The Rev. Alexander Fletch...
The Times, 1824-10-20T00:00:00

The religious Public of London have heard a great deal of lzte, of thle conduct of Mr. Fletcher, of Albion Cael, and the proceedings of his Presbyterian brethren, wi11th respect to his breach of a mariage engagemnent. The Associate Presbytery of London, and the Associate Syo of Scotland, have both rang with the cause. Love e1pistles have, for the time, occupied the attention of certain religious bodies, more than the epistles of St. Paul. Trlletrial of" Dick v.rFletcher," in the King's Bench, held out prspec, een o th prfane ofobtinin a viewv of' thes inretingpaprs;but he ay nvbhich the camse termiatedgrieousl disppoited hem.The " cstrange lawyrs, howver wer no tohave the whole of thlis ptrecious correspondlence to thenmselves. The Presbytery of London, and Dissenting Church Communiion in Scotland, took up the question wlhere Mir. Brougbam and 'Mr. Scar- iect left it, and decided on that evidence~ whichi was denied to the Judge and Jury. The Synod of the Scotch Com- munlion, to which 'Mr. Fletcher belonged, passedl a sentence of suspension. MNr. Fletchier refused to yield to this autho- rity, and appealed to his own congr-egation, against the ecclesiastical tribunal to which he had -fbrme-1ly professed himiself amaenable. As he broughit forward the boldlest charg.-s of envy and malevolence against his judges and his brethren in the Presbytery, a mrember of that body has been indlucedi to publish what he calls the trial of' Mr. Alexander Fletcher. It is n-ot for us to interfere in the matter as an ecclesiastic-al controversy ; but, without taking part on eithler side, we may lay before our readers, from the published pamphilet, those documnents wvith which we should bo.ve gratified their cuiriosity, had the trial been brought to a verdict in a court of law. Itis Proper to inen.. tion, that about ten years ago, a correspondencee existed be- tween Mr. Fletcher and Mfiss Dick, which had becn broken off on account of somie domestic interference. Wiith a single exception or two, we are informned they bad not seen each other fromn December, 1813. After the lapse of nearly ten years isays the Trial), Alias Dick, to her gzreat surprise, and the xstonishrmer,rof' nf the farnily, on the 13th of February. 1823, received a letter from Mr. Fletcher, e'xpress. jog undiminishcdclaffeuctin and regard towards hier, and resipect and esteem for the faminly, and soliciting anirinerriew wihIer in July, London M issionary Society), and a renewal of their correspondence ; and assuring her that he would never betray or abut.e hei confidence and affection, should Providience favour him by, making him the object of it. The lollowt,ng is a c-opyof this letter:-- - M Ay dear Eliza,-It is my intention to pass thro-ugh E'dinburgh in he t,orh f Jly Iwhiere i have a great wishl to mect with von. Can you possiblv manage to be there about the samint tamns? I Shlall anxiously wait your answer to this note. Be so 'kit eluas address; to me-~ Albion Chapel. Mloorgate, London.' Wi itc ne rriihetit,-' restraint; for, be assured, I wvill never betnty or abuse You, roats- dence and affection, sihould Providence faivour mec hy mkn,krg rne the object of them. I hold your parents and family in ti5 h'eibest re- spect and esteem. Mkav God bless v-on, and bless thmr, "Iam y;ours, most affectionately-, " ALEXANDER F:LETCHER." MisDick having returned a favouraible answer wito this letter, a correspondence ensued of a very- affiectionate and aTderit narture or. the part of AlIr. Fletcher; andl, in the course of this corr espondenice, it was ag-reed that the parties should be marrnied before Alr. Fletcher re. turned home, Rnd September vwas iixed by himself. To prove this it is not tiecessary to lay open the whole of Mlr. Fletcher's letters-the quotation of one or two of hiis Lettersl will puit it beyond the shadow of a doubt. As an example, hLis two last let- ters shiall be quoted, as most calculated to show thazt :oot only soar. niags w~as promisetd, and the time actualy fixed, but also thie abrupt. nes.s with wvhich the correspondenice and intended utiiDo) wae put an end to. 11~~~ L-ondon, Alayv22, 1823. ccMy dearest Eliza,-It is painful to myv feelings tht~t I have been prevented fromi answering your most affectionate I etter sooner. Since the time the welcome messentger arrived, I hayc- been mnoriing from plaer to place, like a king's courier, and have not enjoyed a day's rest and retirement till notr. You are cins tAe entwined rou~ndmny heart, avd every