The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-05-20
The Episcopal EiSccsc and the Color

e.iHR.
The annual convention OF The Diocese OF
South Cnrnlina met in Columbia last y clncs-
day. she 18th instant, in Trinity church, Bisii-
r"r How, presiding. There WAS a good attend
;'cc Of clerical and lay dclrGatcs-alti.onsl
there was not as large Il nnm.tcr Of lay dele
gates, rs there always Is when Tire convention
meets in Charleston. where, tm many reasons,
we think t!ie Convention ought always To
meet.
She first routine business attended to WAS
the reading OF the rolls OF til" clerical ana
lay delegates, and Ill" nnroim:mrnt OF tW"
committees on crctrftinla. "iIcn the COM
m.ttcr ON clrricai credentials reported iavnL-
ably on the BISHOPS list Of CLERGY Mr. irhrt
called for Il constitutional vote by orders
This was tic opening gun in q contest mn
continued from Wednesday morning uhl,'
SIturnay At noon. when the Conycnti3n iu.
;uurnrI, after 4 drawn battle. which leaves
the question ut issue ia S'nia 3uo.
i That issue was the ''irrrprcSSiblc negro
question: The Bishop had included IN MS
list of clergy two culorcd prrSbytrrS. I. II.
~l:iS,!opmn T.. G. lInrrc:. ono from the ihorG>c
nf Maryland, tho other from New lork: INC
: Rev. {. II. iIis:IGp is the assistant minister ht
1t. Marks colorcd congregation. IN" i.Gf.
! I. G.. Harper Is the assistant munster o.! NY
ST. Lukc'S congregation, COLUMBIA. lmei.
presence on the floor OF the CuntChtlol wa
Il surprise 10 Il great majority OF the IailS amu
many OF the clergy, anu IL "n"MrC cuti"nS
Confirmation of the bishops list would nave
settled the title OF cn'orc'l rrcShytcrS 10 srh,S
in the Convention. vas evident that VOC
by orders-that is. II vote of the Clergy ny
themselves, and the laity by th"nS'iEc'-
would result in defeating that c"Iii,rintlinh.
Strenuous efforts Therefore were il;'uc ny 'nI
I Bishop. \ majority OF inc cier2H,In" nv I,,"
the llity, to prevent q vote hy nr''ciS oi wv,
approval OF the Bishops list. The iirsl gay
was taken up by this preliminary Skiri,!a;i
The next day to bring, up me G1,S'."h Wv Nv
rrrIIy. Mir. Hcnct Withdrew his call To H"tc -!
orders and Offered Il resolution to aiicmu my i
Bishops list by striking out the names VI
Bi<liOpaad Harper. ami rrlr!ioa coliin''',rEn
! .ivc-iwo c:crgynicn and three inynch,'ol ~
nn:t nj next convention Oh the legal ANA con-
isritutiounl right of other than white uelc.t..H
To br admitted to the diocesan CnnTrm'tTn u.
This brought on Il hot ucDalc III Wiien L.
leading cl"rgyinc:l ana iaEliic't OH oo'" '"''
Mr.. EcIc:'S argument WAS that the constiin-
! ton OF She Djo>cSc did not confer upon cor
nrcd men the ~riyitto seats III hcC"nNtlit'"n
He argued that before u negro ci'ls! NV ~
could take his scat TN tl!iS Convention tilN
diocese should amend H. constitution ny un,
linin. that The word "c'crSEhlah tn'ttl'
contained included tho negro. lust ms nHt
= been don" bv Congress and the Cnltcd STATES
Sunrcmc Court in constructing the wore cit'
iZcn us contained in the tHi!cd STATES , oH>t',
tuition. The fact that the fonrtc"h'n ~"
! Fifteenth amendments had to pc passed DC
fore the negro could vote and h"ld Once WIS
Il stronger argument than any he cnuIu au-
uucc in behalf of an amendment to the 'our
situation of the Diocese rs 10 the mrh'ins %!
the word .rlcrsynuan." Ciiicf Justice lanry
had decided that the word 'ritlHch III ,mi
Constitution did not include the negro: Hno
CHEF Justice Waite had decided t'iat .citl'
zen" dill not include women. although Woni'
en- amt negroes are in some respects cltlEenS.
II had been held in the United States court
mcut charging !, man in Cincinnati with high
treason in giving aid and comfort 10 Inc loli,
fc,icrary. WAS erroneous. anu thlt ~ n,f".vc
only !! foreign enemy: ArSuimg ny Ihh rnr
Il construction contcmp oraneutS with us III
Scrtion in the Constitution OF the Di".eSr,
and when tie Constitution was auoptco w
1870. without changing Article 4, tnH hi ts ,,St
it had previously conveyed was stu lis Jus,
Interpretation Mr.. l;"lict quoted inc iITeu
scott decision In 18Th Howard, Minor VS.. lat
trrsct. u Wallace, and the Cincinnati casr.
exceptional one. and that he had MY been
allowed a scat In the Convention on the u'i'
drrstauding that he should limit his MINIS
trat;OnS to 81. Marks
tcrcst OF both sides, and we've iost pS loIi'
comcu. renee OF orders. Whenever the nuEo-
Gates of the admission of the coioleH I,csrS
terS advanced any measure allirlna'lVely tnc
opponents prevented its adoption ny noh.con'
currence OF orders; and rice rcrsd. Inc mtli
resolution advanced by the opponents itilco
man to confirm the report OF the commits
on the bishops list shared the same inte. Inc
whole Of Thursday and Friday were Nn,
sumed In the unavailing effort to accoinpiisn
| .1nN1!lIH. OIlc WHY " tllS u
was heartily in sympathy with those VINO
advocated the seating Of the colored minis.
tiers, and manifested that sympathy plainly
in his rulings as chairman. ana MS TcIia,nS;
right to insert more names In ms iiSt Oh lhe
c!crsy, AMI that by that insertion tney nau
nrcSumptlvc titles to their seats. when ntic,
he Gained. the Convention could not call IN
at question. This Claim was denied, nna hli
that was asked by the supporters OF Mr.. Ben
cts resolution was thai the Bishop and clergy
should not prcjudyc the case by iutroduc.
