Metadata
Title
Eliza Leslie to Sarah Josepha Hale
Creator
Leslie, Eliza, 1787-1858
Date
1836-01-12
January 12, 1836
Subject
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell, 1788-1879
Medium
Manuscripts
Language
eng
Type
text
Collection
Sarah Josepha Hale Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Identifier
46-M-185
Rights
http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html
Text
Philada Jany 12th 1836-
My dear Mrs Hale
Having engaged with Messrs Carey and Hart to edit
for them a new Juvenile Annual, I shall be extremely obliged to you
for a contribution, which you will be kind enough to forward previous to the
1st of March. It is only within the last few days that the publishers
have been able to conclude their arrangement, for bringing out the book [DE: ?]
[DE: ?] for 1837 : as they had reason to suppose that the engravings could
not be finished in time; the engravers (that is, the good ones) being all overwhelmed with work - This
must be my apology to you for the shortness of the notice.
One of your Boston papers, the Courier, was excessively severe on "the
Gift for 1836," the other annual that I edit for the same publishers.
I know not who could have written the article (which was much in the
style of John Neal) but it was downright abusive of the whole book, and
of my story in particular. For fear I should not see it, they sent me
a copy by mail, with the most offensive passages marked. Such conduct
to a female is not only ungentlemanly but unmanly; and was warmly
resented by several of the Philadelphia editors in their own papers -
Who is it that conducts the Boston Courier? Nevertheless, six thousand
copies of the Gift were sold in ten days after its publication last
October; and a second edition was printed for Christmas, and of that
but a few copies are now remaining. If we had as many Annuals
in America as they have in England, there is room enough for all, and
people enough to buy and read them; therefore there is not occasion for any
jealousy [DE: ?] feeling among the proprietors or contributors - I grieve
that such things should be -
How do you like Miss Martineau on acquaintance? Her having so
openly come out an abolitionist, has greatly injured her popularity in Philadelphia,
where, though we have no slaves, we have a great number of negroes; and where
emancipation, equalization, and amalgamation are regarded with almost as much
aversion as in the south. As to the intermarriage of blacks and whites,
it is here considered with the utmost disgust and horror, as I think it
ought to be every where. Whenever such a state of things prevails [DE: ?]
(which, however it never will) I leave America to return no more - Much
as I love my dear nieces, I would rather follow them to the grave than see
them the wives of black men; even if those black men had every accomplishment
and every virtue that could fall to the lot of human beings. - If it were
possible that we could allow ourselves to become a race of mulattoes, we should
justly deserve the scorn and contempt of all the rest of the civilized world.
However, it is idle to speculate on what can never be.
My sister Ann Leslie tells me that she had the pleasure of seeing
you during her visit to Boston last summer. She was as much delighted with
your charming city as I am. I have placed there the scene of my
last story, Chase Loring, which is now in the hands of the printer.
I hope you and your children are well - As they grow up, how much
more they will add to your happiness.
Yours affectionately
Eliza Leslie -
When you send, as I hope you will, the article for my annual,
direct to Messrs Cary and Hart, Philada -
Mrs S.J. Hale
Care of Messrs Capen and Lord
Booksellers
Boston
Mass.
My dear Mrs Hale
Having engaged with Messrs Carey and Hart to edit
for them a new Juvenile Annual, I shall be extremely obliged to you
for a contribution, which you will be kind enough to forward previous to the
1st of March. It is only within the last few days that the publishers
have been able to conclude their arrangement, for bringing out the book [DE: ?]
[DE: ?] for 1837 : as they had reason to suppose that the engravings could
not be finished in time; the engravers (that is, the good ones) being all overwhelmed with work - This
must be my apology to you for the shortness of the notice.
One of your Boston papers, the Courier, was excessively severe on "the
Gift for 1836," the other annual that I edit for the same publishers.
I know not who could have written the article (which was much in the
style of John Neal) but it was downright abusive of the whole book, and
of my story in particular. For fear I should not see it, they sent me
a copy by mail, with the most offensive passages marked. Such conduct
to a female is not only ungentlemanly but unmanly; and was warmly
resented by several of the Philadelphia editors in their own papers -
Who is it that conducts the Boston Courier? Nevertheless, six thousand
copies of the Gift were sold in ten days after its publication last
October; and a second edition was printed for Christmas, and of that
but a few copies are now remaining. If we had as many Annuals
in America as they have in England, there is room enough for all, and
people enough to buy and read them; therefore there is not occasion for any
jealousy [DE: ?] feeling among the proprietors or contributors - I grieve
that such things should be -
How do you like Miss Martineau on acquaintance? Her having so
openly come out an abolitionist, has greatly injured her popularity in Philadelphia,
where, though we have no slaves, we have a great number of negroes; and where
emancipation, equalization, and amalgamation are regarded with almost as much
aversion as in the south. As to the intermarriage of blacks and whites,
it is here considered with the utmost disgust and horror, as I think it
ought to be every where. Whenever such a state of things prevails [DE: ?]
(which, however it never will) I leave America to return no more - Much
as I love my dear nieces, I would rather follow them to the grave than see
them the wives of black men; even if those black men had every accomplishment
and every virtue that could fall to the lot of human beings. - If it were
possible that we could allow ourselves to become a race of mulattoes, we should
justly deserve the scorn and contempt of all the rest of the civilized world.
However, it is idle to speculate on what can never be.
My sister Ann Leslie tells me that she had the pleasure of seeing
you during her visit to Boston last summer. She was as much delighted with
your charming city as I am. I have placed there the scene of my
last story, Chase Loring, which is now in the hands of the printer.
I hope you and your children are well - As they grow up, how much
more they will add to your happiness.
Yours affectionately
Eliza Leslie -
When you send, as I hope you will, the article for my annual,
direct to Messrs Cary and Hart, Philada -
Mrs S.J. Hale
Care of Messrs Capen and Lord
Booksellers
Boston
Mass.