I now lay before you my annual address. Since the last Convention my official acts have been as follows:

1861. June 23d, Sunday. Forenoon, in Trinity Church, Abbeville, Rev. Benj. Johnson read the service and I preached. At night, Rev. Mr. Jones read service, Rev. Mr. Pinckney preached, and I confirmed thirteen white persons.

June 25th, Tuesday. Forenoon, at Willington, in Abbeville District, consecrated to the service of Almighty God, St. Stephen's Church. Rev. Benj. Johnson read the service, Rev. C. P. Gadsden preached, and I confirmed two colored persons. These first fruits of Episcopacy in this neighborhood, are due chiefly to the faith and devotion of an earnest member of the Church. One of his principal objects is to aid in the spiritual instruction of the youths committed to his charge. May he be blessed with a rich return for years of patient abiding in faith and hope.

July 7th, Sunday. In St. John's Church, Montgomery, Ala., I preached the sermon at the Ordination of the Rev. Mr. Jarratt to the Order of Priests.

July 16th, Tuesday. At night, in St. Luke's Church, Charleston, I preached and confirmed twelve white persons, one from St. Philip's Church, and two colored.

July 19th, at night. At St. Helena Island, preached in the Village Chapel.

July 20th, Saturday. In the Parish Church, preached and confirmed one white person.

July 21st, Sunday. Forenoon, preached in St. Helena Church, Beaufort. Afternoon, prevented from attending Divine service by very heavy rain.

July 22d, Monday. Preached again and confirmed fifteen white and ten colored persons.

July 24th, Wednesday, Robertsville, Forenoon. I held Divine service and preached. A new church has been erected here but was not consecrated in consequence of the absence of the Rector, in attendance upon his duties as Chaplain to a portion of our South-Carolina troops in Virginia. The congregation is small, but zealous, and there is much hope of an increase of strength to their little band.

July 28th, Sunday, Forenoon. Church of the Holy Trinity, Grahamville. This being the day set apart for Thanksgiving for the victory of our troops at Manassas, I preached upon the state of the country; and confirmed one white person and six colored. Afternoon, in the neighborhood of Grahamville, consecrated Bethel Chapel, which has been erected chiefly for the accommodation of the colored people: also preached and confirmed sixteen colored persons.

July 31st, Wednesday. Bluffton, Forenoon, preached and confirmed three white persons: Rev. Mr. Wigfall reading the service.

August 4th, Sunday. Forenoon, John's Island, preached at Legareville, and confirmed three white and seven colored persons.

August 6th, at night. Preached at the Chapel at Rockville, Wadmalaw Island, and confirmed one white person and twelve colored: Rev. Mr. Jenkins reading the service.

August 11th, Sunday. Forenoon, at Eddingsville on Edisto Island, preached and confirmed nine white and twenty-four colored persons.

August 20th, Tuesday. In Grace Church, Charleston, confirmed one white person.

August 25th. Grace Church, Camden, preached and confirmed one white person.

September 1st, Sunday. Summerville, Forenoon, I preached and confirmed fourteen white persons. Afternoon, preached again: the Rector reading the service each time.

September 7th, Saturday. Forenoon, Divine service at Bradford Springs, Rev. Mr. Roberts holding the whole service.

September 8th, Sunday. Forenoon, Rev. Mr. Roberts read service and administered the Holy Communion. I preached and confirmed four white persons.

September 28th, Saturday. Forenoon, in St. Jude's Church, Walterboro', I preached, the Rector reading service.

September 29th, Sunday. Forenoon, I preached and confirmed five white persons. Afternoon and night, Rev. Edward Walker preached.

October 6th, Sunday. Pendleton, preached, in the forenoon and confirmed two white and two colored persons. Holy Communion was administered. Afternoon, Divine service, I preached.

October 9th, Wednesday. Forenoon, at Anderson, Divine service was held, I preached. Present, Rev. Messrs. Pinckney, Benj. Johnson and A. H. Cornish. Afternoon, Mr. Johnson preached. At night, Rev. Mr. Pinckney preached.

October 12th, Saturday. Forenoon, Greenville, Divine service, Rev. Mr. Potter preached. At night, I preached.

October 13th, Sunday. Forenoon, I preached and the Holy Communion was administered. Present, Rev. Messrs. Arthur, A. H. Cornish, Lance and Potter. Afternoon, Rev. Mr. Cornish preached. At night, I lectured on confirmation, and confirmed six white and two colored persons.

October 20th, Sunday afternoon. Columbia, in the new College Chapel, Rev. Mr. Hubbard of North-Carolina preached and I confirmed fifteen white persons belonging to the congregation of Trinity Church. At night, in Christ Church, Right Rev. Stephen Elliott, of Georgia, preached, and at my request confirmed eight white persons.

