Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-10-23
Bishop Hopkins to Rishop Potter.

Potter of Pennsylvania, occasioned by the ia
nous protest of the latter and many other
Episcopal clergymen of that State will ex-
cite considerable attention.
Upon the tone of the letter, and the OPT
MONS of its author on slavery, we do not
care to remark at this time. 4 good deal of
the letter is entirely irrelevant to the pro-
test, and to any question of the right or
wrong involved in the existence of -lavery in
this country or anywhere else y; and We pass
1t without notice.
But there are one or two points in the let
ter which strike us with ptcial surprise.
Whoever reads it and has not read tn,
- Bible view of Slavery to which it refers,
may suppose that there was nothing in t'e
latter which could be used as an aid or en-
couragcment of those who began and ar'
carrying on the rebellion. Now the date
the Bishops letter entitled Bible view
Slavery is Jan so, lS6l Ii WAS pub
lishod Of course after that date. TIE
South Carolina =. Ordinance Of Secession
was passed on the Doth of December previous
The authorities Of South Carolina seized Fon
Moultrie on the 2Sth Of the same month
In Georgia, forts Pulaski and jackson were
seized by order Of Gov. Brown, Jan. Sd
in Alabama, fort Morgan was seized 10y
state order Jan. 4th In Mississippi secess-
/ ion was passed and the United Statea fort,
and property seized Jan. Sth the Star OF ii,
West with L. ;. troops for iort Slmter wac
! fred ON by rebel batteries Jan. 9th; and be
! fore the month was out, Alabama, Florida g,
Georgia, and Louisiana had passed their Sc
/ cessi0n ordinances. These evcnts-acts OF
/ open rebclliOn-were known over all TIE land,
and of course to Bishop Hopkins. Wit
them fresh before him he expn ssly states IL
nis letter his opinion that the southern Siatcs
'.hare right 10 Secedc' and he argues at
length that there is nothing REASONABLE in
their So doing. The attempt to break the
force OF such facts ~ saying that the writei
did not know what sort Of government the
southern States might adopt, or what Con-
gress migut do about Secession, seems To L.
futile in the extreme.
The use of the letter in Pennsylvania, b.,
those who were doing the very work tier,
which the rebels wished done, shows clearly
enough how they understood the letter, anC
the purposes for which they solicited 1t, an,
we are sorry to say that the indications al,
that the Bishop, to say the least mayii hay'
known the character Of the service To whicl
his letter was to be put IN the late election
\ correspondent OF TIE Philadelphia Press
under date of Sept 10Th, 1903, thus men
tons some circumstances attending the re
, publication OF the letter
To the editor Of the Press:
SIR Some weeks since certain gentlemen q
your city, at the head Of whom was George VI
/ Wharton Esq, addressed a note 10 the B sho
OF the Dioc, Sc Of Vermont, 81 citing him 20 g,v
them his views Of The Scupturl aspect Of slave
ry,'' at the same tine asking perm ou 10 u *
them public, and assigning "A retsHt, ''It is e.
the deepest importance to the public wtlhr
, that a sound puolic op.n.on sioul ex.-t un Oh
topie" The Bishop, It seynis, sympt,h o.
with them IN this beue,ol, dcslr,, aud appIo,
ing Of their proposed c-iort to eul shteu the mas
SIS on a subject hch VAS likely 10 eXcr, COILS j
cradle influence IN an approaching a. -uou
promptly sent them pamphlet wh.cl be ha
+ written for similar purrose soiue TWO years De
fore.
Ii would seem from tins that tie lcttc
was furnished 70 the Philadelphia C,lp-I
heads, in response 20 a direct request; nn
= we are consequently obliged To withdraw oa
e expressed opinion that the recent Use Of ID
= letter was without the Bishops consent.
e the above are tie facts of tie ease, whaJrI,
can be credited to the Bishops patriotism o
D the score Of his ignorance of the use Co wuic
I his letter was to be put mus, he dldac,c
from bis reputation for penetration and con-
mon sense.