city yesterday drew up a memorial, to a copy of which I take the liberty of begging you attention. It was rather informally prepared, because we did not [know] to whom it ought to be presented. We handed it, however, to General Ord, who very courteously said that he would send it to Washington. It has occurred to me since that we ourselves ought to have forwarded it, but whether to Your Excellency or to the Secretary of State I cannot determine. In this memorial, and all of beg your own personal consideration of this memorial, and all of the clergy I have been able to se heartily approve of my course. We wish to demean ourselves as peaceable citizens, and to do all in our power to allay the excitement growing out of the scenes through which we have just passed; but we are placed in a trying situation. The military authorities in charge of this city have certainly gained our respect, and we are anxious to avoid even the appearance of thwarting in the most remote degree their efforts for conciliation, but, as shown in the memorial, we are constrained to await ecclesiastical sanction before we can make any addition to our prescribed forms of prayer. The Confederate Government, when in existence here, never attempted to interfere when we deliberated in council about changing the phraseology of the prayer for the President, and, indeed, omitting it altogether. The ecclesiastical sanction for again charging this form to harmonize with the restoration of the Federal Government can, no doubt, be shortly obtained. Until then we simply ask that we may be permitted to conduct our religious services as heretofore, with the understanding that we say and do nothing to interrupt the re-establishment of the United States Government over the people of our congregations. We most sincerely believe that this course will conduce more than any other to the diffusion of sentiments of peace and good will among our whole people.

I have the honor to be, Mr. President, Your Excellency's humble servant,

JOSHUA PETERKIN,

Rector of Saint James' Church.

[Inclosure.]

RICHMOND, April 12, 1865.

We, the undersigned, clergymen of the Protestant Episcopal Chruch in the diocese of Virginia, respectfully represent that we continued to use the prayer for the President of the United States (according to our formed ritual) for some months after the secession of the States south of us and their formation of a Southern Confederaty. The subsequent secession of Virginia rendered the omission of this prayer necessary and proper; but no new form was inserted in our liturgy, until our ecclesiastical council, duly convened, took action to that effect; the church in each diocese following and never antipicating (as some other denominations had done, yards ago) the political relations of the several States. It is a fundamental principle with our Church that, in great civil and political changes, all denominations of Christians are at liberty to arrange their forms of worship in such manner as may conduce most to the edification of the people, provided there be no violation of the laws of the State. But such arrangements are never made by us as individuals. As in the ritual alternations made by us as individuals. As in the ritual alterations made since 1861, we were obliged (in accordance with the usage of the Church in all ages) to wait for authority from an ecclesiasticum council, so, as there is no union in this country between Church and State, are we obliged

47 R R-VOL XLVI, PT III