Letter from Harriet Martineau, to William Lloyd Garrison, November 1st / [18]53

Item Information

Title:
Letter from Harriet Martineau, to William Lloyd Garrison, November 1st / [18]53
Description:
Harriet Martineau addresses William Lloyd Garrison with "much surprise & more concern" regarding an "attack" against George Jacob Holyoake, authored by William James Linton and published in the Liberator. Martineau states her wish that the Liberator had awaited additional "evidence or other testimony" concerning Holyoake prior to committing itself to the piece published, and asserts it an "absurdity" to charge Holyoake with "desiring to conceal his opinions" and with attempting to "get rid of the word Atheism". Martineau refutes Linton's charge of Holyoake's "sneaking", pointing to his imprisonment for atheism, and his subsequent continuation of his public speaking and writing on the subject following his release. Martineau argues for a distinction between the terms "atheism" and "secularism", noting that the latter includes but is not limited to atheists, and asserts that secularism as a concept does not inherently presuppose atheism on the part of its adherents, nor possesses atheism as its object. Martineau concludes by affirming that Holyoake takes "no opportunity of denouncing the instiution of slavery", and requests that Garrison print her rebuttal to Linton's piece in the pages of the Liberator.
Author:
Martineau, Harriet, 1802-1876
Addressee:
Garrison, William Lloyd, 1805-1879
Date:
[November 1, 1853]
Format:
Letters/Correspondence
Manuscripts
Location:
Boston Public Library
Rare Books Department
Collection (local):
Anti-Slavery Collection
Subjects:
Antislavery movements--United States--History--19th century
Abolitionists--United States--19th century--Correspondence
Social reformers--United States--History--19th century
Women abolitionists--England--History--19th century--Correspondence
Social reformers--England--History--19th century
Free thought--England--History--19th century
Atheists--England--History--19th century
Secularism--History--19th century
Free thought--United States--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--United States
Abolitionists--United States--History--19th century
Social reformers--United States
Women abolitionists
Social reformers
Free thought--History
Atheists
Secularism
Martineau, Harriet, 1802-1876
Holyoake, George Jacob, 1817-1906
Linton, W. J. (William James), 1812-1897
Garrison, William Lloyd, 1805-1879
Places:
England
Extent:
1 leaf (4 p.) ; 25.9 x 20.5 cm.
Permalink:
https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/m900pn17s
Terms of Use:
No known copyright restrictions.
No known restrictions on use.
Place of origin:
[Place of publication not identified]
Language:
English
Notes:
Holograph, signed.
Title devised by cataloger.
Manuscript letterhead signed "To the Editor of the Liberator".
Notes (date):
This date is inferred.
Identifier:
4664502
Call #:
MS A.1.2 v.23, p.90
Barcode:
39999063807521