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The Charles P. McIlvaine letters were written in the 18th and 19th century and therefore may contain language that we understand today as harmful or offensive. You may encounter paternalist descriptions of Native Americans, racial slurs, or sexism. For more information, see our policy page.
ISBN
KMcI610507
Date
5-7-1861
Keywords
letter, McIlvaine, Bedell
Recommended Citation
McIlvaine, Charles Pettit, "Letter to Bishop Bedell" (1861). Charles Pettit McIlvaine Letters. 112.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/mcilvaine_letters/112
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Transcript
Cincinnati May 7, 1861
My dear Bishop,
I have a letter from Addams Akron, instructing that the Church will not be ready at the time I have appointed for visitation there. The only reason for separating it from the others around was the desire at Akron that the Church as renewed might be so opened. I think you had better include it in your visitation and perhaps make that group the last. I shall go to Mansfield, Wooster, and [?]. I read your enclosure of Gambier letter. We must think again of somebody for [?]. I will thank you to send me a copy of the W.E. of week before last entertaining my article on the Christian’s Duty in these times. I have a long letter from Dr. Andrews. He was grieved by it. Did you see anything in it too warlike – Be candid – He speaks with pain of our Presidents going to the war. I will copy the first part.
“The saddest feelings, which I have had in all this time of unparalleled affliction have been called forth by the last Western Episcopalian. There was no fleeing ‘for life’ from our [?], though some of the students who left were active abolitionists. There the account of the Pres, my relative, throwing up his office and leading an armed band to come here – the scenes on Sunday, and then your own appeal to the public. This appeal contemplates no more I presume then the protection of the Capitol and the Government (to which extent I justify the North fully) and not the [?] of the seceded states even to recover the trifling amount of public property and places which live within there. But if you would encourage this invasion, then indulge me in a word.” He proceeds to express his opposition to secession, and his expectation that he will have to leave it and his fear that he can find no refuge where his views will be in sympathy with others, as he is as much opposed to a [?] policy as a secession.
If you get from anybody a genuine statement of the cause of the Exodus of the Southern Students more favourable than we have received it would be well to publish it. Poor Andrews, I pity him and all our brethren, as I do all the land most grievously to be visited.
Yours very affectionately
CP McIlvaine
Please have the enclosed inserted in the Western Episcopalian:
In reading more thoroughly Dr. A’s letter, I see the following which puts a very [?] view on my article. “Your address is in an excellent spirit and every particular sentiment and sentence sound and good, yet the tendency as a whole seems to be to give the sanctions of religion to what all here regard as a [?] upon our homes and lives. This I know is farthest possible from your intentions.”
This letter is very touching and makes ones heart ache for the awful condition of things. So one from Bishop Polk.