New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-02

eyer nj of them expressed a concern as to the
manner of dsposng of them after decease." with
this rather poor consolation John WOoman was
fain to rest content. In 1862 he published con-
tnuation OF his work. called Considerations on
Keeping Negroes" The Yearly Meeting to ITS
credit offered to pay for the printing, but WOOL
man I" was most easy TO publish 1t at MS own eN-
pense." He sent some copies to Virginia. New ork
and Newport. and kept some to give away. where
there apT cared prospect of service" AT TINS lime
Woolman was much exercised concerning the pro-
prety of wearing hats and coats which had been
| dyed and also of wearing clothes in summer
| than were useful The result was that he " got n
hat of the natural color Of the fur" but concluded
TO wear dyed garments. of which he possessed sew
eral fit for use until he had occasion for new ones
He also visited the Indian tribes in Pennsylvania
and believed that they understood his preaching ID
| English without the aid of Interpreters. the HOLY
! Ghost working some hearts to edihcaton where
| all the words were not understood When Wool
man some time after went upon religions VISIT 10
the eastern shore of MARYLAND. he travelled on foot
| that by so travelling he might have a more lively
feeling of the condition of the oppressed slaves and
set an example of lowliness before the eyes of their
| masters" "Though travelling foot" he says
| was wearisome TO my body. vet 1t was agreea"ie
| TO the state of my mind. Being weakly was
covered with sorrow and hravinesS. on account OF
| the prevailing spirit of this world nv which Gus
toms grievous and oppressive are introduced on the
| one hand and pride and wantOnness on th" other
single instance will show how conscientious
| Woolman was upon the point of slavery II was
| custom in New-Iersev TO detain young negroes IN
service until they were thirty years OF age without
| wages This was done because those emancipatlng
blacks were bound to maintain them should they
| need relief Woolman. being executor OF WILL
Welded to this custom sold negro lad and applied
the money TO the use Of the estate Long after THIS
| transaction filled him with ahaSement Of mind and
ne executed a bond 10 pay the man TO whom the
lad was sold what 30 candid men might appear
equitable for the last four and half years of his
time in case The said vouh should be living and in
condition likely TO provide comfortably for himself
He gave up going 10 the West Indies because he
could not 90 in a vessel untanted by carrying the
products of slave industry. In 1872 he went to
England The circumstances Of his engaging his
massage are rather curious He observed on the
outslde of that part of the ship where the cabin
was sundry sorts OF carved work and imagery;
in the cabin he obse rived ertluitv of work
manshp Of various sorts He feared that the
monies received from the passengers wer" calcu-
lated to defray the cost OF these supcrluitics.
Woolman compromised the matter by engaging
passage in the stccrage. During the voyage the
passengers invited him TO visit them in the cabin,
and against this he felt no inward movement.
,othing was too high or too low for Woonan's
sympa,hy and he notes IN his journal that ionr-
teen of the fowls taken by the passengers for their
sea store persisted by the waves breaking over the
ouortcr-deck This caused hun 10 remember the
Fountain of Goodness who gave being to all crca-
lures and whose love extends to caring for
sparrows He also plticd the sailors at sea. a he
had ptled the slaves on land. The condition OF
the mariners awakened his pity. and he con
,I,o of han sc
the ocean was attended with lamenJabe corrup-
uons He saw clearly that Friends should
| :" promote the seafarng life no further than that
spirit which leads into all truth. attends Us IN our
proceedings"
Arrived in London Woolman went straightway
TO the Yearly Meeting which CHANGED to he IN scs-
SON. Afterward he travelled through England,
and everywhere he went he felt the promptings Of
the same sweet humanity which had marked al ms
life Everywhere he inquired respecting he prices
which poor men were required to pay for provl-
sions and the rents which they paid for shelter.
Wood for fire." he saws, sis very scarce and dear;
coal in some places two shillings and sixp"nce per
hundredweight; but near the pits not quarter 20
much o may the wealthy consider the poor"
The stage coaches driven at such rapid rate
that the horses were killed or blinded The post
bows were sometimes frozen 20 death. Poor people |
lived upon bread and water and many children
were not taught to read. WOolman appears still to
have travelled on foot. He did not feel free to
Journey in the staGe-coaches. nor indeed to send
letters hy these posts, because in the long winter
nights the poor boys suffer so much He had
heard of this before leaving America, and had
toned his friends not to send him any letters by
rost .on any common occasion Worst Of all. he
fouDd the English Friends mixed with the world
in various sorts of traffic carried on in impure
channels Great Is the trade to Africa for slaves
Members of the Society worked in superilultics,
and bought and sold them, and fell into their use IN
dress and in the furniture of their houses When
Woolman was entertained in some of these dwell
ings he found "sundry things about them that
had the appearance of outward greatness Ways
opened for conversation on such ronts, and Wool
man frankly bore his testimony against oscntatlon
and vain show.
There is no popularity of primitive Quakerism
more remarkable than the Importance which It's
professors attached dreams and visions. and an
instance which Woolman gives is good example Of !
this peculiar faith He narrates that being sick he
was brought so near TO the gates of death that be
forgot his name " Being then DESTROYS TO know |
who | wasn he says " | a mass Of matter of
dull gloomy color between the south and the west
and was informed that this mass was human beings
in as great misery they could be and live and |
that | was mixed with them. and that hence |
forth / might consider myself as distinct or
separate being. In this state remained several |
hours / then heard soft mclodious voice. more |
pure and harmonious than any had heard with my |
ears before | believed it the voice of an
angel who spakc TO the other angels; the words
were: John Woolman IL dead | now rcmem- |
bered that | was once John Woolman, and being |
assured that was alive in the body greatly won |
dered what that heavenly voice could mean. All |
this time the song of the angel remained mystery
and in the morning my dear wife and some Others |
coming to my bedside | asked them if they knew |
who was; and they telling me | was John Wool |