To the Voters of the Counties of Osuego and Madison: You nominated me for a seat in Congresss, notwithstanding I besought you not to do so. In vain was my resistance to your persevering and unrelenting purpose. I had reached old age. I had never held office. Nothing was more foreign to my expectations, and nothing was more foreign to my wishes, than the holding of office. My multiplied and extensive affairs gave me full employment. My habits, all formed in private life, all shrank from public life. My plans of usefulness and happiness could be carried out only in the seclusion, in which my years had been spent. My nomination, as I supposed it would, has resulted in my election- and, that too, by a very large majority. And now, I wish, that I could resign the office, which your partiality has accorded to me. But, I must not- I cannot. To resign it would be a most ungrateful and offensive requital of the rare generosity, which broke through your strong attachments to party, and bestowed your votes on one, the peculiarities of whose political creed leave him without a party. Very rare, indeed, is the generosity, which was not to be repelled by a political creed, among the peculiarities of which are 1st. That it acknowledges no law, and knows no law, for slavery:-that, not only, is slavery not in the Federal Constitution, but that, by no possibility, could it be brought either into the Federal, or into a State, Constitution. 2nd. That the right to the soil is as natural, absolute, and equal, as the right to the light and the air. 3rd. That political rights are not conventional, but natural-inhering in all persons, the black as well as the white, the female as well as the male. 4th That the doctrine of Free Trade is the necessary outgrowth of the doctrine of human brotherhood; and that to impose restrictions on commerce is to build up unnatural and sinful barriers across that brotherhood. 5th. That national spars are as brutal, barbarous, and unnecessary, as are the violence and bloodshed, to which misguided and frenzied individuals are prompted: and that our country should, by her own Heaven, trusting and beautiful example, hasten the day, when the nations of earth "shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more". 6th. That the province of Government is but to protect- to protect persons and property; and that the building of railroads and canals and the care of schools and churches fall entirely outside of its limits, and exclusively within the range of "the voluntary principle". Narrow, however, as are these limits, every duty within them is to be promptly, faithfully, fully performed:- as well, for instance, the duty on the part of the Federal Government to put an end to the dramshop manufacture of paupers and madmen in the City of Washington, as the duty on the part of the State Government to put an end to it in the State. 7th. That, as far as practicable, every officer, from the highest to the lowest, including especially the President and Postmaster, should be elected directly by the people. I need not extend any further the enumeration of the features of my peculiar political creed:- and I need not enlarge upon the reason, which I gave, why I must not, and cannot, resign the office, which you have conferred upon me. I will only add, that I accept it; that my whole heart is moved to gratitude by your bestowment of it; and that, God helping me, I will so discharge its duties, as neither to dishonor myself, nor you. GERRIT SMITH PETERBORO, November 5th, 1852.1937 52 ——— 85Julia Griffiths Dr friend, I went to see you day before yesterday - on my return City, I find my table piled up high with letters. The [???] dft will make $1050 of the $1200 which I agreed to spend to sustain the Douglass Paper. I hoped that you were so moneyed as to the business of the paper — but I infer from your letter that the Paper will go soon. This I should simply lament & the more so after all I have done to sustain it. I can do no more than to make up the $1200. If no bother I mean to visit Washington next month & so. Mrs Smith will go with me if her health, now very poor will permit. I hope dear Douglass will soon get over the many effects of his severe & sustained labors. In haste yr friend Gerrit Smith Nov. 11 1852[*63/74*] Boston Nov 6 ’53 Dear Miss Griffiths I should like to lecture for you on Tuesday January 23. I propose to lecture @ R on Tuesday 23, at S. Ran[???]s on Wednesday 24. Syracuse on Thursday 25, end home Friday night 26th. Yours truly Theo. ParkerWashington, June 12 1854. My friend I this [day receive] the accompanying list—. There is certainly some merit in the lines—You will judge whether enough to justify you in giving them a place in your Paper—If you print them, [do send Mr. Haynes] a [couple] of copies of the Paper [containing them]— I see you are [mentioned] for Congress. My heart would leap for joy at your election. It would be the greatest blow yet struck for the redemption of the slave. Oh how I should love [to] [work] for your election! Truly yours Gerrit Smith Fredk DouglassRochester Dec. 6th 1859. My Dear Father Nearly two weeks have past since I wrote you last.—I think my letter will have reached you in a week from this date. I have just written a letter to Miss Assing since in reply to one I received from her dated Nov. 26th. The Virginia hyenas have murdered our Hero he met his fate like a brave and good man as he was. If any one even doubted Capt. Brown’s bravery they cannot help now in feeling assured that they were mistaken in their doubt. The last letter to his wife and family is touching, and cannot fail to draw tears from the eyes of the reader. The letter is full of a Christians hope and wishes. Corinthian hall was draped in mourning last friday evening and a meeting in sympathy with Capt. Brown was held between two and three hundred assembled a mean audience for Rochester. The flag, which was also draped in mourning hung all day floating in the breeze and attracting the attention of the passers by. I felt certain that a full house would be the result. Mr. Pryne spoke ably, he has no style scarcely, he thunders away quite loud and suddenly his voice lowers to an ordinary