lettet I receivie frotmmy 'eles iz us a me more thankful tliatt I live in the heart of one who sn deservedly occltpiesutrhe hiighest place in my admiring estimatfon. I amn yours, I a,t von own ; my hear-t is yours, you constantly live io miy thoullglts, in my warmiest affections, hin my fods .die. and in tay mnost animating hopes, veou are mine ; I claimr you i s mine own I tliank God that ever toy'~thoughts were directed towards you., and that Providence ever directed your thoughts towards y our our own Alexander. C) my dearest Eliza, I embrace you w,tn en v'very Soul, when you tell -me to look forward to the arrival of aeriod not remnote, when you shall be beside iie, whesi you shall be my companion, when you shall live with 1-we as my comforter, and when you will do every thing in 3-tour pDwer to render hiim happy, who shall consider it thie great est earthly bliss to mnake his dearest Eliaa happy. Sometimes I think I am whispering into your ear, not onl1w the affectionate feclings of toy mind, but the sweet realities of our holy, faith, wt.ich carries the thoughts onwards to the joys ot'H eaven ; and I thial: -that these are not only excited, but answered by my loving Eliza, it t a mainner which mnakes me taste the exalted enjoynients of t'he reit. gion of the heart: sometiates in the indulgence of fancy, wlhich, I trust, will sooau, soon be exchanged for realities, I think I am lifsten ing, alnid the 'darkness and the silence of noight. to the sweet ej sculatir'ns ascending fr-nm the lips of my loving Eliza to the throne o .f Heaven. Often try heart rises up to God for you, and I ani. conscious that often I am not only the subject of your ehorughts, hut your prayers. The expectation of living with you fills me with, delight. Oh may my God and your Godlgrant d:iat., before manymntho pass over our heads, that expectation rt ay be ful- fille It is my wishi, my prayer, thiat, if Providence a pare me to vistm native land, I mar nolt return alone. rllv deart at, dearest ElI ran,makeme happy in baving, in your next, thiat ycra will not suffer me tso reuralone, anld that yota will enter with mre on a career which wvill add to our mutual'prospexity and bliss. On that career I ofteni think. I mnay say the prospect of that ncr r relation almost constantly engages my thloughts end my pravers. lFrenc God I have sought yon, my loving Eliza, and to hiim I look 6or the fLol- flM"EntOf cil My wishes. Long, I trust, we shall travel to gether, hand in hand, and lieart in heart, in this world, walking in all the cornmandments antI articles of the Lord, blam-eless. W'our sweet letters make rmermore and more anxious for thie arriva'L of a day whien eve shall no longer live separate tronm each other, tbut when tive slhall he one itn relation, as we are now tune in affection. I trgst Di- vinie Providence will prepare the way before us, ana that it will evi. denily appear the will of hiim whio is the wise disposer of all events, that, oin my return, mry de%rest friend, my own Elira. rthe obiec-t of my wvarinest affection, will accompany me to a isphere whiere I knowr she will be liaptty in doing good. 0 Eliza, give usie, with thec greatest freedlomi, thie sentiments of Your mind on thi, s,ubject; I wishi I wvere near you to hear themi whispered into my rur. by a voice, the accents of whichi will, I hope in God, often coirfort my hieart. IIy affiectioti to youi,nmy dearest Eliza, is extenided to all your famnilyv; I love theoi all, and consider myself honoured and happy in being the sharer of their esteem. Give me the ad. dretis of' Alexand(er's office; I tony. call there first en owv arrival. RememCberTme most affectionately toanfl,and particuLarly to your dear parents. Emibrace the e.rliestopperiruni:v. my dear. dear Eliza, in writing your own loving" ALEXANDER." .lisDick, Rev. Dr. Dick's, Glasgow." " Mvclea Elza,-t ws lat "London, June 13, 1823. AIvcler liz,-I ws lstSabbath inorninig, on mn .arrival at the chtiapel, that I received your Most weelcomle, affectionate, and en. coutraging letter: you are (Ilear to my heart-you have devoted Tour- sell to 'lse, whlo ami infinitely unworthy of ruch a blessing. Vi'iili longing anticipation.s, I look forwardt to thazt daY whecn, in the kind providence of God, I shall see my decarest Elliza. May I be lire- pared for meeting any loving Eliza. and for etnjoying the society Of her, wliose fiellowship I priLrC above'every earthly enjoyment beside; anti to rendier whomn happy I shall ever consioer as tril greatest earthily blirss. It is my