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The Dorr Letters ProjectThomas Wilson Dorr to Lydia Allen Dorr: |
Letter
Mar. 6th, '45.
Dear Mother, –
Yours of Feb. 23rd, & Mar. 1, came safely
to hand, with the various cuttings from the papers; and I
thank you for them most sincerely. –
The mild pleasant weather that has
succeeded the severe cold of the first two weeks in Feb.
has been quite beneficial here as well as abroad. The
cells are comfortably warm, and the windows of the
corridor are frequently kept open, so that we breathe
freely again, and are not obliged to complain of the
almost total want of ventilation by which the air was
rendered so oppressive during the winter months. I feel
better for these pure breezes; and, if I had the liberty
of walking a few minutes occasionally in the yard, should
feel my strength revived considerably no doubt. But
this is too great an “indulgence” to be expected from Alger-
ine masters; tho’ the law intends that every man here
shall occasionally stretch his limbs in the sunshine.
But the inspectors, under the present order of things, are
much above the laws. For several weeks past the op-
pression in my chest has not been so great as it was.
The rheumatism, which was driven up by the cold weath-
er toward the head, and seated itself in full force just
below the bend of the neck, has subsided somewhat toward
its old range; but the muscles and tendons feel as
if they were shortened and stiffened, and it is not so
easy as before to look down; upon which you will no
doubt say that it is quite as well to look up. But
it is about as difficult to work the fibres that di-
rection; so that I must look right straight ahead. I
believe I told you sometime ago that I had a notion
that we were descended, on one side, from the stock of
Israel; and this “stiffnecke dress”, which others of the family
have also manifested occasionally, rather confirms the
impression. – This bill of health, which I thus submit
to you, will show that I am still holding out in the body
better than could have been expected in such a place.
The Ho. Of reps at Washington has doubtless
returned to their constituents without touching the R.I.
question. This I have for some time been satisfied w’d
be the result, and that they would throw the matter
overboard, as the National Convention did in May last
The People are sound on the subjects of sovereignty
and suffrage, and feel much more interest in them than
their rulers do; and perhaps may yet set their deal
to them at no very distant day. An expression of opinion
in our favor by Congress was much to be desired; but we
must do without it, rejoicing that the principles for which
we, the suffrage party, have contended, tho’ defeated in their practical appli-
cation, are sound, just & righteous, and have vitality en-
ough to sustain them, whether approved of, or not, just as
this present, by a set of corrupt pretenders to oppressors
of democracy at Washington. The only personal bene-
fits which I could have desired from the passage of
Burke’s resolutions would have been in an additional
impulse to public opinion abroad, which has long been
strongly in my favor. Perhaps the effect here would have
been, like that of the warnings to the King of Egypt, to
have hardened our Algerine Pharaohs to a still
greater degree of obdurate tenacity. But there is one
thing that the House might have done, though it is
doubtful whether the bill would have passed the Whig Senate,
viz. to amend the Judiciary act of ’89, so as to provide
that, when the granting of the writ of error by the Supreme
Court of the U.S., the sentence shall in all cases be
suspended. But the rights & wrongs of an individual
in my situation were not of sufficient importance
to attract any attention in the Ho. of Reps. Messrs
Burke & Hallett, I am informed, have some measure in contemplation
for my benefit; but what it is I am at a loss to con-
jecture.
I do not suffer myself to be deluded by every
false expectations of the spring election in this state. The
lessons that I have received are not such as to promise
much from the movements of our democratic party. They
(that is too many of them) are most unfortunately and
disgracefully a “whippable” and purchasable article, un-
der the nod & beck of their Algerine masters. The party
owe it to me to carry the state, and to open these
doors; but will they do it? They appeal to liberationists
in general; but, when voting day comes, the party lines
will probably be drawn as strictly as ever. I would not
discourage my friends; and it will be something to come
nearer the mark than they were before. But they have
much to do. It will be a difficult thing to make the
right selections of Governor to satisfy all interests, – and at the same
time, to secure an indispensable majority in both bran-
ches of the legislature. I shall look upon the contest, so
far as it is possible thro’ stone walls, with
great interest, hoping that my friends will come
into the field with the unity, zeal of firmness that
they will so much need. –
I did not make any allusion at
the time to the melancholy matter of executing Gordon
in the prison yard on the 14th last. the gallows and enclosure were slowly
set up, in his hearing, by your neighbor Allen Baker.
Any but an Algerine legislature would, under all the cir-
cumstances, have reprieved the prisoner beyond the
day of the trial of his brother. The prisoner was firm,
calm in the consolations of the Roman Catholic church (and, as Warden
Cleveland says, in an orthodox frame of mind) – anxious for
the close of his earthly sufferings. – The Warden talks
that he did not declare his entire innocence, but only that
he had no hand himself in killing Amasa Sprague. Other
accounts attribute to him the denial of any participation
in the murder. The gallows and materials of the
enclosure lie piled up on the spot for further use, as the sheriff (who
is waiting for the other Gordon) “does not like to move them
too often”! – I believe I have already alluded to the abridg-
ment of the library privilege to one book at a time; and I
presume that the Warden has orders to withhold the
benefits of his society as much as possible. He keeps
himself at a respectable distance, and, with the aid of his
man, and, I believe, of 2 or 3 prisoners also, watches
vigilantly for any suspected communication; but will
probably get no other reward for his trouble than the op-
probation of his proprietors. –
The bread was sent, as I mentioned in the
note you previously received, to be preserved – and to show
the amount received by me daily in comparison with the
prison allowance. If more come, please to save it with what
remains in a dry place, drier than your cow! –
Please to send the excerpt containing the Inspectors’ pub-
lication in the Journal. – “When Greek meets Greek” &c I
believe you will find in Pope’s Iliad, if not in that of old
Mr Homer, a Greek who was done over and made a gentleman
of by his translator. – I cannot name book & line. –
Feeling an innocence perfectly lamblike I
could not help a guffaw at the ludicrous suspicion of
poor J.R. His brains, (the small portion he ever possessed), like an overheated candle, have
melted & run down; leaving a void more painful to his
friends than to himself. Poor Jo!
Remember me to Mary & Sullivan, and give
my love to F. I hope you will continue to furnish the
news of all kinds; I believe me as ever yours, T. W. D.
I am much please to hear that F. is getting better. –