ties; therefore he should be better respected, and 
 his wishes more readily attendeil to. Ihit, dear Edwin, you forget that 
 1 refused j-oung Franklin — not old Renjamin — my pulpit ! Was this a 
 *' seconding ot your elibrts" { I am very anxious to know where you 
 got your logic and your A. M. -ship. Your '< (j/ZouZir/iCi;" on lectures 
 must have been very regular, seeing such literary honors have been 
 couferreil ^^ piil'licalli/'' on yoiu" precocious intellect. 
 
 6. I have already said enough to reimive any seeming discrepan- 
 cies betwixt iny statements and those of Dr. DeVVitt. They are sub- 
 stantially o«t;, and until the Dr. «ihall come forward in propria persona 
 
 and J 
 
 Macd 
 
 to at\ 
 
 Chr\ 
 
 asse\ 
 
 and 
 
 him] 
 
 thinl 
 
 the 
 
 ov ill 
 
 « ell 
 
 the] 
 
 or oi 
 
 _-tl 
 
 the 
 
 we 
 
 as 
 
OF NEW YORK. 
 
 31 
 
 53 
 
 .5; 
 
 mblically » 
 
 Executive 
 I never 
 'as in New 
 fr. Libbey, 
 \, and ?Aey 
 fsmitted a 
 jot synipa- 
 Jlio public, 
 jot be Jost : 
 S'enuine- 
 '" and in 
 "■ eflbrts, 
 y attempt 
 It is 
 to the" 
 ve I hem. 
 '•s," and 
 'noval of 
 
 fitted, to 
 
 i« 6th of 
 
 Hive my 
 
 Bommis- 
 
 It bodiJy 
 hroiiier ' 
 J. VV. 
 
 )ul(l not 
 
 ture as 
 sort of 
 
 or and 
 
 o have 
 
 J Very 
 
 2 Kpite 
 
 s]iew3 
 
 I, and 
 
 (t that 
 
 tJiisa 
 
 iyou 
 
 tiireo 
 
 been 
 
 )an- 
 iub- 
 ona 
 
 and state his impressions, any tliinjf that Messrs. Van Wyck and the 
 
 Macgregors may say of them will go for nothing with me. / adhere 
 
 to all my statements, and I ant, ready to iso before any Court In 
 
 Christendom, and give them the sanction of the greatest solemnity of 
 
 asseveration. But as to Mr. Libbi^y's .statements reganling Franklin 
 
 and J. W. Macgregor, tliey are very much the same as I understood 
 
 him to make in the house of Dr. DeWitt. He did not allow me to 
 
 think — nor does he yet — that these young men wmc properly appointed 
 
 <*geiieal agents," for such agents, says he, are '< men well known to 
 
 the Churcii." Hence I int'eiicd that the young men had by mistake 
 
 or in some other way, been named as '' general agents.' As to tlie 
 
 " charge of missionaries," to which lio refers, not a word was sp(jkeu on 
 
 the subject ; the whole subject was the sending forth Hgeni-: to Canada 
 
 or other lauds for obtaining money. My impression was — and slill is 
 
 ■ — that Dr. Di-Witt and I\Ir. Libbey did not wish il to be undcrsluod as 
 
 their opinion that such lads as J. W. .Macgregor and M. J. Franklin 
 
 were deliberately selected as agents of Ihc Society for such a mission 
 
 as that to Hritish Amciica. 
 
 7. With regard to the " Treasurer's name" as •* essential,*' I dare 
 
 Mr. Libbey to deny that he was the person wdu) put to me the rpieslion 
 
 — Hpd the commission to Mr. ,1. W. Macgregor the name of the 
 
 Treasurer? I replied that I did not thiidi any one of the three 
 
 commissions hail his (Mr. Lil.'bey's) name appended. He said — " not 
 
 my name, for I have only been one year Treasurer, but the name of 
 
 the Treasurer ?" 1 repeated my answer iu the negative, and asked it 
 
 all cnmmissioirs behoved to have that? He replied in the aliirmalive, 
 
 but added, " unless hi my absence a co)nmission may have been 
 
 issued without it." In that case, 1 remarked that a special minute 
 
 would appear. Mr. Libbey never said to me. or any o/ie i/.sc, i/iat a 
 
 credential is valid with the names of the President and Recording 
 
 Secretary only. The only '' credentials" spoken of, be it remciiibered, 
 
 were credent ialsyo/* collecting money ; and as to ^/u'.sf, the Treasurer's 
 
 name was the r«/ti ; the want ol it an exception and an irregularity. 
 
 "Tlip C(imiiiitti.'o would luld that a cri'ilcntiiil is valid when iHuriiiK tLe 
 sigiiatart'S of any two of lliu iibovp olticers, ai.d even the sigiiuUue if tlie 
 Oorresponilinj? Secretary alone wlien he is authorised by this CommlUto to 
 issue coninnssious." 
 
