The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-05-16
) TIM DIOCESAN CoNvENuoH. The go

Strfngfellow. The ANNUAL Address $of
thas Bishops was read.i MIR. Evan Ed
waFds, Treasurer Of the Bishop s, Fund,
submitted the report, showing balance
to the credit of the fund of S2,257.14.
The discussion on the application of st.
Marks (colored) congregation wns then
resumed, the question being upon the
the previous day by NMr. Edward Nc
Grady, Sr.
Mr.. L. M. Hnnckel expressed the hope
thnt tho discussion would be confined to
the resolution, md not branch out to the
subjeotof the application itself. He had
no desire to evade or dodge the Ques-
ton. He simply wanted to avoid it for
the present, just as q skilled general
would avoid an engagement until he was
thoroughly acquainted with the forces of
tho enemy and the topography of his
country. Gentlemen were mistaken if
they supposed the present lUll in cor
ruption was cessation of it. There
was another consideration involved in
the discussion of this question which
ought to be well thought of. The Bishop
had last year, indicated tendency to
have separate organizations. If the
Convention admitted this congregation,
they preoluded themselves forever from
the consideration of thnt mode of orgnni-
zation. They cut out the only nucleus
around which n separate organization
could be, e,gathered. Gentlemen seemed
to think it very easy matter to estab-
lish q precedent and then te reverse it,
but every lawyer knew that it was a
difficult thing to do. LII view of ell
these considerations, lie would reiterato
his earnest concurrence in tho resolu-
ton.
The Rev. j. H. Tillinghast, of Rich
land, thought that this question was ono
that had been thrust upon the Conven-
ton by the providence Of God and by
reference Of the application to commits
sion would be equivalent to rejection
OF it. He was in favor of meeting tho
question now, and in fnvor of granting
the application. He saw no reason for
reticence upon the subject. We profess,
said he, to be an integral member of the
Catholic Church, which holds the Cos
pei in trust for every man. The Gospel
knows no distinction of race or condi-
tion; men of nll nations are admitted to
the church upon repentance and bap-
tism. If We refuse to grant this petition,
we soy to the petitioners, we are not
willing to admit you into the church,
not because you are incompetent or un-
qualified, but simply because of your
color. That is the way in which the
world will look upon it, and, to be
frank, thnt is how it looks to me. If the
application comes up to the requirements
OF our constitution and canons, we are
bound either to hear it or to take the
ground that we are not willing to admit
the applicants on account of their color.
We must meet the issue It has been
brought to us in Gods providence, and
we being the accredited leaders of the
church, are bound to meetit. This same
race of people have been admitted to tho
Convention in tho Diocese of North Ca
rolina, (my native State,) and, so fur rs
l know, without any evil consequences.
We can't afford to stand against the SEN
timents of the civilized world, and we
should be careful in this matter, lest we
seem to fly in the face of God, by whose
lnstrumentality this issue has been put
upon US. D.
Chancellor Lesesne said that, if he was
compelled to vote on the. question upon
hasty report submitted by the standing
committee, he would be compelled to
vote against the application; he would,
therefore, be compelled to vote for tho
appointment of n commission. He
wanted delay, not from any want of
consideration for the respectable body
from whom the application came, but
because, by delay, he would be better
able to consider the question in NIL it's
complex bearings. It had been said
that this was not q new question, but he
would remind gentlemen that this con-
gregation had been in existence for ten
years, and could have made application
for admission any year during that time;
but they did not. This question was,
therefore, rs new to his mind as if it had
been presented the year after the organi-
zation Of the church.. He did not yield
to any man in feelings of Christian bro
therhood towards tho applicants, but the
question before the Convention was
whether this body should have voice
in the Legislation of the church, and to
say that that privilege followed, MS a
matter of right, was to bog the question
The congregation had waited ten years
and no injustice would be done them by
the one years delay contemplated under
tho resolution.
Mr.. w. H. Parker, of Abbcville, was
in favor of meeting the question ut once
and firmly, and with O full sense of his
responsibility to himself and to the
church. Ho was in favor Of cutting the
Gordian knot at once. If the members
of this congregation possessed education
and intelligence, and had complied with
oil the requirements, he was ready to vote
for the admission of these delegates
Bishop Howe here asked the Conven-
ton to listen to On item Of information
upon tho subject under discussion. It
had been intimated that this ennlirat;on