The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1888-03-29

Right to Sit in the Convention--Th LaIty
Advised to Abstain for tho Present.
To the Clergy and Laity of the Pro.
testant Episcopal Church in South Car
olina-Dear Brethren: 1 see by the
Bishops late pastoral of March 10th, in
staht, there is danger of very serious
misunderstanding between our clergy
and laity, which L think may be avoided.
The pastoral seems to declare that the
laity condemn the clergy for their vote
on the admission of cOlOred clergy
man. This is q total misapprehensiOn.
AS one of those who retired from the last
Convention, L beg leave to say (and |
think my years, being ono of tho oldest
members of the Church now living, en-
title mo to speaK) that wo have never
objected to the votes of tho clergy, be-
cause that was the exercise of an un-
doubted right; but we have retired after
the presiding officer had deprived us Of
our right to voto.
Tho clorgy and tho Bishop being
firmly resolved together, our safety only
rested on our right to call for vote by
orders, and in that way to prevent the
action contemplated by the clergy. This
was our right under the constitution,
and We had good ground for our action,
and our action was strictly under tho
constitution of the Convention. We
denied no ones right as we recognized
IL under that constitution.
The pastoral says we deny the right of
an ordained minister of our Church to
exercise his privileges under our consti-
tuition on account of his color. We dcnv
that clergyman has any privileges by
virtue OF his ordination under our CON
stltution. This is tho question between
the clergy and ourselves, and is con-
httutlonal one, and the only difference
Is as to the construction Of the words Of
that constitution, and certainly, upon
the construction of that instrument tho
laity have as good right to their opinion
as the clergy. But the real difficulty is
that some of tho clergy hold that their
ordination entities them to sit in our
body, while the laity insist that the Con
vcntion is not the Church, and their
ordination gives them no such right
while others OF them hold to the mean
ing Of the word Clergyman, rs used in
our constitution. On both these uues-
tions we maintain that the laity have as
much right to their opinion as the clergy
Now, the only WY in which We can
express our opinions is by our votes,
wherever the vote is to be taken by
orders, and our right 10 call for vote
| by orders, whenever two delee ations
agree to call for it. 1t was on vote by
orders, as to the organization, that the
question in the last Convention came up.
Upon an appeal from the decision of the
Chair in favor of tho clergy's views, to
wAlch a large ma iority of the laity was
opposed, the Bishop, after stating that
ho would receive no further appeal, but
would go on to the regular orders, as
though the body was organized, put the
question fairly to the Convention, and q
vote by orders was called for, and he
announced that his decision was not
sustained by the Convention but was re-
Jocted; and then turned to the secretary
and directed him to proceed to tho order
OF business and declared that he would
entertain no appeals. Upon this decla-
ration the majority Of the laity retired,
believing it to be their duty 80 to do, as
their votes were not respected, and, by
retiring, considered tho Convention as
ended.
The laity certainly cannot go to the
Convention at Anderson without ac-
knowlcdging the validity of the acts of
! those who remained IN the last Conven-
ton, which they cannot do without put
ting themselves at the mercy Of tho
clergy, while the constitution puts them
on an equal footing when they disagree.
Their remedy is to abstain from Con
Vcntlons until their rights are recognized,
or some arrangement made to compose
the difficulty. We do not ask the clergy
to give up anything, but simply to sub
nit to the constitution. We are net
! asking them now to do more than to
submit to q proper rule governing all
Legislative assemblies; that when the de-
cislon Of the Chair is appealed from, the
! body itself is to decide, and its decision is
final.
shall say nothing more now, when
there seems to be u possibility Of healing
ON differences, than this: Kindness may
do much, but such attempts to force
the colored clergy upon us, however un-
willing, may possibly bring on all the
troubles anticipated in the pastoral
EDWARD MCCRADY.