To Edward N. Hallowell

Roadside 2^nd Mo. 1st 1870—

My Dear Edward— I should have acknowledged thy letter of 18th. Ult. sooner had I known just how to answer thy inquiries— It is true that Friends, in their collective capacity gave no countenance to "modern Abolitionism", as they called it—that they often in their meetings misjudged & misrepresented the action of those engaged in the cause—many of their ministers trying to preach them down, & succeeding so far as to disown I[saac]. T. Hopper, Chs. Marriott & a few others—the only "persecution" they could practice. The Meetg. of Green Plain Ohio was laid down by Indiana Yearly Mg—& numbers were disowned— They sent complaints agt. me for appointg & attendg. lectures—on Anti S. & Temperance &c., in Richmond, Ind. also—Nine Partners’ Qy. Mg.—but not being done according to order, they were never acted upon— An effort was made to remove me from the Mg. of Min & Elders, but that too failed for the same reason—after being on their records some 9 or 10 Mos. No charge of Abolition was made-but that "she had lost her gift in the ministry." The body of the Mg however, especially the younger part of the society, wherever I went always sustained me–as was generally the case with such of our ministers as travelled, bearing their testimony against Slavery. When any of our AntiSlavery lecturers held Mgs. in the neighhorhds. of Friends, there were always eno.’ found, ready to entertain them, & to aid in forming A. S. Societies—but the use of our Mg. houses was seldom granted— — When our Yearly Mg. was pressed for a testimony against Slavery, they could only, "encourage Friends to avail themselves of every right opening," &c.—implying that our measures were not of that character— At length a large com. was appointed—Dr. Parrish, Dr. Gibbons Debh. Wharton & others— Dr. Gibbons hoped that Corn. wd. not be identified with the popular movements, which had put the cause back 50 years, &.c &.c— 1 replied to him—he thot. "the phillipic underservd" & comg to me afterwd., I told him such charges we were familiar with, from the ignorant, but we had a right to think better of him— He received it kindly, saying with a smile, "Well I’ll tell thee what it is, I’ll try to think better of you"—which he did—for in 1840 or 41, after Dr. Parrish’s earnest, but too tame an appeal—in pamphlet form, Dr. Gibbons produced a Report, full of strong arguments, & striking facts, gathered from ‘F. D. Weld’s "Slavery as it is—or the Testimony of a thousand witnesses." saying he pitied the person who could read that Work & remain neutral—or not be impressed; I forget his exact words in the Com.— The Yearly Mg. could not go so far & dissolved the committee. Dr. Parrish had died a short time before-and our Anna Hopper bore her testimony agt. such a backward step, when the righteous labors of such a man were SO fresh before us—her exact words too I forget— We were in England at that time— Friends there had always assisted Clarkson & his co-workers agt. the Slave trade—& were ready to join in calling a World’s Conventn. for the entire Abolitn. of Slavery—some abstained from slave-labor product.

I cannot say as to the Orthodox Frds. of other Yearly Mgs. than Philada.— Here tbey gave no more countenance to the movement than did ours— When some English Friends—Joseph Sturge & John Candler & wife in 1841 were here, after the latter had visited the West Indies, & wished to report the success of Emancipatn. there, Arch St. Mg. house was denied them, even the little middle room— So that it may safely be said that no encouraget. was given in a collective capacity—

[but rather that obstacles were placed in their path- The Periodicals of Friends came out in opposition-contrasting the labors of Anthony Benezet & John Woolman with such as were crying aloud and sparing not in our day. Our Intelligencer is now printing Benjn. Lay’s, Ralph Sandiford-Anthony Benezets labors agt. Slavery -- I sd. to one of the Editors, "how much more good they wd. have done had they been in that Paper years ago-when we needed such testimony["-but they were carefully excluded then-except some accot. of Warner Mifflin’s travels & testimony-at the South where he was so careful not to offend the Slave holders-something like this- Now you can decide in the "difference of opinions between you, which is nearest right- ]

When Joseph John Gurney was in this country—some of their Frds. were asked why his mouth was closed on the Anti Slavery subject—open as it was at home— The reason given was that, "his mission here was to preach the Gospel"—!! In Indiana Orthodox Yearly Mg. an antiSlavery separatn. took place & a smaller Yearly Mg. was held at Newport I think—some in or 12 miles from Richmond, Ind.

In the limits of our own Yearly Mg. too,—Western Quarter—Kennet Mg. divided—& Longwood was established—owing to the treatment of Joseph Dugdale & others in Ohio—& many Frds. in Chester Co.—Penna— This however is familiar to you—as much of the foregoing long accot. must be to Richard— I hope to see his Discourse—

11th [February]— This was begun as dated—when I was called to the City to my dear SisterYarnall’s sick bed—since which, I have felt unable to finish it— And now thou wilt have to make allowance for this unsuccessful effort—wh. however is freely made— by thy Sincere frd.

Lucretia Mott—

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