Col. Ralph O. PLUMB (1816-1903) & Marilla E. PLUMB (nee BORDEN) & Harriet PLUMB. [Oberlin College,

Ralph Oberlin PLUMB (1816-1903) & Marilla E. PLUMB (nee BORDEN, b.1818) & Harriet PLUMB (born c. 1828). 

Large format autograph letter from Ralph, Marilla and Harriet Plumb to Ralph and Harriet’s brother Hiram A. Plumb, of Jefferson, Ashtabule County, Ohio, sent from Hartford, Licking County, Ohio, Sept 14th 1845, Folio (16 ½ x 10 3/4in; 419 x 273mm), 4pp. with integral address panel.  Condition: some splits and small voids, but acceptable (see images).

A lively and interesting letter touching on events and people connected with Oberlin College, politics (the Liberty Party, abolitionists, the annexation of Texas), and family matters.

The main text is by Harriet Plumb, but with smaller   sections by Ralph Plumb and his wife, Marilla. Harriet writes about her 3-week trip to Oberlin, attending the College commencement and various other social events, including what sounds like a family wedding (M.W. Fairfield of Troy. NY., married Emily Fairchild of Oberlin) – many relatives attended (“most of the cousins of Lorain County were present – not less than 75 or 1000 [sic!]”)  as well as “all the [College] professors and their families all of the boarders in the hall, all of the class that Graduated when Emily & her husband did”. She goes on to name various individual relations that she met, ending the section with a satirical ‘dig’ at a particular family group who are worried that a son of one of their number is a “Liberty Man” [anti-slavery]. She reports that a family committee is being got up to persuade the miscreant of the error of his ways: “if after a propper[sic.] course he does not repent he is to be cut off and his name cast out as evil” [!].

She reports on various other events she attended where she heard (amongst others) James A. Preston, the Rev. S W Streeter, Prof Rev. Charles G Finney and John Patchin. The last of these ‘gave us a shrewd piece well spoken on Annexation – he was much cheered. He said to close “that the Liberty Party was not the cause of Annexation. He said they shewed themselves 66.000 strong against it last fall beside three times as many women. He then went on to shew that the whigs as a party ought not to bear the blame, & closed by saying ‘Let the honor belong to whom it is due. So, James K. Polk John Tyler Georg[sic.] McDuffe together with his satanic Majesty be all the praise, the honor & the glory …”.

Then the commencement ceremony itself  ‘Wednesday was the Great day’ – she noted that ‘It is cheering to one interested in Reform to see so many cultivated minds go each to their field. Such violent opposers of sin. A colored gent of Jamaica [William Cuthbert Whitehorne] graduated I was much interested in his piece. It was “Intellectual Conflict”. He addressed the class as warriors and preparing for battle his views of their weapons were sublime, he said they expected by this to tear down slavery – and destroy sin. I can not give you any correct conception of his manner. He was black though I was much pleased to see Intelligence in the countenance of the Colored people, that slave like manner is all wiped away when they feel that they are men“. She stays a few more days, attending at the death of an ex-student, then returns home, with messages for her brother.

A quarter of one page is taken up by Ralph Plumb: sort-of congratulating his brother on qualifying as a lawyer (he will be able to ‘make black white guilty innocent” and continuing: “what do you think of the dignity of being a Lawyer to dispute about such laws as we have made for us under such a government – such a constitution ? A Contract with Iniquity, a league with oppression!!! Maybe you think me an AbbyKellite [sic., radical abolitionist] …” . “Considerable excitement prevails here because of the … and Lexington (ie Ashland) outrages we have had meetings on both these subjects and passed resolutions,  see Liberty Herald”.

In addition, Marilla writes to her brother-in-law pointing out that she has been very busy with the household and looking after her children (‘Lize sits here chastising her doll one minute and singing by baby the next, and I have got to deal with Gerala for being ugly to Harriet last night and denying it to me – so you see that I am not idle’)