Francis Jackson Garrison, William Lloyd Garrison, 1805-1879; the story of his life told by his children: volume 2

What shall I say? Thy visit has made the hearts of many¹ of us burn within us in a way that no other man's visit has ever done. I hope it may be blessed to us, and that you may both be long remembered with pleasurable emotion. You have indelibly impressed yourselves on our hearts. I know that we are hot-headed, excitable Irish, and that, like all vivacious people, our strong emotions are liable to be weakened by time; but I do think that you have wound yourselves round our memories in a way which it will give old Father Time a mighty troublesome job to twist off again. Our aspirations will assuredly be frequent for your happiness, and your growth in every spiritual and every genuine temporal blessing.

A month later, Richard Webb writes to George ² Thompson: ‘How I long to hear from our noble friends across the herring-pond. When they are all gone I will feel myself half transported, for my thoughts will often be with them. There are no people living whose friendship I would value more. Their presence communicates a glorious contagion; and the great ones of the earth—potentates, poets, sages, and pretenders of all sorts—are paltry company beside them. Huzza for the Old Organization!’ In proof of the contagion, he mentions that he has printed³ a small parcel of Non-resistant Principles, ‘just to raise a little bit of a row, and to set people thinking. I want as many as possible to find fault with them, and then we have some chance of coming to a right decision on the matter.’ And again, to Mr. Garrison, on ⁴ September 2: ‘You would make honester men of us if we had more of your company. I seem to breathe a freer air when you are with me. I never longed so much to see any one as thyself—and it is much to say that I am not disappointed.’⁵