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.

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

232

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

                                                                   Westbury 4 mo^th 1^st                        Dear Isaac and Amy
           I have taken up my pen on the eve of the first of april but with
no wish to deceive but rather because I felt the need of communion
with a friend. this has been a lovely day and I have enjoyed it great ^by^
yet pensively I was wakened by the song of birds in the early morning
long ere the sun brightened the earth by his presence and I gave them
audience for half an hour blessings on the little songsters how many
hours have they made joyful    I have been out this afternoon triming [sic]
some vines and bushes and walked into the garden and gathered quite
a bunch of violets and polyanthus and with the addition from my
house plants have made a beautiful collection they stand on the
table beside me and then silent greeting is a refreshment to my
soul   Oh how much there is to love and enjoy and if man only lived
in agreement with God and the laws of his being what a paradise
this earth would be the consiousness [sic] that this is not the case ofttimes [sic]
oppresses me sadly, almost all seems to come short of ^that^ perfectness which
we desire   At other times I felt so different I remember so many who are
examples so worthy ^to^ be known and honored but to day this view has
not been present with me God and nature have harmonized in my soul
man has not been in harmony Isaacs letter was duly received and
should have been replyed [sic] to ere this but other engagements have prevented
Elizabeth has had a very ill turn for a few days some fever but as we had
no Dr cannot tell you the name it bore but thanks to the Hygeans and [M?]
cold water we soon conquered the enemy and she is again in school
but still looks pale __ then my old companion (work) has been here and
last week I invited some of my neighbors to assist me in sewing rags
and we had quite a social time of it two afternoon's were taken up
in this way then there are constant wants and dutys [sic]which visit to must be ate

[Page 2]

nded to probably I have said enough on this and will now pass on to other
things You may have heard from others the particulars of our last Monthly M
but lest you should not I feel it my privelege [sic] as a faithful correspondent to
give a little just a little sketch of it Cousin Edmund spoke on the excellency of
true rest Christ said "Come unto me all ye who labor and heavy laden and I will
give you rest" after speaking sometime he said he had felt a fear some were laboring
and were truly heavy laden but who failed to attain this rest they were laboring
hard to support the society and he desired them to examine well and see whether
this was right for he was persuaded it could not produce peace - he spoke twice
and we thought excellently after a little time L Mott proposed closing the
partitions when Rachel rose and said "look before you leap" this short maxim
contained a great deal and she desired some present might do so especially
some of our young friends who were wavering and almost ready to be
drawn away by the plausible reasoning of modern abolition & modern
reforms this subject had lived with her for months and she desired that
before they were prevailed on to subscribe for their papers they might
examine them they contained sentiments which were very objectionable
they openly spoke against our government and friends had allways [sic] ack-
nowledged the rightfulness of human government and considered it wrong
to plot against it yet these done so and for friends to have each publication
laying where their children and domestics could see them and destroy
their respect for it was quite too much we were protected in our family
relations in our property and in our religious feelings & observances she
come to the conclusion that modern abolition was the entrance to all
that was wrong that the openly wicked were for less dangerous than
they Friends had ever had a testimony against priest craft yet those could
pay agents and lectures to speak at any time on any subject they chose
and she thought the two were very much alike she condemned keeping editors
in idleness some of our colored people had been persuaded to give of their
hard earnings for a paper and some of them after getting it were so tired that

[Page 3]

