Life and letters of Thomas J. Mumford, with special memorial tributes

Front matter

s ' -S

CORNELL

UNIVERSITY

Introduction

To those who knew and loved Thomas J. Mumford, this little book will need no justification. They will welcome it, not simply as a tribute to his memory, but as a fresh and genial manifestation of his spirit. There is not one who knew him well who may not find here an opportunity to know him better. In the letters which furnish nearly one-half of the contents of this book, they will recognize in the touch and charm of his gifted pen, new exhibitions of his playful wit, his earnestness of character, his strength of conviction, his heroic devotion to the truth, his unwavering conscientiousness, and that . sweetness of heart which gave a rich aroma to his whole life. And many of those who knew him not according to the flesh may delight to find in the revelations of his higher life that deeper touch of moral nature which makes the whole world kin. They will recognize a friend whom they would like to have known, as the visitor in a picture gallery is now and then charmed and taken into the friendship of some one revealing face, or as Paul loved the Jesus whom he had never seen.

Those who were fortunate enough to have Mr. Mumford as a pastor found ready access to the iv Introduction.

inner temple. The rare gifts of his nature had, in this relationship, free scope for personal expression. In the hearts of those whom he had thus helped and served, there are tender memories which this book could hardly supplement. But the far wider circle of those who knew him only as an editor had not an equal advantage. They could feel the pressure of mind and heart in every number of his bright and attractive paper ; for Mr. Mumford in his sphere as editor had an unusual power of making himself felt without allowing himself to be seen. Yet there were few who, appreciating his editorial work, did not suspect that the man was more than the editor, and who did not really lose in their distance from him even more than they suspected.

It is no disparagement to Mr. Mumford's success that he was known far more widely by his work than he was by his name. Few editors were so quotable as he. Many of his best paragraphs were reset and reprinted in other journals, which introduced him frequently to a large circle of readers who never knew the author, but who certainly felt his influence. Just how widely he was known and appreciated as an editor did not appear until his life was closed. Then the flood of notices from the religious press, representing all denominations and all sections of our country, revealed the depth and extent and nature of the impression which his editorial work had made. The unanimity of this impression, and the cordiality with which it was acknowledged, furnish a striking proof of the gen-

Introduction. v

uineness of the man and the effectiveness of his work. At the dose of this volume, the reader will find some of the cut flowers which his editorial brethren far and near scattered so profusely over his tomb.

Mr. Mumford's name and fame might safely rest in the work which he did and the recognition it received; but we feel sure that there are many beyond the range of his intimate personal friends who will be glad to learn something more of the growth and development through which it was achieved.

"Every man his own Boswell," is the motto of the "Autocrat of the Breakfast Table." We doubt, however, if Mr. Mumford could ever have been induced to write an autobiography. But in the letters which are presented in this volume, he has unconsciously furnished us the best kind of autobiography. They were not written for the public eye. The writer had no suspicion that they were even to be preserved. They were addressed to intimate friends, — the majority to his spiritual father and guide, the Rev. Samuel J. May, — at periods of life ranging from youth to manhood. They were the fresh, spontaneous utterances of an active intellect and an affectionate heart. Arranged in chronological order, they furnish an almost connected account of his life from childhood until within a week of his death. They reveal the struggling and aspiring youth, the eager and industrious student, the kind husband and father, the vi Introduction.

earnest preacher, the tender pastor, and the brilliant journalist.

It has been the aim, in arranging these letters, to let them speak for themselves. All editorial matter, except that which was necessary to link them together, has been excluded. No attempt has been made to form a complete collection of Mr. Mumford's letters. If this had been the object, the present collection might well be deemed incomplete. He was a prompt and faithful correspondent, and many of his friends who read this book can claim bundles of letters which they will regard as of equal value with any it contains. The preponderance which is given to the letters addressed to the Rev. Samuel J. May will need no explanation wherever the beautiful relationship which subsisted between them is known. The story of that friendship he told briefly as he stood near Mr. May's grave : —

"Born in Beaufort District, South Carolina, where four-fifths of the inhabitants were slaves, the son of a slave-holder, until I was twenty years old I believed in slavery as a divine institution, and carried a Bible in my pocket to defend it against all comers. When the faithful hands of noble Quaker women removed the sacred veil which had concealed the monstrous features of the system, and I saw clearly at last that it was not of celestial but infernal origin, I soon lost all faith in my religious teachers, who seemed to declare that man was made for the Church and not the Church for

Introduction. vii

man. I was almost drowning in a sea of scepticism, when Samuel J. May came to the town in Western New York where I lived.

