Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-21
CHURCHMEN IN COUNCIL.
EPIsCOPALIANS DRAWING THE
COLOR LINE,

The Yirginian Committee Report in Fa-
vOr of Each Race Governing and Con-
ductIng its Own Affairs Under the
Same General Supervision - Colored
Men willing.
RICHMOND, May 19.-In the Virginia
Episcopal Council to-day a resolution was
adopted authorizing the Bishop to appoint
a committee of six clergymen and seven
laymen of the diocese to consider the sub
ject of adivisiOn of the diocese, and should
said committee conclude that the division
should be made to take all necessary steps
to this end, define and fix the diyid-
ing line, and report to the next
Council. A telegram was read
from Rev. DR.. Randolph, Assistant
BishOp-elect, asking for a brief time to
consider the question of the acceptance
OF the honor conferred upon him. The
Finance Committee reported in favor of
appropriating $500 for the expenses of
Bishop Whittle on his trip to Europe, and
they recommended that the salary of the
Assistant Bishop be $3,500 per annum
and the paying of all his travelling ex-
penses and house rent. The report was
adopted. The committee to whom was
referred that portion of the Bishops adj
dress concerning the church relations to
submitted the following report as the
result of their consideration:
I'VE believe that the true theology So
luton of our churcHss relation to the
colOred race will be found in giving them,
and encouraging them to exercise, the
right to separate organization. They have
asked, and it is natural that they should
request separate congregational Organi-
cation. The race difficulties i'm social
lS a a
people recognize it as clearly as the white,
and are prepared to act accordingly.
A white pastor to cOlOred cOngre-
cation is not, and can not be
such pastor as the congregation
demands and really needs. He may visit
the homes of the people; he may go in
and out OF their families, but there is no
such free and unrestrained recognition of
their families, for this barrier between
his family and the families of his cOngre-
CATION renders that intercourse unreal.
IL by no means means mutual recognition.
Our white congregations have no inten-
tlOn of asking cOlOred men to be their
rectOrs. 1t is no spirit of resentment, but
a desire for more than semblance of
church relationship, that the cOlOred
people will ask that their pastors
shall be of their own race.
What is true of their own congregation
is III Its principle, and is true of the larger
congregations. Intercourse between white
and cOlored ministers and laymen in cOun-
ellis and conventions is not wise, and while
they are so few in number and their
churches are so feeble as not to have a lay
representation, it very surely will not be
as real as it ought to be between Christian
men of the same church. There is broth
erly kindness genuine and unfeigned;
there is cordial welcome to every
cOlOred man who enters our coun-
Gil, but all of us know that
under the present condition of things,
while our colored brethren have every
right upon this floor, we do not feel that
they haYo the same measure of
influence which we would all desire
for them. However much this or
any other diocese might need Bishops,
however qualified intellectually and
religiously cOlOred man might be
whom we could find, we know that
we would never make the choice of
a cOlored Bishop to go in and out among
our families and congregation. We pre-
fer white man for the same reason that
the other race would take cOlOred man
rather than an Indian.
eve submit that in order to have this
work thoroughly done there must be a
thorough organization, and Such an or
ganization as will not make this body of
our population feel that they
are merely patroniZed. We trust
that the Council will agree
with us, that our deputies
to the General Convention will use their
best efforts to have the colOred people en-
cOuraged to prepare for an organization
which will be their own, subject, of
course, to the General Convention, but
Independent and separate, and under the
care of the General Church, to
execute for themselves such plans as
shall cOnduce to their moral and spiritual
well-being."
The report was signed by the three
cOlOred ministers on the committee, the
stating that especial regard |
was had to carrying out the views of the |
cOlOred members. The report was unani-
mOusly adopted.