Liberty advocate., 1838-06-23
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY NIGHhi
May, II, l2 o'clock. !
My Dear Friend:

May, IL, >lz O'CLOCK.
My Dear Friend:
have just returned from scene which
| shall never forget, and as know it will
interest you, sit down at once to give YOU
some of the particulars before make nv
way to bed.
You will probably remember that while
you were here the dbolitionistS were erect.
ing splendid edifice at the corner ofSixth
and Cherry sts. Well, this buling will
cost $4,000, and was paid for by negroes,
quakers, &C., was completed about a week
since, and was opened with great deal Of
form and ceremony. They advertised to
have exercises, lectures, &C., for three
days and evenings in succession, The
first day was commenced by o. P Brown,
who delivered the opening lecture. Tho
Hall (Which was as large as the Musical
Fund Hall, was very much crowded; but
imagine the surprise of the public, when
it was seen that the negroes mixed with
the whites-sat side by side, and in all re-.
spects placed themselves upon complete
equality. This created astonishment and
disgust, but the audience was not disturb.
ed, and they proceeded with their abom.
nations in peace. On the second day,
number of lectures upon slavery were de.
livered, and in the evening Garrison, from
Boston, was advertised to speak. When
night came, there were about 5000 per-
sons outside the building; the meeting
however, went on until about nine O'Clock,
when it was whispered among the crowd
that Garrison had denounced WASHINGTON
called him a robber, dealer IN human
flesh, &c. This, Of course set the mob in
motion, and stones Of all sorts began to
make sad inroads upon the glass. The
audience was dismissed, the lights put out,
aud the police succeeded in dispensing the
mob On the third day, the whole city
was in state Of eXcltement-the aboli-
tionists opened their hall as usual, and de-
manded the protection of the city authori-
ties. The Mayor advised them to close
their hall in the evening, IA lecture was ad-
vertised to take place. but this they OBJ
stinately refused do. twas evident to
me all day, that something would take
place at night The street in front ofthe
hall was crowded all day, and as it be-
came dark the crowd became more dense.
The Mayor anticipating riot, went up
and closed the doors about o'clock--ex-
,hbited the keys of the building to the
crowd, and onioined them, as good cit
izens to disperse. The mob gave him
three cheers, but not a man moUed. The
hall was now closed, but the crowd con
tinucd TO increase until Sixth ST., from
Arch nearly to Vine ST., was entirely
blocked up by dense mass of human be-
ings; the shouts and noise now became ter
rife; the whole mass appeared to be mov'
ed by one impulse, which was to destroy
the splendid building. About 8 O'Clock,
the mob forced an entrance into the aboli-
tion book store attached to the hall, threw
the books, &c, into the street, and burned
them; they then dashed in the doors and
windows, and poured into the building; In
stantly every thing that was movable
was thrown from the windows amidst the
shouts of, think, at least 10000 people,
and destroyed; they then tore the blinds
from the windows, piled up the seats, &c,
and FIRED THE BUILDING. My God! can
not describe the intense excitement OF this
momentum few moments the red flames
shot from the windows, and soon forced an
entrance through the roof; the building
was now complete mass of flame-yet
nobody cried fire, and no one for an IN
slant thought Of arresting it. The fire
men are at this moment all upon the spot,
but not one dropof water has been thrown
upon the building, and they will not allow
building in the vicinity to catch. The
flames are now so bright that in Sixth ST.
it is as light as day.
| hope this will satisfy the South that
all good men here are determined to put
down abolition. The measures taken
were severe, but they were no less de-
served. This is an offering to the citl-
zens of the South--let them appreciate 1t.
must to sleep-good night.
Your sincere friend.
P. S. Friday Morning.-l add word
to my letter. The ruins Of the poor abol-
ition hall are still smoking-not house
in the vicinity injured.