Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1898-07-06
Levi COFFIN,


Letter from the Famous Un-
foreground Railroad Agent,
Written on the Day John
brown Was Executed.
Editor Palladium.
In culling over an old drawer a few
week ago | came across lot OF letters
from Levi Coffin, g. W. Julian and
the widow of Bailey of the old Ma
tional Era and the enclosed histor
zeal letter from Levi Coffin has some
points think the public would be in
ferested in reading. | send it 10 the
PALLADIUM because il is the Oldest pa
per published in Richmond and because
its editors, Holloway & Davis. were a
bitter as gall in all the anti-slavery
movement from 1910 to the formation
of the Republican party and had te
even beg off from publishing some Of
the replies to their thrusts and charges
in their editorials against that move
ment. The history of the monthly
meeting mentioned in Coffin's case was
about this. In the fore part of the
decade of 1910 to IA the anti-slavery
movement WAS at its white heat, an6
Coffin took part in its deliberations
Indiana yearly meeting WAS down or
all its movements and used all il:
authority to prejudice its members
against the movement, and used It's
Legislative authority to put it down
opening the breach wider and wider
until 1912 and '43 adivision took place,
and the anti-slavery body set up a
yearly meeting of their own. Lew
Coffin. among hundreds Of others,
was disowned. In after years the
mother chnrch ceased its opposition
and prejudice and saw its error
and opened the door for the return OF
its prosecuted and prescribed brethren
and Coffin applied for membership. In
that day of church polity when a mem
Der was disowned in monthly meet
ing and moved in the limits of another
and applied, and that meeting was
satisfied, the case according to discip-
line then had to be referred to the
monthly meeting where he was dis
owned for it's consent or acknowledge
ment that he was rightfully disownsd
This was the law in Coffin's case and
he refused to make any acknowledge
ment, and the application hung fire for
months, a majority being willing, and
q small minority of three being OPP
posed.
Finally this monthly meeting
occurred in remote quarter of its
limits Oh a cold, blustry, snowy day.
so the opposition failed to attend and
Coffin and his wife were admitted as
members of the church.
In this warfare there were no
charges of any false doctrine preferred
against the anti-slavery party. The
charges were taking an active part and
opening their meeting and school
houses for anti-slavery meetings and
mixing with the world. The active
abolitionists of that day who stood the
charges of cranks and the pelting of
stones and rotten eggs are now count
ed heroes and are honored for their
heroism. DANIEL HUFF.
WEDDINGTON, IND,
II month lst 1859.
My Dear Friend Daniel Huff Thy
letter of the Goth ult. came duly to
hand. 1t was truly welcome messen-
ger and thankfully received, you can
not imagine how much good it does US
away down here in Egypt to get letters
from our friends. We received one
at the same time from our esteemed
friend VIM. Hough. all truely interest
ing and satisfactory. Through your
letter we got pretty general history
of the workings or doings of the
| feel very grateful to my friends, IN
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feelings to find that l still have
true and sympathizing friends. l de-
sire to walk worthy of their confidence,
though feel poor and worthless aud
that my day of usefulness was over, if
ever did do any good. | may have
been deceived in myself. Good works
and the applause of men will not save
us. | have endea core to feel for those
In bonds as bound with them, and de-
voted much time and means in endeav-
oring to relieve the sufferings of the
poor and downtrodden, to feed the
hungry and elothe the naked. shelter
the outcast, &c, and have sacrificed
much IL endeavoring to sustain the
free labor cause and to bear constant
testimony against the sin of slavery,
but all this am well aware will avail
nothing of itself in the trying hour that
is approaching to US all; we must know
of certainty of passing from
death unto life and having our names
written in the Lambs book of life.
We may perform many good works
and yet live in the outer court.
Perhaps it is all right and for our
good that our worldly means is sill
used up and we are left in a dependent
state in our old age, and what we have
done. (even if il was right FORGOTTEN
or not remembered by many. If our
worldly means is gone, either by &C.
eident or benevolence the world will
frown upon Us, and we sink in the
estimation of the masses of the people.
We have nothing left then to rely up
on but the mercies of our Divine
Master. Oh, that We may be faithful
to the end and not murmur is my
sincere desire. This is the day of ex-
ecution of that brave. that nools, that
good Though mistaken or unwise in
his plans as We think man John
Brown 1t may be that he was an
in the hands of the
Almighty to commence the
great work of the deliverance of the
oppressed and of the scourge of the
south, for certainly heavy scourge
hangs over that dark land. | believe
that every drop of John Browns
blood that they spill will raise up a
man against them. This should be a
solemn day with all the true friends of
the oppressed, feel deeply on the
occasion, for think this is only the
of the end A terrible dsyl
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