 If so, I can only say, Mr. Libbey holds a very diiferenl doctrine, 
 and u much sounder one. But I again ask, If the Corresponding 
 Secretary was really " authorised " to issue Conrmissions for Canada 
 to Messrs. Franklin and .1. W. McCJreg(jr, why such a mystery aliout 
 it? why refuse to exhibit the minute which aulh(niscd it .' 
 
 8. Dr. Dewitt is represented as saying that <'the document shown 
 him by Dr. Burns, purporting to be a true copy of t'le diiginal, 
 contained within dself suiiicient evidence of its correctness and 
 geuuinenesH." Dr. Duwitt said to me nothing of the kind. This 
 
u 
 
 32 
 
 (.r strv y-.iSi. 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 h 
 
 ■',1 
 
 i 
 
 ** eri'lei.ce within hjteU^ was aErrr.in^' bot "fcffieiest** to prove it* 
 ** genfjineofess;'' iot it wa? tbe csrcunisaiure of fiicA commtttioH being 
 vnaoed in iar-xir of a mere stode&t that led Dr. Devrirt to speaj: of th« 
 extreme uD!ik*r]uiO0rl of Au signing anythiag of toe kiad. On hia 
 beinz isRewii iiedip'oma f: Mr. LiCie, then and all.] in mv possession, 
 he at once said, ** Yes, thai i« the handwriting of D:. Miiiedoler." Oa 
 mj* hJnti-Mj Xne potrihUily rA the other being hi» ai»o (though jniLke) 
 hie l'x>kei at it a.-j'Ain, and observed tiial " it might be." Ot the one 
 in mr po«,w««ion there was no doabt wnatever. On the other, as it 
 was rnere-y a copy, no definite conclusion or judgment was giren. 
 
 Tie " Executive CorDmittee" difltirc:!y acknowledge ia their rery 
 next parat'raph, marked ''Tth," that Dr. .Miiiedoler did sign "'creden- 
 tiaij *' H.'i a matter of course, and the reai^on given is that " he felt 
 pia'itfj'.-d he \ras following the instrnctions of the Cornmiliee.'" Dr. 
 Miil'i'ioi'.'r said m iiim<s*^lf in his letter to Mr. Freeland of .\ogii«t I6th, 
 and he/ice it i-j ea-ry to see how mirtake* may have arisen. Very 
 improper norniiiations miv have been ra^de bv the Committee, aaJ 
 Di. Millcd-jier may not have even looked at the contents of what he 
 wa= ask'.-d to sig-i. He took the lhin;T presented aa all riirht. My 
 choril'i.hk ciujecture wa«, t-iat Mr. Edwin McGregor, " from zeal lor 
 tiie SjcK-ty,'* rnay havf; slipped in a Comrnii?ion in favour of his 
 brotJjiir, ami ii.- bein^ sicjned became a "matter of cour.«e.-' It appears 
 that trie C(>mmiltee wish to fath^er all the deeds of the Secretary, good, 
 bad, and i.i liiitjrent. They are most heartily w*jlcome to this: but, 
 while Edwi;i U. McGre^'or is thug .screened from blame, what shall 
 we say of a Cominiltec which thu.s deliberately proclaims its own 
 fody? 
 
 9. On the «ntjiict of granting evtracta fiorn toe Minutes of the 
 S'jrieiy, as reque-ted by me, the Evocutive Committee have published 
 the fojlo'.viri;,' a-- tht,'ir definitive opinion . — 
 
 "Tho Committee would say in this connection, that no officer of tbe 
 Sooi''ty hn.s the liK"'- ^^ nxp'js'; cither to private or public yh;vr the minutej 
 of iiH action, or make ( xtracls from ihetn fir any person whatever, without 
 the aii'horitv of the Kx"rutiv<; Committee : And further, that their minutes 
 are in the keeping of the Itecording iSecretaiy, who alone is responsible for 
 their safety.' ' 
 
 Had my friends, Messrs. Thomson and McPherson, been civilly told 
 by M('Ciey;or that at the first meotin:^ of the " Executive Committee," 
 their rerjuesl woald be submitted, and in all probability granted, they 
 would have b'. ,n petfeclly sit'sfied. Was anything like this done ? 
 Certainly not. 
 
 Hut I dispute the soundness of the principle. A reliuious or 
 bern'voleiit society wliioli looks for support to public voluntary coa- 
 
 tributions, is not like a bankini; or commercial establish 
 
 menf. 
 