inte~ntion, if possible, to leave Londlon, alit to reach Glasgow at the tiine already mentioneA. There is a proposal to makce some important alterations i[n the chiapel during my , ab- sence, both by way of orinament andi enlargement; 6001. wilil be wanted, and must he raisedI before my) departure: it is intended to be collected hr thie female friends of the congregation. Trhis is a smile in Providence, for whichl I ought to be thankful. Lazst Year, thiat is, fronit June, 182-2, till June. 1823, oiur managers have reduccd the debt of our chape.l nearly about 5001., and when they balanced their boolts lhad in hand 601. Never have we hail such a pirosperous year, tas it regardis fundIs anid comfort. 0 that I could also add, true spiritual, saving benefit. - You have miost lovinglY cOnsented to accomipany me, on amy re- turn to Londion, 1which will likely be the monthi of Serteember. Thus you lhare afforded me thiehlighest testiimony of your7affcectionate re- gard. Itisa trite that I have miade no re4guJar intinattion to rey two sisters here, thouglh by letter from the north it hias been mnentioned to theta.. I sin wrong in not alainly telling thiem;. ssyhitan allusions liave deOPphed fromt me, to give thlem ,an oppertmdsiy of put- ting the q sation t insm, but they have ncver yet done it. I-amr angry amyefhut cannot help it. My sister Euphenlila ba taken thie oManagetnent of my domiestic concerns for nearly ten years; she Lies been associated wvith rie in all MY difficulties and encciurt- jk ments, aind has certanlvl acted lier part with great ability)Z&d affection. For nearly ha~lf a year I have been prepiknng ex - mitid for undertaking the tuiition IOf' a number of yotng 3acIies'.. for wvhichii site isIexceedinglY competent, both by naturall, e...- dowmients, experience, and education; she could comritr.rosssl very Considerable numnber, and miight seots, uPOn the s--Ore p1r income, be miore comfortable thlan miyself. This, My dearest Eliza, is a matter which is now enigrossing my thoughts, which I conitlr iseprabe fom ur xpetedconisexion, ycs, that relation wit mylovng liz, wichevey rturing day unceasingly -en- gages y heat. o may hve herd ofcIt name of Alrs. P'irte, a mos repecabl lay o myownepe trlypious, and of the miost trid fienshi; se i hihlyfrindl toour intended union, anid hasmeniond t ustha sh prposs eing in Glasgow this sewson, to her, and to employ her in assisting me in carrying on mv plhuis with my sisters; nmay (God sanction niy etForts, and succeed my at. tempts watith his blessing. Then, on the one hand, I shall have di6- charged a duty of gratitude to my sister, in answering the most equitable claims, and, otn the other, I ludl be the happiest of beings in thle ea.joymeot of toy dearest Eliza, .on(I in devoting mtv whole lioe to atdd tomy Zliza's felicity ! here my duty and my iiection have coine in contact. I tesat the tUod webothi'lole rvil) cliable mn to pursue effectually that wise course, by which i shall flindl by the month of September, my sister happy in thie career of lhittour and of usefulness, and snyself blessed in the eniovaierat of itn) o'wnr Eliza. Renmenmber me aflfectionateIy to all ch5 excellent tatnile; take the earliest opportunity of wzviting mr: many (lad bl-s tny dearest Eliza. " I crer remanin vottrloving - A^LEXANl)EII." Relying otn the affectionate expressions of regrdl atil att:utarlIMPnt with which these letters abound. atid on the renft-wVe lplovnasett wthlell they contain, Miss Diel aiet thie wbhle ethidly rgaetlrd thle 1,a- posed union as a niatter absolutely antd utueqttluiocll,ly fixe, #Utt coinnenced the necessary preparatioas (n their p4rt 6 Ie ltt tsveoin- plishment. Thi very day after this letter was wtittens, Sah9 mlaAy, Zile 14th of .ltae, it appears mtin the M-iss Vletohers hail yeeiyecVl ttrte from " the north,' which pitt ithelr btithet's inteutlen4 hisyttud a doubt, and that, on Iearnlug thls, the;y 1ud reptsaetmd. IM ~ey ontho subject, andi used every meains to shake his puar- Onte follown Sqabbath, thec Aliss Fletchersi were not in, the and aN' irntiate frieand of Mlr. Fletcher (Mlrs. Dykes) no- d hs n that Air. Fletcher appeared depressed in his spirits, &ri.asked his brother Robert litad been giving him some an- y,Iflce, asne him the cause 6f their absence and his own apparent ,t, tdid not arise from hiis broLbier-iliat lie had paid.his ad. l& sssi, ten years ago, to a young lady, to whonm he ought then to ~tbeen married, but that his sisters had opposed anil been the of breaking off thie connexion ; that