USA > New York > Monroe County > History of the pioneer settlement of Phelps and Gorham's purchase, and Morris' reserve; embracing the counties of Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Steuben, most of Wayne and Allegany, and parts of Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming. To which is added, a Supplement, or Extension of the pioneer history of Monroe county > Part 16
USA > New York > Allegany County > History of the pioneer settlement of Phelps and Gorham's purchase, and Morris' reserve; embracing the counties of Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Steuben, most of Wayne and Allegany, and parts of Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming > Part 16
USA > New York > Livingston County > History of the pioneer settlement of Phelps and Gorham's purchase, and Morris' reserve; embracing the counties of Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Steuben, most of Wayne and Allegany, and parts of Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming. To which is added, a Supplement, or Extension of the pioneer history of Monroe county > Part 16
USA > New York > Yates County > History of the pioneer settlement of Phelps and Gorham's purchase, and Morris' reserve; embracing the counties of Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Steuben, most of Wayne and Allegany, and parts of Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming. To which is added, a Supplement, or Extension of the pioneer history of Monroe county > Part 16
USA > New York > Ontario County > History of the pioneer settlement of Phelps and Gorham's purchase, and Morris' reserve; embracing the counties of Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Steuben, most of Wayne and Allegany, and parts of Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming. To which is added, a Supplement, or Extension of the pioneer history of Monroe county > Part 16
USA > New York > Wyoming County > History of the pioneer settlement of Phelps and Gorham's purchase, and Morris' reserve; embracing the counties of Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Steuben, most of Wayne and Allegany, and parts of Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming. To which is added, a Supplement, or Extension of the pioneer history of Monroe county > Part 16
USA > New York > Steuben County > History of the pioneer settlement of Phelps and Gorham's purchase, and Morris' reserve; embracing the counties of Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Steuben, most of Wayne and Allegany, and parts of Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming. To which is added, a Supplement, or Extension of the pioneer history of Monroe county > Part 16
USA > New York > Genesee County > History of the pioneer settlement of Phelps and Gorham's purchase, and Morris' reserve; embracing the counties of Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Steuben, most of Wayne and Allegany, and parts of Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming. To which is added, a Supplement, or Extension of the pioneer history of Monroe county > Part 16
USA > New York > Wayne County > History of the pioneer settlement of Phelps and Gorham's purchase, and Morris' reserve; embracing the counties of Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Steuben, most of Wayne and Allegany, and parts of Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming. To which is added, a Supplement, or Extension of the pioneer history of Monroe county > Part 16
USA > New York > Orleans County > History of the pioneer settlement of Phelps and Gorham's purchase, and Morris' reserve; embracing the counties of Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Steuben, most of Wayne and Allegany, and parts of Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming. To which is added, a Supplement, or Extension of the pioneer history of Monroe county > Part 16
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Mr. Phelps was first judge of Ontario, on the primitive organiza- tion of its courts ; and was an early Representative in Congress, from the then western district of this State.
He left a son and daughter. His son, Oliver Leicester Phelps, was educated at Yale College, married a grand-daughter of Roger Sherman, and became a resident of Paris, France. Returning to this country, after the death of his father, he became the occupant
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of the old Phelps' mansion at Canandaigua ; was at one period Maj. General of the 22d Division of New York Infantry. He died in 1813. His surviving sons are : - Judge Oliver Phelps, of Canan- daigua, who resides at the old homestead, a worthy representative of his honored ancestor ; William H. Phelps, of Canandaigua ; and Francis Phelps, an inmate of the Infirmary at Brattleborough, Vermont. The daughter of Oliver Phelps became the wife of Amasa Jackson, of the city of New York, and is now a resi- dent of Canandaigua. A daughter of hers, is the wife of Gen. John A. Granger ; and another, is the wife of Alexander H. Howell, a son of the Hon. N. W. Howell. The wife of Oliver Phelps, who was the daughter of Zachariah Seymour, died in 1826, aged 74 years.
