The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-03-16
Respectfully, yours, G. 81. READ.
For the Philadelphia Bulletin.

Mr.. EdltOr,-My attention has been call
ed to communication in your issue Of the
28th ultimo, over the signature of &c a
LOYAL PRESBYTERIAN" addressed to
PHILADELPHIA PREsDYTERIAN3, -. in
which the writer has committed himself to
some gross mis-statements. g..
Calling attention to circular issued by
the ladies of the UNITED PREsGYTEaIAN
CHURCH in this city, of which I AIN tho
pastor, asking aid to rebuild our church
edifce, which was destroyed by fire, this
writer makes, among others, the following
points:
GA slip from the Richmond Daily Dis
patch says that they intend making this
one of the most beautiful and substantial
temples in the South.'" The writer here
upon volunteers his opinion that we
s'should not desire to erect" such a,, ed;-
flee, " especially so when the funds to &C
comphsh it are expected to be derived main
ly from the North. To this I reply, first,
that whilst the writer r'A LOYAL PREsBY-
TERIAN'') has used quotation marks to indi-
cate that he is transcribing the language OF
the Richmond Dispatch, he has materially
changed that language, when, as it would
appear, he must have had the slip before
him; and the language substituted by him
is not true statement of the facts in the
premises.
The Richmond Dispatch has the follow.
ing language: "Judging from the plan
which has been shown US, 1t may be pre-.
dicted that when finished this will be one
of the most beautiful and substantial tenn
pies in the South %; which is simply the
expression of an opinion by the writer in
the Dispatch, and in no sense an avowal OF
"intention :" on the part of our people, the
architect, or the building committee.
Such an intention / have never heard eX-
pressed by any one excepting "a LOYAL
PRESBYTERIAN" The intention might or
might not be judicious; but the manner in
which it is attributed to US is false, and
calculated, if not intended, to hinder our
progress.
2. This writer assumes to know our
thoughts before we arc aware of their
birth, as when ho says that the funds to
accomplish our work "are erpected to b.
derived mainly from the Morrill," We are
certainly very grateful for the liberal aid
Of many northern friends, without which ]
do not think we should have undertaken
the work in hand; but it is due to the
North and South-to the truth--to say
that the sums thus far contributed at the
North and at the South (lcaving out OF
view the contributions in Richmond) are
almost precisely even.
Waving, now, any notice of the allega-
tions respecting our intense disIoyalty and
matters Of that sort, the writer in your
paper of the 2Sth ultimo says that he was
informed" IN Richmond, shortly after
the destruction of our old church, "that
the loyal few" (of our congregation
"were treated in an unchristian manner,
the disloyal ones refusing all intercourse
with them, and the reyerend pastor inf FORM
ing them that their presence in the church
aoaS obnoxious to the congregation, and re-
queSting them to refrain from further at
tendance" have italicized a portion of
the foregoing sentence as particularly per-
sonal to myself and as touching matters
about which have exact knowledge; and
to this my answer is, that the writer's IN
former either reported or invented what
was then, and is now, false.
If an issue Of veracity is made, be it so
my name is given to the denial, and have
no objection to the publication of the name
Of the info1mer, which, from certain broad
footprints, I think can discern.
Allow me to add, Mr.. Editor, that the
necessity was upon us to rebuild house
for the worship of God, knowing that we
should need help from abroad. Our build
ing committee adopted plan which we
deem judicious, having regard to conve-
nience, durability, economy, and good
taste. The main walls are up and the
roof on. We are endeavoring to secure
funds to finish the interior as early as pos
sible.
Until now very little effort, compare
lively, has been made in PHILADELPHIA
and it remains to be seen whether the ar
ticle Of your correspondent will diminish
or increase the generous responses which
are beginning to come in, and for which
We are grateful. Be that as it may, it
seemed meet to let truth and loyalty
speak through the same columns, with
your permission, to all whom it may con-
cern. Respectfully, G. II. READ,
Pastor Of the United Presbyterian Church,
Richmond, Va. Narch Q, 1868.