Letter to President Dwight D. Eisenhower from Rev. Fr. Richard P. Adair Regarding Little Rock, Arkansas

9126 it 0 n 00 Catheoral of Our Saviour CHURCH HOUSE, 215 WEST 69th STREET, NEW YORK 23, NEW YORK . TRAFALGAR 4-8743 EASTERN ORTHODOX CATHOLIC CHURCH IN AMERICA September 25th,1957 President Dwight D. Eisenhower White House Washington D.C. Mr. President: As a Republican for forty years of my life - as one who has not only voted twice for your election, but ardently supported you in controversies of all types that have arisen in my community - as one who has contributed to 'Citizens for Eisenhower' - as one who has favored integration as a "must' in American life - as one who functions in a Church which has a negro clergy on its staff, alongside the white clergy, such as my- self - I must tell you I have never been so deeply disappointed in you as I am this day. Your ambiguous statements on television and evasion of frankness- your sending of Federal troops into a Sovereign State - your humiliating of a governor of a State - your taking of control away from all lawful local authorities without allowing full working of American law, ,custom and tradition to have its expression - all these things , plus your statement last June that you could not see how Federal troops would ever be used in the integration problem, show me that either your word has lost its honesty or that thru moral weakness you are being governed by 'aides' who have vision, but a type of vision which smacks of polities. November elections being close at hand, it is only natural that efforts would be tak en to gather-in votes. BUT, Mr. President, please not thru such methods as this. Unless a reversal of your stand is taken, I assure you that the Republican Administra- tion will get no support from me in the foreseeable future, not that it may matter to the destiny of the administration, but my personal fidelity and striving to support your ideals will no longer be directed towards you or your administration. I reiterate: I am deeply disappointed in you and your administration. Respectfully, Rev. Fa. - Richard P.Adain Rev. Fr. Richard P.Adair