New Hampshire Statesman

From the New-England Galaxy.

THE SHAKERS.

To the Public.--Having noticed in the Albany Daily Advertiser and the New-York Statesman, the result of an investigation which took place in Harvard, Ms. before Wm. Stedham, Esq. touching the conduct of certain head men and elders of the Society of Shakers, near that place, towards my brother Seth Rabbit, of whom I have lately had particular information, from a correct source. And finding therein many false charges and slanderous assertions against our society, I consider it my duty, a duty which I owe to the Society and the public, to make a counter statement. The writer states that the case of my brother is considered of a most aggravated nature; that he has been held in confinement two years and four months, part of the time in chains, without the benefit of a fire in the winter, or of air in the summer, and without sufficient food and clothing. It was also stated by one of the deponents that at one time, Seth Blanchard, who is his nephew, had him down on the floor and was beating him with a cudgel; at another time, his legs were tied and his feet raised a foot and a half from the floor and his head rested on the floor, &c. together with many other assertions, which must certainly have appeared in a different light, had they been told without a colouring.

I have been a member of the society called Shakers, more than 40 years, and within that time have made a number of journeys to Harvard, and have been well acquainted with the elders and principal men of the society, and have ever found them to be a mild benevolent people, and a people who treated the aged and infirm of their community with kindness and respect. Besides, I have lately had an opportunity to see and converse with two respectable men from Columbia county who were at Harvard from the 29th of June until the 4th of July-They being excited by the alarm which appeared to prevail in the neighborhood, respecting my brother's sufferings, took particular pains to enquire into the matter-they went to see him, and found him lying on a bed, without the least confinement at that time, though they were informed that he had frequent turns of delirium, in which it was necessary to confine him and they prepared a room for that purpose— They had also on some occasions found it necessary to confine him with a chain-

These men also informed me that a respectable doctor, from or near the town of Shirley, (not of our Society) hearing the extraordinary alarm concerning my brother Seth, went directly to Harvard, and requested to see him; the request was granted, and after examining into his circumstances, and spending as much time with him as he chose, he observed to the brethren, that if ever he should get as crazy as Seth Rabbit was, he should be thankful if he could be as comfortably situated and provided for as he was, &c.

This dreadful alarm, through our States, was got up by the instigation of certain apostates, some of whom previous to their departure, treated my brother with much impropriety, and now they have the audacity to palm their own conduct upon the Society although it was entirely disavowed by the Society at the time. Seth lives in a family with his wife and two of our sisters, he has also two daughters and a large number of relatives, who treat him with all the kindness and attention that his circumstances will admit of, and are well satisfied with his accommodations and treatment by the Society at large.

Although such scandalous reports as the above are disagreeable to our feelings, and detrimental to the character of our Society, before the uninformed, yet as there is nothing more than all manner of evil alleged against us, we feel much consolation in the promise of Christ, Matthew v 11th

ABIATHER RABBIT.

August 15th, 1825