" As soon as I saw his radiant face and heard his sweet yet earnest voice, I felt drawn to him by a mighty magnetism. It became my first desire to share in the blessed work that he was doing, to follow him, although with feeble steps and a great way off, in going about doing good. Since that day, all of my life that I can look back upon without regret and shame I owe to the inspiration of his example and the power of his encouragement. No other friend has exerted such an uplifting influence upon my spirit. Therefore I could not resist the strong attraction which has drawn me here to-day."

It was this strong and abiding attraction in the character of the distinguished reformer which impelled Mr. Mumford, at the urgent request also of Mr. May's friends and executors, to write the life of his spiritual counsellor and benefactor. The letters in this volume may properly be considered as a sequel to that work. They throw light, not merely upon the character of him who wrote them, but alsa upon the character of the noble man who inspired them. They show in what way that friendship was formed, and into what a tender union it ripened. We cannot but feel that all who rejoice in a frank, manly, earnest, and devout nature will find assistance in reading these warm and guileless exhalations of a pure and consecrated heart. They furnish viii Introduction.

a high yet normal key to which every young and aspiring life should be tuned.

The second part of the book is made up of the personal and biographical tributes which were published in a few numbers of The Christian Register immediately after Mr. Mumford's death, together with the friendly notices from the press which that event called forth. Interesting details and portraiture of life not revealed in his letters may be found in a biographical sketch by the Rev. Rush R. Shippen and in the sermon of Mr. Chadwick. These papers have been revised to adapt them to the more permanent record of this book, while the addresses made at the funeral have been preserved in the same free and spontaneous form in which they were caught by the stenographer's pen.

There is still another tribute tenderly recorded in this book to which it is most pleasing to revert. It is that which is silently expressed in the love and respect borne for Mr. Mumford by the publisher, his intimate friend and associate, and also by all those who have assisted in its mechanical preparation. This part of the work has been committed to no strange hands. It has been set up and printed by those who knew him well, who had so often followed his copy, and who were glad to pay him a printer's tribute of respect by the faithful use of the very same types whose imprint he so constantly read. No more cordial relation ever subsisted between editor and publisher, or between editor and printers and proof-readers, than sub-

Introduction. ix

sisted between Mr. Mumford and his co-workers on the paper. The Christian Register was one of the first papers in Boston upon which women compositors were regularly employed. Mr. Mumford was a warm champion of this innovation, and was fond of pointing to its success. He was proud of the "girls," as he called them, and the acknowledged excellence o;f the typographical work of the Register shows that his pride was well founded. It is not surprising, then, that those whose interests he had so much at heart should delight to illustrate in his honor the fidelity and graces of that art through whose aid he achieved his highest success.

In the harmonious union in this threnody of the voice of him, who being dead yet speaketh, with the antiphonal song of those friends, — teachers, parishioners, brother-ministers, fellow-editors, and co-workers — who have gathered around his grave, there is blended in low undertone the minor strain of her who above all others has most right to mourn. Writing most of the editorial connectives, furnishing the facts for others, suggesting and selecting the letters which so well reveal his spirit, she has brought, like one of old, her sweet spices and ointment to tenderly embalm the memory of him whose spirit can no more be contained in the grave than could the spirit of him from whose tomb the angel rolled away the stone.

S. J. Barrows.

LIFE AND LETTERS OF THOMAS J. MUMFORD.

REVIEW OF EARLY LIFE.

First Letter to Samuel J. May. — Story of his Youth. — Aspires to the Ministry. — Zeal for Reform.

Watekloo, N.Y., Jan. 8, 1849.

Rev. S. J. May:

Dear Sir, — Permit a stranger to ask a favor of you. I wish to know what peculiar qualifications are necessary to fit a candidate for the ministry of the Unitarian Church, the nature and extent of the preparation, the places where the studies may be pursued, and the plan of the Cambridge Divinity School. If you will send me an answer to these inquiries, I will thank you most heartily. Trusting that you will pardon the liberty I have taken, I am.

With great respect, your humble serv't,

Thomas J. Mumford.

P.S. — If you are willing to listen, I will be glad to inform you of my reasons for asking the questions above, and to avail myself of your instruction and

advice.

Waterloo, N.Y., Jan. 21, 1849.

Dear Sir, — Your kind letter of the nth inst. was

duly received. The extracts from the "Register"

contained the information that I desired, and I thank you for your prompt compliance with my request.

Agreeably to your suggestions, I shall now write an explanation of my object in consulting you; and that it may be intelligible, I will preface it with a brief narrative of the most important events of my past life.

