Anti Slavery Bugle

To Rev. R. Anderson, D. D., Cor. Sec. J. B. C. F. M.

Dear Sir:

We have learned with great pleasure that the American Board have come to the conclusion (to which we arrived long ago) that polygamy is not a sufficient ground of exclusion from the Church. Our design in addressing you now is to offer ourselves to the Board as missionaries; it being our wish to labor for the salvation of the benighted Choctaws. Having been informed by our minister that the Board accept no one as missionary until satisfied respecting the age, pecuniary circumstances, health, piety and other qualifications of the applicant, we will proceed to these particulars in the order already suggested.

First—Age. Here we will barely say that we are all "about the common age."

Second—Indebtedness. On this point we can say that, although not rich in this world's goods, "we owe no man anything;" for we are all single—a circumstance owing, in part, no doubt, to the foolish but common prejudice against a patriarchal custom which the Amer. Board now seem so prayerfully anxious to re-establish.

Third—Health. We all enjoy good health, except that our ardent desire for the salvation of the heathen (a desire which has greatly increased since your answer to certain inquiries at Bangor,) has taken away our natural appetite and made us somewhat thin in flesh.

Fourth—Piety. We are all "members in good standing" of the orthodox Church of this place—are constant in our attendance upon all our religious meetings, "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is," nor running after those who cry "Lo here!" or "Lo there!" The Anti-Slavery, Anti-War and Anti-Gallows heresies, which prevail all around us, to the great detriment of true piety, and the destruction almost, of some of the churches, (though thank Heaven! no converts have been made in our beloved Church, nor any, so far as we know, within the limits of Sodom,) have had no effect in causing us to swerve from the true faith. We despise niggerism and amalgamation as thoroughly (we say it with deference,) as do the Commissioners of the Amer. Board. But when we think of the poor heathen rushing blindfold to everlasting ruin, we feel to say, in the language of the Prophet, "O that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears." We will soon forward a certificate of our piety from our minister, a pious, godly man. He hesitated some time about embracing the doctrine of polygamy, and even now doubts the expediency of advocating it publicly before an ungodly world. He thinks one effect of the public advocacy of this doctrine, would be a general rush for the missionary ranks; and this, he argues, must injure the great and holy missionary work, on the principle that "too many cooks spoil the broth." But notwithstanding his doubts and his prudent reserve in public, he says to us that he has the greatest confidence in the Amer. Board, and is well convinced that those deeply pious and well read divines would not advance a doctrine which has no foundation in the sacred scriptures.

And now, Rev. and dear sir, we feel to be on missionary ground, doing with our might what our hands find to do. For while we are here idle, the heathen are perishing. The missionary fire burns within us. We hope you will take our case into consideration and decide speedily.

We take it for granted that those self-denying men who labor as missionaries among the Choctaws, think as you do on the subject of polygamy; still we would take it as an act of Christian kindness if you would inform us definitely on this point. We should be sorry indeed, to learn that those devoted men are still so bound in the chains of prejudice as to oppose polygamy; though charity would in such case, dictate a large allowance in behalf of those who have been so long absent from this blessed land of gospel light. But however we might regret to know that the missionaries themselves were shrouded in the mist of prejudice, as regards polygamy, our zeal in behalf of the missionary cause would still remain, and be refreshed by the recollection that even the benighted Choctaws cordially embrace this heaven-descended doctrine.

Several other ladies (whose names we will forward with our certificate,) have expressed a desire to go snax with us, as they vulgarly express it, in this missionary business. But we give them no encouragement, and would drop a word of caution respecting them for your benefit. They are all of them evidently "in the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity." One is a Unitarian, one a Universalist and one a Mormon.
With ardent desires for the success of the missionary cause,

We remain yours,

PHEBE LOVEJOY.

JANET GOODENOUGH,

LUCINDA GATES.

Sodom, Aug. 10, 1846.