The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-08-29
LETTER OF REV. T. @ JONES.

20 perbonA oueDeive and unjust q commu-
pondent "verdadns What pity il is th 4 edito1
should sometimes ind themselves under the neces
n OF engaging the services Of persons who COM
peed 10 order TO attract attention to their eusiens
70 v1aduse In the most Unworthy personalities
aouf correspondent, with astonishing presump-
ana offciousness. asssiIs for recently leavin
,S ana not at once returning to my post. And
ms hs does without having appareLtiy any correct
nave Influenced me
:, Excuse ms for saying it, Messrs. Editors for
.na deserves to BE- noticed, that the course of
.ne press generally so far a. have had an opporu-
ny OF observng It. with some honorable exceptions
81 WHICH had thought the Dispatch one as well ss
nat OF many of their corresponds at time like
this. IT, in some respects exceedingly ipjudeiousS
hot 70 enpioy stronger term: While nothing could
wiser or better than for utitudes able TO do 90
20 ieaVe place infected with pestii-ncs, not few
eGlors indiscriminatey praise saints or heroes all
VINO VINO continue in its midst, although in msny IN
ances which induce them to do so On the other
nano, With equal igaorancs Of motives and c;rcun-
a;E sces tney cast reprosch upoa all who pursue q
oinsIent course. This 10 sometimes done not d.
recty but by indirection often gtrons ger than d.
contrasting the conduct ofthe cl,ss
nst OF the Other as to do the latter t to be
Allow me to say. Messrs Editors, that would not
ae.lset In the slightest degree. from the honor
men and women Who. for the love of God and OF
suffering humanity. with martyrspirit, hazard life
the sick and dying. the sweet and soothing and sus
tanning eorssiations Of religion. would rather in.
conduo. of have no respsst ~ for the .prs and
c.uzens abroad, that they have true charity for
There are many causes of very different moral cha.
rseter and weight which soustime 81 induce persous
90 estaoch themselves snd remain la places soourged
os infectious and malignant disease. A degrading
eapidty mean avaree thst seeks to make cs pital
ofthe very calsmtits Of nsp morbid fear of tbs re.
prosches OF the insonsiderste and the unchsritabe
some OF them not to name Others which viii readi.
~ sassess themselves to every thinking and obser-
But Messrs. Editors let M say It with empha.is,
the only proper cause for staudug to ones post In
tmes OF pecl liar difficulty and d.nger ss indeed in
ell Other times Is not snv which have suggested,
nor eu7 me sense of 'oOrLd Donor -dep0fion
duty the only source and ration of true cour.
age, enc SeaUtne practical piefy.
During the whole period of my c,nusetion with
tne ffeemsson St Baptist Church of Norfolk have
steadily endeavored to keep sacred this principle of
auly- many tempting Inducements to resign the
charge Of that Church havs besn held ont to me l
have Constantly resisted them all. During the pre-.
valencs OF tie cholera in Norfolk, several years
snce, ;emained Though it Eli. though one promi.
nent pastor, 10 feeble hsath, lard whom no one, 1
beie0es for moment censurec) left the city and
repaired to the mountains And whenever | have
temporarily relinqushed my charge al have done
every simmer except the one to which have lust
referred 1t has been with the the Church.
and IN fome lnstapces at the persuasion of
its a oss active and etfic ent members Now Messrs
EDITORS. II my own Church. noble any other, in
Nortolk or elsewhere, f ardent and steadfast devo-
tion 20 truth and principle be test )>ap5roved my
conduct-if my own conscience as | know and God
IS Deilsve approve it, ia it for your correspondent
sion2 -
1.-THE minister of the Freemason Street Rapti.t
Church is the only tminis:e who has proved re-
creani says he, TO his duty and uni thfu to his
foct. He left the city shortly befors the epidemic
broke eut and has kept imsef safs away since
as Christian minister, he should have return ed in
med'ateiy 10 minister to the spiritual wants of his
congregation; but in place he wrote we learn TO
know wheth twould be safe for hin to return: and
being advised that 1t would not Very pruden v. but
not very Samaritan like, declined venturing back"
10 the above extract, Messrs Editors your corre-
sponde mt not only displays what think to say the
least, will be generally considered very bad spirit
but he ID guilty of three in point of fact /
was not the "oniy" minister or pastor nor the first
broke out. i did not write to know IL it
would be safe" for me TO return, though i did in
return, the means the way of doing So while the
quarantine REGULATIONS continued to Do enforced.
