, 1864-11-02

Ing Of DR. Cracraft e,nbodled precisely the
asme sentiments contained in tue extract soa
gire from Jour own eermon-nothiog more
anil potbipg iess-and delivered, TOO, with
ill tie deco1um Of scholar spsakln from
Christian pulpit? VIII Ton not be snr prised
when ask n1e you further, that tho sermon
to which most objection was taken by the
two or three dissenting members, was ser
NOE that ha been F b,ss preached BY him n 1s6s
snl Assistant Bishop, Bedeu, and approved
b, them: And for tnis --for doing only what
YOU proclaim you have yourself done. and
rlaIm credit fur doing-you have rcwanded
him to OHIO under charge that he has dis
grseed his office, which charge, BY the terms
Uf the canon, Jou have endorsed By the ye1J
act Of remandfrg- Alas! for iustice..
/ have now gone over this case, Admit
ting, as sou do by implication In your article.
tbat you may hive done Dr.. Cracrafs aud hla
church grleVous wrong, JON sought refuge:
not in esprit but in the letter OF the canon
utterly TAILS yon+ ! think have shown that
you have acted IN defiance Of both Its letter
aud its spirit. Your course IN this mattar
has seemed SO nstcuuding, SO absolutely III.
mprfheuslb1e, Oh any ordinary hypothesis
ct human action, that, tn my former letter,
the oily solution that occurred to me was,
eupposed, with tie rebellion. This 1mputa,
.non yon consider most injurious, ,and lshould
noW explicitly Withdraw it, If yon had not
lnd1lssd In tome absurd expressions. that
might be construed to indicate threat of
Prosecution Tor libel But abandoning that
hypothesis, am utterly ut a loss to explain
Jour conunet, and can only ssy that you
seem TO have actsd from the frat under some
etrapge hafucination. The thread through
this labyrinth Is not in my hauds.
Iou QUESTION my right to speak in this
matter, unless have what you term "real.
vested: d:fnterest" in the Church, and seem to
defide tny claim to be heard, merely as a
Pew holder. The Church ia puolic instltu-
ZION OF which sou are the official head, aud
ny right to speak is the simple birthright of
al Americans, to discuss any question Of
paottc chafacter, Involving grave principles
to desire 10 infinite, communicant either
OF Jour o"n or any. other church, though
trust, In Erofoupd humility, am not al IT.
religious man. But one, nearer mud dearer
to me than any other, WAS born and bred In
lta'communion, in the country whence 1t
came; my children have been b1ptfzad bY Its
clergy, and WIS m humble attendant on It's
mln1strstfens under pastor whom Sincere
" honortd. And when I saw him. and 4
Rzeat principle with him, stricken down, and
the church OF which be WAS the pastor likely
to BE- otst1o, ed, TOOK the liberty OF speak
ipg: L ID liberty shall always exercise
In the last paragraph Of your first column,
yonbeem to be 1spottDg under some strange
fantasy that am about to descend from the
bench and head mob for the purpose of de-
st1o}lng the CHURCH oy violence, II 1t were
not tor the tragic solemnity with which you
announce that "the Judge Of the Supreme
BENCH ecruples not to invoke the mob" aud
and In the next sentence, that my" Iangnage
Is an excitement to popular violence against
the church." Ii it were not, say, for your
tragic tones. it would b. impossible to sup.
pose you serious. I do assure yon, Sir, in
the mcst perfect gravity, that I an neither
Jack Cade nor Lord George Gordon, End that
1t il my solemn opinion that the American
Episcopal Church is not In danger OF destruc-
tlon at the hands Of mob led By m N who
loves quiet, and wlehes to "stlnd upon the
ancient ways." I beg you to banlsh this
possess your soul in peace. -" =
But will tell Jou what may endanger your
church. 1t ls tie exercise Of Its p0 Rer5 by
those high IN Its Offices In manner hasty,
iadectrous and unjust; and with the view
OF preventing freedom Of speech smong Its
c1ergT. 1t Is the repetition Of such affairs as
! this we are discussing; aud that some Of
your own ablest preabYters unite in this
opinion, hare recent md excellent reasons
to know. No Intelligent man can deny that
| the Episcopal Church Is not In harmony with
| the broad democracy Of our people and instt-
LuLloue. II ItsI5 upon LtAu1tluub WHICH COuE
! from another land; 1t Is modelled upon the
| spiritual hierarchy Of 3 people ~ith whom
| We, as a nation, hare bnt little sympathy
| ana the very settlement OF our country was
! the result OF struggle against Its d0m1na-
t1on- How then, Notwithstanding the mar.
vellcns and msjestlc beauty Of It's liturgy,
| can 1t become a. favorile church with the
body Of our people? Yet 1t will probably
thrive In the future to as large an extent as
1t has thnvsn tu the past, uoless Its govern
ment falls into the hands OF men who are de-
termIned to bring 1t into still stronger antag.
onlsm with the prevailing spirit OF our peo-
pie. Il this takes place II will mos. aasu-
/ have sid substantially all deem It ne
ceseary to say The question Is now before
the public. There am content to leave 1t.
Whether you rejoiu OF not, do not propose
to be luther drnTn into Tits CONTROVERSY.
In my opinion Jon perpetrlteda great wrong
| upon an innocent man who was my personal
friend and pastor. For that astaigned you
before the church and the public, After two
Weeks' celebration, Jou replied in letter in
| which you Imputed to me the mosk unworthy
motives, sought to prejudice the Democratic
| party against my Judicial purity, and Tor
Justification OF your course towards Dr.. era.
| cratt, planted you self upon the dry letter
| OF the canons. I have examined your COM
| mu .ica1ion and found itso vulnerable in many
Of it's positions. that marvel TINT man OF
3uUE ElEht ltAltAta 6uUulu uAF6 pEllQlLEEu IL
| to go into print. I have examined your
! canone, and ind that, 50 far from sustaining,
| they are absolutely fatal to your position,
| and that you can never have applied to them
| those established principles OF Interpretation
| by whose guidance 1t is the habit Of enlfght-
| ened lawyers to explore the law. In expos
| Ing the ineo1slstencles Of your defense, /
| have sought to treat yon with studied cour-
tesy, but have necessarily spoken with eome
! severity.
In conclusion, therefore, rbeg leave to say
| that notwithstanding consider you, as i
| pre1ate, arbitrary and yefbearing, believe
| you to be gentleman OF the highest mental
and moral endoWments, adorned With the
| graces OF finished scholarship. While In
viewing man SO rarely gifted: I deplore the
existence Of even one grave defect, I am at
| the game time reminded by the teachings OF
history that an imperiouste temper il the com
mon otspring Of spiritual poWer welded By
men Of great capacity, and remembering that
In onr bsst ettate 1t ia but human to err, !
| take my leave Of Iou respectfully, and more
| in sorrow than In anger.
am, With high confederation,
! Your obedlent servant,
| q. r. LAWRENCE