pitch. Parker Pillsbury spoke after Mr. Payne he was very sarcastic in his remarks and several left the hall, he thinks Brown a greater man than Washington, that idea did not please the reporters at all and the next day the city papers criticized his speech severely. I saw Banclay Coppic last thursday he is quite young and is suffering from a bad cold which has settled in his lungs the result of his exposure in the mountains. He looked very much haggard. Last week a young man was arrested at Charlestown supposing him to be Banclay Coppic he now lies in their jail. [???] and I heard Dr. George B. Windship on “Physical Culture” last thursday , uncanny he performed the wonderful feat of lifting with his hands 904 pounds of nails in kegs, besides putting a barrel of 214 pounds on his shoulder, he is a strong man certainly very young and weighing himself 148 lbs. His lecture was most much. Annie attends school regularly she is the favorite of her grammar teacher he says she is the best student he has. Mrs. Prinson has written to me she is pleased with the paper and thinks the allowing Mr. Payne the editorship could not be improved. Every one that I have seen who takes the paper are pleased with the manner in which it is conducted in your absence. Annie will fill a part of the remaining page she writes daily in her English writing book and intends to astonish you with her advance in penmanship. The ground is white with snow around us and winter has come in grand earnest. Gerrit Smith is improving fast and will son be able to go to his family if he has not already gone. Very Affectionately Yours Rosetta Douglass Rochester Dec 7th 1859. My Dear Father I am proceeding in my German very well for my teacher says so. I am in the first reader and I can read. I expect that you will have a German letter from me in a very Short time. I have learned another piece: and it is an Anti Slavery I am going to speak it in school. my piece is this. O he is not the man for me Who buys or Sells a slave Nor he who will not set him free But send him to his grave But he whose noble heart beats warm For all men’s llife and liberty Who loves alike each human form O that’s the man for me It is in the Garland of Freedom and [fer] four verses of it. My letter will not be very long. Poor Mr. Brown is dead. That hard hearted man said he must die, and they took him in and open field and about a half mile from the Jail and hung him. The German children like me very much but I have gone a head of them and they have been there longer than me too.They all send their love. From your affectionate Daughter ANNIE DOUGLASS. [???] Camp Meigs, April 8 1863, Readville Mass. My own Dear Amelia: I am once again the happy recipient of a good letter from you of whom I think so much. You wish me to tell you of camp life I will, after first stating, that with the exception of a slight cold, I am enjoying good health. The first thing I did was to be examined by the surgeon -- to see if I was in any manner deformed, after which I was told to go to an officer whose business it is to take a description of my looks and then swear me in to the service, I promising to obey all orders from the President of the United States down. After taking the oath I proceeded to the Quartermasters department, there to receive my clothing, which consists of everything that "our sex" wear excepting a vest. My badge of office is three stripes placed on my coat in the shape of a half diamond, and three circular stripes rounding off from the diamond somewhat like this on each sleeve, and a wide stripe down the leg. After I was dressed I reported to the Adjutant who instructed me in my duties. We have every morning for breakfast one third of a six cent loaf of bread nearly a quart of coffee a large piece of fresh or corn beef, or ham as the case may be. For dinner we have beef and potatoes and the same quantity of bread, sometimes bean soup, at night constantly rice and molasses. the men sleep in barracks in bunks two in each. I not having my quarters prepared yet the weather being so stormy that there is one building going on, I have to stop in the barracks along with the privates. The rules are that I shall have a room of my own with writing materials & which I hope soon to occupy. The soldiers amuse themselves by fighting each other, speaking up to the officers, for which they are immediately punished by chaining large ballsof iron to them, or making them hold heavy weights for hours, for striking a superior officer. Death is the punishment yet in the face of this penalty one of the men knocked a lieutenant sprawling the other night, and the lieutenant's good nature would not allow him to report the rascal, for if he had he would have certainly been shot. Thursday last I went into Boston and staid all night at some [frends] friends of mine. I attended a levee in the evening of colored people, which was just nothing. I did not stray in the hall long having soon found out that there were "all sorts" present, I thought it would not be well for me to be known there. This morning we had an addition to our regiment of seventy-three men making our number five hundred and forty-eight. My dear girl I would like to have you occasionally send me a Syracuse paper.or send to those young men who have come from Syracuse they will take it so kindly. And I shall tell them that you sent it. Direct all papers and letters to me as usual. The young men from Boston and New Bedford receive many little niceties from their parents which keeps them in cheerful spirits. I shall always love you, never give me up for dead until you are certain of it. My fear is that I may be reported dead when I am not. it is often the case in battle. Remember me kindly to your mother father and sisters and Miss Lewis. Oh for one sweet kiss do not cry. Ever lovingly LewisPeterboro June 17 '63 Fred’k Douglass My Friend Enclosed is my dft. for #20 toward helping you sustain your monthly. Your speech in the last no. is worthy of your best work & happiest inspirations. Another alarming event of late. But I believe that the Rebellion is to go down & that much of the horror of it will rebound to their troops - Your friend Gerrit Smith