Letter from William Henry Fish, Hopedale, [Massachusetts], to Samuel May, 1851 July 29th

Item Information

Title:
Letter from William Henry Fish, Hopedale, [Massachusetts], to Samuel May, 1851 July 29th
Description:
In this letter to Samuel May, William Henry Fish discusses holding a meeting in the Burrillville, Rhode Island, area. Fish thinks it would be better to hold the meeting in South Douglas, Massachusetts, as it would "get most of the Burrillvillians that we should get by having it in this Town, & many from other directions which we should not be likely to get there." He warns May that the region "is a hard field for any moral or religious reformers to labor in." Fish states, "we shall have an uncultivated audience & many of them will be coarse, vulgar & vicious," however "there will also be many strong minded, common sense, matter-of-fact men there, with a latent humanity that I think may be awakened & rightly directed." He suggests that Stephen S. Foster "would be just the man to be there" and lecture, and asks May to tell him "that he is going to speak to Democratic publicans & sinners, not to Whig scribes & Pharisees, & he must govern himself accordingly." Fish also asks May to print notices for the meeting and thinks that the first Sunday in September "would be a good time for it." He then says he "shall be able to able to labor in connexion with the hundred Conventions as often" as May wishes and further suggests an additional meeting be held in Millville the day before the one in South Douglas. Fish says this "will be an experiment, but worth trying I think."
Author:
Fish, William H. (William Henry)
Addressee:
May, Samuel, Jr., 1810-1899
Date:
July 29, 1851
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--Meetings--United States--History--19th century
Social reformers--United States--History--19th century
Abolitionists--United States--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--United States
Meetings
Social reformers--United States
May, Samuel, Jr., 1810-1899
Fish, William H. (William Henry)
Foster, Stephen S. (Stephen Symonds), 1809-1881
Extent:
1 leaf (4 p.) ; 25 cm.
Permalink:
https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/2z110p23p
Terms of Use:
No known copyright restrictions.
No known restrictions on use.
Place of origin:
Hopedale, [Massachusetts]
Language:
English
Notes:
Holograph, signed.
Title devised by cataloger.
Identifier:
5967871
Call #:
MS A.1.2 v.20, p.84
Barcode:
39999085843611