Nathaniel Gorham, the elder, who was the associate of Mr. Phelps, was never a resident upon the Purchase. He resided in Charlestown, Mass. His son, Nathaniel Gorham, jr., his local repre- sentative, came to Canandaigua in 1789, and was of course one of the earliest pioneers. He was an early Supervisor of Canandaigua, a, Judge of the county courts, and the President of the Ontario Bank, from its first organization, until his death. He died in 1826, aged 62 years. His surviving sons are : - Nathaniel Gorham, mer- chant, of Canandaigua; William Gorham, of Canandaigua ; and David Gorham, of Exeter, New Hampshire. Mrs. Dr. A. G. Bris- tol, of Rochester, is a daughter ; and an unmarried daughter resides at the old homestead at Canandaigua. The mother died in 1848, at the advanced age of 83 years.
And in this connection, lest he should be omitted in a work like this -- as he should not be - some mention should be made of the venerable William Wood, who, if not a pioneer himself, is especial- ly the friend of the pioneers ; and among his other good works, takes a lively interest in perpetuating their memories. Mr. Wood is a veteran bachelor, the brother of the late Mrs. Nathaniel Gor- bam. His native place is Charlestown, Massachusetts. At one period of his life, he was an importing merchant in the city of Bos- ton; after that, a cotton dealer in New Orleans, where he was known for his deeds of philanthropy and benevolence. Becoming a resident of Canandaigua, by quiet unostentatious charities, by
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being " present in every good work, " he has well entitled himself to be called the Howard of his local region. The public edifices of Canandaigua, the rural church-yard, the streets and side-walks, the public libraries, bear testimonials of his public spirit. If no other good work is in hand, he will carry apples, books, and other accept- able presents, to the inmates of the jail, and cheer them by kind words. In cities and villages of this country and in England, he has established libraries and literary institutions, principally for the benefit of mechanics, apprentices and clerks. Well may it be said, that the world would be better, the picture of humanity would have in it more of lighter coloring, if there were more like William Wood. But, principally, it has been intended to notice him in con- nection with a Gallery of Portraits-mostly of Pioneers of the Genesee country - that he is collecting and suspending in their well-chosen and appropriate place, the court-house at Canandaigua. It contains already the portraits of -
OLIVER PHELPS,
AUGUSTUS PORTER,
PETER B. PORTER.
JOIIN GREIG,
PHILIP CHURCH,
JAMES WADSWORTH,
WM. WADSWORTHI,
RED JACKET,
MICAII BROOKS,
NATHANIEL ROCHESTER,
VINCENT MATHEWS,
JASPER PARRISH,
ABNER BARLOW,
JUDGE FITZIIUGH,
WALTER HUBBELL,
AMBROSE SPENCER,
JOHN C. SPENCER,
WILLIAM WILLIAMS,
MOSES ATWATER,
N. W. HOWELL.
And a correspondent adds : - " WILLIAM WOOD, the noblest Ro- man of them all."
PHELPS AND GORHAM'S PURCHASE.
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CHAPTER V.
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JEMIMA WILKINSON.
THIS eccentric founder of a religious sect, and her followers, having been the Pioneers of the entire Genesee country, preceding even the Indian treaties for acquiring land titles ; and having con- stituted in early days a prominent feature in all this region ; some account of them, it may well be supposed, will be looked for in a work of this character.
Jemima Wilkinson, or, as she was called by her followers, "The Friend," or " The Universal Friend," was a daughter of Jeremiah Wilkinson of Cumberland, Rhode Island. She was one of a family of twelve children. The father was a respectable ordinary New England farmer. When Jemima was in her 20th year, the entire family, except her, had a severe attack of fever; and after their recovery, she was attacked, and her sickness was severe and pro- tracted, at times her life being despaired of. In the extremity of her illness, her friends had assembled around her bed side to witness her death, when, as she affirmed, it was suddenly revealed to her that she must " raise her dead body." She arose from her bed, and kneeling by its side, made a fervent prayer, called for her clothing, and announced that her carnal existence had ended; henceforward she was but divine and spiritual; invested with the gift of prophe- Cy. She soon commenced travelling and exhorting, and with a considerable degree of success ; followers multiplied, some of them good New England farmers. They soon furnished all her wants, and would accompany her sometimes to the number of twenty, on her missions. She travelled through New England, Eastern New York, and spent several years in the neighborhood of Philadelphia
* This is briefly, her own account of her sudden transformation, as related to an in- formant of the author, who knew her well, before and after her advent to this region.
