Posted on 06/05/2018 4:51:40 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott, Lincoln-Douglas, Harper’s Ferry, the election of 1860, secession – all the events leading up to the Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts
First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed. To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.
HAMILTON, June 5th, 1858.
DEAR FRIEND STILL:— I have just heard that our friend Capt. B. have being taken Prisoner in Virginia with slaves on board of his vessel. I hard this about an hour ago. the Person told me of this said he read it in the newspaper, if this be so it is awfull. You will be so kind as to send me some information. Send me one of the Virginia Papers. Poor fellow if they have got him, I am sorry, sorry to my heart. I have not heard from my Uncle for a long time if have heard or do hear anything from him at any time you will oblige me by writing. I wish you to inquire of Mr. Anderson's friends (if you know any of them), if they have heard anything from him since he was in your city. I have written to him twice since he was here according to his own directions, but never received an answer. I wants to hear from my mother very much, but cannot hear one word. You will present my best regards to the friend. Mrs. Hill is quite sick.
Yours truly,
J. H. HILL.
P. S. — I have not received the Anti-Slavery Standard for several weeks. Please forward any news relative to the Capt.
J. H. H
SOURCES: William Still, The Underground Railroad: A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters &c., p. 200
June 5. A vigilance committee has just been triumphantly superseding the legal authorities of New Orleans. Very bad, for the transaction doesn’t seem to have been (like the memorable movement at San Francisco, which probably forms its precedent) a unanimous up-rising of the conservative men and property holders of the community, compelled in self-defense to put down rampant scoundrelism, even at the expense of violated formalities and legalities. It has been rather a struggle for power between armed political factions, a party insurrection and revolution, of evil omen to democratic institutions
We shall very soon be ripe for a similar outbreak. Had Fernando Wood been reelected mayor last year, it might well have occurred in this city before now. People are fast coming to the conclusion that democracy and universal suffrage will not work in crowded cities.
The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas
I may have to add this book to my reading list, my ever-expanding reading list.
Awesome to see a good opinion on the Germans!
The only thing curious is how he sees American gatherings as debauchery back then...including especially Fourth of July. Hate to have him see the Preakness now.
The United States in general was positive about Germans until World War I blew up. There were some glitches in the Civil War period, she says anachronistically, because some Germans in the South were Unionists, and some in the North really didn’t care if the South seceded. However, after that, it was all good until 1914.
WWI was actually the one bad time.
My family suffered a lot of boycott of the business, along with the other German-American communities in Baltimore, due to a huge prejudice from real American patriotism coming out as it would in pre-communist days. Not nearly as much during WWII. I think in just another 20 years’ time it was too exhausting to get fired up about!
Ethnic prejudice is a whimsical phenomenon, having little to do, in many cases, with real national security issues. Perhaps anti-German sentiment burned itself out in the World War I period, or maybe Germans-descended Americans were less recognizably German by the 1940s, or the Japanese issue was a distraction. Lots of factors.
George Templeton Strong, our diarist, is down on the Irish, not the Germans.
Not that I really blame people. I’d love it if we still showed some decent love for America. Today we are rolling over ourselves to prove we are NOT prejudiced against Moslems, which is actually a culture/philosophy that provably wants to kill everyone. Indeed, in my region they have boomed as our PC fools have slovenly given them everything they want.
I agree. The government-directed coddling of an alien way of life - as opposed to toleration of people who are different, but aren’t hurting others - is truly astonishing.
SYRACUSE, June 9th, 1858.
MR. STILL:— Dear Sir:— One of your Underground R. R. Passenger Drop you these few Lines to let you see that he have not forgoten you one who have Done so much for him well sir I am still in Syracuse, well in regard to what I am Doing for a Living I no you would like to hear, I am in the Painting Business, and have as much at that as I can do, and enough to Last me all the Summer, I had a knolledge of Painting Before I Left the South, the Hotell where I was working Last winter the Proprietor fail & shot up in the Spring and I Loose evry thing that I was working for all Last winter. I have Ritten a Letter to my Friend P. Christianson some time a goo & have never Received an Answer, I hope this wont Be the case with this one, I have an idea sir, next winter iff I can this summer make Enough to Pay Expenses, to goo to that school at McGrowville & spend my winter their. I am going sir to try to Prepair myself for a Lectuer, I am going sir By the Help of god to try and Do something for the Caus to help my Poor Breathern that are suffering under the yoke. Do give my Respect to Mrs Stills & Perticular to Miss Julia Kelly, I supose she is still with you yet, I am in great hast you must excuse my short letter. I hope these few Lines may fine you as they Leave me quite well. It will afford me much Pleasure to hear from you. .
yours Truly,
WILLIAM COOPER.
John Thompson is still here and Doing well.
SOURCE: William Still, The Underground Railroad: A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters &c., p. 108
When I saw the name “William Still” I immediately thought of William Grant Still, the 20th century African-American composer. A cursory look at genealogy doesn’t seem to connect the two; WGS would have been perhaps a great-grandson or something similar if they were connected. It could also be a name coincidence, of course: Jim Massey Formals is a business with a number of stores in Alabama, and there’s even two James Masseys where I work online, the other one being a chemistry professor.
Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1832-1858, edited by Don E. Fehrenbacher
AUBURN, June 10th, 1858.
MR. WILLIAM STILL:— Sir, will you be so Kind as to write a letter to affey White in straw berry alley in Baltimore city on the point Say to her at nat Ambey that I wish to Know from her the Last Letar that Joseph Ambie and Henry Ambie two Brothers and Ann Warfield a couisin of them two boys I state above I would like to hear from my mother sichy Ambie you will Please write to my mother and tell her that I am well and doing well and state to her that I perform my Relissius dutys and I would like to hear from her and want to know if she is performing her Relissius dutys yet and send me word from all her children I left behind say to affey White that I wish her to write me a Letter in Hest my wife is well and doing well and my nephew is doing well Please tell affey White when she writes to me to Let me know where Joseph and Henry Ambie is
Mr. Still Please Look on your Book and you will find my name on your Book They was eleven of us children and all when we came through and I feal interrested about my Brothers I have never heard from them since I Left home you will Please Be Kind annough to attend to this Letter When you send the answer to this Letter you will Please send it to P. R. Freeman Auburn City Cayuga County New York
Yours Truly
NAT AMBIE.
SOURCE: William Still, The Underground Railroad: A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters &c., p. 104
June 10, THURSDAY. Monday’s College meeting was harmonious and brief. The University committee reported progress and nominated Guyot, Dana, and Marsh of Burlington, on whom panegyrics were pronounced by Dr. Torrey and Mr. S.B. Ruggles, Betts purring acquiescence. Theodore Dwight, now of Hamilton College, was nominated, or suggested rather, for the Law School. Edward Jones was put on the committee, vice Van Wagenen, too busy to attend, a good exchange, and we adjourned to the twenty-first instant, then to elect professors. The university begins to look more hopeful; it may come to something after all, but as yet my faith is very weak, and I behold the post-graduate classes of the future as through a glass darkly.
The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas
I love your postings of Harper’s but is there anyway you can increase the size of the font without distortion?
My old eyes simply cannot read print so small and when I zoom it becomes too distorted.
Otherwise, GREAT STUFF!!!
Sorry. The text is so small on the original printouts that I can’t read them without magnification. And that is when I set the print to 175% of the original pdf size. I increase the size for viewing as much as I can by cutting the pages up and reassembling them in small plates for scanning. What you see is as good as I can make them. If I make the plates smaller still I’m afraid they would just come pre-distorted.
It’s always nice when a meeting ends early.
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