Recollections, Reminiscences and Testimonies.
Many statements which have come down to us from the generation in which
Elias Hicks lived, warrant the conclusion that he was a natural orator.
He possessed in a large degree what the late Bishop Simpson, of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, called "heart power." We are able to give
the personal impression of a venerable Friend[206] now living, who as a
boy of eleven heard Elias preach twice.
[206] Dr. Jesse C. Green, of West Chester, Pa., now in his 93d year.
Doctor Green almost retains the sprightliness of youth.
One of the sermons was delivered at Center, Del., on the 8th of Twelfth
month, 1828, and the other the day before at West Chester. This was on
his last long religious visit, which took him to the then "far west,"
Ohio and Indiana.
Doctor Green says that the manner of Elias Hicks when speaking was very
impressive. In person he is described by this Friend "as above medium
height, rather slim, and with a carriage that would attract universal
attention." He wore very plain clothes of a drab color.
With no education in logic, and no disposition to indulge in forensic
debate, he was, nevertheless a logician, and had he indulged in public
disputation, would have made it interesting if not uncomfortable for
his adversary.
If he occasionally became involved, or got into verbal deep water, he
always extricated himself, and made his position clear to his hearers.
Doctor Green tells us that he had an uncle, not a member of meeting,
but a good judge of public speaking, who considered Elias Hicks the
most logical preacher in the Society of Friends. On one occasion he
heard Elias when he became very much involved in his speaking, and as
this person put it, he thought Elias had "wound himself up," but in a
few minutes he came down from his verbal flight, and made every point
so clear that he was understood by every listener.
Henry Byran Binns, Whitman's English biographer, gives the following
estimate of the preaching of Elias Hicks:
"With grave emphasis he pronounced his text: 'What is the chief end
of man?' and with fiery and eloquent eyes, in a strong, vibrating,
and still musical voice, he commenced to deliver his soul-awakening
message. The fire of his fervor kindled as he spoke of the purpose of
human life; his broad-brim was dashed from his forehead on to one of
the seats behind him. With the power of intense conviction his whole
presence became an overwhelming persuasion, melting those who sat
before him into tears and into one heart of wonder and humility under
his high and simple words."[207]
[207] "A Life of Walt Whitman," Henry Byran Binns, p. 16.
We have another living witness who remembers Elias Hicks. This Friend
says that she, with the members of her family, were constant attenders
of the Jericho meeting. Speaking of Elias she remarks: "His commanding
figure in the gallery is a bright picture I often see in my mind. His
person was tall, straight and firm; his manner dignified and noble
and agreeable; his voice clear, distinct and penetrating--altogether
grand."[208]
[208] Extract of letter from Mary Willis, of Rochester, N. Y., dated
Ninth month 7, 1910. This Friend is 92 years old. The letter received
was entirely written by her, and is a model of legible penmanship and
clear statement.
We quote the following interesting incidents from the letter of Mary
Willis:
"One other bit I recall was a talk, or sermon, to the young
especially. He related that once he threw a stone and killed a bird,
and was struck with consternation and regret at killing an innocent
bird that might be a parent, and its young perish for the need of
care. He appealed feelingly to the boys to refrain from giving
needless pain.
"He was guardian to my mother, sisters and brother, and they and
their mother returned his loving care with warm affection, always, as
did my father.
"One of his characteristics was his kindness to the poor. Not far
from his home (three miles, perhaps) was a small colony of colored
people on poor land, who shared his bounty in cold, wintry weather,
in his wagon loads of vegetables and wood, delivered by his own hand."
Probably one of the most appreciative, and in the main discriminative
estimates of Elias Hicks, was made by Walt Whitman. The "notes (such
as they are) founded on Elias Hicks," for such the author called them,
were written in Camden, N. J., in the summer of 1888. Elias Hicks had
been dead nearly half a century. Whitman's impressions of the famous
preacher were based on the memory of a boy ten years old, for that
was Whitman's age when he heard Elias Hicks preach in Brooklyn. But
personal memory was supplemented by the statements of his parents,
especially his mother, as the preaching of their old Long Island
neighbor was undoubtedly a subject of frequent conversation in the
Whitman home.
As to the manner of the preacher Whitman says: "While he goes on he
falls into the nasality and sing-song tone sometimes heard in such
meetings; but in a moment or two, more as if recollecting himself, he
breaks off, stops, and resumes in a natural tone. This occurs three or
four times during the talk of the evening, till he concludes."[209]
[209] "The Complete Works of Walt Whitman," Vol. 3, p. 259.
The "unnamable something behind oratory," Whitman says Elias Hicks had,
and it "emanated from his very heart to the heart of his audience,
or carried with him, or probed into, and shook or aroused in them a
sympathetic germ."[210]
[210] The same, p. 264.
There are a good many anecdotes regarding Elias Hicks current in
Jericho, going to show some of his characteristics. It is stated that
at one time he found that corn was being taken, evidently through the
slats of the crib. One night he set a trap in the suspected place.
