Letter from James A. Lyon to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; January 17, 1865

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Letter from James A. Lyon to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; January 17, 1865

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People

Bliss, Unknown Clark, Charles, 1811-1877 Clayton, George R.Field, Unknown Lucket, Unknown Lyon, James A.Walker, G. J. S.

Events

Appointment to office Emancipation and self emancipation Political elections

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Under Review

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Churches Mississippi. Legislature Schools

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Clergy Commissioners Judges Lawyers Physicians Politicians

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Alabama Augusta (Ga.)Columbia (S.C.)Columbus (Miss.)Georgia Jackson (Miss.)South Carolina

Social Identifiers

Christians Christians--Presbyterians Enslaved people Enslavers Historically free and newly freed African Americans

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Columbus Miss. Jany. 17. 1865

To His Excellency
Gov^r Ch: Clark, of Miss,

My dear Sir. I regret that such was the disturbed and uncertain state of the Trains that I was prevented from at-tending the meeting of the Educational Com-missioners at Jackson on the 4^th of Jany. of which you were pleased to appoint me one. It was my full purpose to have attended the meeting, and had made all my arrang-ments with that view, but was prevented only by the cause mentioned.

The object contemplated by the Act of the Legislature, authorizing you to appoint the Commissioners, is one of the greatest im-portance. There is no evil incident to the present colamitous war, greater than that of the frustration, of the education of the male youth of our land. A generation is soon to be introduced upon the great stage of action, who will not only control the elections, but fill all our civil offices, from

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the highest to the lowest, who will be uneducated, in all that belongs to academical instruction, but deeply versed in the love of violence and arbitrary power. The next generation of lawyers doctors, politicians, and preachers, (if indeed there be such a class left) will be, for the most part, destitute of mental culture, such as is obtained in literary institutions. The object therefore, which you seem to have so much at heart, is indeed a great and philanthropic one. And what little assistance I can render you in this most important enterprise, will be most cheerfully given.

I am Sir very respectfully
Your obedient servant

James A. Lyon

P. S. I take the liberty to send you my Report on the Subject of "Slavery, and the duties growing out of the relations," which I made to the General Assembly of the Presbyter-ian Church, which met in Columbia S. C. in May 1863. This Committee, of which I had the honor to made Chairman, was appointed by the Assembly, which met in Augusta Ga.

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in Dec^r 1861. You will do me a favor if you will read the Report. It has been very favorably received by the political as well as by the religious pub-lic. Its sentiments have been [endorsed?] by some of our ablest political papers, as well as by some of the longest and most influential religious denominations in the South. During the meeting of the Legislature, in this place, I distributed a few copies to some of the members of that body, who expressed them-selves well pleased with the positions therein advocated and recommended. One of them, the Hon. Mr Lucket, said if the meeting of the body had not been so near its adjourn-ment, he would have introduced a Bill, embodying some of the positions of the Report. I drew up the Report with the counsel and assistance of some of the ablest statesmen, and largest slaveholders in the land—amongst whom I may mention the Hon Geo. R. Clayton, and Hon Judge Field of this state—and the Hon G. J. S. Walker, and the Hon Judge Bliss of Ala. It you can spare the time I would be much obliged, if you will give the pamphlet a careful reading, perhaps it may accord with your judgment, to make some recommendations of reforms on the subject, to the Legislature. I am clearly

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satisfied that Slavery is a Bible institution, but at the same time I am equally clear, that there are certain practical Abuses not necessary to its existence, but contrary to the Word of God, and detrimental to the best interests of slavery itself, as I think I have shown in the pamphlet. Let us reform those confessed abuses and raise it up to the Bible Standard, and then we may expect the favor of God, and defy the opposition of the world. Or should the favor of circumstances com-pel, by gradual emancipation, to free the slaves, the reform recommended in the pamphlet, will qualify them the better to become, what nature designs them to be our hired servants, those norm-ially and legally free.

Please pardon the liberty I have taken and believe yours & c

Jas A. L

Rev. D^r. Lyon

Jan 22, 65