James M. Priest
(c1820-1883)
Priest began missionary work in Liberia before her death and served there for decades after being ordained as a Presbyterian minister. He also held political office there, culminating in his terms as vice president (from 1864 to 1868) and then Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (from 1878 until his death).
Hanover College’s Duggan Archives includes a letter from Priest to John Finley Crowe (written from Liberia on July 2, 1840), and that letter inspired the curiosity of a group of Hanover students, faculty, and staff, who gathered on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, 2021, to learn more about James M. Priest and his connection with the College. The following letters and other materials document his life.
Research by Gabriel Ratcliffe (HC 2022), Lauren Rippy (HC 2022), Ryan Ruder (HC 2022), Andi Spring (HC 2023), Erica West (HC 2022), Jen Duplaga, Anthony Miller, Daniel P. Murphy, Matthew N. Vosmeier, and Sarah McNair Vosmeier.
1835 1836 1838 1839 1840 1844 1845
| before 1850 |
|
| 1837 Apr. 29 - clipping from Colored American | his experiences as a young man, before entering Dartmouth College |
| 1840 July 2 - James M. Priest to John Finley Crowe | early months of his mission in Liberia, asks about "colored
members" in Hanover |
| 1843 Apr. 1- "Ordination of a Colored Missionary" |
his public examination of theology was impressive |
| 1851 June 1 - "College in Liberia" |
description of his mission (one of five supported by the
Presbyterian Board of Missions) |
| 1870 July 1 - "Pennsylvania Colonization Society" |
his speech, in Philadelphia, before the Pennsylvania
Colonization Society |
| 1872 Mar. 1 - “African Presbyterian Mission, Liberia" |
poverty of Liberian missions (including his) makes them
dependent |
| 1880 Oct. 24 - "Personals" |
obituary for his wife, Ann Priest |
| |
“Dartmouth College – A Noble Example,” Colored American, 29 Apr. 1837, clipping available in Black Abolitionist Archive, University of Detroit Mercy Black Abolitionist Archive.
The counterfeit presentment of two brothers."
of education to poor and pious young men, who may wish to enter the sacred ministry. Mrs. Meaux, of Kentucky, a member of the Presbyterian Church, held as a slave, a good-looking young man of color. This young man made a profession of religion, and his conduct was thought to furnish a satisfactory evidence of
its sincerity. On joining the Presbyterian church, he desired earnestly to be prepared by education for preaching the gospel to the colored people. With this view, Mrs. Meaux placed him under the care of the Rev. Samuel Taylor of Jessamine county. His progress under the circumstances - for Mr. T. had not leisure
to bestow on him the attention his case required, - was so good that Mr. T. was desirous of placing him in more advantageous circumstances. Mrs. Meaux manumitted him, under the influence of religious considerations. Application was made by him for admission into Centre College, to complete his education.
He was willing, as we were informed, to take any seat or station in the Recitation rooms to which Pride would consign him, - so that he might have the advantage of instruction. But no, - the doors of the Presbyterian College, established with a special view to the preparation of young men for the ministry, were
closed against a Member of the Presbyterian Church, whilst under the care of the Presbytery in which he lived as a candidate for the Ministry. For such treatment of the poor, can this college expect to escape the visitation of His displeasure who is the friend, the Almighty friend of the poor?
James M. Priest, letter to John Finley Crowe, 2 July 1840, Crowe Family Papers, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.)
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Rev & Dear Sir,
Knowing that you will be glad to hear from this country I will drop you a line or two. We, I mean my wife & my self, are now at King Will Town, about twelve and fifteen miles from Seltra Kroo [in Liberia]. After remaining at the Cutter place fifteen month, the Board instructed us to move to this place to form a New Station, to be under our direction. The Station at Seltra Kroo was designed for white persons and yet the Natives call all of us white, not understanding the distinction as well as it is understood in the U.S -
We have been here nine months but owing to the want of means & to the movement of the Board, we have not been able to much save having preaching every Sabbath day, the teaching some seven or eight boys & girls: But the Lord has been very merciful unto us ever since we came to this county, in protecting us from harm & in giving us health &c. notwithstanding he saw fit to take away our first born -
God has been mindful to us to a very great degree ever since we undertook to farm this Station for we came here under distressing circumstances. We had no house ready for us to enter. We had to rent one, which contained only twelve square feet for the reception, [my wife, two work-men, a woman & a girl, a young man & three native children & my self. We soon had to rent one more room -- in a months time, however, we moved into the house that I had building, though no roof on it. I had to have my wife carried for she was not able to walk & was sick for some time after we entered the house, through it all I could see the hands of God in preserving of lives. In two months, after my coming into the house my wife was confined. I had to be Dr, Granny, nurse, cook & everything of the kind.
