Letter from Gerrit Smith, Peterboro, [New York], to William Lloyd Garrison, 1862 April 16

Item Information

Title:
Letter from Gerrit Smith, Peterboro, [New York], to William Lloyd Garrison, 1862 April 16
Description:
Gerrit Smith writes to William Lloyd Garrison thanking him for his invitation to the Anniversary of the American Anti-Slavery Society but declining the invitation because he "is too old to leave home unnecessarily ... and [they] will not need my voice." Smith then refers to anti-slavery meetings apparent frequent conversation about the position of the "Federal Constitution to slavery" and argues that regardless of its position, "the American people persisted in being Pro-Slavery until they thereby destroyed the nation." Smith says the meeting should allow for a "a clear defence of the 'Garrisonian Abolitionist'" who was "formerly a Disunionist & is now a Unionist and hence is charged with being inconsistent, or at least with being a convert." He argues that "Garrisonian Abolitionists" have remained consistent in their beliefs, only the circumstances have changed. Before ending the letter, Smith declares that "we knew that slavery had got such a fast & steady hold of the throat of the nation that the nation could not be saved without slavery was killed."
Author:
Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874
Addressee:
Garrison, William Lloyd, 1805-1879
Date:
April 16, 1862
Format:
Letters/Correspondence
Manuscripts
Location:
Boston Public Library
Rare Books Department
Collection (local):
Anti-Slavery Collection
Subjects:
Abolitionists--United States--19th century--Correspondence
Antislavery movements--United States--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--Anniversaries, etc--United States--History--19th century
Social reformers--United States--History--19th century
Abolitionists--United States--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--United States
Social reformers--United States
Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874
American Anti-Slavery Society Anniversary (1863 : Philadelphia, Pa.)
Garrison, William Lloyd, 1805-1879
Extent:
1 vol. (5 p.) ; 21 x 13 cm.
Permalink:
https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/2v23x635d
Terms of Use:
No known copyright restrictions.
No known restrictions on use.
Place of origin:
Peterboro, [New York]
Language:
English
Notes:
Holograph, signed.
Title devised by cataloger.
Boston Public Library (Rare Books Department) manuscript composed in black ink on white, lined paper with an embossed logo of an oval containing the words, "Holyoke & Co." in the head- spine corner of the first, third, fifth, and seventh pages. On the first page, under the embossed logo and above the first line of the letter, the number "46" is written in pencil.
Identifier:
4865322
Call #:
MS A.1.2 v.31, p.114A
Barcode:
39999085439311