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The Dorr Letters ProjectThomas Wilson Dorr to Lydia Allen Dorr: |
Letter
Feb. 21st
Dear M.
Your 4 epistles were very gladly received
yesterday. I regret to hear that my Father has been unwell;
and half suspect that he has been suffering from having
forgotten to put on his great coat on some cold days.
The little matters of comfort which you sent were very ac-
ceptable. But I cannot now reply at large to your interest-
ing letters; and must devote the time allotted to dinner
to a matter of much interest to me, hoping that this may
reach you this evening before the departure of Mr Burges
for Washington. On the 1st I sent him the outline of an
address to the People on the subject of my continued im-
prisonment, explaining my position to, with a request that
Mr Turner & himself would put the materials into form,
with such additions as they might think proper. Mr
B. in his letter of the 20th, does not acknowledge the receipt
of my letter of the 1st, nor say a word about the address;
and he may give it the go by as to the other matters that
I deemed important some time since.
Will F. do me the favor of calling on B. forthwith, and inquiring into
the matter? If T. & B. do not intend to publish the
address I wish to have the ms of notes enclosed & left
with Mrs W.
that I may get it immediately, &
prepare it for the press. It seems to be demanded
for my justification in refusing to accept the condition-
al discharge that has been offered me by the Algerine
Legislation. Simons has only published three or four
scraps on the subject from Democratic papers abroad;
and they do not seem to understand it. I have acted
in this matter from a sense of honor and duty, and
without reference to the opinions of friends at home or abroad.
But I wish them to be fully apprised of my views & actual
position, and I wish to know how they have expressed themselves;
that they may be set right where they have done injustice.
I hope that F. & B. & other friends will preserve the
papers from out of the state, that I may, at some
time or other, God willing, know what has been said;
in as much as Simons, from some view or other of policy,
sees fit to exclude the matter from his paper. My
friend O'Sullivan, one of the noblest of them all, and who is
himself actuated by the soul of honor, I am sure has
taken the right view.
Mrs W. called my
attention
to a publica-
tion by the Inspectors in the Herald, in justification of
themselves. I have seen nothing of the kind. It was
probably omitted in the weekly paper. So also with
regard to a discussion of Brownell’s & Cleveland’s letters, which,
Col. A. says, has taken place in the papers. I see
nothing of it in the Weekly Herald. What is the
meaning of all this? –
I thank you for the newspaper excerpts; and
hope you will continue them at your convenience.
How does Col. A.'s committee advance with
the white washing business?
I am glad to hear of the revival at the
“Dorrite Church”, and pray that it may extend widely
among the Algerines, including those ministers & deacons
who fell from their good estate in 1842. –
The bell has just been rung, and I close.
I feel about as well as usual today and have been
doing some work.
With my love to F., I am yours
as ever,
in some dry place.