10
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and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, accompanied by most of her follow- ers; and she had proselytes wherever she went. Her authority over them was absolute. Upon one occasion, at New Milford, in Connecticut, she proclaimed a fast for thirty days on bread and , water. Most of them strictly obeyed; some of them becoming almost what Calvin Edson was in later years. After remaining in New England and Pennsylvania about twenty years, she came to Western New York ; she was then near forty years of age. The author has a copy of the "New Haven Gazette and Connecticut Magazine," of date, March 1787, that has a letter in it from a Philadelphia correspondent, written at the time " The Friend," and her followers were in Philadelphia, on their way to this region. Her personal appearance is thus described : - "She is about the middle size of woman, not genteel in her person, rather awkward in her carriage ; her complexion good, her eyes remarkably black and brilliant, her hair black and waving with beautiful ringlets upon her neck and shoulders ; her features are regular, and the whole of her face thought by many to be perfectly beautiful. As she is not to be supposed of cither sex, so this neutrality is manifest in her personal appearance : - She wears no cap, letting her hair hang down as has been described. She wears her neckcloth like a man ; her chemise is buttoned around the neck and wrists. Her outside garment is a robe, under which it is said she wears an expensive dress, the fash- ion of which is made to correspond neither with that of a man nor woman. Her understanding is not deficient, except touching her religious fanatacism. She is very illiterate, yet her memory is very great ; artful in discovering many circumstances which fall out among her disciples. On all occasions she requires the most extra- ordinary attentions that can be bestowed upon her; one or more of her disciples usually attend upon her, and perform the most menial service. Her pronunciation is after the peculiar dialect of the most illiterate of the country people of New England. Her preaching has very little connexion, and is very lengthy ; at times cold and languid, but occasionally lively, zealous and animated."
Enlarging upon the account she first gave of her rising from a bed of sickness -- dead in the flesh -she assumed that there was once such a person as Jemima Wilkinson, but that "she died and went to heaven ; after which the Divine Spirit re-animated that same body, and it arose from the dead ; now this divine inhabitant
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is Christ Jesus our Lord, the friend to all mankind, and gives his name to the body to which he is united, and therefore, body and spirit conjointly, is the "Universal Friend." She assumed to have two "witnesses," corresponding in all respects to those prophecied in Rev. Chap. xi, from 3d to 13th verse. These were James Par- ker and Sarah Richards.
But the reader will be principally interested in the advent of this singular personage and her followers to the Genesee country : -- Previous to 1786, they were living in detached localities. In that year, they met in Connecticut, and resolved upon finding some "fer- tile unsettled region, far from towns and cities, where the 'Univer- sal Friend " and her followers, might live undisturbed in peace and plenty, in the enjoyment of their peculiar religion.' They delega- ted three of their number, Abraham Dayton, Richard Smith and Thomas Hathaway to look for such a location. They went to Philadelphia and traversed on horseback the interior of Pennsylva- nia. Passing through the valley of Wyoming, they came across a backwoodsman by the name of Spalding, who furnished them with a glimpse of the region around Seneca Lake, and gave them direc- tions how to find it. Following his directions, they went up the river, and falling upon the track of Sullivan's army, reached the foot of Seneca Lake, and from thence proceeded to Cashong creek, where they found two French traders, (De Bartzch and Poudry,) who told them that they had travelled through Canada, and through the Western territory, and had seen no where so fine a country as the one they were in. A few days exploration, satisfied the land look. ers, and they returned by the route they came, to inform the Friend of the result of their travels.
In June 1787, twenty five of the Friends, among whom were
NOTE .- At a time when the Friend and her followers, were likely to loose their first location upon the banks of the Seneca Lake, and were having some difficulty with their neighbors, Abraham Dayton was deputied to go to Canada, and negotiate with Gov. Simeoe, for a grant of land for a new location. Gov. Simeoe acceded, and made a grant in the present township of Burford, C. W. Preparations were made to emi- grate, when the Governor annulled his grant. He gave as an excuse that he had sup- posed them to be Quakers, of whom he had acquired a good opinion in England ; but learning that they were a new seet, he did not wish to encourage their emigration. He however made the grant to Col. Dayton individually, upon such terms,-settle- ment duties de .- as he was then in the habit of making land grants. Col. Dayton settled upon the land, died in early years, and was succeeded by his son-in-law, Ben- ajah Mallory. The aged widow of Col. Dayton, who became the wife of Col. Joel Stone, the founder of the village of Gananoque, below Kingston, died but a few years since.
