Letter from Harriet Beecher Stowe, Andover, [Massachusetts], to William Lloyd Garrison, 1853 Nov[ember] 30

Item Information

Title:
Letter from Harriet Beecher Stowe, Andover, [Massachusetts], to William Lloyd Garrison, 1853 Nov[ember] 30
Description:
In this letter to William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe acknowledges Garrison's letter published in the Liberator on December 23, 1853 in reply to her letter, and she says she did not reply immediately as she "did not wish to speak on so important a subject unadvisedly & without proper thought & reflection." Stowe writes that her purpose in writing to Garrison was to give the Liberator "a genial investigation as to its drift and course of thought" and she attempts to answer Garrison's published reply point by point. She states her objection was not with the Liberator's "free discussion ... [or] the fact of its inquiring into the Bible and the sabbath & other things of that kind but the manner of it." Stowe then defends her arguments and cites examples from Theodore Parker's sermons to support her, arguing the Liberator should assume a "general tone & spirit" that is more cautious and does not rely on "appeals to passion & prejudice". Stowe also declares that her "frankness to you is the best expression of my confidence in your honor & nobleness" and then moves on to discuss other matters, like her planning of anti-slavery lectures in Boston, informing Garrison she has written to Horace Greeley and Mr. Palfrey about lecturing. Before ending the letter, Stowe asks Garrison about assertions made in the Liberator about American clergy, that "accuses them of being unprincipled men, not fit to be trusted in any relation to life" and the effect this is meant to have on readers. She charges H.C. Wright's pieces in particular, of making claims "on the Jewish scriptures which no benevolent & just man ought to make without great research & care & without proper proof."
Author:
Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 1811-1896
Addressee:
Garrison, William Lloyd, 1805-1879
Date:
[December 1853]
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--Religious aspects--Christianity--United States--History--19th century
Social reformers--United States--History--19th century
Women abolitionists--United States--History--19th century--Correspondence
Abolitionists--United States--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--United States
Christianity
Social reformers--United States
Women abolitionists--United States
Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 1811-1896
Parker, Theodore, 1810-1860
Wright, Henry Clarke, 1797-1870
Garrison, William Lloyd, 1805-1879
Liberator (Boston, Mass. : 1831)
Extent:
4 leaves (13 p.) ; 21 x 14 cm.
Permalink:
https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/2v23xb54f
Terms of Use:
No known copyright restrictions.
No known restrictions on use.
Place of origin:
[Andover, Massachusetts]
Language:
English
Notes:
Holograph, signed.
Title devised by cataloger.
Legacy catalog card identifies the place of publication of this manuscript as "Andover".
Legacy catalog card identifies the date of publication of this manuscript as "Dec. 1853".
Legacy catalog card contains a note stating "On microfilm RBD 488."
Boston Public Library (Rare Books Department) manuscript composed in black ink on white paper stationery with the embossed initials "HBS" appearing along the head edge of pages 1, 5, 9, 11, and 13. In the head- spine corner of the first page, a checkmark is drawn next to the number "117", both in pencil. In the head- fore corner of the first page, "Ms.A.1.2 v23 p117" is written in pencil above the phrase "Andover, Mass., Dec., 1853. after Dec. 23", also in pencil. Under the salutation, "238" is written in pencil. The different leaves are numbered in pencil in the head- fore corner, with page three labeled "1A", page 4 numbered "2", page 6 numbered "2A", page 9 numbered "3", page 11 numbered "4", and page 13 numbered "5". Along the spine edge of pages 4, 8, and 10, "MS A.1.2 v.23 p.117 4 pts" is written in pencil vertically, facing the fore edge of the page.
Notes (date):
This date is inferred.
Identifier:
5055273
Call #:
MS A.1.2 v.23, p.117
Barcode:
39999085440145