LETTER OF
The GOSPEL TRUTH CHARLES G. FINNEY
1869
To James and Julia Monroe
15 May 1869
[Manuscript in Finney Papers, microfilm, roll 6, supplement #172]
Oberlin, Ohio. U. S. A.
15th May 1869.
My Dear Children.
Your letters of the 2d & 23. of March
came duly to hand. They seemed
to settle the question of your
return to the U.S. D.V. But Charles
was here three days since, returning
from Washington, & reported that he
had seen a letter of yours to
Dolson in which you stated that
you should not return this year.
When I questioned him as to the
date of that letter, I found him
ignorant of its date. But he
said that Dolson did not expect
you this summer. He also said that
your reappointment was of recent
date, & that up to this time you
are probably not aware of the
reappointment. So we are left in
uncertainty about your coming.
Of course, when you do come, you
[page 2]
will come direct to our house
until you can suit yourselves
better. I had a letter from Ange
dated the 11th May. She was well,
but feeling Charles' absence
deeply. Charles was here at
the date of her letter on his
way home. He took Sarah
home with him. She had
been here nearly a year. So
Ange would have the great
pleasure of rec[e]iving Charles
& Sarah at the same time.
Norton & Willie came up from Erie
last evening & expect to spend
the Sabbath in Oberlin.
Monday Morning 17th Norton & Willie
have just gone home to Erie.
They are in good health &
spirits. Norton thinks his
business prospects good. His
first year as superintendent,
closes on the 9th of August.
[page 3]
He expects an increase of salary
if he remains another year.
So both Charles & Norton were
here last week but did not
see eachother. Norton brought
with him a Mrs Morton, from Erie,
a lady of 81. years. She & I were
well acquainted in Adams
both before & after my conversion.
Whilst studying theology I was
at her house as a boarder for
some time. She is sister to Reve
Stephen Cook, Father of Julia
& William Cook. She is a cheery,
jucy old lady. She seemed
very happy to come to Oberlin
& see me again, after 45 years
seperation. I was truly glad
to see her. She fell quite in
love with your mother,
& your mother seemed to
enjoy her visit highly.
James & Louise Atkinson are
[page 4]
quite wrapped up in each
other, & in their baby. I have
not heard from Hobart for
some time. Charles was in
New York last week & saw
Uncle Hobart. He has got his
matters settled up & is casting
about to go into business again.
He has moved into the country
somewhere not far from N.Y.
Charles could not tell when.
It is a time of general health here.
Mrs. Sabram Cox our neighbor is
fast sickening with quick consu
mption. She seems to have been
broken down by the bad conduct
of Joseph, her oldest child, who
has been in jail for stealing &
he is a very bad fellow every way.
Other domestic troubles have doubtless
helped to kill her. Dolson, is, of course
[page 5]
full of business. Helen & her
daughter & two youngest boys
are in Tennessee boarding
for a time. She went there
for the benefit of Kenny.
Dolson Jr. is with Ange.
He has had the ague for a
year or more. The climate
of Oshkosh is setting him
up again. Willy is now in
his last term of College life.
He is a good boy. A good scholar
& seems to be much beloved &
respected by all who know
him. His Uncle, Samuel Cochran,
is now President of the New
College at Kidder, Missouri, a
beautiful place on the Quincy
& St. Joseph's R. R. He is here at
present. Henry Fairchild
has gone to & is Pres. of the
College at Berea, Kentucky.
[page 6]
We have a forward & beautiful
Spring & at present the prospect
of abundance of fruit. Since
the inauguration of Grant
the whole country, North & South
East & West seems to be greatly
changed. The change in the
spirit & temper of all classes
is wonderfully revolutionized.
The South seems now to be conquer
ed. They are wonderfully toned
down. They seem now to accept
the situation & to go in for uni
versal reconstruction under
the congressional policy.
The Northern people, are as
they have been generously
disposed & we hear little
of bitterness either North or South
Since we have a Pres. who
the south know, "will fight it
out" on the line of the policy
of congress. A spirit of cheerful
[page 7]
thanks giving seems to pervade
the whole country. It does
not seem to be a spirit of exul
tation & brag, but the people
feel that truth & equity are
prevailing. I think that
every week's developments
are causing the Nation more
deeply to abhor A. Johnson
while the godly see more &
more clearly that God is
overruling his nefarious
wickedness to obtain for
for the freedmen a measure
of justice & equality before
the law, that, but for the
perve[r]seness of Johnson
we could not have secured.
No thanks to Johnson. He
meant evil, but God overr
uled it for good.
Emma is frequently with us.
She is a noble girl. She will
[page 8]
speak for herself. She says now
that she does not want to return
to Rio. If you dont return
this summer I shall encour
age her to engage in teaching.
Your mother is well. She has
but one girl & she is washing
to day & mother does the well
so she will not write this time.
We have been very full of company
of late. People seem more lively
& cheerful, & disposed to run
about, & engage in business
than they have for several years.
Johnsons Administration has
acted like an east wind
& sent the people to the "growlery"
Ther[e] is a lifting up now. The
Lord is with us. We have not
a general revival, but we have
a good deal of religious interest.
We all send much love to you all,
C. G. Finney
Footnotes:
There is a tick in the margin here
There is a tick in the margin here.
This letter is not in the Jacob Dolson Cox Papers at Oberlin College.
She was the wife of Abner Morton. Finney had occupied a room "in Mr. Morton's old store" (Finney to Samuel Bond, June 30, 1868, Finney Papers).
Elsie (Roberts) Cox was the wife of Sabram Cox, an ex-slave from Virginia who worked in Oberlin as a farmer and drayman (William E. Bigglestone, They Stopped In Oberlin: Black Residents and Visitors of the Nineteenth Century [1981], p. 60). Their house was up for sale. A "For Sale" notice first appeared in the Lorain County News (May 12, 1869), p. 2:
A house and lot for sale in Oberlin, one acre and over of land, a good orchard, 56 bearing trees, a good well of water, never fails, and a good barn. It is situated on west Lorain Street, one door west of Prof. C. G. Finney's. For further particulars enquire on the premises, Sabram Cox.
The following notice appeared in The Lorain County News (April 7, 1869), p. 3 in the report of the Court of Common Pleas in Elyria under the heading "Criminal Docket": "Joseph Cox, for Petit Larceny was sentenced to pay a fine of $40 and costs and be imprisoned in the county jail 15 days, and to return $30 or double the value of the property stolen."
There is a tick in the margin here.
There is a tick in the margin here.
See "Farewell Reception to Rev. E. H. Fairchild" Lorain County News (April 7, 1869), p. 3
The repetition of "for" is as it is written.
This word looks like "well".