The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-03-31
EETTER FROM aIAsToNBURY.

to us with the request that we give it space in
our columns, and We cheerfully do, so, feeling
sure that it is Of sufficienI est to merit the
attention of the general reader.-ED.l
GLASTONBURY, Ct, Feb. y, 1876.
Your letter, which came to hand last
evening, was good while three weeks)
on the road. We get the New NORTH
WEST from Portland, Oregon, and it
generally reaches US in ten days. We
thank you for the interest you take in
our cause, and also for your desire of
my translation of the Bible, which the
public eye would never have taken
look at, had we not received such un-
heard-of usage from our native town.
We concluded last summer to let them
see that, if a woman was not capable of
managing her own property, she had
done what no man had ever done with
out help, that is, she had written ont
the Sacred Scriptures five times from the
three original languages, written over
the head of our Saviour-the Greek
twice, the Hebrew twice, and the Latin
once. This she did many years ago,
when she met weekly with her four
sisters and one friend, who all wanted
to know the literal meaning of every
word. AS Idefined it, the same English
word for every Greek and Hebrew word,
not giving any ideas of my own, we all
thought it gave US a clearer meaning of
the text. 1t is a simple translation of
the original, without references at all,
the chapters and verses being in the
same order as in our present English
Bible, so that they can, easily be referred
to if any one wishes to compare texts.
We went to the American Publishing
Company, at Hartford, and contracted
with them to publish 1000 copies for
$4,000, telling them that we had stock
enough in Hartford banks to pay for
the printing, and, if we sold not a
volume, we should be relieved of half
our taxes, for we were assessed as much
for that stock as for our farm, and we
should injure nobody, as we should pay
for the work. We expected the Bible
would be ready for distribution by the
first of April, the time agreed upon,
but the head of the Publishing House
says he cannot hurry, as he wants SO
great work to be we'll done, 80 he
thinks it will take to the middle of
April to complete it. We intend to sell
it at 81 so copy, which will bring us
in debt $1,000. But, as the plates will
be ready, on hand, we can have another
edition if required. 1t looks now quite
favorably; for we receive letters from
many of the States, and Canada, also,
wanting Bibles and agencies, so that
we may get remunerated. Many of our
friends say we shall, and more too, but
we do not worry aboutit. We still live
in jeopardy, and know not what is to
be done with US next. There is nearly
three hundred dollars hanging over oul
heads, one hundred and fifty of it being
our last years tax, which they have
siezed nothing for yet, for it was so un-
lawfully assessed that they dare not dc
it. This years tax they have called for
and probably it is according to the
mems laws. The collector wanted tc
know, in tone of authority, if we re,
fused to pay it. We told him by nc
means. There was no need of it, for the
town had all our property in theil
hands, and they could take what they
pleased. The first selectman said We
should feel better to pay for it. "WoulC
our Revolutionary forefathers have fell
better to have yielded to Great Brit
ain," said we, "and saved a sever
years bloody war and thousands o
lives ? 1t is the same principle, ant
women inherited this spirit from theiI
ancestors as much as the men. AnC
this year is to be year of rejoicing fol
what the heroes of I776 did resist; also
King George himself never meddled
with women" They left without
threats. This was the first of January
and they have attached nothing as yet
Our three cases inl Hartford courts
where we were to be called upon to at
tend this winter, are continually de
layed, and we begin to think our oppo
nents never intend they shall come on
being in hopes we may not live long
and then they can have free plumber
[ do not wonder that they are ashamed
to confront US, who have always beer
law-abiding citizens, and they wei
know we have their own laws on ou
side, which they themselves havt
broken to get our property, in every
thing they have done against US, unless
in this last tax. 1 think they are in ,
quandary about US, for the first select
man will hate to give another warran
to distress us, as he has done this Cen
tennial year. And they know, too
that 1t will go all over the country as
has done, as it has been said that W,
have disgraeed the town. We hav,
done it by reporting their proceeding
against us, for such unlawful conduct il
enough to disgrace anybody, or AM
town. Yours respectfully,
JULIA E. SMITH.
The members of the Judiciary Com
mittee, including the Republicans, sa.
the testimony given by Marsh befor