Rev. William S. Tyler, the learned Greek Professor, wrote from Amherst:—
“I cannot refrain from expressing to you the deep, though in some respects painful, interest with which I have read your late speech in the United States Senate.
“That your life has been spared, your health in such a measure restored, and that you were able to begin ‘where you left off,’ and finish such a faithful and complete exposition of the monstrous Barbarism—that is the word—of American Slavery, is just matter of congratulation to the country, and of thanksgiving to God. The enemies of Freedom and Humanity will of course gnash their teeth upon you, and timid friends will question the expediency of such a speech; but when the passions and prejudices of the hour have passed away, it will be remembered and honored as one of the truest, greatest, best utterances of our age.”
Hon. Henry Hubbard, the agent of Massachusetts to visit New Orleans in behalf of colored seamen imprisoned there, wrote from Pittsfield:—
“I cannot, even at the hazard of offending you, refrain from expressing the sense of honor and gratitude I feel for your sending me your immortal and all-conquering speech on the Kansas Question, showing and proving the unmitigated atrocity and monstrous deformity of Slavery, maintained in many States of this confederacy, and threatening all the rest. Boldly, manfully, faithfully you have ‘done the austere work,’ not letting, by your laches, ‘Freedom fling away any of her weapons.’ Oh, no! Freedom stood in all her majesty, and used all her weapons.”
Henry D. Thoreau, author and man of genius, wrote from Concord, Massachusetts:—
“Especially I wish to thank you for your speech on the Barbarism of Slavery, which I hope and suspect commences a new era in the history of our Congress, when questions of national importance have come to be considered from a broadly ethical, and not from a narrowly political point of view alone. It is refreshing to hear some naked truth, moral or otherwise, uttered there, which can always take care of itself, when uttered, and of course belongs to no party. (That was the whole value of Gerrit Smith’s presence there, methinks, though he did go to bed early.) Whereas this has only been employed occasionally to perfume the wheel-grease of party or national politics.”
Frank B. Sanborn, teacher and earnest man, afterwards an able journalist, wrote from Concord:—
“Whatever politicians and editors may say, or even think, you have more endeared yourself to the popular heart by your labors in the last Session than by all that you have previously done. Neither the North nor the South can soon forget the faithful picture held up before us in your speeches.”