 I 
 
 apprehend th;it anyone givin;^ a dollar in ;iid of such institutions ia 
 entitled to bo satisfied as to what liai been done with it. The very 
 
 
the 
 
 Kt his 
 
 ' Oa 
 '■'■ike) 
 
 1^ one 
 
 jp' ' 
 
 OF KEW TORS. 
 
 as 
 
 existence of the Society depends on perfect jooJ faith being kept xrith 
 the public in matters of money ; and oa this principle, as havinit been 
 the organ throuih which my own contributions and those of my people 
 were conveyed to the New York Society, I had a title to be satisiie^l 
 as to tile legality of the Commission which brought the \oung men to 
 Toronto, and as lo tlie amount transmitted to the Treasurer, with its 
 application by the Acting Board. And here I must let the public 
 know that my letter from Quebec to Mr. Libbey had enclosed i:i it a 
 small slip to the ioilowiug edect : — 
 
 "Please let me have in your reply to th letter a uote from your bouki 
 as follows : 
 
 Amount received by the Treasurer, as collocted at Toronto by Mi. J. W. 
 MoGregar iu 1850. 
 Do. by Mr. 31. J. Franklin iu 1851, 
 Do. by .Mr. J. W. McGr^^or a^aia in li'S'i. " 
 
 My reason for asking thi;? was, the strange discrepancy betwixt the 
 collection in 1S51. as stale.l by Mr. Jennings on Sabbatn, August Sih. 
 and the amount as published ui the Jeicish Chronicu: for September ot 
 that year. Does Mr. Libbey say, I am not eiititled lo ask for thi? ' I 
 think that I am : but if aw order of tlie *' E.vecutive Committee '" niu«it 
 be got, will he be so goo^i as try .lud obtain an order for it i In tht 
 meantime, very unpleasant suspicions will remain on the mind, ami 
 thet/ who can in a inoDunl remove them, refuse to do it. Is such a 
 Society deserving of public contidence ? '* 
 
 10. The following paragraph in my printed rej.v)rt does not go 
 down well with Mr. Van Wyck and his compeers : 
 
 " la the meantime I may add that the Society is not in very good odour. 
 It has been discarded by all the Old School PresbyteriamChurch. and the 
 only agents of any worth which it had are now laboring in connection wiili 
 the Home Mission Board of that Churoh. It gets little support in New York 
 where its facts and its history are best known.' 
 
 In commenting on this, the »< Executive" thus e.\press themselves: 
 
 " This Committee, a majority of which belong to the Old School Presby- 
 terian Church, affirm that it is not in accordance with facts iu any one parti- 
 cular. The Society is not la " bad odour" with any evangelical denomination 
 of Christians. They receive a patronage at present Irom the Old School 
 Presbyterian Church throughout the United States, more liberal than at an\ 
 former time, as well as from every other denomination of Christians ; that 
 they do not at all accept this position in which Dr. Burns places them as a 
 Society ; that no Presbyterian at all interested iu the Salvation of the Jews, 
 will thank Dr. Burns for his illiberal statements respecting them ; and kbat 
 the source of information respecting their present missioiiaries in comparison 
 with those mentioned by Dr. B. must have been one hostile to the Society, 
 or else totally ignorant of its present economy. It is sufficient to say that 
 the Society's missionaries at present in the field are working men, which 
 eanrfot be said of any two missionaries that have left the Society or been 
 discharged from it« service. They may, respectively, be judged by their 
 works.'' 
 
 I must leave these matters for the consideration of parties in New 
 York and in the Unhed States. Time will try ; and no man will have 
 
 «' 
 
84 
 
 THE JEWISH SOCIKTY 
 
 it in his power to say that I am the party who is at all inclined to 
 shrink from inquiry. 
 
 In the meantime I may as well advert to the fact that my respected 
 friend Dr. J. W. Alexander, of New York, by letter of date September 
 11th, lets me know *• that the Presbyterian Church has had for years 
 no connexion with the Society, and has earned on her elibrtsin behalf 
 of the Jews, by a distinct organization of her own." 
 
 And now, Mr. Edwin R. MacL'roi,'or, A. M., what are the counts 
 
 of my indictment to which I call on you to plead? They are such as 
 
 these : — 1. Plea.<e explain to nie the reason why it is, tiiat when you 
 
 on the lOth of Auirust did write to nie a long aiul seemingly friendly 
 
 epistle, but not altogether satisfactory withal; and when I replii^d to 
 
 you ill the same fiiondly strain, while at the same time I asked a little 
 
 additional information as to the mysterious commission given to your 
 
 brother J. W. Macgregor — you never condescended to give me any 
 
 reply? and wherefore is it that when my letter to Dr. Miiledoler of 
 
 the same date with the one to yourseli', was submitted to you by Dr. 
 
 Miiledoler in order that materials might be furnished on some points of 
 
 reply, you allowed that letter, it is said, to pass out of your hands into 
 
 the possession of an individual in this city, who, you know, could 
 
 have asked and obtained it for no purpose, frientUy to truth or to me ? 
 
 Explain wherefore it is that yon have thus acted, if all is right and 
 
 square in your official duty as Secretary to the "Am. Soc. Mel. Con. 
 
