The age-herald., 1900-01-16
BISHOP JACKOON'C LETTER TO DIOCESE Makes Statement in Regard to
 the Charges IN RENDERING RESIGNATION Says the Rumor of the Alleged Intox.- cation Was Quickly Spread, Mag nifed and Distorted With
 Addition of Details
IN RENDERING RESIGNATION

"ShAiAS IliS TSSlSIdliOH, says.
 What 'tnat resolution, or formal action was, seems not to have been made a mat ter of record, and l have not been able to ascertain the precise terms i'll whi~l that action was formulated; bl'. as to its import suppose there can be no question. Since 1t was not defr.iteiy EGde and not recorded in precise terms, some contro- versy has been indu,god in as to whether this f-s a request for my resignation or frien,Ey advice flvgn my clergy tha,s un- der the existing eircums tances I ought to resign. For myself l frankly say that un- til lately l have regarded tle ac.ien of the clergy in lshe light of friendly advice and not as peremptory request. l distinctly affirm that this was the impression made upon my mind at the conference between the committee, which was appointed by you. and myself. 11ut committee was composed of persons known 10 be friend y to me and do not blame them. do not think you blame tlem if in the lauda- ble endeavor to soften the asperity of your action they conveyed to me an impression somewhat different from your own impress son as to what tha. action was. However It Is necessary for me to enter more into detail as to this conference since the mat ter has been exploited in .lle public prints"
 Friendly sympathy
 He then refers to the friendly sympathy or Rev. R. H. CcSbs, D. D., which touched him deeply. Then he says:
 The Rev. R. w. Barnwell has also pub Eshod communication in the Montgomery Advertiser which In like manner is designed to correct the idea had that the clergy > ere advising and not requesting my resig- nation. In thds communication he states that this committee, of which he was a member, placed in my hands paper re- questing my resignation. Allow me, my dear brethren, to say word respecting this paper There was a paper l saw it. It began: We, the undersigned clergy of the diocese of Alabama but, will you believe me, there was not a signature to it? It was explained to me that this paper had been drawn up to be submitted to the clergy, but had not been submitted to them. And now, this paper which had never been submit- ted to the clergy, and which had not been indorsed by so much a single signature, nc. even by the signature of the committee themselves, is alleged and represented to be a formal communication placed in my hands by the committee. How do I know, how can any man know, whether this pa per would have been signed by the clergy if 1t had been submitted to them? In fact, I have in my hand letters from some of them declaring that they would not have signed 1t and from others from which, while they not so explicit infer they would not have signed it. What significance, then. can be attached to this paper?' at- tached no significance at the time and at tach none now to what was in fact the draft of a communication intended to be submit ted to the clergy, indorsed by them, and af- forwards made to me-"
 1ransgresses It's Bounds
 In requesting his resignation he says the council "transgresses the bounds of its rights and privileges.
 "Your extraordinary action was taken in my absence. You were uniformed by tele- graph that I would be present at the coun- cil on uhe following day, but you did not wait. You met; you had not before you a scintila of evidence except what was confessedly rumor, and you took actloh which has forever degraded me wherever the knowledge of tcat action has gone. If this action was your brotherly counsel and advice, such as l nave heretofore consid- cred it, l should have welcomed 1t as ten dered to me in love and kindness; but if it was, as I am now taught to believe it to be, peremptory request, l say that you perpetrated most monstrous wrong upon your bishop coadjutor. If have rep resented your action in the light of coun- sel rather than as request 1t has been as much for your sake as for my own, and I heartily wish that l might have re- mained under this deiusion. As the matt ter now stands it would seem that you have judged me without a nearing. On the Thursday before Easter Day l came home from an extended visitation of about two months duration. l came home i'll and went ito bed. I was suffering from gastric catarrh On Saturday I determined to go to Decatur, where I had an appointment, and fiji that appointment if 1t were poSsi- ble to do so. I was exceedingly weak and Ill and 1t was suggested to me that ought to take a drink of whisky to stimulate and strentgnen me. l did take it, and the fact that I took has debarred me from denying that it may have tlad some effect upon me. I do not know; but do know, and ex- pect honest men to believe me, that did nor take enough 10 lrtox9cate any man. I went to Eufaula, and there on the street, at the station, and on the train from Eu- faula to Montgomery, the evidences of my weakness were observed by some, misin- terpreted and attributed to intoxcation. In addition to tine gastric catarih which I mentioned, I was also suffering from sup pression of urine, and I believe conse- quent uremic poison.
 The Rumor Quickly spreld
 The rumor of my alleged intoxication once started was quickly spread, magnifed, distorted and received the addition of many picturesque details. Myself, knew notan- ing of this. was in North Alabama en- gagged upon my work. The vestry of St. James, Eufaula, met and sent a communi- cation to me informing me of the fact dhat