he hiad thought that by jhtiethy wud have had no objections to it, and hail renewedA teaga~ments ut that they had received initelligence of this thei frend inScotland, and ever slince they bad been in the sioen stteofopposition to it. He furthier expressedlhiimTielf its osshowto ct,and said that he wishedI to consult-Mrs. Pirie ~ di sujec, ad rquestedI Airs. Dykes to tell A1Irs. Pirie that lie ~ird t se an cnverse wvith her. Airs. Dykes commnunicated thisrequst t Air.Prie,who imnmedliately wvaited on ilr. Fletclier ~ashevesry whn h fixed to meet with her on the Tuesday follow- tog.On uesay,accordingly, Mrs. Pirie saw AIr. Fletcher, and tohr n the course of this interview, that he had wishied w epe hismindto hier, and consult her in his difficulties ; that he haod en years ago, paid hiis addresses iollMissDick, but that one of his Siters had then broken off the connexion by a diabolical letter w,hich she had written to that lady;, thiat he had lately renewed the correspondence with Miss Dick, which his sisters hadidliscovered; and that he was afraid, from the opposition they displayed, that if 6ry had not repeated their former condluct towardis Mliss Dick, thiey 5vsthd (10 it. After a golod deal of conversation had passed upon the .abject, Mrsn. Pirie offered to write Al iss Dick, mn order to prevent ~ny thingz the sisters might do having an influence on her mind. Te this proposal Mlr. Fletcher most heartilv assented, and express- ed his gratitude to Alrs. Pirie for her kindn~ess. In coonsequence of this arrangement, Al rs5. Pirie, the next dlay, Tusot a letter to Aliss Dick, andi senit it sealed, biait accompanied vith a copy to Ai1r. Fletcher, for his perusal, and that he might do- gpi3tch it if hec approved of its terms, and still wished it to he sent. On receipt of this letter, Alias Dick immediately perceived from. sibat quarter the opposition alluded to originated, and she, by the very first Post, answeredI the letter as follows:- . (I ly dear Aladamo,-..This morning I received your very friendly litter, for whichi I beg you wvill accept of my warmest thankcs. "1The con tents of your letter did not altogether Surprise rue, as I haid laid my account with opposition from the quarter you have al. itated to. Indeed, ever since the commiencement o-f our correspond. tnre I had determixca that any means usedI from that quarters sould bave no influence on my mind. I hope, however, that nothinF of that kind will occur; but if it should, youir friendly and salutaty hints vfl be of use to directnmeliow to act Be assured,nmy dearimadam from the friendship which you have shaown to Air. Fletcher said 'from the high terms in whichi he has mentioned it to mie, t'hat if 'Wrvidence should remnove me to a distance from my nearest rela- dions, I will consider myself happy in being placed near such a Ial cl friend. As I sinderstand you are to visit Scotland in the er ofthe summer, my moether, to whom I showed yu etr us i be kindly remnembered to you, and dsrsmtoay that it11 afflird hier inuch pleasure to see yost. in Glasgow. " I remain, &c. (Signed) "ELIZA DICK. Glasgow, June 23, 1823." 1'iA eletter parsed upon thie road one from Alr-Fletcherbhimn- 5t to Afts; Dick which arrived on the 26tb,- andI which excited al re) enislons and suspicionr of the most diaasreeable nature, from tif coldness of its address and contenits, its silence on the subject a]l ded to by Airs. Pirie, and itsl annoaincement ofa new and totally di.lrent impedlment to the connexion. "Elizas-I purposely change my manner ofadareassin this letter, not bec-ause there is any alteration in my views atid opinions of you, for there is none ; hut because the melanclioly history which this epistle contains may be submitted to the inispection of those who are most deeply interested in your welfare anti happiness ; as phraseo- logy only to be seen by your own eye may be commendable, which -would appear di4gusting in the eye of ethiers. In general, sinice I list wrote you, I have endured a Fstormn of affli&ticn, and am still en- ds~n it,whih canot e dscried;and uinless Providence allay '-.empss I anot el wht illbethe conisequences. CouldI p~sblyconealitfro yo, t sae ou the pain of the communi- e~min, wold o i, ht endor, ecesit, dty,and even a reard o yur utimte hppiess,comel m togive you a deailof ircmstnce whih hve ll appnedsince you receved my last. Last Saturday wek myufruate bro- ther, Robert, mnade an attack 'upon myrsdne f such a violent nature, that the remermbrac oitvewelms me twith ang-uish. For two years and more his iniquities, aLnd crimes, and outrages liave wrngnm niy heart withi anguish. Often he has attacked my tiwelling, anti threatened myself a.nd sisters with deathi. Under the influence of inebriety, lie has poured from his lips tor- rents--must I add, of imprecations and blasphemy?