Going to the barn in the morning he saw a man standing near where the
trap was set. Elias passed on without seeming to notice the visitor. On
returning to the house he stopped, spoke to the man, and released him
from the trap. Elias would never tell who the man was.
Illustrating his feeling regarding slavery, and his testimony against
slave labor, the following statement is made: Before his death, and
following the fatal paralytic stroke, he noticed that the quilt with
which he was covered contained cotton. He had lost the power of speech,
but he pushed the covering off, thus indicating his displeasure at the
presence of an article of comfort which was the product of slave labor.
There is an anecdote which illustrates the spirit of the man in a
striking way. He is said to have had a neighbor with whom it did not
seem possible to maintain cordial relations. One day Elias saw this
neighbor with a big load of hay stalled in a marsh in one of his
fields. Without a word of recognition Elias approached the man in the
slough and hitching his own ox team to the load in front of the other
team proceeded to pull the load out of the slough. It was all done in
characteristic Quaker silence. The result was the establishment of
cordial relations between the two neighbors.
In bestowing his benefactions, he was exceedingly sensitive, not
wishing to be known in the matter, and especially not desiring to
receive ordinary expressions of gratitude. His habitual custom was
to take his load of wood or provisions, as the case might be, leave
them at the door or in the yard of the family in need, and without
announcement or comment silently steal away.
During the Revolutionary War, Elias Hicks, in common with other
Friends, had property seized in lieu of military service or taxes. The
value does not seem to have been great in any of the cases which were
reported to the monthly meeting. We copy the following cases from the
records:
"On the 28th of Eighth month, 1777, came Justice Maloon, Robert
Wilson, Daniel Wilson, and Daniel Weeks, sergeant under the above
Captain (Youngs) and took from me a pair of silver buckles, worth
18 shillings; two pair of stockings worth 15 shillings; and two
handkerchiefs worth 5 shillings, for my not going at the time of an
alarm.--Elias Hicks, Jericho, 24th of Ninth month, 1777."[211]
[211] Westbury Monthly Meeting: "A Record of Marriages, Deaths,
Sufferings, etc.," p. 231.
The "silver buckles" were either for the shoes or the knees. They were
evidently more ornamental than useful, and how they comported with the
owner's rather severe ideas of plainness is not for us to explain.
The price put on these stockings may surprise some twentieth century
reader, but it should be remembered that they were long to reach to the
knees, and went with short breeches called in the vernacular of the
time, "small clothes."
"The 3d of Twelfth month, 1777, there came to my house George Weeks,
sergeant under said Captain (Thorne) with a warrant, and demanded
twelve shillings of me toward paying some men held to repair the
forts near the west end of the island, and upon my refusing to pay,
took from me a great coat, worth one pound and six shillings.--Elias
Hicks."[212]
[212] The same, p. 234.
We continue the "sufferings," only remarking that the "great coat" was
an overcoat, the price at the equivalent of about six dollars and a
half was not overdrawn.
"The Sixth month, 1778, taken from Elias Hicks by order of Captain
Daniel Youngs, for refusing to pay toward hiring of men to work on
fortifications near Brooklyn Ferry, a pair of stockings worth 5
shillings; razor case and two razors, worth 4 shillings."[213]
[213] The same, p. 242.
The next record of "suffering" is more than ordinarily interesting in
that it shows that the seizures of property were very arbitrary, and it
also gives the price of wheat on Long Island at that time. We quote:
"About the middle of Tenth month, 1779, came George Weeks, by order
of Captain Daniel Youngs, and I being from home demanded from my wife
three pounds, for not assisting to build a fort at Brooklyn Ferry,
for which he took two bags with three bushels of wheat, worth one
pound, ten shillings."[214]
[214] The same, p. 254.
At this rate the market price of wheat was $2.50 per bushel. Possibly
this was during the period of scarcity, referred to in the introduction.
In 1794 Elias Hicks was influential in establishing in Jericho an
organization, the scope of which was described in its preamble as
follows: "We, the subscribers, do hereby associate and unite into a
Society of Charity for the relief of poor among the black people, more
especially for the education of their children."[215]
[215] This organization has been in continuous existence since its
inception. Meets regularly every year, and distributes the proceeds of
an invested fund in accordance with its original purpose.
This society was almost revolutionary at the time of its inception,
showing how far-seeing its projectors were. Its constitution declared
that the society was rendered necessary because of the injustice and
lack of opportunity which the colored people suffered. The hope was
expressed that the time would come when the black people would cease
to be a submerged and oppressed race. It was provided that in case the
original need for the society should disappear, its benefits might be
distributed in any helpful way. It may be interesting to note that at
the meetings of the society the scarcity of colored children attending
the school was mentioned with regret. So far as we know, the Jericho
society was the first organized Friendly effort in negro education.
Elias Hicks contributed $50 to the invested funds of the organization.