Letter from Smith, Horace J. to Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA; Dec 1889 · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Letter from Smith, Horace J. to Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA; Dec 1889

Author

Smith, Horace J.

Morais, Sabato

Date Created

19 December 1889

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

5 pages on 5 sheets

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?

Language(s)

English

Source

Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies

Sabato Morais Collection, Box 8, Folder 7

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p38p5vv95/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p38p5vv95

Provenance

Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx8FF7_2.xml

content

Rev Dr Morais
546 N. 5th St
Philada
COMPLIMENTS OF
[Hora]ce J Smith
IVY LODGE.
[...] East Penn St., Germantown.

Logan Offices, 1305 Arch Street.
December 19th, 1889.
Rev Dr Morais
My dear sir
The selection of those who should form the Committee of Twenty-Five on the
K E N N A N T E S T I M O N I A L
was entrusted to a Committee of the first meeting, and their task is an easy one.
Those who should constitute this body s e l e c t e d t h e m s e l v e s, for, from a population of one million, where the notice of an intended meeting to promote this object was published, and from among the six hundred to whom special invitations were sent, certain attended the meeting, and other certain ones sent cordial responses.
They, therefore, as is said, selected themselves, and can unquestionably be depended upon to carry forward the work from its inception to its final consumma-tion.
Some can give work, all can, by their manifested sympathy, give important as-sistance. It is possible, indeed, that some, from necessary causes, can only give the weight of their names, and that, itself, is important.
I need not say that you were appointed a member of this Committee, and it is only necessary now to have your formal adhesion--which I confidently anticipate.
I hand you a list of names that you may have confidence that the work, when begun and carried on, will be w e l l d o n e.
Horace J. Smith, Secretary.

The feeling throughout this community and this Nation is evidence that the work of preparing a
T E S T I M O N I A L T O G E O R G E K E N N A N
will almost do itself, so that it only needs that this feeling should find ser-vants for the performance of the work which the community itself wishes done.
The projected
"G E O R G E K E N N A N L I T T L E T E A"
with the charming young ladies in Russian costume, &c., &c.,--the Tea) Cup souven-irs, with Russian inscriptions in Russian characters on the Cup, and appropriate American inscriptions on the Saucers (changed for each place, if desirable, where "Kennan Little Teas" are held) afford a method of awakening more interest, and

Com.
2.
concentrating it, and also, of gathering some money.
For the occasion of the presentation of the Testimonial, the admirable Poem, by Mr. John Collins
"T H E C R Y O F T H E E X I L E"
will constitute a literary incident of the highest order. The sale of copies of the same, illustrated, say, by George A. Frost, will also contribute to the funds.
The artistic Testimonial need not coat much in money. Pure Aluminum should constitute the base--because that metal is found in all earth--and from the eart we are all made, on it we live and move and have our being: and to it we return at death. Aluminum is also the ideal metal, and the ideal metal of the new era.
Aluminum bronze, or other alloy might well be used for the four or more groups of Siberian exiles to be placed at each corner.
The portrait figure of George Kennan will surmount the pedestal--the latter, itself, carrying bas reliefs and appropriate inscriptions.
We are able to call for the highest art to model these figures, because sculp-tors will feel proud to associate their names witht with this Historic work.
Replicas of the [?] original Testimonial, and other reduced copies in metal china, pottery, and other plastic materials will form a source of revenue.
The sale of copies of the portrait statuette of George Kennan, and of the ind independent groups on the base, and of the plaques on the pedestal, carrying the bas-reliefs and inscriptions, will, unquestionably, also yield a profit. Engrav-ings and prints can also be sold--amd the pictorial papers all over the world, will be only too glad to add fuel to the fire by using electrotypes, and printing exhaustive descriptions.
The popularity already gained for the movement will bring all the papers and popular magazines to publish more or less of our work.
Indeed, as our Testimonial need cost only a moderate sum--and as Mr. Kennan, himself, would not so much enjoy a large sum of money locked up in the concrete object, as the same sum used to further the cause, we can count on having a hand-some sum to carry our American delegates to St. Petersburg and back from the In-ternational Prison Association Congress, next September--and money, too, for the suffering exiles.
There are many incidental clues which have already presented themselves, and many more will suggest themselves as we go along.

