Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-10-18
The Episcopal Convention!
SPEECH OF MR. SEYMOUR

on Saturday.
A debate was had on q series of resou.
tons introduced the day before by Hon
Judge Hoffman, recommending the con.
venton to declare that the Southern
crurchmcn, in rejecting tho authority oil
the church and the government of the
country, should be declared not of their
body.
Hon. Horatio Seymour arose and spoke
upon this subject. lie desired he said,
to offer few observations relative to the
vote be had on the preceding day cast in
favor of the resolutions introduced by the
Rev. DR.. Brunot, Of Pennsylvania. lie
was close and constant reader of the
public journals, more SO, perhaps, than
any member of the august and honorable
body before him, and on the morning of
the day in question, he had read in one of
the public prints what would probably be
the purport of the resolution to be presen.
ted, Thus informed beforehand of their
scope and character, he had come to the
convention with his mind prepared, and
had voted in favor of the resolutions.
lie had dono so deliberately, because
he sincerely thought that fair, free, and
thorough discussion Of the great question
would clear the mental atmosphere of the
convention of any doubt that fingered
there; would set the great Episcopal body
Of the Union right before the country and
its brethren everywhere, and would, in the
restoration Of a perfect understanding and
the settlement Of the disputed points, con-
tribute to the future harmony and Joy of
all men members of that convention when
they should return to their homes. lie for
one, did not fear debate in its widest and
fullest sense.
Why should any number of diguifed
and, in the persons of its reverend clergy,
SO exalted convocaiion, hesitate to adopt
any course in consonance with its high and
holy mission? The discussion that was
proposed would, penchance, remove from
among them many subjects of dispute, nay,
even of diseord, with which the church
had directly nothing whatever to do, and
in this light, and with this aim, he could
net but believe that the introduction of the
question would be productive OF essen.
tial good, for it was his earnest hone. as
it was his sincere conviction, that the
influence Of the Episcopal Church, would
be most ready and effective instrument
IN bringing about the bealiny up of the
wounds and the restoration OF bless d
peace.
Such had been the mission ofthe Church
Of Christ i'll all ages and all lands where
its standard had been reared, and no ho,r
so dark had come, no tempest so fierce
had rolled over the world, when the sa-
cred emblems of our glorious faith and
he teachings Of the man of COP had not
been able to arrest and soothe. and finally
TO subdue the wrath of human passions.-
War had its uses, and, at times, the oath
to peace lay over the bloody furrows of
ot the battle teld, but where was a power
IN love that trancended all the achieve.
nents OF brute force. Such was not only
he doctrine of COPS word, but it was
he common testimony of the past.
1t war with this view, and penetrated
by this sentiment, that the speaker had
voted for special and common form of
prayer for this emergency-a form in
which all might fervertIy unite-one that
would express the innermost throbbinS
# their hearts, and at the same time con-
ey to the world true combrehension of
he position of the church. In SO doing it
1as essential that the invccations address,
6 to the Most High, and the Episcopal
ction taken by this important body
hould be conceived in a true spirit of love
'r their errng and missguided brethren,
nd that the record should be such as O
lthstand the scrutiny Of the future -
hen he contemplated the stalwart form
his reverned friend from New York-
r. Vinton, as he rose, every inch the
le type of soldier for the field as we'll
) soldier in the service of Christ-when :
wv him stand up before this house and :
ear him, in that pregnant, forcblo and +,
oquent language, which was so singularly
Is gilt heap denunciaton on the South, .
lrrled on by the fervent zeal that distn
lisbes him in all his undertakings, he
he speaker)could not refrain from ca>tin,
IS thoughts forward for relief to that ,
'riod, still three years inthe future when [
rs convention would again assemble
hen the whoo church, North and Sonth
ouId again be gathered around the com
Nltpr Offor !