1 October 1857

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: Address reported by Gerrit Smith to the Jerry Rescue Convention, held in Syracuse October 1, 1857.

Regarding William "Jerry" Henry, who had been arrested under the Fugitive Slave Law in Syracuse in 1851, and rescued by local citizens. Smith commends the rescue, claiming no Christian can disapprove of the rescue. Discusses his disappointment in the Republican party's lack of adherence to abolition. Asks "whether we all recognize the obligation to rescue every Jerry."

GLC04717.26

March 1859

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: Personal Liberty Bill

Begins with a list of the foremost duties of the New York Legislature: to close the dramshops, to prevent withholding suffrage from Black men, and to protect the "weary and heart-broken fugitive slaves" within State limits. Includes an excerpt of a speech by Smith, arguing that the Constitution of the United States should not be interpreted as a pro-slavery document: "The Constitution is not for Slavery unless they who adopted it meant it to be for Slavery. But there can be no evidence that they so meant, unless there is evidence that they saw Slavery in the Constitution."

GLC04717.27

27 August 1857

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: Compensated emancipation: a speech by Gerrit Smith, in the National Compensation Convention, held in Cleveland, Ohio, August 25, 26 and 27, 1857.

Smith declares, "We are here for the purpose of making a public and formal, and, as we hope, an impressive confession, that the North ought to share with the South in the temporary losses that will result from the abolition of Slavery. Indeed, such are our relations to the South in the matter of Slavery, that, on the score of simple honesty, we are bound to share in these losses."

GLC04717.28

27 August 1859

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed letter

Title: to John Thomas, Esq.

Smith declines Thomas's invitation to preside at the anniversary of the Rescue of Jerry, who had been arrested in Syracuse under the Fugitive Slave Law and freed by local citizens in 1851. Informs Thomas, Chairman of Jerry Rescue Committee: "The Rescue of Jerry was a great and glorious event... But those who achieved it, and I include in this number all who cheered it on and rejoiced in every step of its progress, have, with few exception, proved themselves unworthy of the work of their own hands." Worn through in the upper left corner.

GLC04717.29

7 May 1846

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed letter

Title: To the Liberty Party

Discusses the Liberty Party's objectives, including the foremost goal of overthrowing slavery. Analyzes modification and expansion of party objectives, regarding issues such as banks, tariffs, and association with slaveholders.

GLC04717.30

15 September 1846

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed letter

Title: To the Liberty Party of the County of Madison

Offers encouraging words to the Liberty Party following the recent Canastota Convention: "The New-York State Liberty Car is again upon the track."

GLC04717.31

18 March 1848

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed letter

Title: Letter of Gerrit Smith, to the Liberty Party of New-Hampshire

Criticizes the Liberty Party of New Hampshire for voting for slaveholders. Encourages the state to reconstruct a "true" liberty party, "a Party, which will sooner perish than vote for a proslavery man- and a Party, too, which will practically recognize the doctrine of the equal rights of all men."

GLC04717.32

17 September 1851

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: Speech of Gerrit Smith, made in the National Liberty Party Convention at Buffalo, September 17th, 1851, when the following Resolutions were under discussion...

(title continues)... 1. Resolved, That righteous civil government is an indispensable agency for blessing and saving the world; and that every political party which does not identify itself, openly and heartily, with such government, is unworthy of confidence and support. 2. Resolved, That righteous civil government is impartial towards all its subjects, and redress all the wrongs within its reach; and that, hence, it disowns the policy of removing one evil and neglecting another...

GLC04717.33

13 August 1852

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: To the Liberty Party of the County of Madison

Smith addresses the Pittsburgh Convention of the Liberty Party. Urges the Convention to organize a permanent party, and to "declare slavery to be utterly incapable of legalization."

GLC04717.34

October 1852

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: National Liberty Party: at the National Liberty Party Convention, held in Syracuse September 30th, 1852, the following resolutions reported by Gerrit Smith, as chairman of the Business Committee, were unanimously adopted...

The Convention, held in Syracuse 30 September and 1 October 1852, chose to nominate William Goodell as President and S. M. Bell as Vice President. Includes Gerrit Smith's address to the Party. Lists officers nominated to lead the New York State Liberty Party Convention.

GLC04717.35

5 November 1852

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: To the voters of the Counties of Oswego and Madison

Complains that he was nominated for a Congressional seat, a position he did not seek. Assures he will not resign, but will perform his duty, pursuing abolition from his position. Includes his political creed, asserting that slavery is not in the Federal Constitution, that free trade is the necessary outgrowth of human brotherhood, and that political rights encompass all persons, among other beliefs. Contains a pencil note at the top.

