Year: 1865

Toathe Clergy and. .Ldity Of tie Protestant


Episcopal Church in the Diocese of s.


Carolina. s.se.,


BELOVED BRETHREN An absence from
home of six weeks in part of the State
where mail facilities are few, accounts, par.
tally, for the delay of this address.


Icame to this city some days ago, for the
purpose of having an operation for cataract
performed upon my remaining eye. This
has been done with perfect skill and sue
cess By my excellent friend and physician,
DR.. Julian j. Chisolm. The cataract has
been extracted, and the eye is rapidly heal
Ing; but I regret to have to say that there
is little prospect ofany efFectual relief. My
chief satisfaction is in the sense of duty
discharged. I am still under medical treat
msnt, and though my present condition is
not favorable for such an effort, I must no
longer defer this communication.


You are aware th@ opr annual Diocesan
Council, which was by appointment to have
met at Camden in May last, failed for want
ofa quorum. There being, therefore, NO
specific direction for the meeting Of the
next Diocesan Council, it will take place,
under our constitutional enactment, in the
city of Charleston, on the second Wednes-
day of February next. The resolution on
the pages of the journal of our last regular
Council, held in Spartanburg, does not af-
feet this provision. It stipulates the month
of May as the time, but being passed at one
Council only, it has not become the consti
tutioual law of the church.


: have not called special Council of the
Diocese, partly because I thought its meet,
ing impracticable in the present state of the
country, bat, chiefly, because I concluded
that its principal object could be otherwise
attained. That object was the appointment
of delegates to our General Council, which
is to assemble in Mobile in November.
Upon a careful examination of the subject.
myself, aud after full consultation of the
highest legal authority, I am entirely con-
vinced that the delegates elected at our last
Council in Spartanburg are entitled to rep
present the Diocese in the approaching
General Council at Mobile This conclu-
sion will, I trust, be at once received as
correct, and ssid delegates will bold them
selves responsible for the discharge Of their
duty. It is greatly to be desired that this
Diocese should be fully represented at that
meeting and L earnestly implore such of
my brethren as have been selected for the
purpose to be present, if possible, on the
occasion.


The Council Of Southern Bishops; which
was expected to assemble last week at An
gusta, did mot meet, the appointments for
the same having been withdrawn.


I have not deemed it necessary to address
you on thesubject Of our sending delegates
to the Convention of the Church of the u.
nited States now in session at Philadeiphia.
With our own asts constituting portion of
the Southern Church are still in force, and
our authoritative General Council awaiting
its meeting in Mobile; I did not consider this
a matter of debate. Oar ecclesiastical po-
sition being deliberately assumed, did itself
define our course of duty. The subjeos OF
our eoclesiasticaI relations is, therefore, now
omen before rs, and demands our most &C.
rious thoughts and prayers. Permit, me to
say q few words expressive of my own con-
victions. a.,


No sound mind can suppose that the sep
aration of the Southern from the Northern