The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1866-10-17
DR.. Adger's Letter.

We give, according to promise, that part of
DIR. Adger's letter to DR.. Backus which bears
most specially upon the question in hand:
Allow me now to repeat that there is no need
of any personal feeling being excited or mani
tested between us, since the question we are dis
cussing is just grave public question of right
and wrong l wish to hold it up again in that
light, before you, and through you, before your
church. The fact is plain that your missionary
has our church and that he could not retain
possession of it, if your committee would sim
ply tell him to give it up. The fact is also plain
that the only condition upon which we may have
possession Of our church from the military au-
thorities Isl that we agree to letyour missionary
school be kept in the basement Now, you say
in your letter, that if we do not choose to allow
your school to be held there 'you (we) have a
perfect right to exclude them" Gt.) And | sin
cerely hope and believe that the authorities will
so decide. What | wish you now to consider is
whether your committee and your Secretary and
your missionary have not put your great and no
bic church into position different from this, and
position which she ought not to be made to
hold Can the Presbyterian Church at the
North afford to stand in the position of occupy
ing, through her agents, either the whole or any
part of our building by force? You say, respect
ing " this whole matter of aiding the freedmen"
that you "wish heartily it was entirely in our
hands, and that we (you) could work through
vour (our) agency You add that you "have
the fullest confidence in your (our) Christian in
terest in that peoples" that we are mingled with
them and familiar with their habits of thought"
and that your church, if it were not for the ex-
listing "terrible prejudice" might operate for
the freedmen, through us, "mOre wisely, eco
nomicaly, and with less Earring" You speak
also in the highest terms of our pastor, Girar
deau whom your missionary has dispossessed of
his fold. and to some extent of his flock also.
Well. | sought before and now seek again to get
DR.. Backus under the influence of these wise,
lust and generous sentiments which | know to be
natural to him. to consider whether he is not
personally dishonored by the action of these
agents of his church, and whether that church
herself is not dishonored by the same? j wish
YOU to reflect that, whether it is your committee
or your missionary who continues to hold, by
force. our property, either wholly or partly, your
glorious old church is involved in the act, and
that whether your missionary incite the colored
people who adhere to him to make the unjust
claim or be melted by them to do so, your whole
body is involved in the shame of this injustice.
| call on you, my brother, to think how it will
read hereafter if your great church shall, by
whatever agency, force US to provide accommo-
dations of whatever kind for your missionary
operations. You are are rich and we poor; you
are strong, and we weak; will it answer for you
to be in any degree Indifferent to our just claims,
or INSCRIPTIONS in your manner of dealing with
us? We have been now for eight months seeking
iustice-we, whose claims to sincere and cor
dial interest in the black mans prosperity you
warmly acknowledge say, have been for
eight months seeking justice froma Presbyterian
Committee and Assembly. First in one form
and then in another; first upon one ground and
then upon another, there has been hitherto per-
sistent effort to deny us our clear and plain
rights. ask you if it will not be unfortunate
for the reputation of Presbyterianism if we have