Part 14 (1/2)
”_Answer_ When the devil is hard pushed, and likely to be run down in the chase, it is an old trick of his to start soame, and thus cause his pursuers to strike off from his own track on to that of one of his imps It was certainly a very _providential_ opportunity for Nehemiah to 'throw his views before the public,' when Gesheed hi the wall and hold a public discussion as to the _right_ to build And doubtless a great ht in the first place, it will surely be taken from us utterly This is a providential opportunity to preach truth in the very caot it up, God or the devil? Look over the history of the world, and in nine cases out of ten we shall find that Satan, after being foiled in his arts to stop a greatthe reformers from the _main_ point to a _collateral_, and that too just at the _ht ruin Now, even if this opportunity made it the duty of _somebody_ to take up the subject (which is not proved by the fact of the opportunity), why should _you_ give _your_ views, and with _your naht be found, and as familiar with the subject But you say, others 'are driven off the field, and cannot answer the objections' I answer, your _names_ do not answer the objections How very easy to have helped a third person to the argu an onset in your own names, in a widely-circulated periodical, upon a doctrine cherished as the apple of their eye (I don't say really _believed_) by nine tenths of the church and the world; as it but a forular set-to?”
He proceeds to speak of such a ”set to” and debate as ”producing alienation wide-spread in our own ranks, and introducing confusion and every evil work” He urges the necessity of vindicating a right ”by exercising it,” instead of si for it
Of e class of ht, but a still larger class that will come over _if_ they first witness the successful practice rather than meet it in the shape of a doctrine to be sed Now, if instead of blowing a blast through the newspapers, sounding the onset, and su the ministers and churches to surrender, you had without any introductory flourish just gone right a them and lectured, _when_ and _where_ and _as_ you could find opportunity, and paid no attention to criticis any ado about 'attacks,' and 'invasions,' and 'opposition,' and have let the barkers bark their bark out,--within one year you ht over five hundred thousand persons, of the very land You may rely upon it No moral enterprise, when prosecuted with ability and any sort of energy, _ever_ failed under heaven so long as its conductors pushed the _main_ principle, and did not strike off until they reached the summit level On the other hand, every reform that ever foundered in usty side-winds Nothing reat, a _pre-ereat hted, coh to be called _self-evident_, that the only coreat moral enterprise is to _start_ with a _fundamental, plain principle, so_ fundamental as not to involve side-relations, and _so_ plain, that it cannot be denied”
The es is to be pushed until the community surrenders to it He adds:--
”Then, when you have drawn theeneral principle, you can slide them down upon all the derivative principles _all at once_ But if you attempt to start off on a derivative principle, from any other point than the summit level of the main principle, you must beat up stream--yes, up a cataract It reverses the order of nature, and the laws ofthe tree by the top, in atteone ahead and broken _the path_
”You are both liable, it seems to me, froht_ data, and too narrow a range of induction, and to lay your plans and adopt your ies_ than _led on_ by the relations of cause and effect Both of you, but especially Angelina, unless I greatly mistake, are constitutionally tempted to push for _present_ effect, and upon the suddenness and impulsiveness of the onset rely_resistiveness_ and constitutional obstinacy, she is liable every moment to turn short from the main point and spend her whole force upon soht teht win a _single battle_, but _lose a whole careat pride of character, so closely curtained as to be almost searchless to herself, with a passion for adventure and novel achievements, and she has in all an amount of temptation to poor hu conflicts and strong faith Under this, a sense of justice so keen that violation of justice would be likely to lash up such a tide of indignation as would drive her froe I say this to her _not_ in raillery I _believe_ it, and therefore utter it It is either fiction or fact If _fiction_ it can do no hurt; if _fact_, it may not be in vain in the Lord, and then my heart's desire and prayer will be fulfilled May the Lord have you in his keeping, my own dear sisters
”Most affectionately, your brother ever,
”TD WELD”
”One point I designed to make _more_ prominent It is this: What is done for the _slave_ and _huhts_ in this country _must be done note, no_ Delay is hts are not a life and death business, _now or never_ Why can't you have eyes to see this? The wayfaring h a _fool_, need not err _here_, it is so plain What will you run a tilt at next?”
And he nalish tithe syste s, etc, and adds:--
”If you adopt the views of HC Wright, as you are reported to have done, in his official bulletin of a 'doure conspicuously a the triumphal car), why then we are in one point of doctrine just as wide asunder as extremes can be”
This letter was answered by Sarah, and with the :--
”Angelina is so wrathy that I think it will be unsafe to trust the pen in her hands to reply to thy two last _good_ long letters As I feel nothing but gratitude for the kindness which I am sure dictated them, I shall endeavor to answer them, and, as far as possible, allay thy uneasiness as to the course we are pursuing”
She then proceeds to calmly discuss his objections, and to defend their views on the woards as second in importance to none, but that she does not feel bound to take up every _caviller_ who presents himself, and therefore will not notice some others who had criticised her letters in the _Spectator_
About HC Wright, she says: ”I ht, towards whom I do not feel certain that the law of love predominated when thou wrote that part of thy letter relative to him We feel prepared to avow the principles set forth in the 'domestic scene' I wonder thou canst not perceive the siovernovernment of Jehovah, and that by the Christian no other can be acknowledged, without leaning more or less on an arm of flesh Would to God that all abolitionists put their trust where I believe HC Wright has placed his, in God alone I have given my opinions (in the _Spectator_) Those who read the to do with that I shall let thee enjoy thy opinion, but I must wait and see the issue before I conclude it was one of Satan's providences I know the opposition to our views arises in part froarded as inferior beings, but chiefly I believe from a desire to keep the this is to deprive us of the es of education which would fit us for the perforreatly mistaken if most men have not a desire that women should be silly I have not said half I wanted, but this elina has concluded to try her hand at scolding Farewell, dear brother May the Lord reward thee tenfold for thy kindness, and keep thee in the hollow of His holy hand
”Thy sister in Jesus,
”SMG”
Angelina's part of the letter is not written in the sweet, Quaker spirit which prevails through Sarah's, but shows a very interesting consciousness of her power over the man she addressed
”Sister,” she writes, ”seems very much afraid that my pen will be transformed into a venomous serpent when I employ it to address thee, my dear brother, and no wonder, for I like to pay ,[7] I should be guilty of injustice did I not return the favor Well! such a lecture I never before had from anyone What is the matter with thee? One would really suppose that we had actually abandoned the anti-slavery cause, and were roving the country, preaching _nothing_ but wohts, when, in fact, I can truly say that whenever I lecture, I forget _everything but the slave_ He is all in all for the ti And what is the reason _I_ am to be scolded because _sister_ writes letters in the _Spectator_? Please let every woman bear _her own burdens_ Indeed, I should like to knohat I have done yet? And dost thou really think in my answer to CE Beecher's absurd views of woman that I had better suppress my own? If so, I will do it, as thou ment is _not_ convinced that in this incidental way it is wrong to throw light on the subject”
[7] Angelina and Sarah had sent Mr Weld ten dollars for so su, and pay hiratefully of ”Brother Lincoln, of Gardner,” who rejoiced to have them speak in his pulpit, and says:--
”My _keen sense of justice_ coive her views on this branch of the subject in the _Spectator_ He thought they were needed, and _we_ are well convinced they are, TDW notwithstanding So e-hammer cannot beat down”