The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-11-12

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DxsGUgT WITH TEE LATE C0NVINTI0N]
new the DAsleyal Elensnt TT1.1RAsat
HOW OHIO AND PENNSYLVANIA RE-
GARD THE SITUATION.
The Western Episcopolion, published q
Gambler, Ohio. and Philadelphia Episcopal
Recorder, devote large amount OF space "a
their issues of last week to the course OF tne
last Episcopal General Convention, apd unite
IN l.mentins and denouncing the sycophanet
to the South which would not allow any large
influential Christian body to express JOY q
the termination of African bondage or the
restoration n union to Distracted nstionI
We quote from the article in the Westev1
Episcopalian, the title of which is:
THE BARGAIN STRUCK.
1 With peofound regret we report the action
Of both houses of the General Convention ID
persistently refusing to entertain In any shape
whatever, q proposition which should recogf
nize the abolition of slavery, and the re-esF
Establishment of the national authority, as subj
| jec.s of thankfulness in which the entire
Church should cordially unite. Nor is this
oil. The temperate and digni6ed protest of .
most respectable minority Of the lower House,
offered by DR.. Vintou at the close of the
eleventh days session, was refused record.
We regret it in the FIRST place, becanse--ex-
plain it as we may, cover it as We can, quail-
" it down to the last possible degree BY per.
sonal explanations subsequent, like that OF
DIR. Kerfoot and others-the action will 60
before the people of the United States as the
official action of the Episcopal Church. 1t
win furnish to all who seek to oppose and
misrepresent our Church valid ground tor
the worst they may desire to say: and there
will be little indeed to reply satisfactorily to
the damning accusation Of dsloyalty.
We regret it the more on this ground, be-
cause we do not believe that the issue was a
straight and simple one we do not believe
that it fairly represents the sentiment OF our
Church. Il was unfortunately SO complicated
by more than one seductive side issue that It
it is not to be taken as any just expression OF
} the loyalty or disloyalty Of the great body Of
!. Episcopalians, clerical and lay.
!, vousness Of several members with regard TO
their votes, and the various endeavors to slip
in, or force in, personal explanations; and
( this uueasiness seems to have increased with
time.
; We have not an instant doubt, for our own
5 part, that if the issue could have been pre-
e sented pure and simple-for or against slave
! | nv; for or against the restoration Of the au.
! thority of the United States, the result would
: fhave been as overwhelmingly in the afirma.
| tive as it could be in any religious. delibera-
tive assembly in the land. 1t viii be very
s difficult, however, to convince the American
I people of this. and they will assuredly render
7 | IN their verdict-and how far viii it be from
lust that the church, whose loyalty to free
dom and the Union had not energy enough to
override all side issues, however plausible and
seductive, is unworthy the confidence OF the
nation.
Il So far as we are able to judge at this early
time, and at such distance from the scene Of
action, two motives appear to have prevailed
| in the minds of men who would otherwise
have stood as a unit in favor of full loyal ex.
preston. The first of these motives is found
We are sorry to be forced to conclude, in m
= itching after the tempting lure of accessions
!. from without in the Southern States, and
among the disaffected elements at the North.
b | We blush to name the thing, and yet it seems
TO have leaked out in the form of divers little
! self congratulatory speeches which one STUN
? bles on in the course of the discussions, par
ticularly of the loyal resolutions. 1t was this
> same subtle motive which seems to have real
4 ~ been the root of that extremely nice del
c icacy which so shuddered at the thought oil
doing or saying anything which eould-no'
a give just cause of offence to the Southern
brethren; that all would have with one con
+ sent repudiated-but SO much as remotely
!. Craze the acutely susceptible surface of theiI
d chivalric sensibilities. No union, no acces-
3 sion--therefore let usby all means have union
and don't let us breathe thought which could
= l. L. 1nc rto Ori
I the feelings of our returned brethren. We
I believe, as indeed we have already said that
. this was all gratuitous. We will venture to
| say that the Southern brethren did not de-
d mand or expect any such refinement of deli
cate consideration. They would have thought
all the better of us for giving dignifed and
manly-however gentle-expression to our
solemn and fervent sentiments Of liberty and
lIoyalty.
Il An excessive and unworthy itching after
the credit of being "the last to separate, and
the first to reunite,' went along with this
subtle motive, to give overwhelming force te
r the determination to resist any and all at
ltempts at the expression ofa more pronounced
. loyalty. 1t would be all we'll enough to have
this honestly to say if it did not cost toe
= much; but to pay for the ability to say it thu
Tremendous price ola complete loss of mora
position and manly dignity in the eyes of {
!. clear sighted people, is to make ruinoul
bargain indeed. If we mistake not the ma
Ijority of the bishops and delegates, clerica
and lay, of the Epiecopal Church will 6nt
that they have ''sinned in haste to repent a
leisure"
Ten days have passed, and the Convention
I has adjourned; but SO far from in anywis,
retracing its mischievous course, it has reaf
firmed it, at least in the House of Bishops, il
a most offensive and satisfactory manner
After rejecting Pastoral Letter by the BAh
op of Vermont as too undisguisedly.in sympa
thy with the bygone 'Institution" to be toll
Grated, large majority of the Upper Hous'
turned about and cast overheard another pre-
} pared by Bishop McIlvane, because the,
would not allow to go forth as their utteranc'
any sort of expression which could be con
stxued as a protest against that Institution
= and distinctly patriotic Endorsement of tn,
fixed purpose and policy ofthe nation as car
q ried into operation by its chosen rulers
Between the two stools, therefore, the pas
tora1 letter has fallen to the ground. and on
House of Bishops stands before the tribunal o
public opinion in the unenviable attitude of q
body, which, for fear of saying something tina
might prove distastefnl tothe consistent AMI
persistent enemies of our country, has obsti
nately determined to withhold its ordinar
expression, and to remain equivocally-per
y haps the nation will rather interpret it as un