Letter from Arnold Buffum, Philadelphia, [Pennsylvania], to William Lloyd Garrison, 1834 [February] 4

In this letter to William Lloyd Garrison, Arnold Buffum writes about Joshua Coffin saying he has "confidence in his good intentions and in his ability to promote the cause in that way, equal to any other man and he is indefatiguably [sic] industrious in that work." However, Buffum warns that Coffin "lacks something which is indispensably necessary to insure ultimate success; he half does his work and there he leaves it finishing nothing as it should be and .. getting everything in confusion in regard to the paper" [the Liberator]. Buffum explains that Coffin does not charge subsrcibers enough money to cover the postage for the Liberator's delivery, and details how he fails to deliver the papers, leaving them with Buffum while he goes searching for more new subscribers. Buffum proposes asking Robert Purvis to assist Coffin, arguing that "withouth some such supervision I am fearful he will do more harm than good in the end." He tells Garrison that he felt it his duty to tell him about Coffin, especially since subcribers come to his store and his "reputation is therefore directly concerned to see that they are punctually served with the paper."

Courtesy of Boston Public Library

anti slavery collection boston public library rare books department abolitionists united states 19th century correspondence antislavery movements history social reformers garrison william lloyd 1805 1879 buffum arnold 1782 1859 coffin joshua 1792 1864 liberator boston mass 1831 letters correspondence manuscripts english arnold buffum 1782 1859 william lloyd garrison arnold buffum ultra high resolution high resolution slavery

1834

Boston Public Library

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