The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-10-27

correspondence of tie Ponce
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. l3. 1865
Inc Episcopal Convention has NV No., ;.
session ten days, and the most danoerou.
questions have been disposed Of In no DELHI.
latlVe Dody ever assembled in America ner-
maps was ever 80 much forbearance exercised
and so much sacrifice of private feeling for
the sake of Union
In the course of the war the d;oceseo ~ ~.
seeded States had organized a Southern Con.
vention, and fears were entertained that thew
might be disposed to perpetuate this Conven.
uon, -even though the Confederacv of the
South has collapsed. In the course Of the war
one Bishop had been consecrated-theR ishon
of Alabama. This act, though certainly roSJ
was not legal, as it had taken place without
the consent or knowledge of the Church
North. To legalize this act was most unuues.
tionably one of the important acts of this Con.
venti0n. Could 1t be had? The Bishop of
Alabama lWilmer) had not asked it; nor had
any one from the South asked it for him. Be-
side this, he had proved himself the most re.
fractory of all the Southern Bishops, in that.
after taking the oath of allegiance he had re.
fused TO use the prayer for the President of the
United States, and called on his clergy to pur-
sue the same course. And for this the Epis.
copal churches of Alabama had recently been
closed BY military authority.
The Bishop Of North Carolina came up with
his clerical and lay delegates, and al. took
from Texas also took their seats and the
Bishop OF Arkansas came in on the second
day OF the Convention, and took his piece in
the House Of Bishops. All the South
ern delegation testified that it was
the wish OF all southern Churchmen to return
to the General Convention, provided that they
could be cordially received. As their own
General Convention, however, was to meet at
Mobile In next month, most of them thought
they bad best not come to Philadelphia, but 20
to their own Convention and formally disband,
and declare themselves in the Church of the
United States; provided our action here
should not be such as to repel them.
On the second day the House of Bishops
lion Of Bishop WmeT Of 4ab tan eoo oS .Se
condition Of his taking the usual oath of con.
secration, required of all our bishops, and for
warding official evidence of his conservation,
for record, by the Registrar. At the same
time, they administered sharp but affection
ate reprimand for bis late obstinacy in refus.
ing to pray for the President In the house of
clerical and lay delegates the case was debated
for two or three days, in very kindly spirit,
and at length passed, unanimously.
Another matter had caused some uneasiness.
Very recently, Tennessee had elected the Rey.
DR.. Quintard for Bishop. He was good man,
but had been a chaplain in the rebel army
through the whole war, and report said that
he had borne c0lonels commission, for q time.
This, it was feared, might defeat his consecra.
ton. On coming together, however, it was
found that his c0lOnel's commission had been
thrust upon him without his asking, and had
been promptly resigned. On learning this,
both houses promptly signed his papers, and
he was consecrated on Wednesday last, with
out opposition.
Now we are pursuing our ordinary routine of
business, and all Southern Bishops and dele
gates declared that the Southern Convention,
which meets in Mobile next month, will
vote itself back into the Union-burn its
records and wind up its business 1t is even
predicted by Southern delegates that our gen.
erOus action toward Bishop Wilmer will bring
him. and many other bishops and clergy of
the South, among US before the close of this
session.
Thus, our church union is saved. Ipresume
nine-tenths of our convention have been most
ardent supporters of the war doubtless a
majority Of them are republicans but all have
felt that they had nothing to do in the ecclesi-
astical capacity with the rebellion. Hence we
are safe.
One or two rabid abolitionists have attempt
ed to introduce their views. and abOut the same
number of ''secession-sympathisers Z" but they
have, equally, been frowned down.