 Jews" ? What, I fearlessly ask, is there in all the particulars 
 
 connected with your relative position and mine, of which an ' nnocent 
 
 and honorable man need be ashamed ? 
 
 2. Why is it that when I requested two such respectable persons 
 as the Rev. John Thomson, of New York, and Mr. R. D. Macpherson, 
 of Toronto, to call on you in my name, and civilly to ask a reply to my 
 reciuests, you received them cavalierly, and obstinately refused to 
 communicate with them on points in regard to which all Societies that 
 rest on public cluirity for support, feel inclined, as they are unques- 
 tionably bound, to give the most ample satisfaction ? 
 
 3. Why is it that when I came all the way from Canada to New 
 York for the purpose of having matters cleared up, you not only 
 refused to meet me and my friends, but after writing and leaving for 
 me a note which, from hs spirit aiu\ import, could not possibly have 
 been intended for any other than me, yon have instructed your dupes 
 of the *' Executive Committee" to believe ami declare " publically" 
 (for that is your way of spelling the word*) that I had entered the 
 repositories of the Society and abstracted it by fraud ? 
 
 whosti 
 of Gol 
 shall ' 
 patroil 
 obtaiJ 
 thesel 
 of thd 
 
 • Mr. .1. W. ATacsjrcscir. in his coiifcrciice with me, referred to in p. 16. did seriously 
 insist lliiit I should consuli Jdliiisoji ;is to tlie correct orthoifinpliy I The Se«ielury mid his 
 liMiher are iriily piirinfons (if leiuiiinq:. It wiis .1. W. Mncgri'jfor who guvo inc the first 
 notice 111" the '• Mass .Meeting" in Mr. Itoa/ 's Chmcli ou August 8tli, and kindly invited my 
 '^ aU«utUnce.» 
 
flic lined to 
 
 inspected 
 
 |Soptember 
 
 ''»r years 
 
 'Jii behalf 
 
 le counts 
 ra such as 
 [wJien you 
 friendly 
 I'fpliud to 
 •*1 .'i little 
 1 to your 
 ' ine any 
 Iciloler of 
 u by Dr. 
 points of 
 ^iids into 
 f, could 
 to me? 
 ghl and 
 ^1. Con. 
 liculars 
 'laocent 
 
 [Jersons 
 lierson, 
 '^ tomy 
 ised to 
 t's that 
 iques- 
 
 ' New 
 
 only 
 ig for 
 have 
 upes 
 ilh/> 
 
 the 
 
 )U8ly 
 I his 
 first 
 I my 
 
 OF NEW YORK. 
 
 86 
 
 And as for Dr. DeWitt and the other reverend and respectable men 
 wliose names are appended to your So«'.iely, I hereby, as in the sight 
 of God, to whom we must all give account, demand of them that they 
 shall either vindicate the actings of your Society, or withdraw their 
 patronage. It was on the slreiigtli of those names th.at your agents 
 obtained amj credit in Canada at all; and yet I bulieve the most of 
 these names have been appendeii without the knowledge or consent 
 of their owners. 
 
 The list of these « Office Bearers and Directors" of the " A. S. M. 
 C. Jews," as appended to the Jewish Chronicle for December last, is 
 numerically as follows : One Presideid ; 19 Honorary Vice Presidents ; 
 12 Vice Presidents ; a Secretary for Foreign Correspondence ; another 
 for Domestic Correspondence ; and a Recording Secretiry; a Treasurer, 
 and a " Committee of Directors," 20 in number, at the head of which 
 appears the name of Charles Van Wyck, who signs as '* Chairman of 
 the Executive Committee." There are tlius in all h'fty-six persons, 
 whose names and desiiinations constitute " the Stars and Stripes" of 
 this " Union." They figure well onjjuper ; but how many of them are 
 in the way of ever attending your meetings, Mr. Van Wyck ? How 
 many of them were ever asked to let their names be blazoned before 
 the public as patrons of you and your coterie ? Who may be the " A. 
 S. M. C. J" ? Is it no^ you— Mr. Edwin R. Macgregor, A. M. ? 
 and who may be your « Executive Committee"? Is it not just the 
 same brij,ht luminary ? and perhaps Mr. Libbey, and you, Mr. Van 
 Wyck, as his bottle-liolders ? I arraign you all at the bar of public 
 opinion ; and I distinctly wish it to be understood that I attach great 
 Wame to those '' dii iiuijorum gentium'" who allow your Society the 
 benefit of their names, while they hold you and your '' A. S. M. C. J," 
 in just and merited contempt. 
 