-the recollection of wrhich still strikes me with horror : he even attacked the chapel on the Lord's Day, insultedI the people, and, at one timec, daring5er.. vice, stood before'me in one of the aisles in a threatening attitude, wshen I thought I should have expired. With the advice of friends I was prev-ailed upon to summon him before a mayistrate. Never, neyer.shallI forget the-suff'erings of that day. 0Othat Icouldoablite rate it from my recollection, ie was bound over to keep the peace for a cprtain timie :. (luring that period we hiad no annoyance. Im- mediately on its expiration, lie be an afresh, and withi redoubled violence and malignity, all his cruel assaults upon my dwelling and chapel. I senit another officer of the law to him ; the measure had tttAeffect for a season. I hieard of his reformation, lily minid be- gasnto betranqatillized. Somneimontls passed joyfully along. Then bear to think mny prayers for him were answered. This was the state of matters when our correspondence was renewed. rBuTt, alas ! on last Saturday week, ho camne like a roaring lion frm Tophet. Ilis raving andi execrations were hieardI nearly a quarzter of a mnile off; crowds of people were assemibled -near the gates; the neighbourhood was alarmed ; and be did anot leave- the dwelling till he was wearied out wit, the excemses of his outrages. On the following Sabbath, lie came to disturb me at the chapel, but was providentialy presented from accomplishiinglilaspurpose If Isend hiim to prison, as the magistrates told me, he must mingle with die worst of human beings, who wrill atid to Iiis depravity, who will fan the flamne of his Talignant pas.sions, and who may prepare hiim for the comimission of sonie des pcrate felonious set, that would lead to a Aisgraceful death o nw,ta o er have beets living in the dread ofbigmredbyh,an nte veryVpulit have beenl alarmedbi h er fbig sroyed y Vim bWen our correapondenceiarnee,mntsioiscme to me that line was a penitent. I eivdte 8 h ky was clear and peace. fiji. Thus was filld up the fw happis mnonths I ever speilt in the metropolis. Ihave thoughts of utn i in a mad- house. -Alore titan half a year ago a e employeti to watch him, and to conve hmtaplcfoluatics. They failed. I rejoice they did th fte a ucee,n a few day a or week-s he would have eue opee use ofhi powers. H should, in this ease, have benIatliety ie oulId tenhaveeither isedI an action against m,o aefle unon and destroyed me. ~his is the affleccing situiation in wich I am -ulaced, withi respect to my pogr mniserable abandoneil brothr This awful anid heart-rend. ing event comple.tely unfits me, for the present, of carrying on our cor-respondence; and till the sky brightens and the storm ceases, it is as impossible for me to write you, in my present agitatrd state of Nuffrn,a iti to fly in the sky. Only a sense of imperious dtitty lias extracted this tragical, but true and faithiful commumiliration from your afflicted " ALEXANDER. 11London, Jutt0 23, 1823." To Mliss Dickc and the family the above communication appeared in a very suspicious ligiti ; anti they eanitot deny, thiat, froin the moment it was received, they entertained apprehensionsi of the can- dour and hionesty of Alr. Fletcher's intentions; andI suspected that he was only entleavouritig to raise up obstac les to ithe unioni whifchi mnight indluce Allias Dick, as on the foriner occasion, on lier part to nut a stop to tite courtship 0 a a ANotwitistaranding the strong grounds Aliss Dick and hier friends hiad to suspect Alr. Fleicher, (boy determined that she should have More decided proof' of lila initentions to break off from his en- .gagemrenrlt, before site acted on that idea. Within a day, there. t'r, ater receipt of Air. Fletchier's letter, Bliss Dick wrote huin. UTnfortunately, no copy, of this letter was preservedi ; but thie follow. ting is ani account of its contents, given mind attested by Bliis Dick hLerself. "1 I told hiim that I received itis letter withi my usuial pleasure, but I was much surprisedl on opening it at ftis clhange in liis mode of addressing me, but that the explanation had relieyctd mny mind in soine measure, and the declaration that there was no change7 in Isis views anld opiinions of mci. That my parents and all the