“You have now my plan of life and my reasons for it.  I shall adhere to it under all ordinary circumstances.  Nevertheless, if Providence calls me to some work where great good can be done, I will sacrifice my independence and take up the load of misfortune which prejudice imposes, if that is required, and try to bear meekly the burden and do my duty in the battle of life.  But I hope this may not be required of me.  Around my home, as you know, are many immigrants, foreign-born, who do not inherit or feel the prejudice against color.  My family is already one of the wealthiest and most influential in our little community.  With such property as I have and can readily gain, and with such school-teaching and political teaching as I can do, it is a settled thing that our standing will be at the head of society and business, so far as we have any such distinctions among us.  To refer to the matter of color in a business light, I may remind you that its trace is very faint in our family line.  Already it has entirely disappeared in my own person.  With wealth and position it will be to me at home as though it were not; and when my dear mother passes away it will disappear entirely and be speedily lost to memory.  I do not mean by this to shirk the position of the colored man, of which I have had a bitter taste.  I only mean to show you the brightness and hope of my situation.  I trust that you will approve of the course which I have marked out, and give me some credit for courage in meeting and conquering the grisly terror, the base lie, which sought to blast my life.”

It would be difficult to express too strongly my admiration for my friend as I read the letter from which I have quoted.  It seemed to me wonderful that he had been able to so disentangle himself from difficulties.  The cool intrepidity with which he had fought his way through those mental troubles which had seemed at one time about to overwhelm him was to me the most astonishing part of the performance.  I wrote to him in terms of the highest commendation, frankly expressing my astonishment at the vigor, truth, and force apparent in his actions and his reasoning.  He was satisfied with my letter, and proceeded to close up his affairs in a deliberate and decorous manner before returning home and carrying his plan into execution.  It was his idea that I should spend some months each year with him, and he had made other friends who would be invited to visit him.

But the plan which Anthony had formed was never executed.  Matters were as I have described, when the war of the Rebellion broke out.  Here was that call to public duty which he had alluded to as a possible interference which might change the course of his life.  He felt from the first that the contest was a fight for the black man, and he was anxious to engage in it.  In a hasty letter to me he recognized the fact that the spirit of John Brown, whom he greatly admired, was still busy in the affairs of the nation, although his body was sleeping in the grave at North Elba.