"The Flame of Life Was Kindled in All Animal and Sensitive Creatures": One Quaker Colonist's View of Animal Life1

Like others, he saw the abuse of animals as part of a dangerous trend, one with the potential to stain the reputation of the English as a nation.12 Hearing disturbing reports about the English roads before he left home, Woolman resolved that he would not ride in a stage coach in England.13 He also decided not to send any letters or accept any mail via the British postal system.14 Maintaining these resolutions entailed considerable inconvenience. Seeking access to the word of God, he watched the animals around him closely.\n The London Quakers excised all of Woolman's comments on the stage-coaches, as well as his discussion of the British postal system and the textile industry.101 The resulting volume was published in England as an abridgment or abbreviation of the Journal.102 Almost immediately the Quaker Meeting in York protested, asking that permission be granted for the publication of the whole works of John Woolman, as printed in America, unless the London editorial committee could offer specific reasons why certain passages were exceptionable.