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Description
If clergyman cannot get a substitute, or pay the $300, he should suffer for conscience sake. About one in seven shall be called. We should raise money by general subscription (Ohio may have three such).
ISBN
KMcI 630729b
Date
7-29-1863
Keywords
letter, McIlvaine, Bedell, church
Recommended Citation
McIlvaine, Charles Pettit, "Letter to Bishop Bedell" (1863). Charles Pettit McIlvaine Letters. 104.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/mcilvaine_letters/104
Rights Statement
Transcript
Bp: M
about drafting
Cinc. July 29 /63
Aug 4
My dear Bishop
In regard to drafted clergy I have carefully considered your suggestions. When a clergyman is conscientiously opposed to going into the ranks to take part in fighting, + cannot get a substitute or pay the $300 or get it paid for him, I hold he should stand it out + suffer if need be for conscience’ sake. The [expediency] at least of clergymen’s being so engaged, except in cases of extreme emergency is such it amounts to a general rule that it is wrong. But can nothing be done to alleviate the cases of draft among our clergy? If about one in 7 shall be called for I calculate that after leaving out all of our men that are overage or except by [?] disabilities, about five will be drafted. Of these some can pay or get paid the $300. We may have three to provide for, + I believe the shortest way is to proceed at once to raise the needful sum by general subscription. My son may be drafted, + I should pay his 300-
I expect to go to Church tomorrow + will see the Gov. + get what information I can.
Yours affectionately,
C.P.M.
You ask about my postage account. I don’t know why the difference - I keep an account of all strictly diocesan postage, that is for letters about diocesan [?] strictly, excluding all other. I do not remember what it was, as when I sent it to Mr. [Wharting] I destroyed the memoranda + have not a copy of the Journal. I believe it was about #12.