Letter from Henry Chapin to Samuel Downer regarding his political reminiscences

Letter from Henry Chapin to Samuel Downer regarding his political reminiscences

In this four-page letter Henry Chapin declines the invitation to attend the Reunion of the Free Soil Party and reminisces about political party events and personal feelings. He discusses the ostracism he and the other Free Soilers faced from those who disagreed with them, and the fact that eventually he and his comrades were redeemed. On the right-hand side of page four Samuel Downer has written Chapin's name.

Downer, Samuel, 1807-1881

Allen, Charles, 1797-1869

Bullock, Alexander H. (Alexander Hamilton), 1816-1882

Reunions

Abolitionists

Abolition movement

Political parties

Invitations

Political elections

Political conventions

Quarreling

Nostalgia

Chapin, Henry, 1811-1878

Hingham Public Library

1877 July 28

No known copyright restrictions

Contact host institution for more information

JPEG

8.11 MB

7.98 MB

English

Correspondence

bpc-0036a

folder3_16a

bpc-0036b

folder3_16b

Worcester (Mass.)

Sharon Springs (N.Y.)

Philadelphia (Pa.)

1848-1852

1877 August 9

Hingham Public Library

                Sharon Springs N.Y.

                                July 28, 1877

My dear Sir,

Your invitation to attend a meeting of the original Free Soilers, was forwarded to me from Worcester. I suppose that I shall not return in season to attend the proposed meeting. Nothing would gratify me more than to be present. The suggestions recall to me memories which are deeply engraved in my soul <insertion: heart>. I was a member of the convention which elected Charles Allen as a Delegate to Philadelphia Convention. In our District convention, the candidates were Charles Allen and Alexander H. Bullock. It was my fortune to inform Mr. Allen that we had elected him. “Well,” said if you want a man uncompromisingly opposed to the extension of slavery, you have [elected] <insertion: got> him.” You know the history of the Philadelphia convention. Mr. Allen returned and <insertion: most of> the leading Whigs turned their backs upon him. I was Chairman of the Whig County Committee. I felt that Mr. Allen was right and made up my mind for one, to stand by him. I called the Whig County Convention and after calling it to order, retired from the Whig party. No one who was not in the same condition can realize at what a sacrifice of feeling I sundered my relations with men whom I had learned to love and honor above any I had ever known, but there was a duty to be done and from such an ordeal, cowards only flinch. We were threatened with social ostracism, our names for a time almost cast out as evil, the last official act of Gov. Clifford was to behead me as Commissioner of Insolvency, and appoint in my place Alexander H. Bullock afterwards Republican Governor of Massachusetts. But time had its revenge, the stone which the builders <insertion: rejected> all unexpectedly to itself became the head of the corner, and men who never expected to have any political influence, were forward by the progress <insertion: of> events, until the last shackle was struck from the last slave, and the country was free from the curse of <insertion: human> bondage. I have written more than I intended, but the …[illegible]… set the old wheels in motion, and they will run. I doubt not you will have a glorious time. You will have the representatives of those who believed that there was a god in Israel and who found a party, which said what it meant and meant what it said.

                Yours truly

                                Henry Chapin

 

Henry Chapin

Worcester

8" x 10"