The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-07-18

and his tame VIII be enved before MS ar
guments are answered or their force for
gotten The Rev. Thomas Brainerd
now of Philadelphia, then of Cincinnati
said, 'Mr Birney is man of superior tai
enls and education, and enjoys, to nm unu
sual extent, the confidence and affections
Of his fellow-citizens his pety we hav'
never heard questioned
In April following, a Kentucky Anti
Slavery Society was formed, and meas
ares were taken to establish a paper il
kentucky, called the PhiIanthropisl, with
Mr. Birney as editor. The paper wa,
defeated by the limidily and treachery o
his printer, who sold the materials 10 tht
shareholders, and refused 10 fulfil his con
tract. Mr. B. lhereupon resolved 10 re-
move 10 Cincinnati, but before he had sell
tied his family there, he was waited on
by an official gentleman, who assured him
that his paper would produce an explo-
sion OF mobocratic elements, more violen!
than ever was known BEFORE and that re-
spectacle and influential gentlemen would
encourage it by their silence and acquies.
cence.' Anxious to avoid the impulation
Of willingness to trife with the public
peace, Mr. Bifney concluded 10 have the
paper issued at New Richmond, about
twenty miles from Cincinnati, but he him
self remained in the city. The paper was
Issued on the first Of January, 1886. Ga
the 22d, the mob spirit came to head,
and great meeting was summoned, to
take into consideration what should be
done with the PhiIanthropist, but Mr.
Birney calmly met the storm, attended the
meeting, and amid threats 10 take his life,
addressed them with such power of per.
suasion and such cogency of argument,
that no violence was attempted. The
mayor Of the city presided at this meet
ing, assisted by Judge Burnet, and other
distinguished citizens. In April, he re-
moved his press to the city. In July,
when the place was filled with the usual
summer influx of Shareholders, the print
ing Office was urglariously broken open
in the night, and The press and types dam>
aged. Ga the 23d, great meeting was
called in the market-house, headed by
Judge Burke. the postmaster, and a min,
lister Of the Gospel, where it was resolved
10 insist on the immediate dsco1tinuance
Of the Philanthropist. The committee TO
taks charge Of the business was composed
Of Jacob Burnett Robert Buchanan, WILL
lam Green, d. L. Disney, N. LongwortI,
and other men of standing, majority of
them members of different churches The
daily press Except Hammond's Gazetle)
was filled with inhammatory articles
For weeks Mr. Birney's life had been
considered in danger, yet he never left his
post, unless to encounter new dangers, in
lecturing about the State. The publishers
frml but temperately told the committee
IRON the market-house that the paper
could not stop. In the evening a large
body of the people assembled and demol-
ished the types and press, tore down some
houses occupied by unofending persons
of color, visited the houses OF NJ. Birnev
and several abolitionists and then proceed
ed down Main street, where they were
eomplimented by the mayor for their good
Intentions To punish the guilty and leave
the innocent and then advised to 90
home, as they 'had done enough for one
night On the 9th September the paper
re-appeared its editorials breathing the
same calm and unawed determination as
ever. La his first editorial article on re.
suming, he says: Shall it be SAID that
LIFE, and FORTUNE, and Honor, should
not be bazarded-that the CONSTITUTION,
and Law, and LIBERTY, may be restor>
cd to their lost thrones, and sway their
mild sceptre without rival! Moths
must be done by those who would rather
themselves die freemen than live slaves
or our country, glorious as has been her
hope, is gone forever
This conscientious, prayerfu1, calm,
self>sacrficing and undaunted spirit, buoy
ed up with the justice of his cause ard
the warm hopes of yet being instrumental
in the salvation of his country, carried
him through all the prosecutions which
servile and saveholding malice could de-
wise, and gradually won his way 10 the
confidence and respect of the wise and
good; so that he entered upon the second
year Of the publication of his paper in
comparative peace. Before the close of
1887, he removed his family to N. York,
where he entered upon the office of secr e.
,ary of the American Anti-sIavery socie>
ty,
His hbors in this office, during three
years that he occupied the station, are ex>
tensively known. Coming as he did,
from The midst Of slavery, a philanhropic
observer of things, his cautious statements,
manifest sincerity, candid method of argus
ing, and persuasive earnestness of man
ner. give peculiar charm and power 10
his public addresses, and did much 10 give
stability and dignity 10 the anti>slavery
enterprise.
The exigencies of the cause during
those years called for the consideration of
many great questions of municipal, con-