New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-09-29
TnB RPssCOPsLIAns AND THE
sL.vB-TRADE.

sLsvB-TBAOB,
We print in another part Of this mornings paper
TIE sound, forcibe, and modest speech which
Mr. John Jay was at length enabled to make be-
rore he Episcopal Cor venti)n on Thursday even
,pg. Compel ed 10 tie morning by the enforce
eDt OF point Of order to forego the statement Of
resst ns whch impeDea him TO bring the subject OF,
The F0 eien Save Trade before TIE Convention, he
svBiled b,msrlt 10 the evening Of the ruling OF tbs
Cbsir to present those reasons at length. The &C
tim asked for b, him little more than declsra-
or on the tart of the Convention that the Church
regarded the Slave.Trsde as a crime. There was
certainly nothing unreasonable in such PROPOSE
ior q, it was urged on the ground that the Save
Trade hao baep illegally revived within the junsdic-
ton of the Convention, and that IT permanent rees
tsbsi ment was advocated under the plea of Ch'is-
tan beueyolence, and was claimed to be sanctioned
BY the doct ines of the Bishops aud Clergy OF the
Stutb; tbatibe Church from the time offs Cypran
oogpto tbe CHRISTIAN Council OF London 10 lO2 had
COZ depr ed the trade; that the last Council had
abolisht the traffic in England by brief man
ate; and that a reoffImatiOn OF that canon BY
TIE Church here would put the Church In her
trse position, would purity pubic opinion, aod
leave the slave trade ID its naked iDfamy, thing
TO be execIakd by every honest man. request
20 nodeIat ns this, respectfully and earnestly
made on behalf of the hundreds of Thousands OF
the poor victims Of this trade, vas received IN
nam er unworthy of any body Of Cnnshin men.
II stead of recognizing the gravity of the question,
auo listening compOseoJy to the arguments TO De
advanced, they reseuted thls attack upon the
slave ,rsde, as if the members had personal To-
teIest 10 keeping silence upon thesubject. The nost
absurd points of order ~ere put forth with learned
assumption, bot without the sligbte~t regard to
Psram entary Iues constitutional rgh's, or Par
hameutaIy courtesy. Reverend gentlemen sPrang
t their feet, and, with fierce gesticulation aud
e, cited spee,b, attempted to silence the gentle
man " bo had the floor. L. stlent attempts of egen
gray. haired men Uere u ade TO bully the Chair into
areserssl OF bis decision; End the speaker WH
agsi in and again interrupted when declared BY the
Bishop to be in order. Ard when tn 40 attempts
to get RID of tire subject failed they we're succeeded
by a stampede Of angry men from the Church,
sbuffl ng down the aisles of what they profess to
COZ sder holy place with ioten ionsl tumult--
Young ard olO, Clergy and Laity, uoiting to turn
what the ProyeI Book calls " the Council oil the
Church here sssembIediD God shame and presence"
toto di,ordtrly meetog, by conduct more behttIng
an excited political caucus than religious assem-
bIy. TIE grute presence Of the Bishop, eIercis-
ing mid but fir n and impartial authority, feel
ing eviteptly pro ound modification at the
disprsceIul behavior of bis flock, ADD urging them
By ls and v, ice to silence aud decency, ard the
eigpiy If the speaker himself were the only re-
det mir features Of this melancholy spectacle.
The Convention has adjourned, and if the do
cesar sl,ye-trade shall flourish under its protect
irg sileuce this year, rs it did last, the memfSrs
who, TO shield the trade from rebube voted down
every proposition to,cOndemn it, may see the re-
suit of thir abOs in the reports Of the daily jour
nals On the very day that the Episcopal Church
OF this diocese re- used TO utter condemnation OF
this unhallOwed trade, il is announced that two
York slayeIs have been seized, with 1900
slaves On board, in foreign waters.
We know IN what plea these gentlemen half
deceive themselves into the belief that it is not
their business 10 condemn the trade; but they
snnot ng delude them.elyes in the face OF facts
with 20 ground es, an excuse. To stop the trade,
to strengthen toe pOsied hands of the Federal eu'
ihOriiy, to purify public opinion, to make the
Cbucb, as it ougbt to be- the standard Of truth
and the shield of tbe oppressed, they had only 70
spesk the word. Then their console ces would
have been clear. They have permitted the OPpor-
unity TO escape them, But when those honorable
snd reverend men nwakeo, as they some time will,
from their deusion, Trey will realize the awful
responsibility they have assumed The tune may
come when they will remember with regret their
cOwsidly and criminal silence, and will shrink
from contemplating their work. The voice OF con-
sciebce may then sterLly declare to each of them,
IN tones to which they must listen, "Thou art the
9" man."