faily symnpathized very much withi hitm in the mnelancholy ac- tount whichl lie had given of his brother's coniduct ; but, havinig he~ard repeatedilY of hlis outrages, we were not so miuch surprised as lie mnight suppose ; that it must be very paitiful to hiim to see his brothier, anti one wvho hail been his copanion, so much left to him. telf. But that lie might, believe that it hiad noeffect on mny mind, nor for a momenit tunade me chiange fromi my fixed purpose of f'tlulfiling my engagements to him; and the vexation lie was receiving froni his bro- titer only strengthienedt niy resolution of becorning the com-. panion of liis sorrows. I also told him that when I came to thec concluision of his letter, whiere he scays that this conaduct or his, brothier totally unfittedhimii for carrying on the correspondence, I could not understand what lie meant, aiid could not for a momnent hUppSO haton hat ccont ie nteded to put a atop to a corers. pordnce ith ne wom h hadtol 'that no change had taken plac in sis iew ami opiions' T is ad, in some 4ueasuce, sup- otte mymind an wha hehad aidin the cloise of lils letter I ei tea'misake th menin of orbelieved it was written under thn influence of strong felngs; frIcould not for a moment allow tniself to think that, on account of the ags~aulta',of a brother, lie idiv,ul~a correspondence withi one who was willing to leave hie'lfhnufiry-trrhimr, and who never chatiged itl her affection-that if, be V;tmidto1 meant to dlelay the marriage, I could nor see Ws. atirppseit -culd serve to do so, as it wouldi tiot prevent Ihis bro. th. r fiomt hieliaving as lie had already ilone-rimat it was known and expected by mv relations ; the report was quite public in Glasgow... tha-t I dldnotiiwkbcit known myself; but I had of late of'ten bedn qu' ;tioned nasto the truth of it;1 axid, as I considered it a fixed en- gagmen, Ihadnotdened t-tmatmymothier had be-gun to make prepratonsfot th purosetha I ookd forward to his next letter wis grat nxity,andhopd i wotldallay all miy fears, and I ~apdtorecivean nswr b reurnofpost-that sny parents and tilewhoe fmil untedin ympthiingiviith hin), on account of his broher bu thy culdnot555in tt wayho it could put a ato til him to prcach for him as he htad prontised, and we wre ercall happy IDoking forward to-his visit. "' this is, as far as I can remember, the substanee of my answer to Mir. Fletcher's letter of the XM4 of June. It wvas sent hy return Of post. (Signed) " 4iLIZA DICK." Mlr. Fletcher delays answering the letter till the 3d of July, and then addresses to l\liss Dick the following letter:- " Elizas-i eniploy, in the beginoting of this letter, phraseology similar to my last, as it may be read by those wyho take a deep in- terest in your welfare; your own good sense will see the propriety of thi. Before. and since I sent you the last melancholy communica- tion, I find the truth of these lines- As sparks in close succession rise, " So man, the child of woe, I Is doomed to endless cares and toils " Through all his life below." The aversion of my sisters to the intended relation was what I )tever dreamed of, particularly after a lapse of 10 years. Were this aversiort confined to one or two, it might be endured; but when I find it bas extended to nearly the whole, I am inexpressibly dis- tttiei Could I perstiade myself to be willing to be separated from themn fr life anl that you mnd I couldl be lappy togetiter with sich t separation before our eyes-could my regard to you destroy my fraternal affection to them, or could I bring myself the length of disregarding both their frienidship and their feelinggj would at once, tven now, enter into the connex-ion-but I cannot. Mrs. Piaie has aone infinite injury tomy sisters here. In the overwhelming aydour Df her mind, instead of attempting to reconcile them to the object of *ur wishes, shehas wounded and afflicted them to a degree almost incredible. In addition, MIr. Pirle has written to my brother-in- law, fMir. MI'Crone, in n form wvhich has increased, and not lessen- ed, the evil. If you have any desire that the event ahould ever take 3ace, beseech Mlrs. Pirie to abae'doa her interferene; * she has even laid t'he matter before my managers, and has given, rorgive me, a disgusting publicity to that which should have been held secret in the most sacred concealment. Even Aliss Hlelen's letter she has handed about from one mnanaver to another. Providence is frowning on all she has done, while I allow that in part she has acted from uood intentions. Situated as I am at