Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.

Title

Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.

Creator

Post, Mary Robbins

Contributor

Post, Isaac, 1798-1872

Description

Handwritten letter from Mary Robbins Post to Isaac Post, n.d. Mary writes positively of a recent Andrew Jackson Davis lecture and gives a detailed description of a Quaker meeting in which many topics were discussed, including music, women's roles and slavery.

Is Part Of

Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Rights

The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Identifier

180

Location

Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Transcription

(Page 1)

                                               Westbury 6^th Mo 1^st

      Dearly beloved relatives
                                               I hasten to congratulate you on
your safe arrival at home escaping the perils which do often
make all tremble for the safety of some dear one lest some
terible [sic] collisision [sic] may occur and they are so frequent that I hope some
efficient measures may be taken to make all safer and happier
Joseph and self came home last eve in the late train having been to
the Yearly Meeting but did not stay to the end we went down
on seventh day on first day morning instead of going as concerned
friends do to Rose St or some friends meeting we travelled off to
Broadway to hear A J Davis where we attracted some attention
being the only persons in full Quaker costume however after a season
A J D commenced speaking then all small matters were forgotten in
him and his lecture and altho [sic] it was an introduction to modern
spiritualism it was some parts particularly interesting to us and to
guage [sic] from appearance to his audience generally, although quite crowd[t?]
such unbroken stillness was sufficient evidence of an appreciating mind
in the afternoon went to Rose St in the evening went to Broadway
again where we found a much greater crowd than in the morning I was
very much interested in both lectures but beleive [sic] he did not quite come
up to my expectations and you cannot think strange of that for I had
heard so much in his praise from his warm admirers that it would
scarcely be possible for this not to be the case yet I would embrace
every opportunity to listen to him his views are far more in accordance
with mine than any I heard in the afternoon Cousin Edmund
went with us by our warm invitation but I felt that he could not
appreciate to the full the beauty and consistency of the views held
up he is too much trammeled by society and sectarianism but to
do it ^yet^ but proscription is doing what nothing else could leading
him to inquire for himself and will I trust be instrumental in
his advancement and growth in the truth   I often think how very
impolite our Friend society have been with a little different
treatment we might you and us and very many more been

(Page 2)

all of us in good standing and how very different the position the
society from that it now presents but now almost every movement is in
what looks to me a retrograde in theology very decidedly so and in
reform generally as a body they have set their sanctified selves against
all progress There were but few strangers Pricilla Sam ^C^ M Janney and
a few others the usual business progressed until the men brought in a
proposition from Eastern Quarly [sic] M in relation to procuring other goods they
wished the Y M ^to adopt^ some means whereby they might be obtained more abun^dan^tly than
at present so that friends might be clear of using extorted labor &c While this was
being read I thought R H would be brought to a straight in what way to act but she
immediately said that as this was only a mercantile affair opening stores &c she thoug^ht^
women had nothing to do with it others took a different view that women were eaqu^aly^ [sic]
interested and therefore might advantageously act in it R H said she was willing
to leave it entirely with men beleiving [sic] they were better qualified than women Catharine
Keese said we might say so as well in relation to other things (she spoke well) R Barker
also took a right position said I do not agree with R H many took part in it but finally
left it for the men and they probably will all see no way to do any thing [sic] There was
another subject which caused much to be said which was music Nine partners
wanted an explanation of the dicipline [sic] relative to it accordingly a very large
com was appointed consisting of some of the strongest opposers of music and of course
their explanation made it more stringent giving what they thought dicipline [sic] meant
it was brought up just before the close of 3^rd day afternoon after I had left to go out with
mother she being there and much too feeble to go alone but I heard very few spoke
and of course the clerks had a minute ready saying after being solidly considered
was united with &c next afternoon Phebe Underhill who is scarcly [sic] tolerated at all spoke
of the hasty manner decission [sic] and &c of the addition to the dicipline [sic] yesterday and not feeling
satisfied therewith she mentioned it a gallery preacher I scarcely know what name said
she was similarly scituated [sic] and made quite lengthy remarks and well too [bc?]
folly of making more stringent regulations R Barker denied any change it was
plainly just what dicipline [sic] meant and no friend would dare say the dicipline [sic]
countenanced music and dancing in families &c R B said at different times
a great deal attended to J and P J Merrit of their consistent lives and how
their childrens advocating music what the society had always had a testimony
against. ^she thought they would be made very sorrowful over there it it were possible^ Ann Comstock had spoken but had not advocated but spoke of the necessity
[Continues on page 3 with line beginning "of our being"]

