The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-11-17
Tho late Episcopal Convention,


3 The Boston Adoertiser has contained sever.
q articles of late on the recent Episcopal Con-
vention in Philadelphia. Our attention has
peen particularly called to one in Saturdays
issue which, as it takes view somewhat dit
ferent from any we have met with, ana iooks
at the subject from the same general stand
point that we have occupied on the slavery
question. we transfer to our columns. 1t is
from the pen of Richard II. Dana, Jr. We
conv If not because we think the action of the
Convention the wisest that might have been
adopted, but in spirit of fairness, that both
sides may be properly understood. Mr.. Dana
says:
Permit me to suggest that, even yet, the
point has not been reached by your con-
tributors. The action of the convention can.
not be justly criticised without a knowledge o.
the function and uniform policy of this great
legislative council of the Episcopal Church.
The resolution introduced by Mr.. Birney
son Of the distinguished jurist of Philadelphia
not only expressed thankfulness for the remov.
al of slavery, but declared it to have been the
cause of the war. The question was NOT
whether the resolution was true, but whether
it was expedient to consider and pass upon it
The circumstances attending its introduction
were these. The question of the status of the
Southern dioceses had been settled, after long
discussion, by a course of action which had
the unanimous vote of the convention,-not
only OF every diocese, but of every deputy
The new Bishop of Tennessee was accepted
and the deputies from North Carolina, Tennes-
see and Texas had taken their seats. The
House of Bishops, sent down, for concurrence
a resolution for public service of thanksgiy-
ing FOR the return of peace to the country and
unity to the church, The design was to linn
it the declaration, Of the purpose OF the serv-
ice to the return Of reace to the country
and unity to the church, going into no par
ticulars.i Mr. Binney's amendment not only
added the abolition of slavery, but the decla-
ration that slavery was the cause of the war
Was it expedient so to alter the resolu.
ton of the bishops, and the character of the
proposed service, and to force, by majority
vote, such an expression of opinion on a po-
litical historical fact, from the convention ~
No instance / think will be found of any
convention passing mere resolution upon
any subject, religious, moral, social, political
or theological, unless where there may have
been absolute unanimity and no objection
made. Whether this line of policy be right OF
wrong, would be difficult for any one to de
eide who has not studied the functions of the
convention, its constitution and history.
The Convention Of 1859 met at Richmond
IN the midst of the John Brown excitement
No attempt was made to obtain resolution
in favor of law and order, or deprecating in
surrection. No resolution has ever been past
giving the faintest color to negative of anti
slavery opinions. No anti-slavery man has at
tempted to obtain one in their favor. If the
resolution of the bishops had, in the faintest
manner, negatiued the doctrine of Mr.. Binney's
resolve the question would have been different.
1t did not. 1t leftopen and untouched the ma
ture and causes of the war and of the separa-
ton in the church, and the causes and conse-
quences of peace and union. The question
really was this Shall the convention leave
the thanksgiving service general and open, as
proposed by the. bishops; or shall it require a
specific declaration of thanks for abolition of
slavery, coupled with the declaration that it
was the cause of the war? This was to be
decided by deputies, having an official and not
a personal duty to discharge. in view of the
body of which they were members, in the
past and future. 83sb a43G
have no doubt your correspondent "Epis-
copalian" thinks it was "a dodging" of the
great question, and dereliction Of public du-
ty. At first, it struck me painfully in the
same way. But, on reflection, although re-
greet the occasion for it, cannot say that
think the decision wrong At least, loyal and
anti-slaveay men must admit that it paesents
fair question. J. ETH fteef4