Description

Holograph, signed.Title devised by cataloger.On the fourth page the letter is addressed to Wm. Lloyd Garrison Esq. 25 Cornhill Boston."In this letter to William Lloyd Garrison, Elizur Wright, Jr. thanks him for agreeing to contribute to the quarterly magazine of the American Anti-Slavery Society. He answers Garrison's response to the criticisms he made in his last letter and urges Garrison to "let other subjects alone till slavery is finished, because ... it is the most pressing, and needs your whole energy." Wright insists that abolitionists carry diverse views on other subjects and so abolitionist writings "should confine themselves to subjects on which all agree, or rather on which they do not seriously differ." As an example, Wright points to Garrison's belief "that human government has no rightful authority" and how this "conflict[s] with our truths, as espoused in our Declaration of Sentiments" (of the American Anti-Slavery Society). He fears these ideas will suck Garrison "into a vortex of Spiritual Quixotism thus absorb energies which might have shaken down [the] citadel of oppression." He also discusses Garrison's "doctrine of 'perfect holiness'" and argues that "Gospel truth" alone does not free people from sin, indivudals can "be holy in character withouth being altogether sinless," Wright asserts.

Record Contributed By

Boston Public Library

Record Harvested From

Digital Commonwealth