Nell, William Cooper. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Title

Nell, William Cooper. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Creator

Nell, William Cooper

Contributor

Post, Amy Kirby, 1802-1889

Date

1853-12-20

Description

Handwritten letter from William Cooper Nell to Amy Kirby Post. Nell writes to Post about the recent anti-slavery fair.

Subject

Post, Amy Kirby, b. 1802

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

1003

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

Esteemed Friend       Boston Dec 20/. 1853
            Amy
                          This is the anniversary of Yours
and my Birthday = How fitting that I should
commence a letter to You on this day -
I cannot write in full to You. but will
pen down Some items preliminary to more
beyond=
             Ten Oclock. Wednesday Eve 21. ^st
Here I am all alone at the antislavery [sic] office
having Just parted with Charles Lenox Remond
and wife at the door . they are enroute home
from the Fair ^They unite in sending love to you^ = Miss Wood and others tooK a
carriage == The Fair opened this morning -
the weather truly auspicious = tonight a slight
sprinKle ofsnow [sic] but now it is starlight -
The reciepts [sic] of the Fair on this its first day
has been $1134. = I was delighted to meet
Mrs Coleman = She also called here to day [sic]
and had a talK with Mr Garrison and
subscribed for the Liberator = She has gone out
of town tonight but arrangements are made
for her stopping in the City Should She
liKe to do so. =     Mrs Stowe writes to
Mr Garrison as though F.D. belongs to
the weaKer party and must be forborne
with=      She has been rather favorably
impressed by him = and though admitting
in some former correspondence his failings

(Page 2)

She will of course aid him somewhat
She did Say that F.D. must cease his warfare
against the anti slavery [sic] friends = but whether
this was a condition on which favors were to
be conferred     I have no reliable information
     as She had   as above intimated to
     Mr Garrison She Sent a note stating
her interview with Douglass = Mr Garrison
nor Mr Phillips will not taKe any Special
pains to correct matters = but let the
developments all appear in thier [sic] due
time.= - The presents of Mrs Stowe
are quite an attractive feature inthe [sic]
Bazaar= Wish You had Visited Boston
Just at this time = = I. have communicated
Some facts from Your letter to Mr
   Garrison = May Wallcut . Jackson V
Samuel J. May – also who will find them
and others of much use by the way of
answering questions often put to him

    Douglass held a meeting in Boston last
Friday night = but the presence of Chas
Lenox Remond Changed the programme
Some= and F.D. did not happen to
acquire any new laurels = D.s speech
was mainly (with Some incidental flings )
on the elevation of Colored People and
his impressions of the West = remarks
in which any body [sic] would concur-
    Remond entered the meeting before I did
and was cheered by the audience

(Page 3)

and when Douglass Sat down He was
loudly called for = He replied briefly =
Concurring with D. in the general remarKs
but adding that He was but a Spectator as though
if he Should SpeaK at any length = his
it might mar the harmony V- Douglass
Siezed [sic] on these words and evidently tried
to make Remond appear as the aggressor
but liKe an old Soldier familiar with the
tricks of the enemy   Charles maintained
an advantageous = Manly and Dignified
position   all the way    through = D. intimated
with his Smooth and Characteristic Style
That if he could be convinced of having done
wrong to Mr   R – or any one [sic] else in the
meeting   He would meet them halfway
V-=         R=- answered that if the glove
Was thrown down to him    He accepted
it cheerfully =      D. = disclaimed the glove
but rather termed it an Olive Branch
R.   rejoined That D. was his enemy V-
but and had deformed his character V=
and added – that if he was going into the
Controversy = He should fight behind no
Cowards Castle or Hay Stack
D == applied the term to his Paper V= = a large
majority were eager for the two to get
fairly under way [sic] = but the lateness of the hour
and other reasons prevented = D. said Hemustbe [sic]
in Rochester Monday night =        Remond was
ready to meet him any time [sic]     and did
Come to Boston next day to ascertain whether
He had remained over but Douglass was
     on his way homeward

(Page 4)

Douglass == called upon the Brothers and
Sisters to Pray for Him = and finally closed
with singing V= = Lewis Hayden declares
himself Neutral = Some thinK him otherwise
Mr Grimes also == but they are the Men
who are with him_mostly when here Vc
There are many here very anxious even now
for a discussion between C.L.R & F.D
the latter mentioned his paper the other every
but had no time to do any thing [sic] about
it = He of course will get Some Subscribers
but no matter what may be the result
else where [sic] He cannot get the Colored People
of   New   England          to approve his Conduct
   and especially Boston as You would have
believed if present at our Garrison Association
last Monday Eve = = Hayden Grimes
   Remond = V- present = Mr Grimes ^[told?]^ Foster
Mr Garrison that Douglass felt sorry V=
wept because of the troubles V= = They also say
that He promises to bury the Hatchet now
If he does it will only be because he thinks
no more harm can be done with it

I doubted it = Judging from the past and
So I told Mr Grimes = He was Surprised
at my skepticism ^and spoke of repentance^ = I replied = Douglass may
repent= but otherwise I have no
confidence in him = I have Known him
longer than most of them = He Can
exhibit a Sunny Side = but I Can not [sic]
easily forget the shady side of his character

Annotations

William Cooper Nell, an abolitionist and former slave, is writing from Boston to fellow activist, Amy Post. Charles Lenox Remond was a lecturer and abolitionist. Nell refers to a recent anti-slavery fair or fundraiser. Lucy Coleman was an abolitionist and woman's rights activist. William Lloyd Garrison was a radical abolitionist and the editor of the newspaper the Liberator. Harriet Beecher Stowe was an abolitionist and the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Nell refers to the recent split in the anti-slavery movement between Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. Douglass no longer believed that the United States Constitution was pro-slavery- unlike Garrison- he believed it was anti-slavery. Wendell Phillips and the Fosters were abolitionists. May Walcutt was married to R.F. Walcutt, who published an anti-slavery pamphlet containing a speech by Reverend Bleby. Francis Jackson was an abolitionist from Boston, who was affiliated with the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society, the American Anti-Slavery Society and the Boston Vigilance Committee. Samuel May was an abolitionist. Lewis Hayden Grimes was an abolitionist and former slave.

Tags

Abolitionism; Personal

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Nell, William Cooper, “Nell, William Cooper. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 24, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3293.

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