The Detroit Convocation

Last Thursday the Detroit Convocation of the Episcopal church met in St. ! Andrew's church, Bishop Davies pre' siding in the absence of the president, Rev.J.H. Johnson. Twenty-three clerical and twelve lay delegates were present. Considerable business was transacted not of general interest, and a very excellent paper by Dr. Conpver I on "Two Views of Missions" in dialogue form, was lietened to and ordered print' ed in the Diocesan. Detroit was selected as the place for the next meeting, I in May. The evening session was especially interesting. A committee appointed to draft resolutions upon the death of exGov. Baldwin reported, the resolutions being adopted by a rising vote. Then the Hon. Otto Kirchner of Detroit opened the discussion upon the subject, "Our National Character, IsItDeteriorating?" His paper was lucid and scholarly. He said : Our National character antedates our constitution. Institutions are the outward manifestations of character. Moral forces act subtly and sinuously, and our character being in process of formation is diffioult of determination. All ages and peoples meet in the United States and who can teil what tendencies will survive from the conflict, which forces will win.. Statistics give U8 hopeful indications. Population increased 25 per cent., wealth 50 per cent. and church membership (51 per cent, in the last decade. The Puritan Sunday has gone but the secularized Sabbath has not and will not take its place. Never has there been such general interest in the investigation of religious eubjects. The world teems with Christian charity; the spirit of rationalism is abroad but well direoted. We have a science of religión. The interests of religión lie in encouraging scientiflc investigation and not in opposing it. Dogma is rationalized. Oppos-ition to religión is wholly negative in character. Agnosticism can have no lasting iniluence. Religión is not denioii: the possibüity of kuowing positively about it is denied. Such negative and colorless opposition can have no lasting influence. The moral sense of the nation was shown in the triumph of liberty over constitutional prive'ege in the case of slavery. The people will riarht the wrongs and correct the evils bypeaceful means in course of time. They are long suffering, but the lack of party fealty in the average voter is very encouraging. The people broke the Tweed ring. Great universities are a glorious sign of the times, they foster true liberty; a blow at them strikes the people. Upon the whole the prospect was very encouraging. Prof. B. M. Thompson lollowed in a brief but eloquent speech. He said that the proper method was to consider the people in the lisht of the problems they had to solve, and as each generation had its own peculiar problems we could have no fixed standard. He called attention to the changes and improvement that had taken place in the Rpirit animating the professions of law and medicine as indicating progress in characrterfortning. He concluded by showing how the American spirit of liberty and progress influenced every nation and impressed itself upon all children bom on American soil so that however diverse their parentags they were all indistinguishablv American. The discussion was concluded by the Rev. Wilüam Prall, rector of St. John's church, Detroit, who spoke briefly bnt very forcibly! There was an objective side to character yet untouched in the discussion. Greece loved art and philosophy and extended her influence by colonization. Rome was great in tbe realm oí law and politic3 and extended her influene by conquest. What are the American traits? We are the most long suffering people in the world, most self reliant, independent and have the keenest eense of humor. When convinced of the necessity of interference then we rouse up and do what is needed. The emancipation of the voter from party fealty a significant and good sign of the times. Party warfare less bitter. The presshad become greatly improved from the past. It tries to give true expression to what people are thinking and working for. The outlook is very encouraging. This concluded the literary exercises and the convocation was dismissed. TI19 Woman's Auxiliary met in Harria Hall, Miss F. S. Adams presiding Eighteen parochial branches were resented. It was an earnest and profitablo seásion. A letter of thanks for the $3,000 pledged to Hoffman Hall, a boarding school for colored girls in the South, was received. Other letters oi interest were read and addresses were given. Miss Hadley spoke un the needs of missionary work in China, and Miss Paddock on the field for work in the state of Washington.