ies of
articles sent to that paper:--

I cannot express to you how much I am gratified and pleased with
your article on "Christian Loyalty." It will, no doubt, do immense
good. We have had a regular campaign in our Book Committee, in
reading and discussing your articles. The one on "Christian
Loyalty" occupied nearly the whole time. Your article on "The
Church" is one of the most admirable papers I ever read. Not a word
of that is to be altered. Your communication on "Indian Affairs," I
cannot speak so highly of. I hope you will pardon me for leaving
out some of the severe remarks on Sir Francis. I am afraid they
will do harm with the present Government.

At the Conference of 1838, Dr. Ryerson was re-elected Editor of the
_Christian Guardian_. In his first editorial, dated 11th July 1838, he
said:--

Notwithstanding the almost incredible calumny which has in past
years been heaped upon me by antipodes-party-presses, I still
adhere to the principles and views upon which I set out in 1826. I
believe the endowment of the priesthood of any Church in the
Province to be an evil to that Church.... I believe that the
appropriation of the proceeds of the clergy reserves to general
educational purposes, will be the most satisfactory and
advantageous disposal of them that can be made. In nothing is this
Province so defective as in the requisite available provisions for,
and an efficient system of, general education. Let the distinctive
character of that system be the union of public and private
effort.... To Government influence will be spontaneously added the
various and combined religious influence of the country in the
noble, statesmanlike, and divine work of raising up an elevated,
intelligent, and moral population.[70]

In combatting the idea that his editorial opinions in the _Guardian_
were necessarily "the opinions of the Methodists" as a body, and that
they were responsible for them, Dr. Ryerson, in the _Guardian_ of August
15th, thus defines the rights of an editor:--To be the mere scribe of
the opinions of others, and not to write what we think ourselves, is a
greater degradation of intellectual and moral character than slavery
itself.... In doctrines and opinions we write what we believe to be the
truth, leaving to others the exercise of a judgment equally unbiassed
and free.

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