I am now twenty-two years of age. I am a native of South Carolina, but have resided in this place for eleven years. I have received an ordinary academical education. I left school in 1844, and entered upon the study of the law. After I had almost completed my preparatory studies, I abandoned the idea of becoming a lawyer. My reasons for so doing were twofold : I had become slightly deaf, and thus unfitted for successful practice at the bar, and I was sorely disappointed in the nature of legal practice. I could not reconcile myself to that indiscriminate advocacy of the right and the wrong which seems to be required by the present state of the profession. Last spring I became one of the editors and publishers of the Seneca County Courier, the old Whig organ of this county. Soon after I entered upon my editorial career, I was compelled to choose between interest and duty. Gen. Taylor was nominated, and I promptly refused to support him. About the first of September, I was compelled to sell my paper to the more orthodox Whigs. This act was performed with reluctance ; but I could not afford to make any more pecuniary sacrifices, even for the cause of Freedom. I now intend, for several years at least, to pursue the editorial calling ; but I am not sure that duty does not call me to another station.

For many years, I have been impressed with a belief that I ought to devote myself to the work of elevating the popular standard of morality, and disseminating correct ideas of the nature and laws of God. My parents were Episcopalians (my father, who died three years since, being a warden in the church, superintendent of the Sunday-school, etc.) ; and almost all my friends and relations are members of the various "orthodox" societies. Ever since I became conscious of responsibility, I have endeavored to observe all thp rules of morality, and to cherish a sense of reverence and love for the Supreme Being ; and when at the academy I attracted some notice as a speaker on several public occasions, my parents and others, observing my deportment, thought me calculated for the work of the Christian ministry. Accordingly, I was frequently urged by my muchbeloved friend, the Rev. Mr. Wheeler, to prepare for the pulpit. Many inducements were- held out to me, and I should probably have followed the bent of their inclination, and to some extent my own, had I been satisfied with the doctrines of the Church. But I was not satisfied, and I could not play the hypocrite.

I have read and thought much on the subject of Christian doctrine for several years past, and the effect of my investigation and reflection is a warm attachment to the principles of the Unitarian Christians, as set forth in the writings of Dr. Channing.

I have been so unfortunate as to differ with some of my most beloved relatives and many of my kindest friends upon several vital questions. They are slaveholders ; I am an ardent hater of the accursed system of human bondage. They are Whigs, ever loyal to their party. In my opinion, the Whig party has belied its noble anti-slavery professions, and in the late contest I found myself compelled to act against it, or stifle the voice of conscience. And, lastly, they are " orthodox," and I am Unitarian.

Now, although I do not hesitate to think and do what I believe to be right on account of these differences, I find that their dislike of my views is, in some particulars, a serious hindrance to my progress. They think I have rashly throv/n away a fine chance to obtain political honor and offices ; and should I immediately begin to study for the Unitarian ministry, I fear that I should hg,zard even their friendship. They would regard me as one seeking to become an instrument of evil and heresy, and would probably be as unwilling to grant as I should be indisposed to ask any "aid and comfort," pecuniary or spiritual. I can, however, obtain enough money to defray my expenses at Meadville, if the published statement be true.

I have determined to devote myself to the work of religious, moral, and political reformation ; and I am only at a loss to decide in which station I can be most useful, — the newspaper office or the pulpit. If my decision be in favor of the latter, I shall endeavor to earn my living and a part of the means of prosecuting my studies, even though my entrance upon my future duties should be considerably postponed. But I am not entirely satisfied that it will not be better for me to remain an editor.

If the learning required at the Cambridge Divinity School be a " condition precedent " to the ministry, I hardly know how I can now master it. I have already spent three years in studying for one profession. I have always been a diligent and careful reader, and I think I may justly claim to an extensive acquaintance with English literature, and som.e familiarity with political history and the great movements of the present day. While at school I was perhaps too much interested in the events of the present, and too much inclined to " let the dead past bury its dead"; for I valued the Latin and Greek only as helps to a better knowledge of the English. I would like the study of the German, I think, and would apply myself to the task of learning so much of the dead languages as may be absolutely necessary to a proper preparation for the ministry.

Will you oblige me by writing your opinion upon this matter of " classical learning " in connection with the studies for the ministry }

I am, with great respect, your friend,

Thomas J. Mumford.

P.S. — I acknowledge that the chief reason of my wish to stand in the pulpit arises from a painful conviction that the present popular standard of morality is lamentably low. If I become a minister, I shall devote much of my attention to the popular sins of the day, repudiating all such atheistical maxims as "my country (or my party), right or wrong," and striving to be for the right, whoever may oppose it ; against the wrong, whoever may uphold it. I think the pulpits of our country are wanting in ministers bold enough to do this, and hope that I am among the number who are ready to reinforce the gallant band who now defend Freedom and Truth against such fearful odds.

