Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.

Title

Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.

Creator

Post, Mary Robbins

Contributor

Post, Isaac, 1798-1872

Date

1848-09-12

Description

Handwritten letter from Mary Robbins Post to Isaac Post, September 12, 1848.

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

713

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

                                                 Westbury 9 mo ^th12 evening
        Dear Brother & Sister
                                 Your welcom [sic] letters come duly to hand
and I intended an immediate reply but many hindering thing
have conspired against it company hase [sic] been unusually plenty
for a few weeks past and now it is too late to write much have
had some friends to day after they left we had the paper’s
which Joseph has been reading very diligently until a few
minutes ago when he was sent for over to our tenant hous^e^
Aaron Bunn had dislocated his jaw and is in much distress
they have gone for the De – on Josephs leaving I resolved to take
up my pen late as it is but I fear I cannot write much as
my eyes are very weak I would like to sit up until after the
eclipse but whither I can write is another thing   have just
read Frederic’s letter to master Auld is it not grand I hope he
will proffit [sic] by such faithful expostualtions [sic] and such evident
signs of progress in his once slave and be induced to act honest
= ly by those he now retains in unwilling servitude by by the by
Samuel Smith has been down among the laves and slaveholders
and he feels (so we hear) less objection ^to slavery^ than before they were so
happy and he thought many of them better off than the free
ones around here alass [sic] alass [sic] for any one [sic] who can come to such
a conclusion they toon must bery nearly approach that state eve
ever more to be dreaded hadness [sic] of heart it really seems drea
=dful to hear such sentiments advanced _____
We had a nice visit from Elias and Susan were truly glad
to welcom [sic] them under our roof and do a little in return for
much received from them their visit was short too short to see
all who would have liked to have seen them or to be of much
benefit to Susan we had a nice time at the Beach and I only
wished for some of you to enjoy it with us _ Joseph has returned
home and the eclipse is just beginning to be visible he has
going to be bed and I will sit awhile but here is some one at
the door he has come to say there is a boat to be unloaded
to be at the Harbor at 5 oc so you see it is work work [sic] still on
this old Island but now good night that I may watch the moon

(Page 2)

it is now past 12 her I am still ½ past 1 and now I am inclined
to sleep I have watched the moon so far with deep interest but as
must rise very early to get breckfast [sic] must leave to other watchers
and seek some rest 14 There are indications of rain which will be welcom [sic]
indeed for it is seldom we have been in greater need many family , have
been entirely out ^of water^ for a long time we have had a supply thus far
We have had a good visit from Sarah Bedell Stephen Willets is also her
^they^ think of leaving soon we had a short visit from Hannah [Loins?]
Sarah has enjoyed her visit very much she is quite liberal in her views
and seems prepared to go forward __ uncle I Rushmore is quite sick
with a gathering seems somewhat like a fistula believe they do not think
there has been quite a number of sudden deaths around but probably
strangers to you Robert Hicks had a turn of paralisis [sic] sometime ago
he has improved so that he can help himself some and talk some too
Phebe Underhill is improving but her poor mother is in a very poor
way and very troublesome Caroline too has raised blood she has
gone to NY ^[illegible] is better^ Valentine had an ill turn they were quite alarmed with
him fear it is an affection of the heart they too have had their trials
I feel for them especially on account of Abbys derangement how it bli
= ghts all their enjoyment and the perpetual anxiety they feel too on
her account makes it doubly distressing    We were obliged to you for
the proceedings of the meetings at Seneca Falls also at Rochester and
we could not have been more supprised [sic]than we were at the in
formation from my relative to the Rochester meeting but we rejo
=iced with you that all ended so satisfactorily it seemed much
more appropriate for a woman to preside over such a meeting
for surely if there are no women fitted for that station it were
almost useless to attempt to hold a meeting I could not have
believed that my model of a perfect woman should have [illegible] in
the way stated but I suppose she was influenced by others
and probably imperceptibly so to herself I would gladly hunt
up some excuse for her for I cannot bear to think of nay shade
resting on her “It always pains me to [sic] when I see or
hear what seems to me to be inconsistencys [sic] in such persons
as Garrison Lucretia or in any of our prominent reformers

(Page 3)

Perceive by the Star that Frederic throat is not cured and pleasant
as it is to hear of his lecturing hope he wi9ll be cautious and not injure
his health for his services will be needed I fear a long time to come
cheering as the signs of the times are inciting to fresh zeal in the
holy cause ^of^ humanity and freedom __ it is supprising [sic] to see the cha
=nge in some politicians they have all of a sudden come out antislavery
and now try to make others believe they have been so for two years at
least but some of us know they have never let it be known before
Next second day John Van Buren is to address a meeting at Hempstead
there seems to be quite a desire to hear him Elias is almost absorbed
in his political preferences writing and talking abundantly The Horkers
too are straining SS Foster and Parker had of
being seriously injured by that truly dreadful not Christian and church
going tho they were still nothing could have proved the truthfulness
of the speakers assertions so fully as their diabolical acts virily [sic] the
tree can be judged by its fruit __ How cheering HC Wrights accounts in
the P Christian are of his and CC [Burleighs?] meetings I doubt not we
be productive of good Oh for more such pure spirits as theirs to engage
in the good causes of peace and freedom how much nobler it is to go forth
among the people to elevate and enlighten than to go simply for the peace
of their owne [sic] minds as some now a days go _ I am disgusted with this
cant and pretentions to high spirituality when much of the conduct
proclaims the want of common humanity it has been said to be impossible
to love God while we hate our brother &c How does your meeting continue to
be satisfactory? the prevailing opinion seems to be that it will not
hold together for there has been at various times disaffected ones
who have tried to do the same and they have been scattered ___
it has not sectarian feeling enough to bind together if it does not
for I conclude that is quite an importance ingredient in [illegible]
as now existing _ some of the speakers I should & your [sic] to listen to
but I do not know whether it would be agreeable to hear all but
you know I have strong likes and dislikes and what might be intoler
able to me might not be so to [attend?] Isaac did not say whether either of
you had appeared please inform when you do that we may be kept acqu
   - ainted with all your movements on all subjects we exercise due caution

[Text on left side of page overlaying main text, written downward]

15^th I had hoped this would have gone to day but as there is no way to
send it to the office it must wait until second day I will scribble a little
more when I have opportunity 1^st day the business of the day is nearly done I will take
up my pen a few minutes Timothy has been here seems quite feeble and he wanted to come here
again he had no prospect of being with us much longer seems in haste to be gone as his usefulness
nearly over said very old age was not desirable we are looking for Elias Smith and fam
=ily some to night but it looks like a storm and I think probably we shall be disappointed
Suppose you know Oliver Johnson is about giving up his paper or rather the one he has been
Editor of I deeply regrett [sic] his disappointment he entered upon the engagement
with high hopes of success it would be very pleasant to us were he again to find a house
in NY we miss his cheerful presence from our [illegible] where his steadfast friendship had
made him very dear to us and I cannot avoid hopeing [sic] to have them again among us
I sho^u^ld be glad if he could be actively engaged in the antislavery cause
how different the Tribune is since he left it at least I think it is is has lost much
of its antislavery character and of its interest to me since

(Page 4)

[Page 4 written by Joseph Post to Isaac Post and is transcribed as 714_09_12_1848]

Tags

Abolitionism; Family; Medicine

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/3004.

Transcribe This Item