The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-27
AN EASTER CLOUD.
Which is Being Watched With Interest
in Charleston.

Which is Being Watched With interest
in Charleston.
CHARt EsroN, Feb. 26.-As Easter APP
proaches the"bone of contenton'in the shape
of our brother in black again looms up into
painful prominence in the Episcopal COM
munity of this State The details of the
"controoveese" which led TO tho secession of
n large number of delegates from the last
Diocesan convention We're given IN TINS
correspondence at the time, but briet
recaptulation may not bo uninteroSting to
the readers of the MORNING NEWS at this
time.
For ten or twelve years past the question
of the admission of culored delegates TO the
Diocesan convention had been agitating the
representative Episcopalian churchmen.
There are only two or three colored Eplsco-
pal churches in the State. The especial
'bone of contention,n however, has been
st. Marks church, Charleston, which is
composed of the elite of the mulattO pOpula-
ton of the city. st. Marks congregation,
in fact, is so elite that IA Northern man who
Should attend services mt the church would
take half the female portion of the congre-
cation for white persons.
In all these years large majority of the
clergymen, including the Bishop, have
been in favor of admitting St Marks dele
gates. The laymen have been equally solid
against it. Year after year st. MARKS, IN
stigated by the Bishop, would send its repro
sentatives to knock at the door of the con
vention only to be turned away.
FINALLY ST. MARKS GOT TIRED
of electing lay delegates, and the friends of
st. Marks adopted other tactics A native
colored man was educated for the ministry
and regularly ordained and installed as
rector of St Marks. But he died before he
could get admission to the convention. He
was succeeded by another colOred rector
who is the present bone of contontion". At
the last convention the question arose at the
very beginning of the convention. The
laymen claimed that the credentials of all
delegates clerical and lay, should be passed
upon by the convention. The Bishop ruled
that all clergymen in good stand
ing were canonical and constitution
al members and entitled to seats
without submitting their credentials to a
committee. The "bone of contention" was
only mentioned incidentally, but it was un-
derstood that if the credentials of the clergy
had to be submitted to the convention, the
bone would be fired out. Then followed
three days of wrangling, all efforts to get
to business being in vain. The laymen were
all sharp LAWYERS, well VerSad in legal and
parliamentary skill, and as regularly as
the Bishop made an effort to unravel one
parliamentary tangle and get on TO work,
a bishops patience, however, has some
limit, and finally after meekly and mildly
submitting to three days Of parliamentary
''bull yragging, (the term seems rather Light
to he used i'll connection with such sub
iect, but il aptly describes the situation),
he finally put the Episcopal foot down
firmly. He ruled a subsidiary point, and
turning a deaf ear TO all motions to zap
peal from the decision of the Chair di-
rected the clerk to go on with the reading
Of the minutes
This brought on the crisis: There was
a hushed consultation among the laymen
and then venerable delegate arose and
announced that his parish had decided to
withdraw from the convention. Four ven
cradle lay churchmen thereupon took up
their hats and hymnals and stalked down
the aisle followed by the blessing of
the much badgered bishop, who said, Good
bye, brelheren, God be with you"
A stampede followed, and then there was
a counting of noses. 1t was found that,
although u large number of delegates had
withdrawn, there was still a quorum left.
The business was hurriedly disposed of, and
the convention adjourned after selecting
Anderson as the place of meeting for the
convention of 1888.
THE CONFERENCE OF sEcEDERs
held on Thursday last, it is said, was at the
instance of some of the clergy with the
hope of efRecting compromise. Whatever
may be the result of this. it may be re-
garded as certain that the seceders
will agree to no plan of settle
ment which admits the "bone of
contention " into the counsels Of the
church. They do not even recognize
theAnderson meeting as a Diocesan conven-
tion. They say that the constitution directs
that all conventions shall be held in Charles
ton unless otherwise ordered by the conven-
tion itself, and they deny that the conven-
tion held here last May, at which Ander-
son was fixed as the place for the next con-
yention, was a convention at all.
This is the Episcopal puzzle which con-
fronts the committees. The election for dele
gates to the Diocesan Convention are to be
held on Easter Monday, but until it is de-
cided whether there is to be such a thing as
a Diocesan Convention the voters are nat
urally unable to know what TO do about it.