The Portland daily press., 1865-10-21
MI. EDisOopal Convention.

The recent action OF The Episcopal General
Convention in tablig the resolutions intro
luced into that body by Mr.. Binney, can hard
iy fail to awaken sentiment the most pain
full surprise. The telegraph has reported
these proceedings in outline, but it has gwen
little idea Of the scene Of bitter discord ana eA-
element which ensued when Mr.. Horace Dill
ney offered. among Others, the following reso-
.utions.
re- *oyyed Tsat rejoicing we cordially do, at the
t ad'' ~ an entire and unbroken union
n ~ s-tions of our church, We deem 1t our
iuty fo render our deyont tnahAsRylng 70 tne lvne
oea Of e church. for the removal OF that great occa
- nationaI dlssension and estrangement referred
-o ~ osr Canadian fellOw-churchmen, to which
81 with them, that our late troubles were due.
p,.a,,ed That in the judgement of this house it
81 duty ola body ofchristan men, which has offer
ID its deyout and earnest prayers to Almighty God
Or great national blessing, to render its thanksgiv
= r him when that blessing has been graciOusly
granted
uons adopted at its session in October, 1862 pledg
ID to the national government its devout and earnest
rayers that "that its efforts might be guided by wis
dom and replenished with strength that they might
e crowned with speedy and complete success which
orts were for the reestablishment of the national
authority over our whole country, and have now
'een crowned with success, it becomes our duty to
ender our Thanksgiving to Him to whom that success
) due.
Instantly the whole assembly was in an up
'oar. half dozen delegates jumped up to
lenounce the resolutions, Rev. DIR. Vinton
seconded them; Judge Chambers of Maryland
moved to lay them on the table, which motion
was announced by the president as carried
The yeas and nays were called for, which
created new commotion, in the midst of
which Mr.. Binney said great deal had been
said already, but that there are truths to which
no utterance has yet been given. Mr. Binney
was loudly called to order Rev. DIR. Goodwin
asked if the question had been taken. If it
had he called for its reconsideration. Rev. DR..
Burgess hoped there would be no reconsidera-
lion. Judge Battle of North Carolina moved
to lay the motion to reconsider on the table
Hon. Mr. Ruggles called for second reading
Of the resolution. The resolution was again
read. DR.. Cummins rose to a question OF
principle, but was noisily called to order. A
motion made by Judge Battle of North Caro-
lima was carried by which it was intended to
prevent further discussion fthe question, new
ertheless the matter was again taken up on the
following day, and after much excited discus
sion the resolutions were defnitively tabled
This result however was not secured without
much opposition and formal protest offered
by the eminent Bishop Vinton, and signed by
a number of prominent members of the con-
vention, who therein declared their dissent
from the House and their belief that @The
thanksgiving for the supremacy of the United
States Government over all the nation is in
accordance with the moral sense and patriotic
sentiments Of the mass of our clergy and laity,
and the action of the majority of the House
in the premises is an offence against the con-
science of the Church" and that aThe action
Of this House, as aforesaid, gives false aspect
to the reputation of the Episcopal Church
touching its loyalty to the Government of the
United States" Further, because
That the House ofBishops. with This House
on the day of humiliation and PRAYER in 1892
invoked Almighty God, shat all opposition
% the taaCfI Government of the land utterEv
shqu cease" 1t is right and proper that we
should return thanks to God for his gracious
answer to our prayers. s4s
Because whereas, we prayed God that
Our brethren tvlO haze sought the disnember-
nent Of our national Union, at,sder icltich this
people, By HIS providence, haze been so signalLy
orOspered aud blessed, might be convinced of
heir error and restored to a better mind"
SO now, it is q duty to God and to our
brethren, who are restored to us in unity of
,pirit and the bond of peace, to lift up our
hearts and voices in Thanksgiving for the ines
Unable blessings for which we PRAYED.
Because,-It is false delicacy that with
lolds the expression of our sincere and hearty
in contemplating AN issue to the
war, which is the harbinger of career of
boundless prosperity to the South, under the
condition OF universal freedom.
That national assembly, representing one
ofthe most powerful, intelligent and cultivated
bodies of Christians in the land, should declare
by its action that it has too much Of the fear
Of men before its eyes to dare to give thanks
to God, is a revelation of cowardice and Of lin
gering subserviency to old false traditions of
compromise which no one, we think, was pre-
pared to expect. That such body of men,
"called together says the Philadelphia Press,
"for the hottest purposes, and after great war
against the most unholy of rebellions, is thus
made to sit with closed lips, silent and deaf,
when even the lately EARNED and now utterly
defeated rebels are penetrated with an over
sense of their offences, and penitent-
y admit that the hand of God is visible in the
triumph of freedom and the destruction of
slavery, is not only sad-it is a shameless
me same paper very pertinently asks -
Did the delegates to this convention serious
y expect to avoid the religious and moral duty
growing out of the closing of the war? If
hey did, they should have stayed at home
Better thousand times they had never come.
Or that this convention had never been held.
han thai. they or any Christian ministers or
aymen, should hesitate to thank God Tor His
inefable mercy and aid in our late troubles.
and especially for the removal of the cause of.
these troubles.''
1t Is q matter reorganization, not only to
the great mass Of the loyal people of the Epis-
copal Church thus misrepresented in their
but to the country at large, that
there were found in that body a few men
brave and true enough to disown and de-
nounce this unworthy action of the majority,
men who will not paiter or cringe for. power,
but who hold their obligations to God and
their country as of more binding force than
any false tenderness for rebels, or shameful
trucking to the prejudices of those who still
leclare the divinity of Slavery, and see no
quit in rebellion. e5nmu
qsrr lIl1l -NJ}
ri Evidently Gazing In.
A leader in the AdUeriiser yesterday, on
Negro Suffrage" closes as follows:
The Democratic Party arenot justly charge
'ble with being opposed to negro suffrage in
N unlimited sense. They are opposed to it,
Inly conditionalll, and they are opposed to