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Abel Botsford, Peleg and John Briggs, and Isaac Nichols, with their families, met at Schenectady, and embarked on board of batteaux for the promised land. At Geneva they found but a solitary log house, and that not finished, "inhabited by one Jennings." They went up the east side of the Lake to " Apple Town," where they remained several days searching for a mill site. The noise of the falling water, of the outlet of Crooked Lake, attracted them to the west shore of Seneca Lake. Passing up the outlet they came to the Falls, and exploring the neighborhood, fixed upon it as their location. They began their settlement in Yates County, about one mile south of the present village of Dresden. It was August when they arrived. They prepared ground and sowed a field of wheat in common, and the next season, 1789, several sinall fields of wheat were sown .*
The first land purchase was made of the State, upon the "Gore," previous to the running of the new pre-emption line. It was a tract of 14,000 acres, situated in the east part of the present town of Milo, and south east part of Starkey. William Potter and Thomas Hathaway were delegated to make the purchase. They applied to Governor George Clinton for a grant of land, which was refused of course, but he assured them that if they would attend the public sale in Albany, they would be able to obtain land at a satisfactory price. They attended the sale and bought the tract above named for a little less then 2s per acre. Benedict Robinson and Thomas Hathaway, soon after bought of Phelps and Gorham the town of Jerusalem for 1s 3d per acre.t
The first grist mill in Western New York, was built by three of the society ; - Richard Smith, James Parker and Abraham Dayton. The site was the one now occupied by the " Empire Mills," two and a half miles from Penn Yan. It was built in the summer and fall of 1789 and flour was made in it in that year. Here also was
* This corrects the very common impression, that the first wheat was harvested at Canandaigua, and Victor, in the fall of 1790. The wheat sown by the Friends must have been harvested in 1789.
t It was a rule at that early period, with Messrs. Phelps & Gorham, in selling a picked township, to require the purchaser to draw for another township at the same price. Robinson and Hathaway after purchasing Jerusalem, drew what is now the town of Gereseo. The Friend objected to her people " trading and buying property at a distance, . and fearing her displeasure, they prevailed upon Mr. Phelps to release them from the bargain, which he was quite willing to do, as he had ascertained the value of the township.
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opened the first public house by David Waggener. A son of his, Abraham Waggener of Penn Yan, now 76 years of age, well re- members seeing the French Duke, Liancourt, at his father's inn .* The first framed house in the Genesee country, was built by Enoch and Elijah Malin, as a residence for " The Friend." The house is still standing, and is occupied by Charles J. Townsend. It is a mile north of Dresden, and a half a mile east of S. B. Buckleys. The first school in the Genesee country, was opened by Rachel Malin in a log room attached to this house. In 1789, a log meeting house was built in which " The Friend" preached, and met with her fol- lowers. This house stood a few rods south of the residence of S. B. Buckley. But this is anticipating pioneer events that belong in another connexion.
Major Benajah Mallory, well known in all this region during the war of 1812, is yet living, in Lockport, Niagara County. He is spoken of in a preceding note as having married the daughter of Abraham Dayton. This family connexion, (or then anticipated one,) brought him to the Friend's settlement at an early period after it was founded. He was the first merchant there ; and in fact, opened the first store in the Genesee Country, other than those connected with the Indian trade. From him the author has obtained many remin- iscences, some of which are applicable to the subject in hand. He gives the names of principal heads of families who were followers of " The Friend," and located in the settlement during the earliest years : - Abraham Dayton, William Potter, (father of Arnold Pot- ter) Asahel Stone, John Supplee, Richard Smith, David Waggener, James Parker, Samuel Lawrence, Benj. Brown, Elnathan and Jon- athan Botsford, Jessee Brown, Jessee Holmes, Joshua Brown, Barn- abus Brown, Nathaniel Ingraham, Eleazor Ingraham, David Culver, David Fish, Beloved Luther, John Gibbs, Jacob Waggener, Wm. Sanford, John Barnes, Elijah Brown, Silas Hunt, Castle Dean, Jon- athan Dean, Benedict Robinson, Thomas Hathaway. Besides these there were unmarried men, and men and women who had been separated in adhering to the Friend. The followers were mostly
* " The inn" says the Duke in his Travels which contained but two rooms, we found already full ; some person who intended to buy land near the Great Sodus, and Capt. Williamson's agent who was to sell it to them, had taken possession before our arrival. After an American supper consisting of coffee and boiled ham, we all lay down to rest in the same room. There was only two beds for ten persons ; in consequence, these two beds were occupied by four of us, and the others lay down in their clothes upon the straw."
