“Mr. Warszawiak's Protest.” New York Times. December 16, 1896, page 9.

MR. WARSZAWIAK'S PROTEST.

A Claim that the Presbytery Heard Only One Side.

Herman Warszawiak, whose application for ordination the New York Presbytery refused to grant at its meeting Monday night, has made a statement, in which he says that the Presbytery heard only one side of the story.

“In refusing to make the appointment,” he said, “the Presbytery unquestionably acted within its rights. With this refusal I have no fault whatever to find, recognizing the Presbytery's right to appoint or reject at will. Concerning the manner in which that right was exercised, however, I may remark in passing that it was an example of the application of gag law such as is fortunately extremely rare in any civilized and Christian community.”

Mr. Warszawiak says that the charges made against his character to the Presbytery were refuted long ago, and declares that his work as pastor of the American Mission to the Jews is always open to inspection.

“On another point I desire to say one word,” he continued. “One of the members of the Presbytery, in making the assertion `All must admit that there is ground for a charitable judgment in this instance, in view of the education, associations, and general environment of one born of Hebrew parents,' unwittingly or otherwise offered an insult to the entire Jewish race, which I am impelled to refute. I love my fellow-Hebrews with all my heart, and I love, with all the ardor of my soul, my parents, whom I consider to be included in this most uncharitable statement. I have the honor to come from a rabbinical family, well known among Hebrews all over the world. Both my grandfathers and their parents and grandparents before them were among the leading and learned rabbis of their time in Europe, and the rabbinical family of Gurah is until this day honored throughout the globe wherever an orthodox Hebrew is found.

“It will be a revelation to the American people that a Hebrew convert to the Christian faith is rejected by a body of Christian clergymen on account of his birth and Jewish education, but the action of the Presbytery in the present instance is hardly capable of any other construction.”

The Rev. Dr. John Hall said last night: “The charges against Mr. Warszawiak have been investigated by a committee appointed for the purpose, and he was acquitted. I recommended that he be taken as a student by the Presbytery, and there seems to have been a misunderstanding.”