LETTER OF
The GOSPEL TRUTH CHARLES G. FINNEY
1869
To James and Julia Monroe
14 April 1869
[MS in Finney Papers, microfilm, roll 5, supplement #171. There would appear to be at least one page missing.]
Oberlin Ohio, 14th Apr[i]l, 1869.
Dearest Children,
Julia's of the 19th March came
duly to hand. We were much inter
ested in Julia's description of
your mountain home & niegh
borhood. I suspect that she
has some of my love of mountain
scenery. I am passionately fond
of the wild, grand, magnifi
cent, sublime & yet graceful
scenery of mountain ranges.
To one born on the plain of
Oberling [sic] where neither hill
nor valley is to be seen on
the whole horizon such scene
ry as surrounds you must
possess an unspeakable charm.
I don't know how you can ever
again endure the almost dead
level of Oberlin. Perhaps you
never will be called to do so.
[page 2]
Emma has been too busy to
give us your description of
your work in the mountains.
I see by to days paper that a man
from Missouri is appointed to take
the place of Mr Webb at Rio
de Jeneiro. I did not see much
chance for Jame's appointment soon
after my last, as I learned that
there were many clamoring for
that place with strong & ear
nest backers to sustain them.
James has been out of the politics
of the country during the great
Presidential campaign & stood
but little chance. Dolson is
from principle very chary of
interfering in behalf of a relative.
I suppose James would be the same.
I should be. Soon after Dolson
went to Washington, a nephew &
name sake of mine requested
me to recommend him to Dolson
[page 3]
for an Office under him, but I
declined, saying that I could
not recommend a relative or
any one else unless I was
satisfied that the government
needed his services. Charles
is at Washington looking
for some position that will
require a western tour
in the open air & keep
him out in the mountains
& prairies, until he can
regain his health. His
health suffers in the
Office of a daily paper
He wishes, not to give up
his paper, but to be able
to employ an Editor until
he can regain his strength
in out of door life. Dolson
feels embarrassed. He wants
Charles to have an office
but being a relative he does
[page 4]
not like to give him one.
Charles has powerful friends
both in the Senate & house
who will probably help him
to what he wants. Besides
his paper is by far the
most influential republican
journal in that state, I believe
& did much toward procuring
the republican triumph in
that state. I see from her
letters that Ange is nettled
at the course Dolson takes
in the matter. I write to her
that I approve of Dolsons
course. Your friends Mr & Mrs
Blackford spent a Lords day
at Oberlin, but not at our house.
Mary Dascomb must have them
He preached for me sab, morning & for
the 2d Church in the evening.
Footnotes:
This word is spelt thus. Against this sentence in the margin is written in Julia's handwriting: "Tijuca &endash; Rio de Janeiro". Emma Monroe Fitch recalled:
"Some very, very happy months during the hottest months were spent on Tijuca, a mountain, only about eight miles out of the city and about 3,000 feet above the sea level. They lived in a cottage close by a hotel in a little valley on the Tijuca mountain side. They could see the mountains rising on all sides magnificently foliaged and many trees in blossom. Mother was quite a child in her enjoyment of it all." ("In Memory of Our Step-Mother Julia Finney Monroe" typescript [c. 1931] in Special Collections, Oberlin College Library).
This word appears to have been underlined by Julia.
This line and the next two are marked off with a bracket in the margin, evidently inserted by Julia.
Brackets in the margin mark off this and the following lines, to the bottom of the page.
A visitor to Oberlin in 1871 reported that "the country is so flat that there is no outlook save heavenward." (David Peek in the Gazette and Courier reprinted in The Lorain County News, December 21, 1871, p. 1)
Emma, the eldest daughter of James Monroe, was in her senior year at Oberlin College.
There is a tick in the margin here.
James Watson Webb had been the United States Minister in Brazil since 1861. He was replaced by Henry F. Blow.
This was Charles Grandison Finney, a son of Finney's brother, Harry.
The Rev. A. L. Blackford was minister of the Presbyterian Church in Rio de Janeiro, where James and Julia attended.
Mary Dascomb had been the governess of the Monroe children in Rio for two and a half years, and had worked in the mission there. See "Miss Mary P. Dascomb." The Oberlin News (13 January 1899), p. 1.
The following paragraph appeared in The Lorain County News of Wednesday, March 31, 1869, page 3:
Rev. Mr. Blachford [sic], of Brazil preached at the First Church Sunday morning, and at the Second Church Sunday evening on the progress of the missionary work in Brazil. His address in the evening took the place of the "Monthly Concert," which would otherwise have been held next Sunday evening.