Letter from Eliza Fuller Gill, Fitchburg, [Massachusetts], to Maria Weston Chapman, 1839 Dec[ember] 6

Eliza Fuller Gill writes to Maria Weston Chapman in regards to her regret that the articles her society had intended to send for the October anti-slavery fair did not arrive in time. Their donation was very little but "it is a fair specifimen of anti slavery in Fitchburg. Unitarianism, priest and people, male and female, with the exception of one or two women, stands entire aloof from our cause." E.W. Bullard, the Calvinist minister seems to hate anti-slavery with "perfect hatred" that even Charles T. Torrey was unable to win him over. He wouldn't allow him to preach for him. She writes that their women are generally under clerical influence. Mr. Gill, Mr. Smith, and others are very desirious of Garrison lecturing in Fitchburg. Some members believe that the little funds they have should go to the Boston female anti-slavery society but a majority thought by doing that it would go against the new organization. She asks if there is any hope for the Boston female anti-slavery society? She does not understand why so many women can oppose Maria and she asks, "is it envy or self caused incapacity for comprehending your motives and the working of disinterested benevolence and sanctified phylanthrophy?" She sends a communication to the Liberator on women's rights.
Courtesy of Boston Public Library