 Since writing the above I have had the curiosity to look into the 
 l)ages of the " Jewish Chroiucle" from November, 1849, when Mr. Mac- 
 gregor first took charge of it, down to the number for December, 1852; 
 and I iiave marked both in the Editorial ami other departments 
 various passages which breathe the very sentiments and spirit of the 
 Sermon or discourse delivered by J. W. M. in Mr. Roaf's pulpit on 
 August 8lh, 1852. There is a recklessness and inaccuracy of idea in 
 them which to my mind is repulsive. When carried forth to the Jewish 
 mind, they cannot but prove pernicious. A small specimen I shall give : 
 
 «The field," referring to the Society's operations, "is undoubt- 
 edly a rough one, as rough as the hills of Palestine ; but the applica- 
 tion of resolution and detenninalion will make it ecpially productive 
 // was a national enterprise that subdued those hills, and converted 
 Ihein into a land fioxving with milk and honey. So a truly Christian 
 enterprise can cause, under the smile of Providence, the rough 
 
THE JEWISH SOCIETY 
 
 State of this field to teem with a plentiful harvest." — November, 1849, 
 
 "At the present moment" "Jewish mind is shaking the very 
 fomidations of European civilization ; and already breaking down the 
 middle wall of partition erected by carnality between the Jew and the 
 nominal Christian." — lb. 
 
 " How many of the Jews are, this hour, rejoicing that they have 
 found Jesus the Messiah ! You love Zion, as she is among the Gen- 
 tiles ; but bear in mind that she wilhnever be clothed with the Sun, 
 with the moon under her feet, and be crowned with twelve stars, until 
 a Deliverer shall come out of her and turn ungodliness away from 
 Jacob; whose fullness shall be the riches of the Gentiles, and their 
 reception as life from the dead. When the prodigal shall return, then 
 shall there be joy in our Father's house 5 the fatted '•alf shall be 
 killed, and music and dancing shall crown the festival. At that day 
 how unlovely will appear the disposition of the elder brother whose 
 jealousy ha" deterred him from entering into the spirit of the occasion, 
 and whose parsimony has grudged the feast prepared for the returned 
 prodigal, and whose selfishness upbraids the condescension, the for- 
 giving spirit, the love, and benignity of the noble father " ! — Ih. 
 
 The first promise explained : " To bruise one's head is to destroy 
 him ;. to bruise one's heel is to harm, annoy, and disable without 
 destroying. Then the evil spirits, with the one that acted as their 
 leader, shall go forth to harm, annoy, and disable, but not entirely 
 destroy the race of men ; but the human race shall at length prevail 
 over these wicked spirits, and finally succeed in destroying them. If 
 it be said that the seed of the woman refers to Jesus Christ as the 
 Saviour of the world, we do not deny it, as he is one of the human 
 race, a descendant of the woman.'' — December No. 
 
 In a later number (October, 1852) we find a new translation of 
 the third chapter of Genesis, in which the passage regarding the seed 
 of the woman is thus strangely rendered : " I will put enmity between 
 thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. He shall 
 gape for thee openly, and tliou shall gape for him secretly." 
 
 The absolute folly of the following paper, of date January, 1852, 
 must be quite transparent : 
 
 The Jewish mind is under a cloud in reference to the way of life and 
 true happiness. They have no Word of God any more ; they have the 
 doctrines and commandments of men, which only lead hellward and not 
 heavenward. Rabbinism takes delight in leading them away from divine 
 truth, and giving them husks which are only At for swine. But in our 
 country of freedom of thought and belief, more than one hundred thousand 
 Jews are rising in their intellectual might and demanding truth— divine 
 truth, which they are becoming convinced is only to be found in pure 
 Christianity. How do they receive our messengers of tnith? How do they 
 listen to their instruction ? How many are turning with feelings of indig- 
 nation from the Rabbinism existing in America 1 Even when in attendance 
 upon Synagogue ceremonies, they regard the whole as a monstrous farce 
 before God ; and were it not that the force of education and the parental 
 
 TOWl 
 
 Jud^ 
 
 the 
 
 uml^ 
 
 largl 
 
 ingil 
 
 rece 
 
 mail 
 
 mee 
 
 pru| 
 
 no 
 
 pici 
 
 forJ 
 
 hov 
 
 wUl 
 
iber, 1849, 
 
 the Very 
 
 down the 
 
 Jw and tile 
 
 «hey have 
 the Gen- 
 the Sun, 
 }^^rH, until 
 way from 
 and their 
 turn, then 
 shaJJ be 
 ' that day 
 ler whose 
 occasion, 
 returned 
 ihe for- 
 1-76. 
 destroy 
 without 
 as their 
 entirely 
 h prevail 
 iem. If 
 t as the 
 human 
 