present, I cannot visit Scot- land this season. You are put in possession of a knowledge of cir- cumstances which I would willinigly have kept from you, if duty had not compelled me to reveal tuem. If I hadl concealed them and brought you to Londlon in the emergencics of my situation,you woutld have justly reproachedme for the most unwarrantable cruelty. I have given you my sentiments, dictatcd as much bv affection as by prudence and necessity. Be so kind as to write to ne by return of nost your exact sentiments and opinion upon the case, ant express ihemas freely and candidly as I have expressed mine. I cease not to commend you to the rare of Him who carets for you, and is able (0 that he were willing) to command the dark and troubled clouds of our tempestuous sky to be dispellcd.-I remain yours, &c. (Signed) "Al,EXANDER FLEI'CHER. " London, July 3, 1823." Aliss Dick herself was unable to write an answer to this letter from the distress and agitation into wlhich she was thrown, and Dr. Dick was thus called upon to interfere: he did so, and wrote the let. ter which is here quoted G Dylasgow, July 7s 1823. arrived, we sympathized with you on accounltof your brother, but could not avoidfeeling some sur- prise that, after having written to Eliza in so alarming and discou. raging a manner, another letter sheuld not have speedily followed, in a different strain ; but now, it seems, there is a different obstacle, arising from the same quarter which terminated your former engage. ment. " I am unable to conceive that your sisters can have any objection to your marriage with my daughter, whichl they would not have against your marriage with any ether young lady, who was in every respect your equal and theirs; but as I know nothing about them, I shall not at present attempt to discover their motives. In affairs of tis kind, the will of yarentshas been frequently regarded ; but sisters have no right to interpose their negative, and no man of honour and spirit would consider their opposition as a sufficient reason for break- ing off so solemn an engagement. What have they to do with the fiuture happiness of his life ? And is their pleasure to be consulted at the expense of viblating tlle most sacred obligations ? If your sisters expect that their opposition will a second time induce Eliza to give up her caims on you, they will find themselves mistaken. Your correspondence with her is not a secret; preparations hare been made for the malrriage, and our friends expect it to take place at the time fixed by yourself. Iam authorized by Eliza to say, that she insists that yor' shall fulfil your engagement. It would surprise no person that she should thu so, who reflected how averse any young woman would be to be twice disappointed in the most important affair of her life, and twice held up to the pity and scorn of the public. You are called to perform your promise by your honour asa man, and by your character as a minister of religion. lhat would you think of a man who had twice abandoned the woman whose affction he had solicited and gained, because his sisters did not approve of the connexien, while they could say nothing against her character? If you are at a loss, put the question, I would not say to a Christian friend, but to a man of the world. It would be easy to give his answer; but I shall leave it to your own meditations. " Your declining to come to Scotland will serve to make the mat- ter more public, and, as you specify no other time, gives ground for suspecting that you will ultimately draw back. titherto I have not interfered in the business, but now I am called to come forward, and to tell you plainly, that I will not allow the honour of my daug ter and my family to be trifled with again. Witlh your sisters I have nothing to do; but I have to do with your solemn engagement, and I insist that it shall be fulfilled. You will yourself be convinced, I trust, that every thing honourable and sacred requires you to dlo so. If I am disappointed in this expectation, the affbif will not end as it did formerly; for I am determined to takce every mcasure to vindi- cate the honour of my daughter, and to expose to the public a train of conduct, of which there will be few examples upon recoid. " I expect to hear from you in course, and if you wish to act wisely and honourably, it will not be till I shall see you. I am, Sir, yours truly, (Signed) '- J. DICK. " On looking over your letter again, I observe that you say that, in the present state of your feelings, you cannot enter into the