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respectable men of small property ; some of them had enough to be called rich in those days. Those who had considerable property gave her a part, or were at least liberal in supplying her wants. Man and wife were not separated; but they were forbidden to multiply. A few transgressed, but obtained absolution by confes- sing and promising not to disobey again. It was generally a well regulated community, its members mostly lived in harmony, were temperate and industrious. They had two days of rest in the week, Saturday and Sunday. At their meetings the Friend would gener- ally speak, take a text preach and exhort and give liberty to others to speak. The Friend appeared much devoted to the interests of her followers, and especially attentive to them in sickness. Major Mallory insists that the old story of her promising to " walk on the water" is wholly false. When Col. Pickering held his treaty with the Indians at Newtown Point, nearly five hundred Senecas encamped at Friends' Landing on Seneca Lake. They were accompanied by Red Jacket, Cornplanter, and Good Peter, (the Indian preacher,) the Rev. Mr. Kirkland, Horatio Jones and Jasper Parrish. Good Peter wanted an interview with the " Universal Friend." She ap- pointed a meeting-with the Indians and preached to them, Good Peter followed her, and the Friend wanted his discourse interpre- ted. Good Peter objected, saying : - " if she is Christ, she knows what I said." This was the meeting upon the bank of Seneca Lake, that gave rise to the report alluded to.
The Friend did not join her colony until the spring of 1789. She then came with a reinforcement, a somewhat formidable retinue .* Benedict Robinson, the most considerable property holder among her followers, gave her 1000 acres of land, upon which she resided.t
* William Hencher, the Pioneer at the mouth of the Genesee River, then lived at Newtown Point, and helped her on with his teams through the woods, to Catherines- town. His surviving son who accompanied the expedition, well remembers "The Friend," her singular dress, and singularity as it seemed to him, of a woman controlling and directing men in all things appertaining to the journey. It seemed to him a " one woman power," if the form of expression may be changed with the sex ; yet he gratefully remembers her kindness and hospitality, when his father's family came through the wilderness, and stopped at her residence, on their way to the Genesee River.
t The author has several letters of Mr. Robinson, written to Messrs. Wadsworth, Williamson, and others, and he is often alluded to in early reminiscences. The Duke, Liancourt visited him in 1795, and says of him ; - " This Benedict Robinson is a mild, sensible and well behaved man, resides on an estate of 500 acres, 150 of which are im- proved." "Last year he sold a thousand pounds of cheese at a shilling a pound." " He does not plough his land, but contents himself with breaking it up with a har- row. Although he says that Mr. Robinson had been a " zealous disciple of the " All Friend," he inferred from his conversation that his confidence in her divine mission
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Her business would seem to have been conducted by her female witmess, Sarah Richards, who did not arrive at the settlement until June, 1789. Some correspondence of hers, and memorandums, have been preserved : -
"JERUSALEM, Ist of 6th mo., 1791.
" I arrived with Rachel Malin, Elijah Malin, E.Mehitable Smith, Maria, and most of the Friend's family, and the goods which the Friend sent Elijah to assist in bringing on. We allarrived on the west side of Seneca Lake, and reached the Friend's house. which The Universal Friend had got built for our reception ; and with great joy, met The Friend once more in time, and all in walking health, and as well as usual.
"SARAH RICHARDS."
"In the year '91, settled with Elijah Malin, being in trust for The Universal Friend. At this time, reckoned and settled with him for building The Friend's house, and pass- ed receipts the 24th of the sixth month, 1791. SARAH RICHARDS."
" Reckoned and settled with Richard Hathaway for goods which the carpenters took up at his store for building The Friend's [house in Jerusalem. Settled, I say, this 3d of the 7th month, 1791.
SARAH RICHARDS."
