Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-10-06
RACx OLD LETTER.
Politics and Piety i'm 1909 as De-
scribed by n Kentucky
COngreSsmam
NUHI > NU88aIatIHH


Mrs Owen Rockwell, of Westfield,
has found in an old attic letter
of 1909, signed by NJ. Lyon, whom
the old aunties with wonderful
memories have all forgotten, but
il il now guessed that he must
have been identical with the
Mathew Lyon mentioned in
recent letter to the Republican from
Bennington as having been impris-
oned for violently attacking the Adj
ministIatiOn while q candidate for
reelection to Congress. The letter
is addressed to Rev. Jas. Murdoch,
of Martinsburg, n. Y, whose wife
Anna was a daughter of Mr.. Buck
ingham, of SaybroOk, CT, probablya
decendantO of Rev. Thomas Buching-
ham of that town, who was pastor
from 1867 to 1903, one of the found
ers of Yale College, and the ancestor
of Rev. DIR. Buckingham, of this
city. Her sister Esther married
Gen. William Hart, whose son,
Richard William Hart, was the
grandfather of Mrs. Samuel Colt, of
Hartford. Another sister, Abigail,
married John Rockwell, of South
wick, an officer in the Revolution
and father of the late Dea UZal
Rockwell of precious memory.
Lyon, the writer of the letter, was
a native of Ireland, a Paymaster in
the Revolutionary army, and the
founder of the town of FairhaVen,
VT. He was a member of the Leg
islature for ten years, and was cleo
ted TO Congress in 1899 while in
prison at VergenneS for seditiOus ut
terances. In his first term he had a
personal difficulty on the floor of
Congress with Roger Griswold, of
Connecticut, and it was by his vote
in the House that Jefferson was
made President. On finishing his
term he moved to Kentucky, where
he was in the Legislature for two
years and was sent to Congress from
1903 to 1911. He was afterWard APP
Mointed factor among the CherOkees
of Arkansas, and was elected first
delegate from that Territory to Con-
gress, but died in 1922 before taking
his seat. His heirs were identified
in 1910 for his punishment under
sedition laws. The letter not only
embOdies his political views at the
time it was written, but gives an
admirable idea of the man. 1t is a
frank, friendly letter to his old pas
tor, and is as follows:
WASHINGTON, Jan. z, 18O9.--Ml
Good Friend: Twas agreeably sur
prised with a letter from you last
evening. l am grateful to learn
that am remembered by my old
friends, and that you and family are
well. / will inclOSe your letter
to Mrs. Lyon, who will re-
jOice to hear from you and Mrs.
Murdoch. My last letters from
home brought me an account
Of the health of family, we live in
the most delightful country & ]
thank god have been prOspered
Our grandchildren are growing up
around, us we have had a boy and
girl born in Kentucky.
We live truly in perilOus times
in which it is extremely important
to pursue the Wisest measures.
am sorry to have to differ with the
President and his Councillors, that
President whom | had spared nc
pains to get ELEVATED, but you know
my opinions is not to be sacrificed
to any man to any friendship.
friendship for mankind for My
Country, for My NeighbOrs has been
my predominant Motto not for in
dividuals, individually.
The source of the differences
speak of is a conviction in my mind
that Mr.. Jefferson's extreme caution
and desire to act impartially toward
has led him to overlook the usurpa-
tiOns of BOnaparte and the danger
of his becoming master of the world
including the u. States, this apathy
towards the atrocities of BOnaparte
is cOntrasted by desire to make the
worst of the injuries we receive from
Britain, bad enough in themselves
god knows. In resenting injuries q
self-destrOying Embargo has been
invented OStensibly to operate
against France & England, but act
ually operating against this cOun.
try K England. In the Same way
we are called on now by those who
are the creatures of the Executive tC
make War on France x England
both, while nothing is further from
their views than War with France
but / hope we shall avoid it q / be.
lieve the friends of peace will be able
to Stem the Torrent in case Britain
gives us no further prOvOcatiOn
The Embargo will be continued rs
long as its projectors can keep any
considerable share of the people sat.
isfied with it. We are about to pass
laws to cut off the intercourse with
Il A. q - IL
lie the ships that will not come
home, and then we will be offered
to change the Embargo for War
the Embargo can not last long, Wal
may.
shall not detain you so long on
my religious opinions as on politics,
those opinions are not changed since
you knew me. My religion teaches
me to live so as to thank God fol
my existence, IL to place confidence
in his mercy as well as his Justice,
to come as near as possible toward
loving my neighbOr as myself Il to
have charity for anybody's religious
opinions. In our country there i
not a great deal of fuss about Relig-
ion. the people are most BaptiStS
and MethOdiSts. they are not very
Industrious, & in July & August are
not occupied with Hay-making, sc
they have time to go about to Camp,
meetings. The weather is fine fOl
lyeing out. in this way they visit
without expense. by changing the
places of the Great meetings they
tax their acquaintance with all eX.
pense of supporting them save
what they bring. preaching, pray
ing and some other sorts of exercise,
90 on for near a week Il and wheI
they retire these things go into the
newspapers highly cOlOured. | Otter
attend x spend days without hear
ing word about religion except
from the Out-Of-dOOrs pulpit. Give
my best respects to Mrs. MurdOcB
and your family. yours Truly,
NJ. LYON.
Mr.. w. J, DAVE, Commissioner