(Page 3)

[Text in top margin, upside down]
*to express our feelings in regard to slavery and its terrible wrongs as at
that very time a poor helpless brother was being tried in Boston but
no condemnation of this dreadful act did I hear and past about
the same time the three from N Y does it not seem as it the very stories musT
[Continues into left margin, written downward]
cry out

[Text normal]
of our being consistent most excellently I thought but the allusion to her father and another
brought her up again when she expressed how liberal her parents were spoke of her
sister while sick desiring to hear a small instrument and that her mother
said if she had known it it [sic] would have been granted and in the latter part of her life
she had conversed with her on this subject and she admitted that her views had chang[d?]
very much and altho [sic] she had never gone to the extent of some against she hoped she
had not done much harm in putting the dicipline [sic] in force &c Some seemed determ^ined^
to have it go as reported and others were not willing to do any thing but
as it was evident it could not be done in the unity leave it as before which
was united with by a great many I then left for home we came up in the 7
o clock train before it was decided it took up all that sitting I beleive [sic] I
was pleased to have some of the would be leaders see that they cannot force
measures allways [sic] as they seemed desirous of doing at this time if this was
not carried predictions of the downfall of the society we have been yeilding [sic]
little by little until there is scarecly living enough to bury the dead and how
sorry all real lovers of the society would be to find we were in this situation
Hannah Hosie said friends this is not the cause of the declension I have
been to very many meetins in different places where there were so few
that they hardly knew how to get up answers to send up to this meeting and
what is the cause not music for she did not beleive [sic] there was a piano in the
township but there love to God had become cold they ^had^ forsaken principle let us
be consistent &c the meeting was shown that in other respects dicipline [sic] was dis
-regarded as ^in^ plainness &c    Rachel Barker opened a concern for colored children that
there ought to be something done for their improvement and elevation for we have done
much to bring them where they are attending beautiful [sic] to their many wrongs and outrages
and desired we might found an institution for orphans and half orphans where they
might attain knowledge that would fit them for the right development of all their
faculties and finally offered herself as willing to devote her future life to this object as
the Lead of such an establishment spoke of slavery in a manner which would lead us
to beleive [sic] that she is really enlisted in the good cause of abolishing it tho [sic] she said there
seems to be so little we can do to help them yet we ought not to leave this work of ins
tructing those few who are in our midst and who need our sympathy and help
Well what do you think was the result why after one or two had spoken on got up and
reverted in approval of an institution which need other advocates as soon as might be R Hicks
with a good deal of tact said the time might not be ripe for this but she was glad R B had
opened her mind and how deeply her sympathy had been enlisted in behalf of the foreigners
we had in our families to see them gather around the candle and try to instruct one ano^ther^
in what little they knew and how she had wished she were in the prime of life that
she might devote herself to their instruction that they might convey to friends in a distant
land inteligence [sic] This was apparent to all I think to draw off from the first subject
R B again expressed her feelings which were again being spoke too when as soon as would
do the clerk read a minute about the queries having been read and a long [preachment?]
about the concen [sic] and council which had been elicted [sic] for the many delinquencys [sic] reported
further expression in favor of doing justly and pleading for the oppressed I did not hear any thing ^more of it^
it seemd to be a bit time *

Tags

Enslaved people; Family; Quakers; Spiritualism

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Post, Mary Robbins, “Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 27, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/2481.

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