I know the dangers and difificulties of such a course, but trust that an ardent love of righteousness, and rigid economy will, with the Divine aid, enable me to wage a manly warfare against the giant evils of our time and nation.

Rev. S. J. May.

II. Choice Of The Ministry

The Decision Made. — Spirit of Sacrifice. — Notes of his Reading. — Opposition from Friends.

Dear Sir, — After the gravest deliberation of which my mind is capable, I am well convinced that my place is in the pulpit, and that I ought to enter upon the work of preparation immediately. Your kind interest in my welfare has excited my liveliest gratitude, and an early reply to the inquiry I am about to make will be most pleasing and serviceable to me.

Upon referring to the leaves of the " Register," for which I am indebted to you, I perceive that a term of the Meadville School will commence in about a fortnight from this time. I am anxious to enter upon the duties of the ministry as soon as I may be fitted therefor, and no sooner ; and I think that by commencing immediately, the end I have in view will be more speedily attained. What shall I do, — go to Meadville the middle of this month, or study at home until September .? If it will hasten my preparation, I prefer the former course ; and my business here requires that I shall have at least a fortnight's notice of the fact. I have broached my purposes to my family and to some of my friends. The former assent, only regretting that I am not to be the advocate of their faith. Some of the latter with whom I have conversed about the expense of time and money which will be incurred, hint that most clergymen are starved into silence concerning popular sins, etc. ; but I tell them I will be content with a moderate share of this world's goods, if I can only live a true life, serving God and doing good to my fellow-men. Is it unreasonable to suppose that an earnest, industrious, and competent minister can somewhere find hearers and the means of living.'

March 8, 1S49.

My dear Friend, — Agreeably to the promise made at the close of the pleasant visit which I enjoyed at your house a few weeks since, I will now write an account of my progress and prospects.

My strong dislike of pecuniary dependence has led me to accept several offers of brief but lucrative employment, and therefore I have not, according to my purpose at the time of our last conversation, devoted all of my time to study.

Out of the course which you have so kindly suggested, I have read the first volume of Macaulay's History, Channing's essay on "The Duty of the Free States," his letter on " Creeds," and several of his discourses. Among the last, I have experienced most exquisite pleasure in reading those entitled " Christianity a Rational Religion," " The Church," and " Spiritual Freedom." These breathe the spirit which I trust animates me, and their trains of

Life and Letters. o

thought have often passed through my own mind. I am, of course, in many respects at a vast distance from Dr. Channing ; but I am near enough to know and feel and rejoice that there is between us a pure and joyous spiritual communion. In the writings of no other man do I meet with thoughts that find so perfect an echo in my highest convictions of right, and so cordial a response in my noblest sense of duty. I feel that I cannot be too grateful to Heaven for having sent such a hero soul before me, and I know of no better way of evincing my gratitude than by emulating to the uttermost verge of my ability his bright and lofty example.

I have also read Parker's sermon on " The Idea of a Christian Church," with which I was much pleased. The fresh, vigorous, and free style with which his keen perceptions of the beautiful, the true, and the absurd compel him to clothe his thoughts, gives a charm to his writings which will always secure them many delighted readers ; but I prefer the closer reasoning and the more tranquil (and yet not less strong and triumphant) faith which distinguish the works of Channing.

I have also read Mr. Furness' sermon on "The Nature and Uses of Public Worship," delivered in New York and published in the Tribune about a fortnight ago. His thoughts are mine, and I think you will not object to any of them. In any event, I shall be glad to learn your opinion.

Sunday mornings I devote to the reading of the Scriptures. In the afternoons, I attend Episcopal lo Thomas J. Mumford.

service with the other members of my family. A few Sundays since, my good friend Mr. M. preached an able and most pointed sermon against Unitarianism. He relied mainly on the text which inquires how Christ could be both David's Lord and Son. Many of my friends call the discourse triumphant ; but they have only heard' the advocate of one side of the question.

As I expected, I am somewhat annoyed by the horror expressed, with uplifted hands and mournful voice, by some of my friends when they speak of the awful peril to which I have exposed my soul. Their frequent allusions to my father's orthodoxy in contrast with my heterodoxy, although doubtless well meant, are not always either delicate or agreeable. But what are these petty trials compared with the self-contempt which attends the profession of a faith which the reason rejects, and to which the heart will not respond } No person who knows what Unitarianism is has yet attacked me, and I am glad of it. I want my time for undisturbed study and reflection upon truths which even bigots believe and neglect. Although prone to well-conducted debate, I do not desire to erect the structure of my theological education, after the manner of certain builders of old, with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other, and I trust I shall be spared the disagreeable necessity. At the same time, however, I am not ashamed of my faith, and shall not shrink from its vindication on all proper occasions.