October 21st, Monday. Forenoon, in the new College Chapel ordained to the Order of Deacon, Mr. P. F. Stevens. The candidate was presented by the Rev. C. P. Gadsden, and my Right Reverend Brother the Bishop of Texas, most kindly assisted me in performing most of the services and in preaching the sermon.

November 3d, Sunday. Forenoon, in St. Mark's Church, Clarendon, ordained to the Order of Deacons, Mr. X. Y. Anderson. Rev. Mr. Habersham, the Rector, reading the service and presenting the candidate, I preached the sermon.

January 26th, 1862, Sunday. Forenoon, at Orangeburg, Rev. Paul Trapier read the service, and I preached, Holy Communion was also administered. Afternoon, Rev. Mr. Trapier read the service and baptized one white adult. I preached and confirmed four white persons.

February 2nd, Sunday. St. Matthew's Parish, in the Parish Church, Rev. Dr. Walker read the service and baptized one white adult. I preached and confirmed five white persons.

The whole number of persons confirmed since the last Convention is white, 123; colored, 83; total 206.

I have admitted to the Holy Order of Deacons, Mr. P. F. Stevens and Mr. X. Y. Anderson. There are now eleven candidates for Orders in the Diocese; nine of whom are members of our Theological Seminary; Thomas C. Evans, W. C. Guerry, John Johnson, W. B. Dubose, A. R. Walker, W. W. Patrick, Tho. F. Gadsden, John W. Motte, D. P. Hay, Robert H. Wilson and D. D. Rosa. I have received into the Diocese the Rev. R. T. Brown from Virginia.

I have consecrated to the service of Almighty God St. Stephen's Church at Willington, in Abbeville District, and Bethel Chapel in the neighborhood of Grahamville.

Account of Diocesan and Missionary funds in my hands: Remaining over from the last Convention, $1398.14. Received since that time from Collection on the first day of the Convention, $25.25; Walterboro, $75; St. Matthew's Parish, $20; Advancement Society, $150; Ladies Society, Beaufort, $54; St. Helena, Beaufort, $111; Grace Church, Camden, $66.60; Bradford Springs, $12; St. Peter's, Charleston, $42.75; St. Helena Island, $75; Edisto Island, $7; Trinity Church, Columbia, $8; St. Philip's, Charleston, $32.50; St. Michael's, Charleston, $35; St. Mark's Clarendon, $20; in all, $2132.30.

Expended of these funds since the last Convention: Chapel in Chesterfield District, $50; Rev. Benj. Johnson, $50; Orangeburg, $100; Rev. Mr. Olmsted, $150; Rev. Mr. Moore, $100; Yorkville, $250; Newberry, $200; Rev. Mr. Green, $80; in all, $980; leaving in my hands, $1152.30.

Account of Theological Seminary funds in my hands: Remaining over from the last Convention, $321.60; since then there have been no receipts. I have expended since that time for Mr. Hay, $50; for Mr. Patrick, $50; in all, $100: Leaving in my hands, $221.60.

In August last our brother, the late Rev. J. W. Taylor, departed this life. He had for several previous years been a minister of this church in Deacon's Orders, and with patient toil gave himself to the service of his Master. He was a man of meek disposition, kind and affectionate heart, and of sincerely pious affections. In his last hours he declared, “Jesus has been with me all through my sickness, I have no reason to distrust Him for what is to come.”

In the month of July last I attended the first General Provisional Convention of our Southern Church, which held its session in Montgomery, Alabama; and again, in October, an adjourned meeting of the same body, sitting in Columbia, in this State. This last session was more numerous than the former. Both of these bodies were able, earnest, thorough in discussion, and generally united in council. Although provisional, their acts are real and authoritative; as much so as those of any future General Convention, that must be founded upon them, and the sources which authorize them. These Conventions both assumed and declared that we were no longer, as a Church, in administrative union with the Church in the United States, as was also declared in the last Convention of this Diocese. It seems strange, therefore, that we should now have to reconsider our grounds, and review our conclusions; but there is an apparent necessity that it should be so; you will pardon me, therefore, a reference once more to these points.

