| Title: | Alex McLeod [U.S.?] to Rev. William Stavely. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1734 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | McLeod Staveley, Alex/67 |
| Year | 1816 |
| Sender | McLeod, Alex |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | Presbyterian minister |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | New York, USA |
| Destination | Ireland |
| Recipient | Rev. William J. Stavely |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | penfriends, distant relatives? |
| Source | D/1792/E: Deposited by late Rev. J.C.K. Armour and the Rev. S.S.S. Armour. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9707031 |
| Date | 06/12/1816 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 28:07:97. |
| Word Count | 1066 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | My Dear Friend & Brother I yesterday received, by the Mail from Philadelphia, a letter of an old date. It's appearance also indicated long wear. It bears the Post mark Phila [Philadelphia?] 29th Nov. On its back, in your hand writing, are the words Pr.[per?] Ship President; and within, it is dated Chequer hall 2d April 1810. Twenty Moons have accordingly shone on it before I saw its Contents. The Subject is one which during that time, however, has created much uneasiness - Mr. David Graham. With your opinions of him, we, now, are all taught by experience to accord; & we all readily admit, the impropriety of the measure of his restoration in America. It is a useful lesson; & believe me, Sir, Graham has been the means of raising the Discernment, the Integrity, & the Dignity of the Irish Ministry & Courts of Judicature, to the highest place in the esteem of all our Ministers in America. Our Young men, too, will come forward with these favourable Sentiments of their foreign connections. You conducted, relative to Mr. Graham, both in your private letters & public Documents, with admirable propriety. By the Synodical address, from the pen of Mr. W. Masters, you will learn the general opinion of our Church relative to that affair. And when the Report of the Presbytery, which has deposed him, shall have undergone the Revision of Synod, it will appear to all that our experience has been purchased very dearly. We will prove it the more. I intend some time to give you a history of this business as an interesting & instructive Chapter of the Annals of this Church. It was during the time of Mr. Black's absence on a mission to the States of Kentucky & Carolina, that Mr. Graham reached Pittsburgh. He found in that Congregation, and in the Western Country generally, some warm advocates against the power of Sessions & for increasing the power of Societies. At the Head of this faction was a discontented man formerly from Colerain [Coleraine?] a Hatter of the house of William Church. Soured at Mr Black because he did not encourage the making an Elder of him, Church, for years, endeavoured to perplexe.[perplex?] Graham became to popular advocate for the liberties of the people against the tyranny of the Ministers. Church has talents subtle, discerning, & calculating. Graham was the Nominal, Church, the real head of the Conspiracy. They succeeded. When Presbytery met in Pittsburgh to try Graham, it was immediately [denominated?] the Inquisation. [inquisition?] The old enmity against our Political principles revived, Lawyers & Magistrates & populace were on the side of hostility to Presbytery. Mr. Black first, then Professor Wylie, and lastly, on my unexpected appearance at that Presbytery, Dr. McLeod was the Chief Tyrant. The Populace, threatened to Mob us. The Lawyers offered their Services to prosecute us for Libel. The Magistrates were ready to condemn, & anxious to have us under an authority which we rejected. The trial commenced under these auspices, and continued for a Whole Week, publicly, in the presence of about 2,000 spectators. The Treason of the Vicepresident of the United States, Burr, and the Whiskey insurrection, scarcely made more noise in the Western Country than this trial. It required Patience & Skill & Fortitude. They were exhibited by the Presbytery, both Ministers and Elders, in a high degree. When, on the eighth day of the [Se-------?], it was proposed to take the main question on Mr. Grahams case, He presented his Declinature, & was followed by his Brother in Law, Harrethen, who also presented a Declinature in the name of the people. Several Presbyterian & Seceder Ministers who attended during the whole, & the Judges with a few of the Magistrates, gave their opinions everywhere, that the Court both understood & performed their Duty. Graham soon Organised a new Community, & they have published their Constitution. It is a puny & malevolent, but contemptible production. I understand he has also in the Press, what he calls his trial in two hundred pages Octavo; & that he expects to enrich himself by the sale of it. Such, my Dr. [Dear?] Sir, is the lesson we have received from our too generous confidence in the professions of this man. I am, however, yet of opinion that the whole will turn out, to our advantage not only in producing more caution; but also in the increase of the Church. Time will tell the correctness of this opinion. Our Seminary promises amidst many discouragements to do well. Seven Students now attend it. But it will yet take three years, nearly, before we can reap any more of its fruits. Our vacancies are still unhappy to wear in. Mr. Milligan was [me------?] called; but we will not ordain him in less than a twelvemonth from the time he was licensed. He will be, if God spares him a valuable acquisition. He is learned, pious, humble, & zealous. His deficiency, is a constitutional indifference to neatness in the construction and delivery of his discourses, & an unjustifiable good opinion of man. Should he [g-------?] himself up, in these respects, he would be, in every respect [wh-----?] now, in good sense, a first rate man. We could immediately [-------?] good advantage two or three others of a superior cast; but it is hard for mediocrity to form a congregation in America; & far inferior talents we have still less to hope. I envy you in Ireland and envy be without benevolence, for the humble of prime men that adorn your Church. But let us be contented in following at a distance Our Fathers footsteps. Still I regret that some of your young men do not venture hither. I think a man of talents would do more good to the general cause of America than there. But I submit to superior wisdom. We shall have what God allots to us. Thus we are better wanting than in having any one who is not bold & prepared to practice self-denial. But I am confident that a few years of the services of another Mr. [I-----?] or a Stavely would be the means of such a gathering to our Church, as amply to compensate any man who would be capable of it & would love the trial. I have only to subscribe Yours respectfully Alex McLeod |
