, 1874-02-15
Rsview Of the Episcopal Convention
at Milwaukee,
sketches Of Prominent Members Of
the Body.
Incidents Of Clerical and Law
Eloquence.
The Criminations and Recrimi-
1fations Indulged m.

Ii hIA4ca14n6 AA4O q40NGEU4GE6 OI Tue lAEE
Epecia1 Council of the Protestant Episcopa
Church Of the Diocese of Wisconsin, held at Mil
xsukeo On the 10Th and 18th insts., the m
pzejudiced observer could not help thinking that
generally considered, the causo Of Christ couIc
lsrl1y be advanced By B religious convention
especially where there WAS an inharmonious
pingling-if the paradox may be a1owed-of the
lsy aud clerical elements. The Roman Catholic
Church, however despotic as regards canon and
other laws, appears to have caught the right idea
60 far rs dignity ia concerned, in keeping he1
dsscpeions secret from tho outside world.
In that respect Roma may be Nkened to a vast
Masonic organization, whero there may be dis
seuaon, aud even acrmony, but no scandal
THE CONTEST.
To every honest Protestant Episcopal Of Wis
consin and OF the United States, the proceedings
1t Milwaukee cannot fail to bring certain pain
ful sensation. The clcrgymen WHO attended
there wero. many OF them, theologians of the
highest standing, profound and scholarly The
lay delegates were from among the wealthiest
and most houored residents Of the State. The
fight in tho election Of o Bishop, to
succeed Bishop Ar1uitage, deceased, was
not struggle between High Church and
Low Church. but between the former aud
R;tualisn. Consequently, tho dividing line was
not, to ordinsry observation, 30 we'll defined as
it itmight aayo been. Iet, strange to say, tho
High-Ch hurch1nan fought the alleged Ritualistic
candidate with an almost Calyinistic bitterness,
vllilc tho supporters OF D., De kovcn, on their
part, retaIiated On their opponents with moro
than Roman Catholic enthusiasm aud perBever-
ence. Between the two clerical factions stood
THE LAYNES,
fraA for fhe most mart Will, defnsfation ~ +la
party that came nearest to the primi-
tire faith, aud resolved that, whoever
else might don the purple in Wisconsin,
the eloquent aud learned gentleman
who believed in candles, confessonals, and Gu
cnatist in modified form, should not bare that
bocoE.
ELEcTIoSEEEISa.
For months before tho convocatlon of the Spo-
cal Council the probabilities OF contest for tho
Episcopate had been discourscl, and the battle
vas entered upon with ardor that would do
credit, il credit could 60 be gained to party
caucus in Caicago, Or in New York. The flame
Of dssension was fercely famed By open asser-
tion and by pamphlets, acknowledged o. anony~
nous, Us their hackers deemed most prudent.
Therefore it is hardly to be wondered at that the
meeting Of the Special Council was characterized
By scenes that would have been disgraceful in
any public assembly, and that were doubly igno-
nintous when exhibited in the proceedings Of a
body of men who may be regarded, socially, in
"a NAAe
fine State of Wisconsin. The regular report OF
tie sessions of tho Council, tclegraphed from
Milwaukee to Tue TRIBUNE. gave the readers
Of this journal some idea OF how fierce Was the
language and how ungraceful the bearing OF the
mora prominent actors III the business. It may
not prove un;nte,estlng to give to the public
pen-and-ink portraits of tho more promiu eut
characters IN TINT now famous assenblage.
DE-. DE EovES.
First in order, ns frrt in attainmcnts,
rEutlem1uly bearing, and magnetic elQ-
euonee, combined with an Overwhelming
Logic, comeB the Few. James Dekoyen, D.
u, and Director Of tho Racine College. This
eminent cleric is still in the igor OF manhood,
he appears to be no moro than 40,-although
his acquantanccs assert that he is nearer to
the confines of half contury. he is, evidently,
ot Teutonic dcscent,-perhaps some Of the
Eackesbocker blood may course through his
veins. In pe1eon, he is over the medium height,
sl'lArcly built, rather inclined to flesh.
but graceful witbal- He wears short all
round beard, which Ii, like his hair, Of
8 very light brown color and rigidly straight.
Ills eyes, like those Of most distinguished men,
are gray, approaching blue. He has straight, !
handsome nose, wcl-formed mouth, md very |
1ne teeth. The face, taken as whole, indicates !
strong intellectually and latent power. He |
1oos like man capable OF tremendous work, !
enu his general physical appearance, when the I
HAL III not excited, ia suggestive Of = lion Mt |
rest
Tie voico Of Dr.. De Kovcn is very peculiar !
the most singular thing that pertains to him.
Its ordinary tones arc almost feminine in |
their Eoftness, and, at the outset, are
calculated to disappoint the auditors who look
Tor IN orator with "a throat of brass and adaman-
tie lunga." DR.. De Koven's eloquence il not !
r;ent oriGn. It has no brazen ring in it's voice.
From the low end sweet modulations Of shapes I
conceived to bo the female pitch OF vocal sound,
it gradually riBes to tho grandeur OF silvery mel
cdy. Dr.. De koren, when he made that thrill
ins speech to the Council, explanatory Of his
,1FFT
da:, literally astonished and even appalled, his
Ee1re:s. So grand ali outburst OF ecclesiastical
oratoEy WAS never henrd in milwaukee, before,
and il is to be doubted whether Dr.. De Eoven
s all soaa s5 as future e days Hs sis se e}os }os
speech Of Sheridan il the impeachment
OF W:rren Hastings, which the English Senate
lasnented, as old Rome might have incurred for
the lcss Of Cicero's oratlons, that splendid pro-
daction Of De koven's brain and tongue could
hardly have been done justice to by the most
accomplished of stcnographers. The petoration
swcicsl Beyond the bounds Of theology, left Or
G'nary rhetoric at an infinite distance, and ap-
pealea to principle OF religious toleration that
The enlightened intellectual progress Of this
ba2ste,l century might find it difficult to enter
tau. In any case, the effect YVES magical Men
turned pale, women wept, and the bittcrest
hoEen. if tho comparison may without
profanity DO allowed, as ;Ee jealous jews might
have y4zed npon the Savior when ho preached
no se.mon OH the Mount.
The conclusion Of the effort waa marked for =
full Minute, by an awed silence, md then, for
gstt'n;; dome aud sanctuary, high priest and tenn
}le, tho audience, friends aud foes, Joined in q
csslh yf applause TINT might be heard at the
Gates IT Paradise.
De. EEMpEn.
The next Host prominent divine is tho Rev.
~. Aenper, son OF tho Bishop OF that name,
TLo, Ike Dr.. Dc Hogcn, is gentleman BY nature.
had po amount OF political prelatical a1imosi~
= y Cat make him sink that high character Dr.
heni, er is chary OF his words. He is tai, thin
ln a;stocratic in appearance, but ho hns all the
q 1shar4:teristics :: Of thoroughbred Churehman
Dr Eempcr is the idol Of the High Church
EliEearaAans. and WAS the proposer OF the Rev.
EsSeae HOLMAN, Of philaoelphia; tor or the the
le i;shppric By 1he cle1gy,-as lie would have | t
@ 'cea had not his modcs.y been equal to his '
asalH 9,-tle laity would have concurTed in the T
:lF. ntnent, and the great Church wraugie I
8uull hare terminated. =
Dr. ASHLEY. II
Third in point OF popularity, but second to | t
'ouc IN point Of dignity, is DR.. William BLISS il