Tuesday, February,
1851.
My Dear Mann:
— Many thanks for your spicy and able article; truly you are great on
Scripture! I always have said I would pay a higher pew tax if you were in
the pulpit than I would for any other preacher since Socrates. I shall have the
article in to-morrow morning if possible.
We have got still to fight on, and I begin to think that we
shall succeed; the bolting Democrats, and many others who in their hearts have
sided with them, begin to be in an agony of fear that the Free-soilers will
stand firm and go before the people defeated by their treachery. They
will hardly adjourn without fulfilling their contract.
We must keep the Free-soilers supplied with ammunition and stiffening:
you have no idea what a limpsy set they are. Good honest men, and inclined
to be brave and persistent, but utterly without head or backbone. They had a
caucus yesterday afternoon, in which Stone of Charlestown put forth as a feeler
the question of the propriety of changing the candidate. I had got Hopkins
down; he was there; so was Downer. They asked the outsiders to express their
sentiments: Hopkins made a strong argumentative speech; Downer put in some hot
shot, and I used my popgun (at half cock perhaps), and I tell you Stone took
nothing by his motion. We left them brave as Julius Caesar; how long they will stay
put I don't know.
We want more from you. Short, spicy articles. Your incog,
shall be kept if you do not betray it yourself, which you will do by your piety.
I can keep dark, even to my chum and brother Sumner, and often do.
Ever yours,
s. G. h.
SOURCE: Laura E. Richards, Editor, Letters and
Journals of Samuel Gridley Howe, Volume 2, p. 336-7
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