Letter from Abraham de Sola to Isaac Leeser;July 13, 1856

Title: Letter from Abraham de Sola to Isaac Leeser;July 13, 1856
Author: Abraham de Sola
Contributor: Isaac Leeser
Date Created: 13 July 1856
Location(s): Montreal; Philadelphia
Format: Letter. 4 page(s) on 2 sheet(s).
Type: Letter
Language(s): English
Has Format: https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3668948b/manifest.json
Link to Colenda: https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3668948b
Physical Characteristics: Unlined Paper; Wax Seal; Manuscript
Is Part Of: The Dropsie College Isaac Leeser Collection at the Penn Libraries
content: Montreal 13 July 5616.
My dear sir
I employ my earliest leisure in replying to yours of 30th ult, because I wish to disabuse you of the idea you seem to entertain that I had written some of our Ministers in the states had invited my cooperation in undertakings which certainly would have injured you. But I did not write this, No doubt you have just grounds of complaint against some —you are the best judge of this, but it might have occurred to you that laymen also might have made these overtures. I wrote you in my last what I have stated to you personally—that with reference to the election I had been deemed guilty of insincerity by you, because some ministers had represented one thing to you and another to me. Of this I have proof but I bore the imputation (and have done so until now) because I believed that if your many professions of friendship & esteem extending over 6 years had been

sincere, you had not deemed me guilty of such meanness not to say irreligion. You repeat, you did me no wrong. But irrespective of your unwarrrantable attack in the Occident you forget you wrote in here to Mr J Joseph (?) that I had underhandedly endeavored to supplant you. I have denied and do as earnestly as ever deny this & convinced as were all your best friends—Miss Gratz included—that you had made unjustifiable changes. You know yourself the change is not a trifling one which you wrote to Mr J H Joseph. And conscious of me, ? you might suppose I could not congratulate you on your decision or judgment or friendly feeling. But Pope-like—excuse my candor— You will be infallible. I have still Mr Josephs letter wherein you write as above. I will trouble you no more on this subject, but I believe the day will yet come when you will admit that you unwarrantably accused me, and also that I was not “too foolish to act properly.” One more remark however—you write—you would have wished ministers to have acted towards you, as they would have expected you to have acted towards them. You no doubt imply I did not so act. But I shall be satisfied if any one coming here, when I have acted & said as you did, shall act as underhandedly to me as I did to you.

I know of no plan concocted or concocting that could injure you; nor have I heard of any new magazine or periodical project. I think however that the Orthodox Occident is not sufficient for the wants of orthodoxy although you are the first one I have ever stated this much to—as otherwise I should hear from you that I had been underhandedly ? We want a weekly—a good spirited weekly in the orthodox interest, that would give ? in a civil way the attention the want oftener than once a month. If the Asmonean were more of my way of thinking I would like to see it flourish, but enterprising & worthy man as Mr Lyons is, he has allowed his paper to become too frequently the ? of the most dangerous views, editorially as well as by means of correspondents. Is there any chance of you publishing a weekly. I promise you not to supplant you in any way otherwise don't be surprised if you find me doing what I can for an orthodox weekly one of these days. But perhaps the Asmoenan will prove a true ma-cabee. I write to my father today & shall tell him you had not heard from him to date.
I dare say that, proportionately,

they would do their share here for a college but where is the action in more important places?
I will do what I can in collecting and remain Yours truly
Abraham de Sola
To the
Rev. Isaac Leeser
&c &c &c

Revd. Isaac Leeser
371 Walnut Street
Philadelphia
Pa
Identifier: LSDCBx2FF3_21
Date: 1856-07-13

Part of Letter from Abraham de Sola to Isaac Leeser;July 13, 1856

Abraham de Sola, “Letter from Abraham de Sola to Isaac Leeser;July 13, 1856”, 1856-07-13, Isaac Leeser Digital Repository, accessed September 7, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/leeser/item/66148