The GOSPEL TRUTH
LETTER OF

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".