, 1864-10-15
A POLL IGAL bf.dOP HIND
SOMELY EXPOSED. -
Bishop Whitehouse'a Letterto Grase
Church, GaleBburg.
a atinglng Reply from Judge
lawrence

| Chufoh, GateBburg.
a atinglng Reply from Judge
! lawrence.
We cheerfu11y give place to the folio wing
letter from Judge c, B. Lawrence, Of Gales
burg. Our readers Will agree With US that 1t
sufficiently explains itself:
GA1HsBuns, Ill.,, Oct. II, 1864.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
I bsg leave to na1rate In your columns come
ey. nts which have recently occurred in cpn-
nection with the Episcopal Church Of tnIs
| city. They Will possesa special interest to nt1
| tho members OF that denomination resident
iu this State, and hardly less to the loyal
por ion Of every class Of tho commuaity. As
| Whit have to say directly affects a gentla
man Of Chicago, occupying high positioa
| In society and In the church, I authorize you
to publish this communication oyeE my own
t 1ane.
In February last, the Episcopal Society of
Ga1esburg invited tho Rev. John ". Cracrsft,
formerly OF Peoria to become their rector.
he accepted. He is a gentleman of large
abilities, cultivated by very thorough schol-
arehip, and admirably ad4pted to exercise. Ia
anerce which belongs. In theory, to the
Christian clergy. Under his pastorship the
church Of this parish has attained great
| prosperity.
Several months since, he commenced the
delivery Of series OF sermons. upon Sunday
evenings, addressed to young mea. Instead
Of expatiating upon what were the duties Of
this class in the days OF the Hebrew
prophets, he addressed himself to the
Vilal questions Of the hour. a tlnId man
might have avoided the rebellion. nat
he did Lot chose to do so. He denounced it
as a.eln and crime, and hence dcduced the
obligation of the government to suppress 1t,
and the duty Of the citizens to sustain the
| government In this understanding aespoks
1nSidxntay q slate5y ss the origin Of the
| gross violation OF the laws of n Atute and rev.
elattun. t'His offensa hath this extent, no
more" he never, SO far as eau learn, used
| The words "Repnbl1can or II Democrat"
OF reters' d to tbs political organizations rep
| pew-holders taking oEense at the assaults
| upon the rebellion, ceased their attendance
upon the church. Their places were filled,
| many times over, By new accessions, and the
eocte'y rapidly sprang into degree Of pop
ularity and influence that 1t had never pos
seseea before. One Of the sermons WIS 50
striking In its intellectual power that he WAS
asEed to repeat It in the pulpit OF the 1st
Congregational Church, the largest re-
l'gious edilce Of the town. He did - at
en- hour schen serr1te soas uot held IN
fs$ t054 EHAFCtt 4uEIGly NE1lFETlDE LD1
iermon In question, while Dr. Beecher
conducted the other services. Ispeak Of
this for reasons which will be apparaat when
we cone to the indictment preferred against
hin by Bishop Whitehouse.
Thus stood matters when, on the a1st Of
September, MI. Sydney Myers, banker Of
Jour city, formerly q resident Of Ga1esburg,
addressed note to Mr. Cracratt chai-
leng,ng him to public debate on 9
"plattorm sufficiently spacious, not
higher than a mans head, erected
but sky aud God overhead" Tnls, I pre-.
sume, ls In the most approved style Of cheap
literature Of the me1o-dramatic sort. Tbis
deadly cartel IVES sent to Mr. Cracraft by
special envoy. He declined the challenge
written response. Thercupon MI. Myers
Wa1ed wroth, and fncontinent]y rushed into
PRINT. In the Chicago Tunes Of the 18th Of
September, under the caption, "a political
| PRISON handsomely exposed" he publishes
bis challenge, the verbal reply As reported to
him By his messenger, and long reJolnder
over bis proper signature, conceived, If ros-
eible, In worse taste than his tirst letter. lie
claims that he gave the Church it, Bible,
prayer book and eacsamental plate, and that
IN fact he "owns'' the church, from which,
I suppose, he innoccntly inferred that he also
anlable an honorable gentleman. am hap
| py. to count him among my friends, but
spirit Of Intense parttsaoshtp acting upon a
morbid vanity betrayed him into species Of
letter r1ttiDg that ia by no meaus 10 be re.
commended as model On the publication
of these letters, tbs vestsy tof ths church at
once packed up bible. prayer-book aud plate,
charges paId.
And now, having brought the story to this
point, enter the Right Reverend Bishop
Whitehouse.
On the 1st Of October the Bishop addresses
to the Wa1dens and Vestrymen Of Grace
Church letter, which now lies before me-
That may do that gentleman no injustice,
transcribe the letter in full:
| "CnrcAao, October +, 1851.
ITO the Wardens and Vestrymen Of Grace Church.
~"GEST1EHKH:-1 understand that the Rev. Joha
": Gracrait. Pfesbyter OF the Diocese Of ONO,
n ees cRRa,e ~ cali
y beg respectfully to inform you, that Mt. era.
s11it t. not ciefeynan undes my jufisd,ciou. and
your Parieh. Your proceedings In the matter h.ve
81. of the 1Ree. md csnou I, Of tbs 5ss pioeese
On. o1 the General Convection and tbe D,ocsse, 81
ne; ue has presented no letters dim,seary, though
hs has been resident neaFy year, and has assumed
u up also ezed1b1y informed that Nj. cracra,,
bas Violated the 1nlcs and order OF tho church. br
MI lstsf1n9 a0Q preaching In the First Conkfcga-
| Eona Church Of the city. In conjunction with tne
Fattor Of the 1ame, and without using the Liturl.
| cal tcrYlco or vestment.
| II hare A;so received formal complaint that afr.
CEacran has at different times introduced DO ittcai
subjects into the pulpit Oh tho L5rd's Day which
| In naDne1 and matter wera unbecounlne and pdet-
eiFe 10 respectable portion OF the congregation.
Who hare been obliged, fru1n the reiterated erley
I ance, to aheent themselves from public Horeh1p
III consequence Of these alleged uGsnses / have
Officially addressed the Right Reverend, tba sckiu9
| Bishop Of Ohio, and requested htn to remand Nj
Cr1crAn to HIS furfd1ct1on for eccle6fa sticsl In
| qutry, according to Tit. II, Canon 8, Digest,
| ..Unoer these circumstancea, 1 trust that you
| Will appreciate the propriety that Mr. Cfacraft
| ehoQ cesee to o1lctate in Gruee Church.
III Mr. Cracraft shall continue to ofaciate or do
70 within my diocese, shall feel 1t my daty to ad-
moorish him and forbid him to of1c1ate In This din.
eete ruul am satisfied Of his innocence or be h1a
been acquitted on trial, according to IT, H. Canon
TT will afford me pleasure to furnish you, pa.i7h
with temporary services during its vacancy accori-
1rE TO Canon XVI OF the Diocese Of illinois, or Ia
| ally way o counsel or aeB15t you.
| II remain, gentlemen, with respect and christian
| love, 5our friend and servant,
| HENRY ]. WmrHHouBE,
| Bishop Of Illinois,"
It cannot be denied that this letter Is a re-
markable document. As an attendant and
pew-holcer in the church whose doors have
thus been snmmariIy closed, ] wish to sub.
NIT to the Episcopalians OF this diocese
word or fWO of c0mmhnt 7Ttthout hoWavo-