they were unable to read it &c &c I have just given some of the ideas not in her words altogether it is quite but of my power to do so   Edmund rose instantly and made
additional remarks said slavery was the greatest wrong which could be perpetrated
and advised an examination into it that friends had had a testimony in
                                                                  ^and done much to clear themselves from^
former years against this great evil [illegible]
^it and he^
for slavery would that we were more alive to it &c &c after this Gideon rose
and went into it fully said he felt it his duty to speak that probably many
of our young friends were ignorant of the active labors of friends in this
cause that they did not confine themselves to members of society was composed of part
who were not members that they employed agents and he had no doubt they
were paid that they endeavored to enlist editors of newspapers in this
cause said John Woolman labored in a ministerial way for years Anthony
Benezet wrote published tracts and sent them all ours the country Warner Mif
-flin went to congress and to several legislatures with petitions and remons
-trances against slavery he named others and gave date's both in England
                                                                               ^for Friends to join with others^
and America that it was no new thing which had happened the evil
still remained in all its enormity that abolitionists see it in this
light and were doing what they could for its abolition   We must have cha
-rity for one another some are engaged in pleading the cause of the slave
others for the aboriginese of our country others to reclaim the inebriate
some for the maintanance [sic] of society attendance of meetings &c &c he
had of latter time heard from our gallerys apologys [sic] for slaveholding
and thought when excuses could be made for them our feeling for the
slave was no great that between the two extremes there was an alm
-ost impossible gulph [sic] spoke of the horrors of the slave trade that it
still continued unabated &c &c during Gideons speech four of
our women friends left the house E H Cock was one Silas Carle
too requested him to be seated none of these things moved him
from saying what he wished Rachel could not let it go so but

[Page 4]

addressed the young and besought them to wait for God to put Forth
and if ever they should see her in prison in toiling on the cotton fields
of the south under the lash of the slave driver they would not raise a finger
for her deliverance unless they were commanded to do so she would
much rather suffer than they should do so for God in his own time would
deliver I have made out but poorly giving an idea of these several
speeches they have done good to the cause many who would have
justified Rachel see that if she had kept quiet there would have been
nothing said We are encouraged to hold on a while longer we rejoice
in the commotion for it gives signs of vitality but adieu
4 Three days have passed away had some company which was an interrup
to my writing it is a quiet rainy morning but the birds continue their songs
several flocks of wild geese have flown over in a few days the farmers are
busy ploughing [sic] and spring with all its activity and beauty is advancing
     Isaac Rushmore has been with [Stinons?] on up the river to attend two or three
monthly meetings such encouragement is not thought well of by some of
our leading friends there is they think more need of his being discouraged
from going about he has been attending the meetings belonging to this
qc and where ever I have heard friends were satisfied with what he had
to declare to them I am very sory [sic] he has not a better education he could
do so much better but he will I trust improve his mind is active and
inquiring and comes out fully against all war either ancient or modern
     Edmund has gone South perhaps as far as New Orleans relative to debt
expects to be absent two months it seems to us very inconsistent with their
opposition to slavery to deal so abundantly with such and then at
home be scrupulously careful not to partake of the produce of slaves
as Stephen is Oh consistency how few of us are truly so in every thing
if Edmund should come back an apologist for slavery as so many have
done I shall conclude it is as fatal to the mind as the upas tree is
to the life of the body but I hope he will see more clearly than ever the
enormity of the evil and work more abundantly for its extirpation J
says he has not seen any acknowledgement of Es two dollars in the Star per
-haps you have forgotten it we want no interruption in his paper – it may
have been acknowledged and we not see it - We are much pleased in prospect
at W and M visit shall we not see Sarah with them and you too this Spring how
delighted we should be is not possible for me to put on this small share
I have not said half what I would like on many subjects but as we want a
letter and fear we shall not get any will send this off as it is hope you have got [those?]
      taking that inventory for it must be quite a task when the people come to know cold

[Page 5]

water is the best remedial agent you will not be necessitated to do it   The interest
in water is increasing Catharine and Matilda are charmed with its effects on them
this with a careful diet is doing wonders Catharine is now in New York on a
visit when at home she is able to take walks daily sweep their common sitting
room rub the brasses - sew knit &c it is really wonderful she has lost some flesh
but to see her so active and useful is supprising [sic] as well as delightful time
she says passes so pleasantly now     Since we last wrote Cousin Valentine has
gone home at the funeral as usual much was said of his virtues William

[Page 6]

Healy was up and was as orthodox as the most J is going
to the office so Farewell write soon all particulars
and believe us as ever yours affectionately love
to all our relatives also to Frederic hope his prospects
are favorable we hope to see him ere long [Edmund?]
too we begin to anticipate a pleasant visit from
soon    write write Mary

Tags

Abolitionism; Education; Medicine; Quakers

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Post, Mary Robbins, “Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 23, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/2533.

Transcribe This Item