" About the 26th of the 7th month, 1791,I and Rachel Malin were taken sick about the time of wheat harvest, and remained sick, and were not able to go out of the house until the ground was covered with snow ; but entirely confined to our chamber, which finished up the year 1791. SARAH RICHARDS."
Sarah Richards died in '94 or '5, and was succeeded in all her relations to The Friend, by Rachel Malin. The father of The Friend never became her convert, but her brother, Stephen, and sisters, Mercy, Betsey and Deborah, followed her in her advent to this region.
The meetings of this singular sect, were conducted very much
was somewhat weakened. The Duke might have added a circumstance that had somewhat interfered with the relations of the Friend and one of her most prominent disciples. He had infracted one of her rules, by marrying. He was in this way, the first transgressor among the followers. Susannah Brown had been his houskeeper. Thos. Hathaway having business with Benedict carly one morning, went to his house where he found Mr. Williamson, who told him that Benedict being unwell was yet in bed. Mr. Williamson leading the way, they both went up stairs and found Bene- dict in bed with his housekeeper, Susannah ; "Good Lord! Benedict, what does this mean ?" was the ejaculation and interrogation of Thomas, accompanied by an uplifting of his hands, in token of astonishment and horror, at what he called "shameful, sin- ful, and disgraceful." Mr. Williamson replied : - "Why, Benedict got tired of sleeping alone, and crept in bed with Susannah." Thomas hastened to inform The Friend, who was displeased, but avoided an open rupture, with one whose position and influence made him too valuable to admit of excommunication. The harsh features of the affair were soon softened, by Mr. Williamson, who announced that he was then on his way from Canandaigua, where he had taken out his commission as a Judge of Ontario county, and had legally married Benedict and Susannah before they had ventured to place themselves in the position in which Thomas had found them. The eccentric marriage proved a happy one to the parties, whatever it may have been with the offended Jemi- ma. The living descendants in the first degree, of the offending Benedict and Snsan- nah, are: - Dr. Daniel Robinson of Farmington, Ont. county ; Mrs. Dr. Hatmaker of Milo, Yates county ; James C. Robinson. P. M., Penn Yan ; and Phoebe, a maiden danghter, who resides at the old homestead.
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after the manner of the legitimate Society of Friends. The con- gregation would sit in silence until some one would rise and speak. While The Friend lived, she would generally lead in the public speaking, and after her, Rachel Malin. In addition to this, and the usual observance of a period of silence, with each family, upon sit- ting down to their meals, "sittings" in each family, upon Sunday evenings, was common. The family would observe perfect silence for an hour or more, and then rise and shake hands. " I remem- ber," says Mr. Buckley, " when I was a boy, many such 'sittings ' at my grand-father's, and I always rejoiced when they commenced shaking hands to end the tiresome stillness."
It has already been observed, that the French Duke, Liancourt, visited The Friend's settlement in 1795. He became much inter- ested in the new sect, made the acquaintance of The Friend, was a guest, with his travelling companions, at her house, and attended her meetings. For one so generally liberal and candid, he writes of all he saw there in a vein of censure, in some respects, unde- served. She and her followers, were then at variance with their neighbors, and the Duke too readily listened to gossip that implica- ted the private character of this founder of a sect, and added them to his (justifiable, perhaps, ) denunciations of religious imposture. Her real character was a mixed one : - Her first incentives were the imaginings of a mind highly susceptible of religious enthusiasm, and strongly tinctured with the supernatural and spiritual, which, in our own day, has found advocates, and has been systematized in- to a creed. The physical energies prostrated by disease, the dreamy mind went out, and, following its inclinations, wandered in celestial spheres, and in a " rapt vision," created an image, some- thing to be or to personate. Disease abating, consciousness return- ing, this image had made an impress upon the mind not to be readily effaced. She became an enthusiast ; after events, made her an im- postor. All founders of sects, upon new revelations, have not had even so much in the way of induction to mitigate their frauds. A sect that has arisen in our own day, now counting its tens of thou- sands, the founders of a State, have nothing to show as their basis, but a bald and clumsy cheat ; a designed and pre-meditated fraud. It had no even distempered religious enthusiasm ; no sick man or sick woman's fancy to create a primitive semblance of sincerity or integrity of purpose. The trance or dream of Jemima Wilkinson,
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