circa 1916

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Typed document

Title: [Draft of Page 66 of "Fear God and Take Your Own Part"]

The page beginning: "of cheap platitudes, not by windy orating...." With lengthy autograph annotations by Roosevelt.

GLC05186

8 November 1928

Abbot, Charles Greely, 1872-1973

Typed letter signed

Title: to "Our Heroes Class," First Methodist Church

Writing to a Sunday school class, Abbot, an Astrophysicist and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, recounts an anecdote from his childhood in which a cobbler told him "the Kingdom of Heaven is within you." Abbot explains that Heaven is within you when you follow a "philosophy of happy life." This philosophy is characterized by study of the classics of human culture--such as the Bible, literature, music, and great paintings.

GLC05508.014

circa 1875-1885

Cable, George Washington, 1844-1925

Autograph quotation signed

Title: [I believe in beauty and in joy...]

Cable quotes Charlotte Oliver, in part: "As to the resurrection, punishment and reward, I can't see what my noblest choice has to do with them; they seem to be God's part of the matter; mine is to love perfect beauty and perfect joy...."

GLC05508.059

9 April 1925

Coolidge, Grace Goodhue, 1879-1957

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mrs. Strong

Answers Strong's question, which asks what has given Mrs. Coolidge the most comfort. Coolidge states that passages from the Bible about faith and Whittier's "The Eternal Goodness" have provided much comfort but she finds that James Martinean's Commendatory Prayer, published as a memorial to her husband, has given her the most comfort. On White House Stationary.

GLC05508.073

9 March 1790

Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Polly Stockton

On the second anniversary of his recovery from illness, Rush thanks his sister for nursing him. His illness left him with strong ideas of the vanity of wealth, the evil of Sin, etc. He continues by talking about his delight in reading John Wesley's sermons concerning the rise and progress of Christianity, which Wesley described as a series of concentric circles. Rush also discusses a new translation of the four gospels by Dr. Campell of Aberdeen.

GLC05508.011

18 December 1882

Alger, Horatio, 1832-1899

Autograph quotation signed

Title: [Rich is the life which seeks a noble end].

A poem about helping others. The selfless person "wins Heaven's approval, gains true success."

GLC05508.018

14 November 1942

Astor, Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor, Viscountess, 1879-1964

Typed letter signed

Title: to Mr. Wilson

Astor cannot choose a favorite poet; she starts by listing several: Browning, Keats, Kipling, Poe, and Longfellow. Her favorite book to read is the Bible.

GLC05508.023

circa 1843

Carlyle, Thomas, 1795-1881

Autograph manuscript

Title: [Excerpt from Thomas Carlyle's 'Past and Present'].

From chapter 8 "Unworking Aristocracy," on p. 172-74 of Carlyle's 1843 book, "Past and Present." A note on the top identifies the content: "A scrap of T. Carlyle's manuscript of 'Past and Present.' RW. Emerson," although, it is probably not in Emerson's hand. The manuscript attacks the aristocracy for doing nothing in the face of others' suffering.

GLC05508.060

circa 1870

Cornell, Ezra, fl. 1870

Autograph quotation signed

Title: [While down the stream of life I sail...]

This poem defines Christ, grace, hope and the Bible as tools necessary for life, just as a ship, the wind, an anchor and a compass are necessary for sailing.

GLC05508.075

16 November 1949

Culbertson, Ely, 1893-1955

Typed letter signed

Title: to Charles L. Wallis

Culbertson discusses why T.S. Eliot's "Journey of the Magi" is meaningful to him. He cites Eliot's question, "Was it birth or was it death?" and interprets it as a reference to Christ as a moral revolutionist; Christ brought the new Law of Cooperation to ancient society's forefront at the expense of the old Law of the Jungle. Interestingly, Culbertson was an American authority on the game of bridge.

GLC05508.077

3 November 1873

Dodge, Mary Abigail, fl. 1873

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mr. Ward

Response written to Mr. Ward, her publisher and a minister. Mr. Ward apparently disliked an article Dodge sent him because he disagrees with religious interpretations in the text. Dodge defends her beliefs and criticizes that ministers compel people to search the Scripture but at the same time want people to believe only what they say. She claims she is not mad at Ward, because he spoke his mind, but she will not alter her manuscript.

GLC05508.087

circa 1920-1930

Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir, 1859-1930

Autograph quotation signed

Title: [What can one possibly say...]

Written on imprinted card: "What can one possibly say that / if they have been in any way / needy or unhappy one prays that the / future has compensation in store." Date of document assumed because Doyle's interest in spiritualism emerged after the death of his son in WWI.

GLC05508.088

17 October 1966

Edmonds, Walter Dumaux, 1851-1924

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Marshall E. Bean

Written in response to a letter from Bean. Edmonds has been moved by Bean's "unostentatious courage," but is not sure he can comfort him. He writes that he does not believe in God the way the Churches do, but believes in a force of good. He encloses a story that was once printed in the "Atlantic" and which may bring him some comfort.

