Anti-Slavery Society letter to the faculty, 1834 October 21
Farwell, John Edward, 1809-1858
A letter signed by students John E. Farwell, Leander Thompson, Joseph Haven, Jr., William George Howard, Henry G. Pendleton, and Ezra Adams, Jr. on behalf of the Anti-Slavery Society addressed to the faculty of Amherst College in which the society members respond to a request from the faculty that they disband. The authors explain that they respect the instructors and would gladly reply with their request if they could do so consistently with the dictates of their conscience and the wants and woes of perishing millions. However, they go on, they met and after prayer and deliberation they resolved unanimously that they could not disband the society. They provide background on the formation of the society and the measures they have taken. They then specifically address the objections that were raised in regards to the society's potential negative impact on the progress of religion for the individual society members and the community, explaining that they feel the reverse to be true. They conclude by reiterating that they cannot disband their society as was requested and state that they feel their cause is the cause of humanity and the cause of the Bible. They ask that they be allowed to continue to hold their usual monthly meetings for prayer. They say that should the faculty still believe that the society must be dissolved for the good of the College, they pray that the faculty will continue this work themselves. They also state that they would rather abandon any of the literary societies than this society.
