CIRCULAR. A NUMBER OF THE CITIZENS OF PHILADELPHIA HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN THE STATEMENTS OF JOHN BEESON, OF OREGON TERRITORY, WHO IS VISITING THE EASTERN STATES, VITH A VIEW OF INTERESTING OUR CITIZENS ON BEHALF OF THE ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF THIS COUNTRY [caption title and first lines of text, as printed].

Price, Eli K.: [Beeson, John]:

Edité par [Philadelphia. April 1859].

A propos de cet article

A rare piece of ephemera, calling for a public meeting in Philadelphia for the purpose of establishing an "Indian Aid Society" like those recently founded in New York, largely thanks to the efforts of English immigrant and Oregon settler John Beeson. Beeson (1803-1889) was born in Nottinghamshire, moving to the United States as a young man and joining an English community in Illinois. He was at this time already an avid abolitionist, and his Illinois home served as a station on the Underground Railroad. He relocated to Oregon in 1853, where he was immediately stricken by the situation of the indigenous population, his progressive spirit enkindled by their mistreatment, and in particular by White settlers' flagrant violations of the Table Rock Treaty. He was vociferous enough in his opposition that he was forced to flee for his life in 1856, taking a long and winding route to New York. Back in the east, he lectured widely, wrote passionate editorials, published an important pamphlet entitled A Plea for the Indian, and advocated for the establishment of Indian Aid Societies. He returned to the Pacific Northwest in 1865, and remained there with his family until his death in 1889. This circular responds to Beeson's early efforts on the east coast, and reads in large part: "A number of the citizens of Philadelphia have been interested in the statements of John Beeson, of Oregon Territory, who is visiting the Eastern States, with a view of interesting our citizens on behalf of the aboriginal inhabitants of this country. The iniquitous policy pursued by the frontiers-men in robbing the Indians of their lands on our Western border, burning their dwellings, and committing other atrocities, calls loudly for the interference of the Government; and it is believed that the remonstrances of the inhabitants of the United States would exercise a powerful influence at Washington, and induce our Government to stretch forth a hand to arrest the cruelties and enormities which are practised against this defenceless people." The remainder of the document calls for a meeting to plan the organization of an Indian Aid Society for the city, to be held at the office of Eli K. Price on Saturday, April 9 (1859). Price, who signs the circular in type, was a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate and the American Philosophical Society, as well as an abolitionist and member of the Pennsylvania Colonization Society. This copy is postmarked on the verso and addressed to William M. Meredith, former President of the Philadelphia City Council, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under Zachary Taylor, and future Attorney General of Pennsylvania. Rare evidence of the intersection and engagement of eastern abolitionists with other activists in the west; we locate no other copy of the present circular. Old folds, light tanning. Upper fold splitting, else very good or better.

N° de réf. du vendeur 68313

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: CIRCULAR. A NUMBER OF THE CITIZENS OF PHILADELPHIA HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN THE STATEMENTS OF JOHN BEESON, OF OREGON TERRITORY, WHO IS VISITING THE EASTERN STATES, VITH A VIEW OF INTERESTING OUR CITIZENS ON BEHALF OF THE ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF THIS COUNTRY [caption title and first lines of text, as printed].
• Éditeur: [Philadelphia. April 1859].
• Édition: Edition originale