coII- nexion. Your feelings seem to incline far too much to one side. Has my daughter no feelings ? Are you under no oblieation to re- spect them ? And have you said one word in your two letters to re- lieve her ? Is she to be cruelly harassed, and your sisters to be soothed and gratified ? I am almost tempted to exclaim, is the man sincere in his professions of love who can thus treat the woman of his ehoice ? I advise you to consider well what you are doing, and to beware of being again influenced to shuffle, and then retract, as the consequences wili be muchi more serious than you seem to ap- prehend. You complain of the conduct of one or two individuals who are your real friends, and seem to know what honour demands from you. Learn from them what will be the judgment of the public if you should ever stand before its tribunal." Alr. Fletcher would receive the letter on the 10th of July, but he did not write any reply till the 17th, regardless of the suspense aid anxiety he might be causing; and when he did write, he ad- dressed, not Dr.Dick, hut passing hitn over in the most contemptuous and scornful manner, he writes to Ill isa Dick the following letter:- Alias E. .,With srprise i" July l7th, 1823. "t Aliss E. D.,-With surprise I received your father's letter, and with astonishment aud distress I read it. That he should have stepped forward in this stage of the business, in an attitude so for- midable, repulsive, and threatening, confounds me. If you had been brought to the altar itself and then abandoned, greater severity of expression could not have been employed. The language of Pro- vidence to me in that letter is, I pause.' Though it is written in the style of authoritative command, and of ominous and prophetic warning, yet the language of Providence to me in that letter is, 'pause.' Did you see the letter before it was sent ? Did your fA. ther see my last letter ? I fear a negative answer must be given to both thcse questions. I sent you a discreet letter. Whv did you not answer it yourself ? A1My two last letters were dictated by evento of Providence, which have surrounded me on all sides and which, like the billows of the raging sea, are beyond my control. They were not stratagems, but they have been treated as suck. They were not the contrivances of unhallowed in. vention, but they have been treated as such. Thev required svm- pathy, but they have excited nothing but the rankling agitation of haughty indignation. Is it possible that your father has read my two last letters, and written me as he has done ? Or, if he has not read them, how could he liave written me as lie ias done ? In these two letters I am conscious that I have done nothing inconsistent with that principle of honour on which your fatther lavs such stress. Hethinksotherwise; and lasthreatenedme that lie will push matters to the most violenit extremities. This is a development to me which I dare not express. Had I deserved it, little logic would have shown me the danger and rashness of such threatenings; but conscious I biave not merited it, the business is hurried into a la- byrinth of tenfbid perplexity. " In the present heart-rending state of my unfortuuate brother, I am not on y authorized but compelled to pause; and with respect to the friendship of the most valuable of my earthly relatives, it Rughsnot certainly to be rashly and contemptuously abandoned. illy plans for secaring this friendslhip, in connexion with other objects mentioned in fonner letters, have been frustrated-first, by most extraordinary interference in the south, and, at the present, de- stroyed by the most unlooked-for-thriateninge from the north. ' Ileave yourself to judge of the reasons why I decline answer. ing your father's communication. They are sufficiently evident from the preceding part of this letter. " Candour obliges me to acknowledge, what I would otherwise moat willingly conceal, that the last epistolary intelligence from Glasgow h;s producedachange-a totsl revolution in my views, which solely datesits origin to that caesrc. In this I have been pas- sive, like the lamb in ite grasp of the lion; and how the evil which is done is to be untdonc, must belong to the invention of a wiser head than tmine. I rentamn, yours, &c. (Signed) "A A. F." As the subsequent correspond?nce and proccedings are of less interest, and have already in part been placed before the public, we shall not pursue farther the sentiments of the pamphlet, or detail the cotiduct of the parties concerned. THB REP. ALEXANDER FLETCHER,