The prisoners' hidden life, or, Insane asylums unveiled : as demonstrated by the report of the Investigating committee of the legislature of Illinois, together with Mrs. Packard's coadjutors' testimony / by Mrs. E. P. W. Packard.

  • Packard, E. P. W. (Elizabeth Parsons Ware), 1816-1897.
Date:
1868
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The prisoners' hidden life, or, Insane asylums unveiled : as demonstrated by the report of the Investigating committee of the legislature of Illinois, together with Mrs. Packard's coadjutors' testimony / by Mrs. E. P. W. Packard. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    was represented as being a dangerous influence, involving the exposure of the creed to the charge of fallibility. To prevent this, it was agreed that the tolerant Deacon Dole must be exchanged for the intolerant Deacon Smith, in order that free discussion might be effectually put down. And this Deacon Smith suggested, that the way to put down free-dis- cussion was, to put down Mrs. Packard. This he engaged to do, in case they would install him as teacher. This being done, the battle commenced, and I found our license had ex- pired.with our kind teacher's resignation. Ignorant as I was of this conspiracy against the right of private opinions,I continued to use this God given right, as my judgment and conscience dic- tated, until 1 found, by open opposition, that it was the ex- object of the change, to abolish all expression of any views which did not harmonize with the Presbyterian Church creed. I knew ami felt that it was their determination to fetter me, and bring me into unquestioning acknowledgment of their doctrines, as the sum total of all important truths. Of course I could not do this, and be honest to myself; but from this point, I had the precaution to put into a written form, every idea I uttered in conflict with what Deacon Smith thought orthodox views, so as to avoid being misrep- resented, and I almost uniformly read these papers to Mr. Packard, before presenting them to the class, and secured from him his consent to my reading them. This digested form of presenting my ideas, tended to in- rather than diminish the interest in favor of my new views, so that finally after Mr. Packard had given his con- sent for my reading my articles, Mr. Smith would refuse to have them read. Up to this point, Mr. Packard acted the man, and the Christian, in his treatment of me. But now came the fatal crisis when evil influences overcame him! One afternoon Deacon Smith visited him in his study, and held a secret interview wtfh him of two hours length, when he left him a different man. That evening just before retir- ing to rest, he remarked in a very pleasant tone, Wife, I want to talk with you a little while, come here!