Ing those colo:cd men into the C,nvcntioa
before t,cir rights had been Id1uuiratcu :;
and that the consideration Or the 99cstlon
should be referred TO Il committee. TREY also
commended that until the Bishops list OF the
Clergy Was passed upon by the Convention s
vote on the committees report, the Cnnven-
ton could not bc organized. The Bishop
ruled that the Convention was duly organ
lied.
All that can be said, after three days debate
Is, that by the failure OF the contendlng or
derS to concur, the Bishops list was not cor.
frmc'l, the right of the c1lnred preshytcrs
was not voted on, and the Convention was
not July organized. In fact. nothing was
doEc but to leave this veNeJ question TO come
up ut the next C~onvention, which meets y
May in Charleston.
The following protest signed by the sup.
norlerS of Mr.. Ecnrls resolutions, explains
Itself, and will be interesting. 1t contains tue
names Of twcniy-nine layh!et ana SIX clergy
Mr. r. NJ. Hanckcl also submitted for HIM
self a protest. Both these papers follow:
TIE S.ATE OF SOUTH CARoLINA.
To he President ant Members O( the Corpora
ton of the Protestant Episcopal Church Of the
Diocese Of South Carolina:
The undersigned members o. tn!S cohSeh-
ton, f0- themselves and in behalf OF the Far
ishcS which they may represent, do most re-
sDcc,fuliy but earnestly protest against the
action Of this convention in refusing 10 con-
slider II motion 10 adopt the report OF the COM
mit:cc on the credentials Of the clergy, as I'M
parliamentary and Illegal. ana rs drawing III
10 question tn. very organization OIL The con
vCntiOn ITSELF
And they do farther most respectfully ana
earnestly protest against the position which
has been announced by the President and
acted upon practically by the convention,
! that by virtue of their names being on the
Bishops list, and reported upon by the com.
mittcc, certain persons who have been al
mitted to holy orders. to wit: McsSrS. H.. c.
Bishop md Thomas G. Harper, are entitled
to and do occupy seats In tho convention. !,
And they do further most respectfully ana
earnestly protest against the action OF this
convention in affirming that under our con.
S;itutiOn and laws persons or color ana not
belonging to the white race are cn.ltlcu 10
seats in the con, enti0n and participation in
tic government of the church In thiSd diocese =;
whereas it is respectfully submitted by these
protc>tantS that such an innovation on me
government of the church can and should be
effected only hy the convention OF the church,
expressed une luivocally ut Il Convention, af-
tee Il full. fair, calm and deliberate discussion
OF llle question on III IllcIllS.
W. 81. Julien Jervcy. james NJ. Wilson. 4.
w Marshall. W. II. Campbell, for st. Mic.l-
acl's Parish.
r.. .Trapicr, l.: +. Guerrz, W. Bail; Hen
ry l.. Barker Parish OF 81. Johns. Bcrkley..
Richard Singleton. Alex. &. C!arkson, Tor
Zion Church, Richland County.
William $, Eastle, for ST. Andrews Parish.
VIC. Bcnct: for himself. (dclesation from
Trinity Church, !Abbcvillc. being dividcd.l
W. II, i. Gail'ard. for ST. PaulS. Pcndlcton.
\. ID. Goodwyn, Richard j. Manning, for
| ST. Matthew's Parish.
I. Alex. Brough;on, for Christ Church Par
John T. Reeves, c. r. Holmes, for st. Lusc's
Church, Charleston:
William II. fIanciel!, mot committing him.
self to the parliamentary points .
James =. Adams, +. MEG. GARRISON, Harry
w. Adams. fJr ~. Johns Church, Richland.
LaurcnsN. ChisOlm, fol- St Paul $, Summer.
willie.
Julius II. Hayward. John NJ. Jones, for
Christ Church, GTcenvillc.
IL. Pringlc Smith, Jno. S. Fairly, Except
to the second %ground,) for st. Ihil!ip'S,
Win. G. stevens, for the Parish of st. Johns
: Johns Island.
VIM. johnson, for Gra~c Church, Charles.
ton.
Algcrnon S. Smith, ]. II. Thomas, for st.
} Stephens. Ridgcway.
;! W. II. Godfrey. for st. Davld's, Chcraw.
. j.. Bacon, Tor Church of the Advent.
The protest was ordered spread OH the min
ut"S.
Mr.. Thomas Hanckcl: Twill now read my
individual protest in my own words. Mr.
Uanckcl then submitted the following, which
Will also appear on the journal:
The undersigned, rs q member OF this Con-
%vcntion, respectfully protests against the
failure Of this Convention TO ndjMdirate tho
question whether the Rev. II. &. Bishop and
the Rev. !. &. Harper are cOn>titutlonally CHI
titled TO seats in this Convention. And the
undersigned further respectfully anu earnest
Is protest against the declaration, by thcil
i vptp S pf the majority OF the clerical delegates