 ation of 
 le seed 
 etween 
 'e shall 
 
 1852, 
 
 fe and 
 
 'e the 
 
 id not 
 
 livine 
 
 1 our 
 
 isaad 
 
 irine 
 
 pure 
 
 they 
 
 idig- 
 
 ance 
 
 arce 
 
 ntal 
 
 OF NEW YORK. jp 
 
 VDW upon them restrained them, they would leave even the outer court of 
 Judaism. _ We have to-day more acn-ss to the Jewish people than hare even 
 the Rabbiea themselves. We havo a large number Jews and Jewesses 
 under instruction, and locenlly some conversions, we hojje, from sin, and a 
 large number converted from Rabbinism. Our corps of labourers is enlarg- 
 ing, our expenses increasmg ; but, what we are sorry and pained to add, our 
 receipts have not for two monlhs past, during the depression in the money 
 market, proporiionably increased. We are hence embarrassed ; we canuot 
 meet our liabilities. Now, havir^ been taught by divine wisdom that " the 
 prudent man foieseeth the evil und hideth himself," and that we must " owe 
 no mai anything but love, ' Christiiuis that have money must aid us in the 
 present emergency, or we must dismiss our missionaries ; and when we are 
 forced to do this in consequence of your want ot love and spirit of self-denial, 
 how will the enemy exult, and the cause of Christ bleed, and the chariot- 
 wheels of salvation roll back !'' — pp. 104, 165. 
 
 From the June Chronicle for 18ol I copy the following very brief, 
 
 and certainly not very luminous nor satisfactory review of the year's 
 
 operations and results : 
 
 " HEVIBW or THE LAST VEAR's OPERATIONS 
 
 "The whole amount of receipts into the treasury (including balance at 
 the beginning of the j'ear) have been $11,239 04, being an increase over those 
 of the previous year of $5,585 52. 
 
 There have been performed about nine and a half years of direct labour 
 among the Jews by our missionaries and colporteurs during the ])ast year. 
 The gospel seed has been sown in about a thousand families, or four thousand 
 Jewish minds. 
 
 Hundreds have had the Scriptures read and explained to them. Two 
 hundred bibles, forty thousand pages of tracts, sixty New Testaments, and 
 other books have been distributed among them. 
 
 About one hundred households have been prayed in, and some of them 
 repeatedly. 
 
 THE RESULTS OF LAST YEAH. 
 
 Many Israelites — but how many we cannot tell — have been seriously 
 awakened and induced to seek the truth. Fifteen families have been reported 
 as having been induced to attend on Christian worship, besides many others. 
 Twenty at least have avowed their belief in Jesus as the Messiah and the 
 only Saviour of men, and indulge hopes of reconciliation with God. Nine 
 of these have made a public profession of iheir faith, and the other eleven 
 are under instruction preparatory to the same step. With one exception, as 
 far as we now know the converts are holding on their way moie or less 
 steadfastly ; and the hope is, that after they shall have had time to learn and 
 understand the full spirit of the Christian religion, they will grow in grace, 
 and overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. 
 
 But there are many difficulties in the way of their growth in grace. They 
 unite with various churches. They feel that they are regarded with suspi- 
 cion, and hence shrink oftentimes into obscurity. They are not treated as 
 the tender lambs of the flock, carried in the shepherd's bosom, but are left 
 to wander and stumble upon the dark mountains of sin, where they are left 
 to perish. No class of converts need so much care, instruction, and tender 
 sympathy as these lambs of Israel." 
 
 In that No. there is inserted a most unsuitable paper from the 
 New York Tribune, on the political state of the Jews in Europe. 
 One small morceau of tliis absurd article may amuse at the present 
 crisis: " Lord Derby, who permitted himself to be defended by a Jew 
 in the House of Commons, virtually declares that the English aristo- 
 cracy can no more defend itself. Lord Derby may hold out still 
 longer; but he will never restore the dominancy of the aristocracy, 
 
 •■*- 
 
38 
 
 THE JEWISH SOCIETY. 
 
 it^' 
 
 although he may partially iiitiiKluce the Continental Jei-polisni into 
 England.'" '* Disraeli and Stahl have been baptized ; but they re3mai!r 
 Jews !" 
 
 Of the judgment, witli which the alliiirs of the Society are eon- 
 ducted, we may form some idea from it-< last report, as piililished in 
 the June No. of the Ckronirle (lS5tZ) and the following specimen 
 may sutlice : 
 
 "The Board do not aim to do the peculiar work of orfjanized churches 
 and pastors, but to supply a deficiency. They possess the facilities of preach- 
 ing the gospel to the Jews, t;;creby securing their conviction, hopetui conver- 
 sion, and future instruction. Hcret'iuls their responsibility. Then, as the 
 Jews arc every when; found in (Christian communities in the midst of 
 Christian churciies, th<'y leave the responsibility of the convert's profession 
 of laith, tigetbcr with subsequent discipline, entirely with the pastors. 
 