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3.
The gentlemen who are actively managing the getting of signatures to the Petition will find our Testimonial meetings their best opportunity to promote and secure waht they are after. The ladies, in their Russian Peasant costumes--the copies of the Testimonial, and of its separate parts--the Tea-Cups, and other objects of porcelain--the engravings, the pictorials, &c., &c., all these will addd a most effective aid--and probably it will be a most essential one--to that work which th they have taken upon themselves as their duty.
This Petiotion, of course, to be complete, must be signed by American men, women, and children, of all antecedents--all colors--all religions.
The Catholics feel sore over the oppression exercised towards those of their faith, in Poland. Four thousand Catholic Poles are in Philadelphia alone, as I am assured by the Rev. Dr. Horstman, Chancellor of Archbishop Ryan, by religious per-secution.
The Germans, generally, feel sore at the persistent crushing out of their language in the German provinces of Russia: while the Lutherans most naturally re-sent the efforts of the Czar's Government which seeks to crush out their Cult in the Baltic provinces of Russia.
The Jews feel no less sore at the atrocities exercised upon their brethren, and the expatriation of their co-religionists.
The overshadowing of India by the Czar, and the fear of their losing their hold upon Hindoustan, which they are threatened with by the building of an Asiatic Railroad, screened on the north by the range of mountains bordering their Indian possessions, adds the weight of the Briton to the movement.
While the French Government is in diplomatic relations with the Czar's, no on one can doubt that the sympathy of the French republicans, as well as those of Switzerland, are for the oppressed peoples.
Italy, of course, sides with Germany in antagonizing the Czar--while Austria is kept on the constant qui vive, and is periodically marshalling her troops to repel a dreaded invasion from her eastern neighbor.
The Turk, though feeble, is not insignificant when backed by the strong west-ern powers.
With all these potent forces, there is a l l i e d in the matter of this Testimonial, the e m o t i o n a l and i n t e l l e c t u a l sympathies

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4.
of every human being that hates cruelty, and especially hates cruelty to the de-fenceless, to the feeble woman and to children.
The Patriotic sentiment of Americans is also arrused to do honor to the man, who, as Sergius Stepniak well said, had, by his exposure of the cruelties inflicted upon patriotic Russians, struck the most telling blow against the continuance of those cruelties, and they are anxius to testify their appreciation of the heroic and un-selfish labors of the man who has added lustre to the name "American."
Very respectfully,
Horace J Smith
Secretary, Committee Kennan Testimonial.
K E N N A N T E S T I M O N I A L
C O M M I T T E E.
President, Robert M. Mc Wade. accepted
Vice President, John Y. Huber. do
Secretary, Horace J. Smith. do
Treasurer. J. W. White, M.D., do
Rudolph Blakenburg. Mrs. John Lucas. accepted
Simon Muhr. Miss Anna Lea Bakewell.
John Lucas. Dr. Louise G. Rabinovitch. accepted
Stephen Ferrally. Miss Julia E. Orem. do
John J. Lytle. Mrs. A.S.Quinton.
Dr. Spivakofski. accepted Mrs. Fanny Jackson Coppin.
Alfred H. Love. Miss Helen Morton.
Robert C. Ogden. Dr. Bundy.
Hon. William Ashman. Miss Margaret S. Hilles,
John Collins. of Wilmington, Delaware.
Rev. W. I. Nicholls. Mrs. Florence Kelley Wischnewitsky,
Rev. Dr. Morais. of New York City.
Rev. Joseph May.
Rev. William Ashmead Schaeffer, Josiah W. Leeds.
Allen B. Rorke. William Still.
Charles S. Keyser. Robert Purvis.
Isaiah Wears, Andrew F. Jones,
Editor "Sentinel."

Identifier

p38p5vv95

identifier

SMBx8FF7_2