The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-06-03
WASHINGTON, D. G..
THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 1853.
THE PULPIT AND SLAVERY.

THE PULPIT AND SLAVERY.
Sunday evening, May %, the Rev. DR.. Cum
minis, Pastor of Trinity Church in this city
preached sermon to young men, on the Life
and Character of the late Dudley A. Tying,
Evidentlya friend and admirer of the deceased,
be spoke of him in exalted terms, bat part Of
his discourse deeply offended some of his hear
ers, one of whom reports as follows:
~ will state, as nearly as can remember
his own words. After glowing allusion to his
purity and selfsacri6cing spirit, he added, with
emphasis, but he was not perfect know you an
ticpste what am about to ssy-he soas not Der
feet. He committed one error, one deep, grave
awful error. He introduced political question
into his pulpit. He did it but once and althou sb
nearly three years of his ministry have elapsed
since that time, it was never repeated, and ]
firmly believe that he earnestly and deeply re-
pented of this error"
Where or how DR.. Cummins could have goi
such an impression, we cannot understand. He
would not, we are sure, do injustice to any man
but he has done great injustice in this instance
to the fame of Dudley A. Tying, as he will see
by the following correspondence:
WASHINGTON, May "a 1858.
MY DEAR Sir I have not had the honor Of
your personal acquaintance, though believe
have once met you but my purpose in, writing
you at the present time is such that hope shall
be pardoned for the liberty I take. heard
last evening, sermon on the character of your
late con, Rev. D. A. Tying, in which the speaker
referred to the position which he took on the
Slavery question, and which resulted in the
separation of himself from the church to which
he ministered, as the error, the great error OF
his life-one which he never repeated, and OF
which he always after repented.
1t being the first time that l ever heard such
a suggestion, and feeling fully confident that it
is untrue, and does great injustice to the mem.
DRY of your deceased son, and that it is due to
the cause of truth, of justice, of humanity, and
to the just fame of the honored dead, that
this statemen should be met at the outset by
an authoritative statement from one authorized
to speak, / request of you, if not inconsistent
with your feelings and sense of propriety, that
you will be pleased to inform me whether your
late son either directly or indirectly manifested
or expressed any regret for or repentance of
the course he 80 manfully assumed, and, as his
admirers have supposed, SO firmly and faithfully
sustained till death.
trust that the great interest which and the
friends with whom l cooperate feel in every.
thing relating to the great cause of civil, relig
ious, and personal liberty, will plead my ex.
cuse for what may seem rude intrusion upon
you in this time of your severe grief.
With much respect, yours,
JOHN P. HALE.
Rev. s. II. Tying.
New YORK, May 26, 1853.
DEAR Sir: am under great obligations to
you for the kindness of your note There is
not the slightest foundation in truth for the
statement that my son, in any way or shape,
ever retracted, qualified, or designed to do so,
his solemn and welconsidered protest against
the oppression of Slavery. His first sermon
was preached in June, 1856. Another, on the
same subject, and on the same ground of con.
sideration, ia July, 1857. 1 send by mail a
copy of the Statement" Published by his own
congregation. The last page will show you his
final action on this subject, in December, 1856.
So far as his first sermon was concerned, !
should extremely disapprove of any attempt to
qualify his action on this subject by any pro-
fessed friends to him. have now in press a
sermon of DR.. Cheever, of this city, on his
character under this special aspect, which am
publishing with my own sanction, in order to
w WhoI oCCiuc w mC uy OuLJ III T6RaIo W Tic
important subject.
- has written to me upon the same
discourse of DR.. Cummins. May ask you to
communicate the substance of this note to him,
and one of the pamphlets which / forward.
When DR.. Cheever's sermon is out, will take
the liberty to forward q copy of that to you.
My excessive pressure of duty at this moment
leads me to take this liberty with yourself /
trust you will have the kindness to excuse it.
l am, with much regard, your friend and
servant, STEPHEN 81. TYING.
Hon. John P. Hale, o. S. Senate.
The note referred to by the father is conclu.
sive. 1t is as follows:
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 8, 1856.
DEAR SIR: l was 80 much interested in
your proposition to deposit copy of my ser.
mon on " Our Country's Troubles" in the ar
chives of the Vestry, that have made several
efforts to recover the original manuscript from
the hands of the printer. Having to-day sue.
ceeded, l take great pleasure in sending it
to you, Just as II ,cas delirered in the pulpit of
the Epiphany, on the 29th of June last. 1 have
just read it over, after nearly six months in
terval, and find no word which would retract,
and feel more than ever: thankful for having
been enabled to discharge 30 solemn duty.
l doubt not that in future years it will be re-
garded with somewhat of the interest which
now attaches to the first attempts at the sup.
preston of the slave trade.
Very respectfully and truly,
DUDLEY A. TYING.
DIR. Cdspar Norris.
May we not hope that DR.. Cummins will take
an early opportunity to correct the error into
which he has fallen?