Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, May 15, 1859
xml:
Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, May 15,
1859
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:cnk
student editorTranscriber:spp:les
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1859-05-15
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, May 15, 1859
action: sent:
sender: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Unknown
receiver: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Auburn, NY
transcription: cnk
revision: amr 2021-02-08
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Page 1
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Editorial Note
Noon, the days crisis – The observations taken, The reckonings
made, The stage of our voyage ascertained. The beginning
of its ninth day, Thermometer 60. barometer still "set fair –
All the passengers dressed with uncommon care – all desirous
of some act of public worship, though differing in language, and
sects, they would compromise on any, But there is no priest
and no layman ^who^ would dare to lay hand on sacred things.
When one considers how in the infancy of mankind, all
phenomena seemed the immediate result of supernatural
14
or divine interference with nature, he cannot wonder that
all men sought protection and solaces in religion. Imagination
led them to temples, alters, oracles, wherever any one
pretended to show them the presence of a God – Now when
all phenomena are explained by the application of fixed
unvarying eternal laws, and men seek safety and
study success by conformity to these laws, Imagination sur-
renders the reins and they are assured by Reason. Will
mankind under its influences become less religious or in other
words more violent? Doubtless, they will not. We Imagi-
nation impressed religion on our race by the agency of
Terror. Reason wins to Faith through its demonstrations
of this divine Love –