 " This circumstance militates against manifesting all the success that is 
 met with. When the missionary is satisfied of the conversion of the prose- 
 lyte, the latter is not permitted to profess his faith until the church is also 
 satisfied, which, from false tlieories respecting their conversion, and distrust 
 of their sincerity, is not readily effected. Some converts that are now shining 
 ornaments have been compelled to delay, on this account, tlvir profession for 
 six months. The Boord do not count bajjiisms, but public ijrofessions of 
 faith in the churches. There ave ten converts now awaiting the ordeal. " 
 
 These are merely fractional parts, cuUetl almost at random from 
 the pages of this uaicjue periodical. I cannot disliLrure my page with 
 such trash as " the House that Jack buih," even though Mr, Atac- 
 gregor may persuade learned divines to look grave at the ral)binical 
 appliances of that nursery lullaby. 
 
 A city periodical* decides that ''Dr. Rinns has done infinite 
 mischief" in thus raisinir doubts in men's minds, and causiug di.scord 
 among Churches. If I am to l)lame at all, it is in not sooner calling 
 to account the actors in this scene. How different the course pursued 
 by the Editor of the ,Vor//i Ainerican. He not oidy gave a full and 
 correct report of all the niectiuiis in the ca.«e, c((upling that with liis 
 own judicious conitnen's on the wlioU; affair ; but in my absence at 
 Quebec voluntarily defended mo from the aspersions of Mr. Van VVyck 
 and \\\< ExeciitivH Committee. .Au'feeable as it is to holtl commu- 
 nion with otlier Churches in the way of uiving and receiving, llnne is 
 a duly we owe to the pid>!i(', and thai is, to take care that the cases 
 we recommend sluill be really good ones. The public look to minis- 
 ters in this matter to direct them, and if we are md'ailhful to onr trust, 
 we are respoii«ible, and to a higher than man. No man who lias 
 known iiw, or knows nu^ now, will for a moment charge mo with 
 cohlness to file cause of (Jod's ancient people; but I would sccuii to 
 be thought capable of "making a gaiu " of alic'cted " godlinosii." 
 To try to convert the Jews to Cliristiauity by |m 'tically borrowiu'T 
 from tliem their very wor-^t feiitnres, is a height of i.niiioiis h)lly which 
 might have hetMi looked f(ir in tiie paifes of an ungodly romance, hut it 
 IS parsing stiniige to m.-el with if in the recorded ainiaJH of n Christian 
 institute. 
 
 1 il 
 
 thl 
 
 
 • (.7()6«vf U«luli«r 30. lOi'i. 
 
«.-»! 
 
 *• 
 
 im- remain 
 
 \y are con- 
 
 I'lished in 
 
 ■''I'tiCilTlOJl 
 
 "# 
 
 APPE]\DIX. 
 
 Tjiji: circumstances cnuuci'teil wilii llie ioilowiiiL' letter are -iini-ly 
 ihese. The Rev. Mr. John-on, ol iIk- Ivelunued I'resiiyierian Congre- 
 gation in Toronto, i.s tlie cnly miuiriti/r known !o uie in tlo city wlio 
 tias soltled liere since the prevloiis vi>il-; of the Agents of the Jewisli 
 Society, anil 1 was der-itous to learn what impres^iion had been made 
 tm hi.^ niiud by llie inspection ol' the coininiHsi')!'. and the tout i/nnoii- 
 Hc oC tiie Agent. 1 askeil him to furni.'^h me w ilii .lUcli a sta'iejnenl 
 append to my appeal. \\v has favored me willi the 
 
 as I might 
 following : 
 
 ToKONTo, 12th Jany., 1853. 
 
 Uev. and Dear Sir, 
 
 I beg to acknowledge tlie receipt of yoins of the lOtli inst., inquiriiiij 
 what day .Mr. J. VV. McCln'^oi luid called npon mc when in the city lecturing 
 on helialf of the "Amoricun Society fur .MelionUing the Condition of the 
 .Jew.s,"' and whether [ hiul oxainiiied hid Coinmisoion carefully, and what 
 im])ros9ion was made upon my mind. In reply I have to say that the gentle- 
 man called upon me on Siiturdiiy the 7ih of August, the day befoie he deliveied 
 his lecture in Mr. Moara (Jliurch, and rciiuested me to give it publicity at oar 
 place of worship. 
 
 Considering the importance of cmnplyintr with the request nnide by a 
 perfect stranger to nie, 1 iiski d iiim tor some di)cinnent.« re.-pecting the Society 
 and its operations, whii h I could read to the congregiition \m encourage their 
 liberality in the cause. To my surprise hu raid he had none except bis 
 <-ommi,=!sion, signed by Dr. Milledoler, tiic Piesideni of the Society. 
 
 This be presented to nu', and I cxaniiDed it veiy closidy ; and though 
 not personally acqunintpd with that venerable man, I had the impression 
 that he was advanced in years; and a .sliiiht suFpirH)i\ stole across my mind 
 that the siginituio was. unlike that of an aged person, bearing a far stronger 
 resemblanco to that of a youn;i; ch'rk in a stoie or counting-house. 
 
