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Letter from Alabama.Montgomery, Ala., March, 1860Dear Bro. Boykin:After my last letter was mailed the In dex was received, containing an article copied from the Columbus Sun, and endorsed by yourself, certainly not very complimentary to some of our citizens.-The burning of Spurgeon’s Works, with the Iron Wheel as a cap-stone, seems to have aroused the Sun to scorch us with his powerful rays; and, indeed, the Index to point its finger at us, and shame us forso ignoble a deed.In order to understand what has beenpublished in the papers, you must bear inmind that there have been two burnings of Spurgeon’s Works in this place. Thefirst £ook place in answer to a call made by one of our city papers, and the pile was contributed by sundry parties who did not care to keep in their houses the works of the man in whose “heart old John Brown lives’’ and flourishes. To this conflagration some one sent the Iron wheel,Oplaced as the cap-stone of the pyramid.The grand objection made by the Sun, and endorsed by the Index, is that the Iron Wheel is a Southern book, both in \uthorship and mechanical execution.This may be true in a certain sense, but ina certain sense old John Brown was a Southern man, and his raid a Southern work, as he had emigrated to Virginia,and his deeds of blood were done on Southern soil.Locality in the South does not entitle a man to be called a Southern man, and to be trusted as such.[Our friend Spencer must excuse us for omitting a tew lines of his letter here.— They verged beyond that limit of personality, which we have determined to maintain in the Index.—Ed.]I deem it but just to say, however, thatwhile entertaining 110 sympathy for either author, I was sorry that these books were thus by public call committed to the flames Whatever may have been the motive which prompted the act, it looks like descending from the high position we occupy as Southern men, to take .petty revenge upon a man separated from us bythe Atlantic’s breadth. I have said what I have that the case may stand upon its own merits, and be judged of fairly by the public. -The other burning took place under very different circumstances.It is wTell known in this State that some years ago a number of enterprising Baptists formed a company for the purpose of supplying themselves and the community with a good religi ous literature. In furtherance ot this object they opened a book store in this city, under the superintendence of Bro. B. B. Daviu.After the publication of Spurgeon’s letter, at a meeting of the Board of the Company the question of continuing the sale of his books came up for consideration, and it was umanimously decided not to sell them. The question then came up as to wrhat disposition should be made ofthe works on hand. A letter from Sheldon tfe Co. was read, in wThich they generously offered to take back the books and give the Company saleable ones in lieu ofthem. vBut the purchase of these books from Sheldon Co. was a bona fide commercialtransaction. They were innocent of any intent to deceive the South. They had no complicity with the Spurgeon letter— were as much surprised as anybody when it was published, and the Board felt that they had no right so ask them to take back the books. True, they had offeredto do so; but they are Baptists, engagedin the same work, and if all Southern hou-• _ J , ■ . ^ . . — H - A. Ises should send back the books purchased it wfould embarrass them.Would it be in accordance with the rule governing commercial transactions ? would it be brotherly or Christian thus to cripple a firm w hich has done, and is doing so much for the Baptists of the land ?— Would it not be better for the Company to sustain the small loss incurred by destroying the books, rather than throwr back dead stock upon the hands of innocent publishers? These considerationsdecided the Board not to return them.— The only remaining course was to destroy them. Accordingly the Bourd requestedBro. Davis to burn them privately. Inthe back yard connected with his own store, Bro. D. proceeded to execute the wish of the Board, and committed about seventy volumes to the flames.Intelligence of this conflagrat ion found its way into the city papers, and thence to the great world without.The Board is willing to have this act put side by side with that of those who, wiping off eve*y particle of Southern dust from the works of Spurgean, have returned them as dead stock to the innocent publishers from whom they procured them by actual purchase.SPENCER.We disclaim all intent to reflect personally upon any of the good citizens of Montgomery. Journalists, as a general thing, must take .as true what they find in the papers. We rather wish wTe had waited for “Spencer’s’’ second letter; but from his own occount, as there were two burnings, our extract from the Sun appliesto one only—the one in which the Baptist book store of Montgomery was not concerned. After all, our readers can judge for themselves, having now all the facts of the case before them.
Newspaper Details
Penfield Christian Index
Penfield, Georgia, US
Wed, Apr 11, 1860
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 22 Oct 2019
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