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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.
Description
KC: Buckingham wishes to resign because the distance travelled from his home to the College brings ill effects upon his health. Recommends Mr. Kinsley to be his successor
Date
5-28-1836
Keywords
letter, McIlvaine, Buckingham, Kinsley, Kenyon College
Recommended Citation
Buckingham, C. P., "Letter to McIlvaine" (1836). Charles Pettit McIlvaine Letters. 382.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/mcilvaine_letters/382
Rights Statement
Transcript
Mount Vernon May 28th 1836
Rt. Rev. and Dear Sir,
I have been seriously considering for some weeks whether I ought not in justice to myself and the College propose to you withdraw myself from the institution - The inconveniences occasioned by the distance of my residence from Gambier are so great as to render it impossible for me to pay that close attention to the interests of my Dept. that is due to it, without sacrificing my health and comfort to an unjustifiable degree - For example, on Wednesday and Thursday I suffered in the cold damp recitation room a severe pain in the breast and took a violent cold - yesterday and today the storm had prevented my going out altogether - so that for two days of this week I have attended to duty with great personal discomfort and two more days I have omitted them altogether, to the great detriment of the College - And I find it impossible from the very nature of the case to secure the little convenience at the College which are absolutely essential to a proper and comfortable discharge of my duties - is the weather cold? I arrive at my room and without the privilege of fire, sit shivering for 2 or 3 hours - is the weather hot? I arrive exhausted and in a perspiration and enter a room with an atmosphere 30 or 40 degrees below that which I have just left and in that state must abstract my mind from every thing but some dry mathematical investigation - it is raining I must stay at home or in addition to my other discomforts sit with damp and perhaps wet clothes on - I find also that during the warm weather I get so fatigued by the time I arrive at home that the remainder of the day is about lost - I am totally unable to take any part in the government of the institution and thus a [?] is thrown on my colleagues greater than they ought to bear - On my occasions when if I resided at Gambier I might attend to my duties I am too unwell to ride out and must neglect them entirely - These are some of the difficulties which be in my way - Should I remain attached to the College I must not only in effect lose all my time, but serve the institution in a very imperfect manner.
My reason for presenting this subject at this time is, that I understand Mr. Kinsley is now free from any engagement and wishes to come to the west, and as you have already expressed a desire to have him connected with the College I thought perhaps he could be obtained as my successor, and if I resigned at all I had better do it now while he can be got.
In all this my own feelings are as much as ever interested in favor of the College, but I am not only unable to provide a constantly [discharge] of my duties towards it, but am certain that my attention to my classes must be extremely irregular - with this understand whatever course you may see fit to take with the matter will perfectly satisfy
Yours Truly,
C. P. Buckingham