The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-10-15

OF this high truth, the plea in bar with its tschni
caIity, 10 but narro~ed exposition aud proof.
There Is one answer, and 20 believe there ia bit
one, TO BE offered against tbs validity and force OF
this decision of the convention. IL is, that this
conclusion / as been obtained by indirect aud i'm
proper iDhueDces-from a committee aud eouyen-
ton determined to sxcuIpate the Bishop, aud re
solved 20 refuse m honest hearing TO his ae9users
We boldly meet and repel this i'm ltaton We beg
you TO look upon the names OF tne large body OF
clergy men fai. hful and devoted ministers OF Cod
whom it condemns We ask you 10 consider
the long liss of honored laymen of New Jer-
ssy whom it brands We point yOu proudly
10 the list of that committee TO the names
which, everywber among us, and as far as they
are knosp, are pledges of intelligence, of hooor,
of uprigh,Dess, ard truth, by which il is adorn-
ed We iosst that there is other alternative be.
tween declaring that this action OF ,he convention
has been true aud righteous, or stamping tue repu-
tatioD Of these mea with indehbie mark OF uosar.
passed IDfsDy and We cannot, since only TINS al
terbote remains-spce the rejection bv this court OF
ts.ir procee diugs must involve this inpataion on
us ALIVE cannot. 30 ough not, Ia oniy 10 che do'
cess ce represent refrain from the comparison o. the
number OF compiainants, and OF tho members OF
both orders of convention, by whom these proceed
ipgs have been instituted and by whom they ap-
proved Surely. where the odds are so tremendous
as the records of the conventions show, and the
olts are living IN the full communion OF The church,
and aIe hey ond the faint OF reproaoh, sincerity,
mpartisiy and truth are quite likely 10 be sonud
smonR the many, rs to be appropriated uy the low.
some, there still must be some virtue among them
all. press one thought with eaInestne.s; il is,
that. while you may allow the co have been
misled by other men If the alternative shall be
adopted, that these proceedings were designed TO
the guilty from The punishment he merited,
there is escape for usfor the convention for the
committee OF investigation for the church of the
living God" In our State They came indeed to
this inquiry with deep of the gratitude which
was due the Bishop. for difasng the blessings of
religious education They came with strong desire
that he might pass through the ordeal unframed !;
and We sl not insult your Christian hearts by the
superstition that this wish is not as ardent ia your
own bosoms as in theirs. But if this feeling DO .
disqualification for doing Justice You cos6ne
the circle Of bis judges to the ignorant apfrisnd
ly. Bot. after all that has been done, the cry Of
some is that he should he tried, and tried upon the
very charges which have been investigated and are
found to be untrue Apart from itsinjustice theres
no advantage We can see. The charges Cor at
least al those to which now refer) can only, at
the most, be backed by those who make them
under oath; and the testimony on the part of the
accused is already taken under OATH disproviog, by
Witnesses rs unmpeachahe, and by dates ana fa4sts,
and circumstantidl evidence which never lies, tie
charges which made.
The CRY is, ''Let him DO tried; let him clear hiu
self of these charges Of crime and immortality, and
purge the church of the odium which they G ase
upon it." Those who believe, without iavessig alton,
that our Bishop ia guilty Of these charges should
listensto these cries. Those who love ltiga len,
and relish the bitter strfes of public proseoatoa
will be moved by them, and long for the trial Of q
Bishop.
The morbid sentiment of the age may yesrn for
the exciting performance, and bIgotry and fanati-
ciem, jealousy and malice, may be grat6ed by see.
ing put upon the rack of trial, for the purpose
OF satisfying pubic opinion But the diocess of
New Jersey cannot permit itself to be msved by
such influences. We cannot present cur Bishop
upon those charges because we have found them to
be untrue. We cannot consent to his trial upon
them, because we are satisfied of his innocence.
W. hal,x hat tpNap a,l. lsaf
intended for the guilty, and not for the innocent;
and although they not always lead to conviction
aud punish ment, they seldom fail TO leave q stigma
upon the character OF the accused.
But there are other higher considerations than
personal injustice TO our Bishop, rs man, which
make it the duty Of IT, diocess of New jersey to
protest against this trial The accused is Bishop
our father in the Church, connected by all those
holy and sacred ties by which God and the Church
have bound US together. His character, and his
reputation for good for evil, must reflect upon
For nearly twenty years, his walk and converse
ton have been familiar to u.s. We know his virtues
and are not blind 10 bis faults We respect him as
man. We love him as our Bishop.
To relations go patIhal; to knowledge 70 intimate,
and to associations so sacred and rcsponssls, the
Church has wisely ntrustcd, in OF pree,xtlnent
of her respective dioceses, which they preside
Under these legitimate and sacred influences. the
diocese OF New jersey has examined the charges
brought against her Bishop, and found them TO be
untrue Our confidence in him is unabated and his
usefulness among us undiminished And appear
before this court, to day, to say to you and to the
Church, that tie diocess of New jersey has justly,
fairly and legally examined into this matter, and
that we find no fault in this man touching those
things whereof they accuse him.
And yet, again; if the question is asked why the
Convention of New jersey, With faith 30 6rm in
the purity OF the Bishop, seek to arrest the proceed
ings this presentment, We reply, tina. they have
the rights Of the docess to sustain, and the charac
ter of its clergy and laity to defend
Placed by the Church rs watchmen and guardians
Of the purity and peace Of the docess with al less.
equal power, and closer personal solicitude, their
duty in this case has never been neglected their
duty has been earnestly met, at the first moment
when conscience or law permitted them to act The
diocess Of New jersey has searched into these accu
sations
The diocess of New Jersey has pronounced ver-
dict Of acquttai and stands before you TO plead
that verdict in all its canoncal force and its moral
weight to present il the expression Of her deep
and heartfelt conviction that enough has been done
SO far as concerns the charges which have been
AHMED, to meet every claim Of Law, Ut Of truth
and that for you to proceed with trial, would be
unjust the Bishop, in furious to the Church large
and degrading TO herself
RIGHT REVEREND Fathers:
So much the undersigned submit, in the discharge
of their important duties touchsg those accusation;
which the presentment az originally made contained.
We are informed officially, that another paper,
which is called = rev presentnent Of our Bishop,
has been served upon him, and that the court haze
had another summons to assemble ut the same time
and place, and at given hour.
We will not speak Of our surprise. We viii not
raise the question, Why this new paper served
We viii not stop to ask when it was served. We
care not even TO insist, well we might, that tho
serving Of the new presentmant is practical aban-
donment OF the charges in the old We viii not
urge that the renewal Of these charges in the new
presentment, after the investigation they have had,
with only the change OF some expressions the onis
sioa OF some instance, or the addition of some case
fhevx NIn h. yof ktn,
and the appendiDg of some other charges which
must have been we'll known to the scousors when
the first rresensment was prepared, look: HE IA
Jersey has investigated and adudicated upon thom.
We will not dwell upon the fact thst tho renewal of
those charges, stcor the~inyestlgation which was
had, is direct impeachment OF the fairness With
which the investigation was conducted, or Of tho
right Of the diocess Of the accused TO institute ex
animation. We viii not ask, after the argument
which has been made, whether this change in the