GLC05508.094

2 May 1962

Eliot, T.S. (Thomas Stearns), 1888-1965

Typed letter signed

Title: to George Urban

On the stationary of Faber and Faber. Elliot claims he is too busy to make a broadcast on Radio Free Europe in Eastern Europe. He also rejects Urban's proposal that Elliot speak on religious persecution, because he has not known it himself.

GLC05508.096

28 April 1871

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Frank H. Alfriend

Marked "Private" at the top. Davis has not been able to obtain a copy of the biography which Alfriend wrote. The book is available only through subscription. He heard the book was "the best work on the subject which had been produced." He encourages Alfriend to write a history of the war between the states that would do "justice to our Section . . . ." He continues: "The severe ordeal of War and the still harder test of unrestrained power in the hands of the successful combattant [sic], have shed a flood of light on the questions which were discussed in the formation of the plan of Union…

GLC05344.02

3 October 1876

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Frank H. Alfriend

Enclosing a letter from an author name Spruce [?], who wrote a history of the "War between the Northern and Southern States." Davis notes the book is widely circulated in America. [Enclosure is not included in the collection.]

GLC05344.03

1861-1877

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889

Autograph note

Title: to Frank H. Alfriend

Informing Alfriend that Davis will come to see him tonight or tomorrow.

GLC05344.04

circa 23 August 1876

Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895

Autograph letter signed

Title: to T. R. H. Johnson

No year cited, but preliminary research suggests the year of publication. Thanks Johnson, editor of The Monthly Elevator, for a bound volume recently sent. Remarks that the Elevator, an African American journal, is "laying the foundation of a literature which will in time reflect credit upon our long oppressed and benighted people." A pencil note at the top states, "An Encouraging word from Hon. Frederick Douglass." Enveloped addressed to Johnson in Washington, Pennsylvania. Includes a three cent stamp.

GLC05312

1893

Randall, James Ryder, 1839-1908

Header Record

Title: Copy of letter and poem by James R. Randall [Decimalized .01 and .02]

GLC05296

26 June 1825

Adams, John, 1735-1826

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Smith Shaw

Former President Adams discusses Native American and African religion with Shaw, his nephew and former private secretary. States "Dr. Jarvis has assigned some good causes of the too general inattention to the religion of the indians. But those causes do not apply to the negroes. We have thousands if not millions of them domesticated with us. We might examine them. But who asks them a question? Or studies their languages ... Why are not Bibles translated into negro and sent to the gold coast?" Refers to a slave named Glasgow owned by Boston pastor Samuel Cooper. States that when Cooper…

GLC07533

1822-1826 ca.

Marshall, John, 1755-1835

Autograph manuscript

Title: Notes on edition of George Washington's correspondence [fragment]

Docketed "Page 7 of Jno Marshall mss from his Life of Washington." In fact, these appear to be notes on events in Washington's life referring to page numbers. There is a long struck passage in the lower center of the page.

GLC07603

20 March 1791

Coxe, Tench, 1755-1824

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Tells Knox he is inclosing "brief remarks upon a subject of public importance." He further asks Knox, "I beg leave to remark that I do not appear to be the writer except to such public Characters as from a sense of duty & from respect I deem it necessary to communicate a copy." The letter does not specify what his remarks actually were.

GLC02437.04884

6 May 1785

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mr. Wilson

Encloses Catharine Macaulay's proposals regarding a subscription for her history (possibly referring to her book, A History of England from the Accession of James I to the Elevation of the House of Hanover). Writes, "If you could induce any Gentleman to take this matter under his immediate patronage and make personal applications, more subscribers might be obtained than in any other way. By pursuing this method I obtained three hundred subscribers in one day."

GLC02437.03140

May 15, 1788

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript letter

Title: to Marquis de Lafayette

Marked "Copy." Letter in a secretarial hand. Says that Joel Barlow, later known as one of the Connecticut Wits, will deliver this letter. Knox identifies Barlow as the author of "The vision of Columbus," a long epic poem in heroic couplets. Barlow went to Europe as an agent for a company that wanted to sell western lands to French emigrants. Knox says Barlow is traveling with the son of Nathanael Greene, George Washington Greene, who is to study with Lafayette in France. Says Catharine Greene and Colonel Wadsworth have written him on the subject of "Master Washington's education," and he will…

GLC02437.03874

February 4, 1789

Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, marquis de, 1757-1834

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Lafayette anxiously awaits ratification results of the U.S. Constitution, discusses debates between himself, Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson and "Common Sense" [Thomas Paine] regarding the need for Constitutional amendments, and stresses the importance of "the General's" [George Washington's] acceptance of the presidency. He begins by updating Knox on European affairs, saying that they are "too much Entangled together for me to give you an Exact description." He mentions that the Ottoman Empire, with the assistance of Great Britain, is attacking both the Russians and Austrians, and that Britain fears…

GLC02437.04105