GLC04717.36

31 July 1855

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed letter

Title: Second Letter of Gerrit Smith to the New-York Tribune

Addresses grievances he holds against the Tribune: "The 'error', 'weaknesses', 'eccentricities', 'excessive passion' or 'monomania', which you attribute to me, have, doubtless, had not a little to do in encouraging you to select me as the person, on whom to vent your ill humors, and practice your weapons of ridicule and detraction." Smith's feud with the Tribune was ongoing throughout his political career.

GLC04717.37

22 August 1855

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed letter

Title: to Edward Cornelius Delavan, Esquire

Smith writes to Delavan, a temperance leader. Discusses his views on the government's power to educate the people in relation to slavery and alcohol. Expresses his opinion that the government should regulate alcohol consumption.

GLC04717.38

4 August 1858

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: Gerrit Smith's acceptance

Includes a State Mass Convention's nomination of Smith as a candidate for Governor of New York. Contains Smith's reply, which begins: "My years have been spent in seclusion. My habits are all formed to private life. It is emphatically true that public employments are not to my taste. Nevertheless, Gentlemen, I accept the nomination."

GLC04717.39

5 November 1858

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: To the men who put me in nomination!

Discusses meetings he held across the state during his campaign for the position of Governor of New York. Hopes the good accomplished by the meetings is not estimated by the low number of votes he received. Encourages temperance and abolition. Criticizes the current trend towards non-extension of slavery versus complete abolition.

GLC04717.40

12 November 1858

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed letter

Title: Letter from Gerrit Smith to Rev. Dr. John Marsh; Letter from Gerrit Smith to Joshua R. Giddings.

Smith responds to an editorial published by Marsh, editor of Journal and Prohibitionist, New York. Marsh accused Smith of being "unsound on Temperance." Also replies to a published letter from Giddings, in which Giddings sought to defend the Republican party. Calls Republicanism a "one-idea-Party" unwilling to eradicate slavery.

GLC04717.41

29 November 1843

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: Church of Peterboro

Includes a creed and resolutions of the Church of Peterboro. Resolutions name an elder for the church, cite the church's opposition to sectarianism and slavery, and cover other pertinent issues.

GLC04717.46

15 July 1845

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: To those ministers in the county of Madison, who refuse to preach politics

Believes that the continued enslavement of millions of citizens results from religious leaders' refusal to preach politics. Emphasizes the duty of religious leaders to preach against slavery.

GLC04717.47

4 April 1849

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed letter

Title: to President Green, Whitesboro

Addresses a chief difference: "You have none, whilst I have the utmost confidence, in the capabilities of the masses to take care of themselves."

GLC04717.48

7 July 1849

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: At the meeting of the "Church of Peterboro," held July 7th, 1849, the following Resolutions were passed, without a dissenting voice...

Accuses a clerk and store owner who sell liquor as being "out of...place" for preaching the gospel. A second resolution attests that no members of the Church of Peterboro are guilty of voting for anti-abolitionists or drinking intoxicating liquors. The resolutions are to be read in a public assembly 8 July.

GLC04717.50

20 July 1849

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: To the Church of Peterboro

Uses an allegory of a tea, coffee, and liquor merchant to illustrate that "the wickedness in one branch... taints with wickedness every other branch..."

GLC04717.51

9 August 1849

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed letter

Title: to Hiram P. Crozier, New York

Defends the Resolutions of the Church of Peterboro, which Crozier criticized. Chastises Crozier for running a store that sells liquor, declaring "iniquity, permitted in one of the branches of the store, stamps the whole store with iniquity." Crozier served as pastor of the church.

GLC04717.52

February 14, 1873

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed letter

Title: A letter from the Hon. Gerrit Smith, to the Cuban Anti-Slavery Committee, New York.

Smith writes, "As I view it, our Government should, long ago, have conceded belligerent rights to the Cubans struggling for freedom from the yoke of Spain and from the yoke of Slavery... The world is too far advanced in a rational civilization and in an all-comprehending fraternal religion, that it should any longer be allowable for the nations to stand still whilst one of them continues to indulge in the horrid crimes of which, if they were ever guilty, they have thoroughly repented." Notes that Samuel Raymond Scottron served as the committee's president, and H. H. Garnet as vice president…

GLC04717.62

4 July 1873

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: Let crushed Cuba arise! Substance of the speech of Gerrit Smith, in Syracuse, July 4th 1873.

Smith writes, "In our Fourth of July celebrations there are two events, which, far above all other events, we come together to celebrate. One of these is the deliverance of our country, nearly a century ago, from political despotism, and the other is the practical recognition by our nation, a few years since, of the grand doctrine that 'all men are created equal.'"

GLC04717.63

1 December 1873

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: Spain. --- Cuba.

Discusses Spain's history of slaveholding and the role of other nations to end slavery in Cuba.

GLC04717.64