The following letter was addressed by Abraham L. Pennock, conveying his
resignation of the office of Vice President of the American Anti-Slavery
Society, (old organization,) after the occurrence of the painful
divisions in the anti-slavery body, which have been already noticed.
This letter is written in an excellent spirit, and clearly developes the
cause of the separation.
"TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN ANTI-SLAVERY
SOCIETY.
"Other reasons than those which will be presented in this
letter, made it desirable to me to be released from any official
connection with the Anti-Slavery Society. I thought those
reasons so well known to some of the delegates from the
Pennsylvania Society, and withal they were deemed by me of so
much value, that I felt both surprise and regret at
understanding that my name was continued as one of the vice
presidents of the Parent Society. Thus saying, I am,
nevertheless, bound to express my indebtedness for the kind
feeling toward me, and confidence in my love for the slave,
which, doubtless, induced the appointment.
"By an accident to my anti-slavery newspapers, I have just
received the proceedings of the society at the above meeting. I
am sorry to find in them superadded reasons for regret at my
appointment, as that appointment seems to place me in the false
position of appearing to be in favor of its leading measures;
some of which, denunciatory of co-laborers in the abolition
cause, have not my unity.
"In the heavy responsibilities of the former Executive
Committee, I find a sufficient reason for their transfer of the
'Emancipator' and other property for which they stood personally
engaged; and I therefore cannot join in affirming such transfer
to be 'a flagrant breach of trust;' and their answer in
justification of their course, 'an attempt to defend which
betrays an utter disregard of the rights of abolitionists.'
"Believing in the intellectual equality of the sexes, I go fully
for women's rights and duties. They possess a moral force of
immense power, which they are bound to exert for the good of
mankind; including emphatically so, those who are in the
hopeless and most wretched condition of slaves. The belief of
the value of female co-operation is common to the anti-slavery
community; and the only question regarding it which has arisen,
is, whether it shall be exerted in societies and conventions of
women, or in societies and conventions of men and women,
irrespective of sex. The question is of recent date, not even
coeval with the modern anti-slavery enterprise; and the
practice, at the origination of this enterprise, that of
separate action. We can all bear testimony to the powerful
impression upon the public mind, made by women, acting singly or
in societies and conventions, before it was thought of merging
their influence in a joint stock community with their brethren.
Where can we find an anti-slavery organization more potential,
and so dignified, as was the convention of American women? Is it
therefore surprising that the question has not been conclusively
settled by American abolitionists, that women ought to act
identically on the same platform and in the same society with
men; and that the practice, founded on this plan, still remains
measurably local, and, by many conforming to it, is deemed
experimental?
"In convening a World's Convention, no innovation upon the
general social usages was contemplated by our brethren in
England who called it. The convention was meant to be a
convention of men; and what was deficient of explicitness in the
first notice was amply made up in the reiteration of the call.
It was fully known before the appointment of delegates by the
American Anti-Slavery Society that the intention of the
committee of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society was
such as is above explained. The views of the inviting party
being known, it was competent to the invited to accept or reject
the invitation, but not to modify its terms. The American
Society, however, in face of the invitation, with a knowledge of
the extreme sensitiveness of that portion of the British people
whom the Convention would deem it important to conciliate, to
any innovation upon established forms, and itself not united in
discarding the distinctions of sex, resolved to send female
delegates to the Convention, and thus, in effect, to appeal from
the Committee to the paramount authority of the Convention, and
with it to settle the American question.
"In exercising this authority we are to suppose, from the high
moral, intellectual, and philanthropic standing of its members,
the Convention, in adhering to the general usages of society,
meant to perpetuate no injustice; and we know, from their very
respectful attention to the rejected delegates, that they were
influenced by no want of courtesy--I am satisfied that they
acted according to their best impressions of duty, the carrying
out of which was their high aim; and that the Convention was not
the less a World's Convention because it did not embrace both
sexes as its members, or any reforms without the scope of its
call. I cannot unite, therefore, in the resolutions declaring
the proceedings of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society
'arbitrary and despotic;' or the act of the London Conference,
excluding the female delegates of the American Society appointed
in contradiction to the terms of the invitation, as 'highly
disrespectful to the delegates, and to us, their constituents,
tyrannical in its nature, mischievous in its tendencies, and
unworthy of men claiming the character of abolitionists.'
"Thus my views not being in harmony with the action of the
society, in the particulars above referred to, my duty to it and
myself is, to tender you this as my resignation of the office of
Vice President for Pennsylvania, and not to await another
election for withdrawing from it.
"With no heart for the controversies which have got in among my
brethren, the common friends of the enslaved, and which are
sadly wasting their anti-slavery strength, but with a warm heart
for the legitimate objects of the American Anti-Slavery Society,
I shall not cease anxiously to desire its prosperity and speedy
triumph with these just limitations.
"Your friend,
"(Signed) ABRAHAM L. PENNOCK.
"_Haverford, 6th Month 28th_, 1841."