III. Preparing For Meadville

Interest in his Studies. — Paley Arraigned. — • Anti-Slavery Sympathies. — Ideal of the Ministry. — Theological Discussions.

Dear Friend, — During the last fortnight, I have studied constantly and satisfactorily. I have read Paley's "Natural Theology" with the most careful attention, and think I have obtained a pretty thorough knowledge of the work. The edition which I read contains notes by Sir Charles Bell, Lord Brougham, and Dr. — now Bishop — Potter. In connection with Paley's chapters on the subject, I read many pages in several works on physiology. In the "Theology" I have found much to admire, and some things to which I cannot now assent. Those passages which seem to imply a belief that the slaughter of human beings on the field of battle is one of God's provisions for counteracting the superfecundity of our species shocked me most. I have always disliked the school of writers who advocate the theory of population broached, I believe, by Malthus, and in part indorsed by Dr. Chalmers.

I am surprised that the clear-sighted Paley countenanced the horrible idea that war is one of the heaven-appointed means of ridding countries of their

12 Thomas J. Muinford.

surplus inhabitants. It seems to me that a Christian statesman would find in emigration and the breaking up of immense landed estates a much more effective and far less objectionable cure for the evil.

Do you not think the "Theology" incomplete.'' A system of "natural theology" should be built upon facts concerning our moral and mental constitutions, as well as the mechanism of the material world. . .

Since I decided to study for the ministry, I have received an offer of a somewhat attractive situation in a newspaper establishment, procured for me by an influential friend, to whom I had applied several months before. I was very sorry to disappoint him ; but I could not avoid doing so without changing my plans of study, and repressing what I believe to be the promptings of duty.

My interest in the subject of my studies increases daily. In contemplating the glorious attributes of God, and in cherishing the proper notions of the dignity of human nature, I experience great and growing delight. I regret that I cannot be near you, and enjoy the pleasure and profit of frequent conversations ; but perhaps the lesson of self-dependence will, in part, compensate for the privation.

Since my return from Syracuse, I have studied regularly, with great enjoyment and profit. Mr. W. takes the Christian Register, and by exchanging with him I read both papers. I like the Inquirer best.

Life Mid Letters. 1 5

Its notices of the Anniversaries were capital, and more liberal than I had expected. What is said of the Meadville School is very proper. I suppose the comparison instituted between Meadville and Cambridge was intended to remove any jealousy which might exist among the friends of the latter, and not to directly assert that Meadville would furnish the privates, and Cambridge the officers, of the society. However, such matters will regulate themselves.

I am very much interested in the emancipation movement which is going on so bravely in Kentucky. When I read the proceedings of the late convention at Frankfort, I was overjoyed, for I thought that the South would yet be redeemed from the Slave Power which has so long crushed and disgraced her. I feel so much on the subject that if I had no other plans of duty, I think I should go to Kentucky and enlist in the army of Freedom.

The Progressive Quakers have just closed their first yearly meeting. It was well attended, and they seem to be delighted with the result of their labors. Lucretia Mott, Oliver Johnson, and Joseph Dugdale of Ohio, were among the chief speakers. Among the addresses issued by the meeting is an excellent one "To Reformers," from the pen of Oliver Johnson. Mrs. Mott spoke to a large audience in the court-house, last Tuesday evening. She is a noble woman, and I think her discourse will aid the cause of Liberal Christianity in this vicinity.

14 Thomas J. Miimford.

Mr. W. has furnished me with tracts, which I have circulated among my friends, — some of whom read them willingly and attentively.

I have six weeks more for reading before I start for Meadville. I continue to recite in Greek regularly.

You once asked me whether I wished you to procure for me the stipend which the American Unitarian Association allows indigent students for the ministry. After due deliberation, I have resolved not to ask for any such aid. I am well aware that a student is almost necessarily a consumer, when by engaging in other pursuits he might be a producer of money ; and that if he is not rich, yet disposed to effect his education without foreign aid, he must practise self-denial and close economy ; but, having a strong and almost romantic love of independence, while I have youth, health, and strength, I cannot consent to be the recipient of anything that looks like charity. If I err in this, the error is venial, for it springs from a dread of dependence and the servility, which it so often breeds.