But I must leave my own account and return to the Natives. Two days ago, two men died; The way by which they were brought to their end is enough to cause humanity to weep. And it will give you a knowledge of the degraded state in which the people are to whom we are called to labor. There is a specie of wood called the Saucy wood from its poisonous effects, used as a test in finding out witches. This mixture has respects to no one, Yet this people "think it to be an imparshal judge, inflicting death upon the guilty & clearing the innocent," a greater specimen of superstition can [not?] be found. An old man went to his palm wine to drink and finding that some one had been to it beside himself, he separated the wine into two thing, puting the poison into the one designed for his friend -
The man that had been drink or stealing the wine came & drank the poison, but finding that he was poisoned, threw a part of the mixture into the other; Thus when the owner came he drank poison also --
Thus you see the value that is placed upon an immortal soul by this ignorant & wicked people. Two lives have been squandered away for a drink of palm wine; not worth one cent. Two soul have been hurried into endless misery for less than one cent. This is the state in which poor Africa is in & yet there is not a Missionary for every thousand square miles, but I trust God that humanity is unveiling her face to behold & help Africa --
In as much as you have done much for your own species, will you not try & do a little for Africa? Before you go hence, You can do something by reminding your church of Africa or by sending us a box of clothes either for my wife & my self, or for the native children, or by praying for us. We are at this very needy. -- I know that from the Station that you occupy that your hand are full, yet you must try. Since I saw you last, I have been trying to improve myself in a spiritual & in an intellectual point of view, but have made but little progress. I still find that I have a depraved heart -- you must pray for me, pray that I may arrive at a greater degree of perfection in every aspect. Pray for this people, they are needy.
I would glad if you will give me some account of the state of affair in South Hanover, The College & the Church in that place. Let me know something of your colored members. Mrs Shares, Thomson, Tarry, Steps &c --
As I have not been in the Colonies for some time, I am not able to say how they are getting along. I hope well, however--
If some of the Presbyterians in Indiana could educate a colored for this Mission, it would be doing good for Africa. He should have a thorough college course of four years, theological course -- I am not in favour of hurrying person off to Africa, without a competent Education, then they can occupy all the purpose for which a Missionary is needed. The different orders on the coast have imployed only one man to be at the head of thier Mission opperation. The others take an under station. No colored man ought to take an under station in Africa. If colored men are Educated, they will be respected equal to the white man. These fact are known to your self, so I will add no more,but remain yours truly.
July 2, 1840
“Ordination of a Colored Missionary,” African Repository [Washington, DC] 19 (1 Apr. 1843), p. 129, available in the African-American Periodicals, 1825-1995 database.
"Ordination of a Colored Missionary"
The Presbytery of New York has just received under its care Mr. James M. Priest, a licentiate of the West Lexington Presbytery, and will ordain him on Sabbath evening next in the Rutgers-street Presbyterian church (Rev. Kr. Krebs’) services to commence at half-past seven o’clock. The services will be highly interesting. The Rev. Dr. Philips will preach the sermon, and Rev. John C. Lowrie will give the charge to the candidate.
Mr. Priest was raised as a slave. He belonged to a pious lady who desired to emancipate her slaves and send them to Africa. With a view to this good object, she sent out Mr. Priest to Liberia to examine the colony and bring back a report of the land. Since his return he has been educated, and now goes forth as a missionary of the Presbyterian Board, to preach the everlasting Gospel in long benighted Africa. May the Lord be with him.
If any persons are disposed to doubt the ability of the colored people to cope with the whites in the acquisition of knowledge, they should have heard Mr. Priest’s examination on theology before the Presbytery of New York on Tuesday last. Few, very few, graduates of Princeton or Andover would sustain a more creditable examination than did this excellent man of color.
“College in Liberia” (excerpt), African Repository [Washington, DC], 1 June 1851, p. 162-80, available in African-American Periodicals, 1825-1995 database.
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“College
in Liberia,”
The third station [of the five sponsored by the Presbyterian Board of
Missions] is on the Sinou river, 150 miles down the coast from
Monrovia, where, at the mouth of the river, is the town of Greenville,
and a few miles higher up, the newer settlements of Readville and
Rossville. It is under the care of the Rev. James M. Priest. The
number of communicants, at the latest date, was thirty, and the field
of labor was rapidly enlarging by immigration. The station is new, and
it does not appear that any mission school had yet been organized.
“Pennsylvania Colonization Society” (excerpt), African Repository [Washington, DC], 1 July 1870, available in the African-American Periodicals, 1825-1995 database.
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A public meeting in behalf of this Society was held on Monday evening, June 13, at the First Baptist Church, corner of Broad and Arch streets, Philadelphia. . . . Rev. James M. Priest, of the Presbyterian Church, in Greenville, Liberia, for thirty-four years a resident in Africa, and twice a Vice-President of the Republic of Liberia, made an address in behalf of the evangelization of the one hundred and fifty millions of unconverted people of Africa.
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[The Presbyterian missions in Liberia include] Sinu - Rev. James M. Priest . . . No changes of any moment have taken place in [the Liberian] mission. It greatly needs strengthening. No new laborers of late have been sent to Liberia. Some who are on the ground are well stricken in years. The poverty of the people keeps them dependent on the Board. This paralyzes effort, and the result is that the mission lacks a certain aggressive force. On the other hand, certain laborers from among themselves are in process of training, and two or three have been licensed or ordained to preach the Gospel. A missionary from this country is needed to take charge of the Alexander High School.