Appealing from the decision OF your correspond
ent. let me ask INTEL gent and honorable men,
Whose prass or censure alone l regard if the fol-
lowing statements in connection with those (wheu
they were made, deemed suificlent) in the letter
below, do not put my rec-Et Course of conduct
Who'll v above reproach.
Before left Norfolk although the fever had m AMI
tested itself veral weeks earlier not membsr of
GU Chu ch or congregation had taken it. The poor
OF the Church Chose entirely dependent uroa its
bene factions had been provided for.
Before could return, had | thought it my duty to
do So or eavs my wife (for week or ten DAYS Ia
church and congre gstion had quit the CITY There
were, then, but few left whom 70 preach and NOT
Gil OF those, as every minister knows would in euc1
time OF pestlience, attend the NEE etinss As for
funerals In such times if mistake net they are not
attended for want of audiences by ministers except
BY those no suppose that other services
over the bodies of the de8d benefit their denartsd
souls To the sick and dying of fever so rapid and
violent In Its course but little good could ordinarily
be expected to result from religious conversation;
indeed in the most critical cases tls physicians iof
ten as personally know, prohibiting i in ssy.re
attacks IT other diseaas would allow such cenver.
saton at all
In addition to the foregoing, will you do ma the
justice messrs Editors, 10 publish the loving let,
addressed fe days to the editor Of the
Norfolk Argus and PROBABLY published in hi, issue of
to.day2 Yours, &C.,
TIsERIUs GRACIOUS JONES.
SIDNEY NEAR RICHMOND. Aug. 2lst, 1855.
Editor Of the Argus:
Dear Sir-ln locking over the Richmond Disp stch
OF this morning pe1c 1--WE thst you hsve twice al.
Iuaed (peihsps without mentioning their nsmesl TO
'four or five ministers' Of Norfolk aod Portsmouth
as having fled from the scourge" so dreadfully
affecting those pisces As one of the ministers to
whom you thus call attention, feel il due TO NV.
self AGA the cause with which particularly iden.
titled in Norfolk, to take notice of your cen.
sure-csnsure which, while undeserved on my part
seems to me undiscrimlnating on yours.
Before inpressing the readers with the notion
that the ministers referred to had 3D." panc-strck
en- from their posts, in shsmeful slect Of their
own duty" ''eaving the suffering and sffcsed mem
berA of their 3cks in the midst OF disease and death
without those words of comfort and Christina coDsc-
lation which it becomes them especially to impsEt
10 the hour OF extraordinary calamity and trial"
mi ight it not have BEEN well for the Editor of the
Argus to inquire into the circumstances under which
they left Surely he will not assume that under no
circumstances could they have been usti sd in leay-
ing. II 80, think many cases might occur in which
he would pray to bs delivered from the application
to himself of his own rule. Rev. Mr.. Winston of
the Cumber land street Bsptist Church. had resigned
bis cbarge before he knew of the existence of the
fever in Portsmouth Norfolk, and left ten DAYS or
fortne ht since, 10 enter upon important duties else
where Anxious upon other grounds to remain in Mo-
fik, (athough my own state of health always at this
season OF the year. feeble render relax alton
from my ordinary pastoral duties important would
OF ITSELF In the view of most persons have justified
my leaving the necessity of Mr. Winston's depart
ure made me still more anxious to stay
have no fear that either my character or ipf1u.
ence will rain any injury among those By whom
The circumstances under which l left the city are
Enoicn. All the offices and other leading member q
or the church OF which have charge, knowing that
deeply ssmpsthized with our sfi: :cted comr,unity
aud earnestly desired to continue my post never
taee" advised me to leave-ssyng. indeed, that uu-
der the peculiar circumstances in which was placed
circumstances which l feel under no necessity of
mentionins } they considered il my duty to do so
aud when spoke of returning Norfolk as soon as
could, without violation of my dnty to one whose
Claims up me paramount to those of all Others
out God, all the descons of the church strongI re-.
monstrated against it.
la conclusion, Mr. Editor, whiIe disclamipg any In
tenton OF being personally offensive to you or others
allow me to enquire if those to whom Minister
more competent than Others to decda upon nv min.