This whole subject is simply a question of jurisdiction. It involves no Article of the Faith, no spiritual condition or office. The creeds all pre-existed our present condition. They were and are embraced by us. We were all Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons and Laymen of the Episcopal Church, and are so still unchanged. The inquiry, then, is merely one of administration and jurisdiction. But jurisdiction in the Church is not strictly jure divino. The right of jurisdiction is, but the appointments and arrangements are not. Therefore, although in the Church, its construction and relations must be human only. They must occupy the same ground as other human institutions, and be subject to the dispensations of Divine Providence and the necessary changes of things. The truth is, the present great revolution is a dispensation extraordinary, and a revelation from God. It is a voice from on high, speaking to men and changing and shaping the forms of society, both civil and religious. This is the radical truth that underlies this subject, and to this we will all have ultimately to come in our conclusions. But there are some other points that must be considered. In my Address to the last Convention of this Church, I stated it as my judgment that the Constitution of the General Convention of the Church in the United States made citizenship in the United States a condition precedent and necessary to membership in that body; that no citizen, holding and owing allegiance to a foreign power, could be a member of that General Convention. I see no reason to change that judgment. The more it is examined into, the more I think it will appear that the words “in the United States” in Art. I., and “in any of the United States” in Art. V., are terms of jurisdiction, and not merely descriptions of locality. This idea of citizenship being necessary to jurisdiction, has always fully pervaded the English Church; and from that Church they, who sat in the Convention of 1789, and framed the Constitution, derived their opinions. This, then, must have been the uppermost and prevailing idea with them. It appears, also, in the preface to the Prayer Book, and subsequently in Section VII. of Canon XIII. of the Church in the United States. Indeed the inconveniences of a different construction are so great and manifold as to forbid its, reception. Still it must be admitted that all this will not help us in the estimation. of that Church. They may acknowledge the principle; I think some of them have done so; but denied its application to ourselves. They deny that we are the citizens of a foreign State, and affirm that our allegiance is still due only to themselves. Now who is to determine this question? It must be done apart from the Constitution of the Church in the United States. What makes us a free and independent people? What can ever make us such? Should the European Powers recognize our independence, would that be to constitute it; or would it be only to acknowledge its existence? Should the United States themselves hereafter recognize us as a people, would that be to make or only to confess us such? Should they refuse to do this for evermore, could that unmake us what we are and will be in the eyes of men and nations? Here, then, comes up again the great question of our rightful and sustained revolution: what we are, under God, and (as we fully believe,) in accordance with his will, we have made ourselves, both in Church and State. Ultimately, then, whether we take the view, which I suppose to be just, of the Constitution of the Church in the United States, or reject it, we must come back to this point. I accept it. I believe in the right of revolution, as well in the ecclesiastical government as in the civil. I believe that both are, by the Divine will, made subject to the rights and laws of humanity, and the changes of Providence. A bondage to despotism is no part of the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free. To suppose it to be so is superstition and not religion. Upon the whole, then, I hold that we are severed, now and forever, from the jurisdiction of the Episcopal Church in the United States; that we are no more bound to consult them than they are to consult us, and that our ecclesiastical acts are not at all dependent upon their will.

So far, I have not considered the case of original, Diocesan independency— subject, however, to the just and due relations to Catholic Christianity, and the associated duties thence resulting. This I acknowledge, and that it is the proper form into which the Church resolves herself upon every necessary dissolution of Confederacy. In this form, also, has been the action of all the Southern Dioceses, in forming our new Confederation. But the principle I have advocated draws deeper than this. A strict Diocesan existence is not essential to the exercise of Christian right and liberty, when compelled to dissolve existing associations. There was no proper form of Diocesan Episcopacy in the Colonies of America at the time of the Declaration of American Independence. The Christians in the Colonies formed their respective Dioceses, with their Constitutions and Laws, and from them we have all been derived. In accordance with these conclusions, upon the request of my brother, the Rev. R. H. Wilmer, D. D., Bishop elect of Alabama, to take part, if necessary, in his consecration, I have consented to do so. It will be at considerable personal sacrifices to myself, and loss of time to the Diocese, now demanding my attention but I hope it will meet with the approbation of the Convention.

Permit me, brethren, to commend to your consideration, and press upon your kindness and confidence, our Theological Seminary. With all the other institutions of our country, it has had its trials during the past year. Still by the goodness of God, it has gone on well, and with increasing strength. It has secured the confidence and affection of the students. The instructions of the Professors have been unremitted, faithful, able and successful. This I say with the more pleasure, because I know that my own labors as Professor have contributed so very little to the instructions given. Especially let me remind you that the salaries of the Professors are dependent altogether upon contributions, which are at present very largely behind-hand. I know the times are hard, but I beseech you, let not this Seminary fall.

Beloved brethren, the times that try men's souls are upon us. We are visited with a war, cruel and unnatural. Those who were our brethren are invading our soil and desolating our homes. Every day brings with it increased intelligence of their encroachments ravages and bloodshed. But let none of these things move us. Let us “not be afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in our hearts.” By Him, and in Him, and of Him are all things, through Jesus Christ our Lord. All things work together for good to them that love Him. He is chastening us for our sins, and proving our faith, that it may be found in His sight “laudable, glorious and honorable.” Let us submit to His holy will; rest upon His mercies, and pray to Him to strengthen our confidence in His mighty power and righteous judgment. Let us strive to be knit together more closely in the bonds of Christian fellowship, and to possess all peace and joy in believing.