Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-06-16
NUMBER 1872.
From the Savannah Republican.
Interesting Correspondence.
DORCHESTER, MASS,

From the Savannah Republican.
Interesting Correspondence.
DORCHESTER, MASS, May II, 1880
To the Church and Society of 4Hia,raH Ga.
DEAR BRETHRES; In the year 1895, (Octob"r
22d,) church was formed In this town, which
went to South Carolina, and settled in place
which they called Dorchester; subsequently they
| removed to Midway, In Georgia. | wish TO inquire
whether any Of the descendants of those who went
OIL from this town are now living The reason for
| asking this question is, that the citizens of this
| town, without distinction OF party, propose cell
brating the 4th of July next in national manne"
and all Of the sons and daughters of this town an
invited to participate and are invited to come to
| the homes and graves of their ancestors. No moro
does the shrill war-whoop wake them to battle rs
they lie in their quiet graves, carry into caI
tyity their unoffending children but we are real-
ing the fruits Of their toll and perseverance,, and
| therefore would remember them with affection.
II any one or more of your society should be IN
this vicinity whom you would approve, we should
be glad to have them the guests of the citizens OF
this town, on that occasion.
We adjoin Boston, on but thirty minutes ride,
with conveyances every half hour. We have sent
to Dorchester, England, and have given them tho
same invitation; that being the place from which
many of our progenitors came and from which our
town derived its name. We look upon that place
as the parent and yours as the child of the town.
If you will communicate this to your friends, and
| take such action as may seem good to you, it will
obige US much. II you have no delegate present.
it would give great pleasure to receive some
communication in response to this. We give you
our fraternal greeting, and, through you your So
ciety, wishing you peace, prosperity, and every
Christian grace
Most respectfully, yours,
EBEN CLAPr, Jr., Secretary.
T
June 4, 1855.
To tie Church and Society of Dorchester, Massa.
... chusetts, greeting:
DEAR BRETHREN II Your letter dated Dorches-
ter, Mass, May IL, 1885, has been received by the
Midway Society You mention that in the yenr
| 1895 October 22) "a church was formed in this
town, which went to South Carolina and settled
in place which they called Dorchester" and
subsequently they removed to Midway, in Geor-
ga," and you also inquired whether any of the dc.
scendants of those who went off from this town
are now living"
In reply, We would state that your communion
tion was received with much pleasure. 1t recalled
TO our minds the ties of consanguinty, and thosn
traditional associations which have ever endeared
| in our memories the home of our ancestors. W.
are happy to inform you, that according to our re-
cords, the church organized in Dorchester, Mass,
| in the year 1895, A. d., Of which the Rev. Joseph
| Lord was pastor, settled in Dorchester and Beach
Hill, S. c., during the same year, and continued
there until the year 1852 A. D., period of fifty
seven years, when the Society being in want Of
lands for the settlement of their children, began to
remove to Midway, in Georgia, and located there
upon the 9th December, 1852, where most Of their
descendants remain until the present time. About
one-half Of the present population of Liberty cour
ty are related to these settlers. Others have fol
lowed the westward tide of emigration.
During the infancy of the church at Midway, QUE
| afu NH ~ ltpitl aynI
by the predatory nsursons of Indians and sacked
by the rapacious British during struggle for
| independence During the continuance of the war,
| the Society much scattered, but with the news
6spesce brighter day dawned.
Our church and Society was then settled upon II
sure and solid basis, and we hope has proved
| blessing to very many of our race. The mission
| upon which this Church and Society left Dorches-
ter to encourage the settlement of churches,
and the promotion Of religion in the Southern Plan
tations." We trust this mission has been a
cessful one. Many heralds of the cross have gone
forth from the Society TO preach the Gospel. Some
to China and Burmah some to sister States
while others have chosen our colored population,
as their fields Of usefulness. We have not been
| altogether forgetful of our origin. In the year
| l795, sermon was preached by the Rev. Cyrus
Gildersleeve, pastor of Midway Church at that
time, commemorative of the one hundredth ami
versary Of our Society since its formation in Dor
| chester, Massachusetts,.
The Church and Society at Midway (Which has
preserved its congrcgationalism intact to the pres
ent time) also celebrated the 18th, 9th and 9Th Of
December, 1852, the centennial anniversary Of our
settlement here. Our exercises were commenced
| by a sermon by the Rev. j. S. II. Axson who had
been our pastor for seventeen years, now Presi-
dent Of Greensboro (Georgia) Female College
man Of sterling ability, rare intelligence, and pol
ished eloquence. On the next day Professor John
b. Mallard read an essay, containing epitOmc OF
all the historical associations connected with our
early settlement. On the 9Th, Judge William Law
delivered Grafton on the character, objects and
influences of our Church and Society.
| Thus, we have endeavored to refresh our memo.
ries with the history Of the past and impress them
upon the minds ofour children. The descendants Of
the fathers Of our Society assembled from many re-
mote points, and participated with US in the festiVi
| lies Of that occasion. We regret that we were So
reniss in duty as not TO have extended an nyi-
| tation 10 you, to unite with u.s. We feared that
| the sad changes OF time had obliterated us from
the memory Of our northern relatives and friends
but now that you have sought US out, TO renew
acquaintance, your kindness will render you
doubly dear TO US.
1t Il true your vicinity to te hot bed Of fanati.
cism, had almost warranted us in the belief that
the foul aspersons Of abolition traducers had
| erased from your minds all kindly mementos Of
your Southern brethren, (being slavehoders) But
| We are pleased TO infer from your invitation to
unite with you in the celebration Of tho fourth Of
July, that sentiment of nationality still pervades
our ancestral town. We infer, likewise, from the
invitation, that although Shareholders we shall not
be esteemed "sHnsrs a5ore all othcrs," except by
those who affect purity of religion untaught by
our Lord and Master, and who trample upon His
sacred teachings, only because they pander not TO
| sectarianism and revolutionl "Le1 scripta ct
seripta" IL our MAXIM We wish not to change
the letter Of Gods word nor the constitution of
our American Union
The covenant must be involate!
"Nor keep the promise to our ear, and break Il /"
our hope"
Understand us not "a indulging in any bitter IN
vectve. II pains us to allude to a subject upon