Letter from M. W. Moore to Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames; November 23, 1874

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Letter from M. W. Moore to Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames; November 23, 1874

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People

Ames, Adelbert, 1835-1933 Barrett, Frederick Moore, M. W.Osborn, I. N.

Events

Employment--Resignation Finances Finances--Bankruptcy Legislation Legislation. Mississippi Political Office--Appointment to office

Organizations

Courts and Judicial Systems Courts and Judicial Systems--Chancery Courts Courts and Judicial Systems--Circuit Courts Mississippi--Executive Department Mississippi--Legislature Mississippi--State Department of Education Political Parties Political Parties--Democratic Party (U.S.)United States--Department of the Treasury United States--War Department Universities and colleges Universities and colleges--Mississippi. Alcorn State University Universities and colleges--Mississippi. University of Mississippi

Occupations

Auditors Clerks College Teachers Education Professionals Lawyers Secretaries

Places

Mississippi--Hinds County Mississippi--Lowndes County. Columbus Washington (D.C.)

Social Identifiers

African Americans African Americans--Historically Free and Newly Freed

Page 1

[note] 11/23/74 [/note]

M. W. MOORE,
Attorney and Counsellor at Law,
AND SOLICITOR IN CHANCERY
Columbus, Miss., [gap] 187

The expiration of the term of office in Jan 1. 1875 of the present County Superintendent of Education for this Lowndes County will afford you an immediate opportunity to legally carry out your promise contained in the aforementioned letter of Feb. 2. It may be remarked here that that letter hastened my settlement in this place by seven (7) monthes for at the time it reached me I was not ready to finally settle down, hence, the inconvenience now experienced. The acting too readily and without reflection on the suggestions contained in your letter has placed myself & family into much inconvenience as I would have retained my position as Clerk in the office of the 2^d Auditor of the Treasury at Washington until I realized funds enough to keep me whilst I am [heralding?] up a practice. I was employed as a Clerk in the Treasury & War Departments for over four years. but had always entertained the hopes of going

12/10/74

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[note] 11/23/74 [/note]

into the practice of my profession when I had realized enough funds to give me a start, but finding that I might secure employment whilst awaiting a lucerative practice I resigned my position of Twelve hundred dollars ($1200.00) a year in order to carry out a desire I had cherished for years. I do not wish it to be understood by anything herein contained that you are under any obligations to me further than your autographed letter warrants.

In order not to place you in any delicate position I beg to furnish the following information in case you are desirious to intercede for me in relatin to the position of Co. Supt. of Education.

When six months ago, an ill-conceived effort was made to substitute a democrat for the present County Supt. of Education, it was definitely ascertained that it was the predetermined effort of the Board of Education or perhaps one of its members to reappointment said incumbent, the preference and protest of the citizens of the County ^to the contrary^ not withstanding. The present incumbent has served in said office for two consecutive terms or four years and it is proposed

to reappoint ^him^ in consideration of his continued services

I do not wish to be understood as wishing to avert the purpose of the appointing power (whichever way that resides) but merely to inform you beforehand that you should you desire to carry out your promise contained in ^your^ said autograph letter, you might find it difficult, if not impossible, to inforce said appointing power in my favor. I shall be sorry however if I have unconsciously misreprented the purpose of the appointing power, but the foregoing is the general impression here in reference to that matter.

Lest any unpleasantness should spring out of the contest for the office in any way derogatory to your office I respectfully ask your attention to the following ^named^—Act after Mississippi Legislature entitled "an Act in relation to the two State univerisities" approved April 3. 1874. This Act provides for the establishment of a State Law School by the joint action of Alcorn & the Mississippi Universities If there is a prospect of its immediate establishment I desire your assistance & co-operation in securing me an appointment as _a lecturer if the institution

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as by securing this I shall avoid a [collision?] in the contest for the office of County Supt of Education I have done. I ask your indulgence in presenting such a long and tedious communication to an official whose official correspondence must necessarily be voluminous and pressing.

I avail myself of this opportunity to resend to you the assurance of the highest consideration

I am
Your Excellency's obt. & humble Serv^t.

M. W. Moore

Will com-municate Cirtly

Regard &C

A.A.

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[note] 11/23/74 [/note]

M. W. MOORE,
Attorney and Counsellor at Law,
AND SOLICITOR IN CHANCERY,
Columbus, Miss., Nov. 23^rd 1874

Gen. A. Ames
Gov. State of Mississippi.

Sir:

But for the kind expresions towards me contained in your autograph letter of Feb. 2. 74. I could not have felt justified in again addressing you without an ap-parent occasion therefor, as a subsequent letter from you seems to have settled the ostensible object of this communication. The letter of Feb. 2. above referred to, without any previous solicitation on my part, suggests the possibility of my appointment to the office of County Superintendent of Education for this (Lowndes) County, but such an appointment was then impossible in consequence of my political disability which has since been removed by effluxion of time. Your proffer of counsel and sympathy is received by me as a guarantee of good faith towards me as a black man striving to assist in vindicating by my intellectual and professional efforts the much

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[note] 11/23/74 [/note]

~~the m~~

misrepresented race with which I am identified since the unrenewed freedom which has characterized my communications to you. If such freedom is incompatible with the nature and extent of the relation herein set forth, you will please palliate it as the outcoming of a misconceived inference. It gives me the greatest pain to be under the necessity of writing you on the subject of this ~~[unclear]~~ communication as I am aware of the annoyance to which a person in your official capacity is daily subjected by applicants for official positions. and If I had not exhausted every conceivable means of getting along without applying to you, and if I had not a dependent family to support I could never have again applied to you. My fate depends upon your answer. I am now on the verge of despair and irretrievable financial wreck. Weigh well my case before you ~~reject~~decide. I call upon you by all that is humane & godly to assist me. I am badly off. The conclusion of the session of the October Term of our Circuit Court has left me worse than before the commencement of the Term. The professional services I have rendered have availed me absolutely nothing

Page 6

Lowndes Co.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
Hinds County.

From M. W Moore
Address Columbus
Dated Nov 23^d_" 1874.
Received - - -
Answered Dec 10^th 1874

SUBJECT:

With reference to the appoint-ment of Supt. of Education for Lowndes Co.

ADELBERT AMES,
Governor.

~~FRED. BARRETT,~~I. N. Osborn
Private Secretary.