Page:The Judicial Capacity of the General Convention Exemplified.djvu/13

pastor of the first Society of the New Church in Cincinnati, and removed to that city early in the month of May. In less than two months after my arrival in Cincinnati, I received from my friend and brother in the Church, Thomas S. Miller, of New York city, the following letter:—

B.—(No. I.)

New York, June 23d, 1848.

Rev. B. F. Barrett,
Dear Sir:—have just arrived from Boston, where I have been during the Convention, and was very much gratified with my visit. The proceedings of Convention you will be able to get a better account of from your delegate and from the Magazine, than I can communicate. Therefore, I will content myself by expressing an opinion that everything indicates a radical change in the organization of that body. But the principal object that induces me to write to you at this time Js, to” obtain correct information of a subject which has been made use of by one of our members, in a way calculated to injure you in the minds of those that are not acquainted with you. And to the point:—About three weeks ago, Mr. J . L. Moffat called at the store, and, after some conversation, asked me what I would think of you, when informed that you had received some cloth as a present for Mr. Wilks, and that he at first declined to accept it; but that you insisted that he should, and sent it to his house; and then, about two years afterwards, just before you left here, you sent him a bill for the same cloth, amounting to $8,00, and received pay for the same. I replied to Mr. Moffat, that such a charge as that was so incredible, that I could not give an opinion on a mere supposition, and asked him for the evidence, which he could not give me, but would apply to Mr. Wilks for the desired evidence. I then expressed to Mr. M. my strong disapprobation of such a course in any one claiming to be a New Churchman, or a Christian, in supposing cases, and insinuating that they were true, without having facts to sustain them in such insinuations, more particularly when aimed against an absent man. After some further conversation, Mr. M. left, and said he would obtain the evidence or facts in the matter. I told him to do so. Not having heard anything more of the matter, I concluded it was a sort of vision of Mr. Moffat’s, and best to say nothing more about it. But on my return from Boston, I met Mr. Wilks in Providence, and we returned to New York by the same boat; and in conversation about various matters, it occurred to my mind to ask Mr. W. about the matter; and to my inquiries, Mr. Wilks stated:

That about two years ago, when he resided in Williamsburg, ho called at your house, and you informed him that you had two yards of cloth for him, and he declined to accept it, as he was not able to pay for it, and was not willing to receive it as a present; but you insisted that it was for him, and he must accept it, which he, however, refused to do; and that, some time after, he having removed to New' York, "you sent it to his^house directing the bearer to leave it; and on its being soleft, he (Mr. W.) remonstrated and objected to receiving it, and observed that he could not use it until he should pay for it. And