The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-02-18
For the National Era.
AN " ESTABLISHED CHURCH" IN THE NAVY

1t may surprise the readers of the Era to
be told that in the navy of the United States
no minister is recognised and respected unless
"episcopally ordained;" and that the Rev. Mr..
Stockbridge, Baptist, was made to suffer the
painful tyranny and oppression which naval
commanders can exercise on board ship, while
serving as chaplain in the Savannah, ship of
war, during long cruise in the Pacific, only
because he would not, at the command of the
captain, use the Book Of Common Prayer in
the performance of public worship. This wor-
thy gentleman Ia man of earnest pety) was in
every way degraded and denied the courtesies
of life, on the ground that I" he Das not episco.
pduy ordained" A full statement of the case
has appeared in the columns of that highly re-
spectacle organ of the Baptists, The Examiner,
published in the city of New York. The chap.
lain laid his complaint before Secretary Dobbin,
who answered in these words al do not
consider the case worthy the dignity of court
martial" And one of the instances of this
contempt and cruelty stated by the Rev. Mr..
Stockbridge was, tumbler thrown at him
across the table, by ward.room officer. Now,
then, let US be told that no chaplain in the
navy is to be treated with courtesy, nor permit
ted to discharge his duties but in the way pre-.
scribed by the commanders of ships, and when
thus assaulted by violence, that he has no claim
for defence from the Navy Department, and we
doubt not other denominations, whose money
pays for the support of the navy, and gives all
the dignity which these upstart tyrants pos
sess, will make themselves both acknowledged
and respected, even on the decks of ships of
war sailing at the antipodes.
We confess our surprise, that as yet no SEN
ator or Representative in Congress has moved
for the papers ia the case of Mr.. Chaplain
Stopkhridno pco1o nnh1,o
respectable an organ of the Baptists as the
Examiner. We should like to have Mr.. Sec
rotary Touceys report, and let US know if
tumblers are to be thrown at the heads of DIS
senting chaplains while at table, with impunity,
because they are not "episcopally ordained"
We shall be glad to supply any member of
Congress with copy of the Examiner of the
l4th instant. FAIR PLAY.
The late Rev. Charles Avery, of Pittsburgh,
left an estate valued at 100000. He be-
queathed $4,000 of stock in the Monongahels
Navigation Company, which pays good dvi-
dends, as fund for the support of superannu-
ated clergymen of the Methodist Protestant
Church; $4,000 to the Oberlin Institute in
Ohio; $4,000 to school for colored children,
which he founded in Allegheny city, Pennsyl-
vania; $4,000 to the Insane Asylum in West
ern Pennsylvania; and $4,000 each to the
Methodist Protestant churches in Allegheny
city and Birmingham, and the second Metho.
dist Protestant church in Pittsburgh, Pennsyl.
vania.
The remainder Of bis property, after all ex-
penses and encumbrances are paid, is to be d.
vided into two parts-one of said parts to be q
perpetual fund for disseminating the light of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings of
civilization among the benighted black and
coiored races of people inhabiting the continent
of Africa. And to this end, direct my execu-
tors to pay over such funds to such person or
persons, or body corporate, as by the laws of
the State of New York may be legally compe-
tent to take and hold the same for the Ameri-
can Missionary Association, located in the city
OF New York, to be thereafter invested, man.
aged, and applied, under the direction of the
executive committee of that Association, for
the uses and purposes aforesaid, and for no
other, but leaving to the discretion of the ssid
American Missionary Association the time and
manner of its application, as well of the princl
pal as of the interest and increase thereof"
The remaining half of this sum is to be con-
stituted perpetual fund for promoting the ed.
ucstion and elevation of the colored people OF
the United States of America and the British
Provinces of Canada, to be appropriated and
applied by his executors.
Charles Kingsley's new volume of poetry, an
nounced last year, is now in press, and will
shortly be published in London. Its title is TO
be "Andromsda, and other Poems"