Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-14

SECOND DAY OF THE DIOCESAN
CCNvI.NTiON.

Letter from Br, HriDStIOnG--N ma
the Letter Discussion Oh
the Circulation of the Heports O
the armstrong Trial - Ex-GoV
Bullock and the Church.
Yesterday mornings session of th'
Episcopal Diocesan Convention was
opened With prayers. read by Rev. Messrs
Powers and Page.
One Of The fret things after the devO
tional exercises Is shop Beckwith read
his address.
In his address the Bishop gave de-
tailed account oC his work during the
past year, and be paid a tribute TO the
late Col. Lewis n. Whi;tle, Of Macon.
The establishment OF an appellate
court the Bishop discussed a length. On
this point ne said
la order 10 avoid The imbecihty and conse-
AucnJ Injustice 90 pre- ,byt Gre sitting az "a
di0cesan Ccclcs 'astiaal cour., aud tu free the
Church from the Tyr Gty Of lda bishops u IS
proposed that the general convention shal', by
The vote II a majority of IL, Giuccses. assume
power which 50 far as can understand its
history. does not OclotS 10 1t. Change,
IN mart. oar form az government,
ami create court which shall have
power to review tic action Of diocesan
courts. whether shat action touch the con-
ettuuon or not deprive diocese of a power
which II has had anU exercised since the for
nation rt our eccle-iastical government In
TINS country, aud make the Bishops no longer
the executors OF the viii Oi the diocese, but
The wooden agents nf court wnch Is the
creation of n legislature which, by gradual
cncroachments. sha nave grown and devel-
oped into a centralized government IN the
hands of an Ollgarcly. some have even gone
80 far As to dream hat this court snail have
Qi may 50 call them eX post factO powers;
and that trials, finished according TO existing
law shall "a FafeCI from thu Gpad and a.
viewed by this OmnipotenJ court, 10 the con-
fusion of diocesan courts and Bishops, and the
happiness OF the traditional aggrIeved par
jsnlOners.
MOI NEW THING.
The question OF appellate courts s not new
20 the church. What the outcome may be, no
man can with certainty foretell. We have
been called. IN witty satire, the resolution
airy sons Of revolutionary sires," and no man
may propbesy what We will or viii not re-
solve, but think 1t may be safely said that
the church has not lost all of her cOnsarva-
tive spirit. She stii believes in aW and mas
some regard to history. An ex lost fact0
court. | think, il not among our dangers. An
Eastern monk. in times long past, may have
fushed among the combatants in Vladlaio-
rial SHOW and sacrificed his life for the sake Of
mercy and humanity and Christianity,
and a modern American priest may
have yielded his life, after condem-
nation b. diocesan ecclesiastleai
court to the influences OF chlorOfOrm, and
some Imaginative minds may find an analogy
b tween the two and, IN the death Of the
latter, an argument IN favor Of an appellate
court: but the MUD OF the church when in
tent upon courts Of justice IS not imaginative,
and the heart of the church cannot be stirred
into excitement, or the church herself nc
hurried into hasty action BY such impossible
aBalOgies or such fantastic arguments. The
question of an appellate court Is one that can
not be handled IN the fiiIpaut manner Gus
fomery among authors OF newspaper articles
when trying 10 fire the heart of the church.
GRAVE QUESTION.
II will demaad and justify the very best
wisdom, learning ami statesmanshiD Of which
the church Is possessed. should the question
come before the next general conven ion, it
viii be the duty of your delegates aud of your
Bishop 70 give to it patient and earnest exam
tnaiion. and to bring back to You from that
convention such knowledge as we may obtain
after free intercourse with the Bishops and
representatives Of the church at large. The
question Is too Important anu, In its conse-
quenAos, too tar reaching TO be decided by tire
action Of individual diocesan courts, or for
our judgments /" he seriously influenced by
our Sympathies for individual sufferers who
may or may not suffer justly, or even by our
admiration 81 heroic monks who fell victims
TO The brutality OF kpman mObs.
In look ng over The diocese, IL is difficult to
give yOH Il clear and correct statement OF its
condition. la some part Of the diocese there
seems to he a new missionary spirit; new
hel,ls have beea ppeued. new churches built
and new euerEy infused into the work of the
church. In ether parts. towns once flourish
ing anu aoic 10 axe care OF the clergy have
been nnauClaily injured by the pros
nerl,y Of other towns, and the church
there seems 70 languish. We have
had. As you all know, serious troubles during
The past year. These troubles have become so
serious and so notorious as to attract 10 us the
attention Of the entire caurch IN America,
and Of all the Christian bodies in Georgia. |
do not hesitate TO SAY that. as far as I am per
sonallv concerned, 1t has been the very sad
dest year OF my life. But the men Of to-day
hut rnneaa tho rnsplta in the futnra-
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE.
There are times when man must rise above
the Rressnt. gaze steadily at The future and
act with reference not 10 the present but to
the future, when. passion having subsiied,
they Will be judged not by the eNlgencies of
that present by which men are excited and
passionate, but by the results in that future
wbce their acts III be subjected to the calm.
Gold scrutiny of men who weigh events and
by them Judge Of causes. Acting IN the
church, and for the church. ! esteem a
mRu's life not too high price 10 pay
FOR her Welfare aud her peace, that peace
and welfare mot yet hers), | believe has been
fairly bought and, In due time, VIII be truly
delivered. | know not that it VIII come in
my dav, but, come when u may. shall feel
that 10 the best of nv knowledge and ability
did what could to maintain those principles
which are the very life Of her usefulness and
of her Influence among men. And what say
Of myself, wish o. say, with emphasis, OF the
Standing COMMITTEE Of tins diocese. and Oi
the ecclesiastical court which set In trial o.
one ofits fellow prcsbyters.
THE AMERICAN CHURCH.
do not believe that the American church
has body Of men more honorable, more con-
ecientiOus aud more trae han the STANDING
Committee which maze the presentment, OF
the court which sat upon the trial of this case
Popular feeling may be dashed into excite
ment, p0pular opinion may be influenced. lie
veioped and concentrated in condemnatiuT
Of men who patiently do their duty before
tod and 40 not fee it necessary TO rush int
the public prints TO just fy their action OF
nner incense 10 the passion of the hour
Tut the time will comet comes with tht
patient. unialtering step of fat,-when pOpu-
Jar feeling viii grow calm. popular opinion
become cool, popular Judgment, ignoring
individuals, look At principles. and GOd'i
church will vindicate the men who, with.
out fear or favor, did their duty for then
huty's sake. With the tenderest sympath,
for those who suffer, with the wish eyei
present that ] could give pleasure where
have been compelled TO infict pain. / wisl
10 record the expression OF nv cOmmisera
tion for those who interpret duty 70 meal
The hckle tav " OF popular opinion. and O.
pay the willing tribute Of Y hOm age 90 thos
who do not educate their condolences by arti
olee in the new spapers, but who meet respon
sibihues aud discharge duty In accordance
with the decisions Of their own Judgment
and tie dictates Of their own eOusciences: AM
who, having thus acted, are content 10 wait
Z need ~, for Justification until That awfu
aour when All hearts ehai be open. All desire
irOwn, ana when no secrets shall ne hid.
DIR. ARMsTRONG'S CASE,