 1 do not say that it was not the signature of the I'lesitlent, but to me it 
 appeared as different frcnn the autograjili exhibited in Knux's Chinch, which 
 I afterward exnndned at the meeting held aftei youi arrivid from New York, 
 as that of a youth from the signature of a man of 70. 
 
 This is my opinion, and pernnt n)c to say witlunit boasting, that I have 
 some knowledge of autographs, as I hu\i' hundreds of iheni iti my po.<session 
 trom i)uhlic men in Britain, Ireland, and the I'niteil States, carefidly boinid 
 up in small volumes. 
 
 Not being perfectly satisfied, how. ver, with ilie appearance of the 
 si({nature in the C!onnnission presented to me, I was constraiiicd to | ut a 
 few (pu'stions respecting leading men aiid places o\\ ilie other side of the 
 Lake. His replies discovered less inrornintion almut public aHaira and 
 prominent men than niij^ht be expected from one professing to have been the 
 ,\gent ot tlie Society for some years. 
 
 I farlher empiircd if he wa-* aeipuiinted with any of the Ministers of this 
 city, and be said that he knew Dr. Ibiriis. as ho li<id Iteeii here two years ago, 
 aial that /;r was jierlectly siitislied. This infDiiiiainin removed my doulils, 
 and I promiaeil to nnnoimee his lectuie tn my hearers on ll;e forenoon of the 
 ensui'ig >Sald)ath, and here our conversation closed. 
 
 I have thus iiilorined you what impn ssion bis visit made iipnn my niind. 
 I could not lio I'rejudiced, for 1 was utterly ignorant i)( your suspicions about 
 big being a fully acciudited ngciit till afterwards. In making these slate- 
 
<t 
 
 40 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 1» 
 
 i' ^ 
 
 ments 1 have no wish either to injure the character of Jlr. McGreifor or 
 retard the usefulness of the Society. Far from it. My desire is, that in the 
 farther investigation of this unpleasant matter you may be successfnl in 
 rectifying those abuses which appear in the Working of the Sdciot)', and in 
 preventing the dissemination of erroneous sentiments by any of its professed 
 agents. 
 
 [ am, Dear Sir, 
 
 Very sincerely yours, &c., 
 
 ROBT, JOHXSON. 
 Rev. Dr. Burns. 
 
 A remark or two 1 would ofFer on tlie above. Mr. .lohiison wais 
 called upon by Mr. IMac'sre^or on the day after he liad been with me, 
 and while ho w'a.s cornnM ill saying thill 1 was yatisfied, he carefully 
 abstained from the most distant reference to my " scrnplos," two 
 years before ; my riMiewed ''scruples" when Frankihi appeared in 
 18,51, on which occa.iion I irave effect to them by refusing him my 
 pulpit ; and my recurrinu' '' ,scnii)les " now, which nothing but the 
 decidedly favorable Mateinents of Mr. .lenninus had removed. Tt was 
 indeed pulilic in the y()iui;r niau to conceal all this ; and yet why is a 
 perfectly fair and honest case incapable of beinir tried by a very 
 pimple test '{ Mr. Johnson happened lo hit o/i the very objection started 
 by me, and ii would have been very natural for a really accredited 
 agent to have adverted tt) the rather curious fact tliat two ministers 
 had, uiikuovvn to one another, happeiuid to liyhl on tlic very same 
 ground of suspicion ; and he would naturally have set himself to 
 remove it. Whether the siibscriptiou is after all a genuine one may 
 perhaps never be fully ascertained, but assuredly no blame can 
 attach to any one for entertaining suspicions of it. Mr. Jolmson had 
 not the advantage! I had, for ho had never seen Dr. Milledolcr nor hist 
 haadwritinir ; and yet he did not like tlie aspect of the document. 
 
 The want of all other instrumentalities for promoting his object — 
 .such as reports, addresses, N-c, struck Mr. Jolinsun just as it struck me. 
 Not R single report had he to shew me. At lengtii lie brought me one, 
 and he saiil tliat he had another ; but when ! expressed my surpri.se 
 at Ills actiu'i; so ditfereiilly inim all other a'^ents whom I liad ever 
 seen, his replies wtne very evasive and unsatisfactory. 
 
 Of the impressions maile on the minils of other ministers in the 
 city, the public nuiy perhaps learn something yet ; but it is proper to 
 state that Mr. Roaf, tin* pastor tif the rhincii in wiiich the offensive 
 appearance was made, was in Kngland at the time; and I rather think 
 that tlu! ministtMs of the vaiiou.s Episcopal and Meliuxlist t'hurches, 
 and of the Clinrch of Scotland, were not consulted in the matter. 
 
 R. H. 
 
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