Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-06-17


and facts only. A gentleman of your own City,
Rev. Dr. Cox has taken particular pain to stig-
Matte me as having introduced the subject of
Slavery ilegitimately into the Worlds Temper
ance Convention. But what was the fact! |
wentto that Convention, not as a Delegate--I
went into it by the invitation of Committee of
the Convention. Isuppose most of you know
the circumstances but [ wish to say one word in
relation to the spirit and the principle which an
mated me at that meeting. went into it at
the invitation Of the Committee, and spoke not
only at their urgent request, but by public an
nouncement | stood on the platform on the
evening referred to, and heard some eight or ten
Americans address the 1000 people assembled
in the vast Hall. | heard them speak of the
Temperance movement in this land | heard
them eulogize the Temperance Societies in the
highest terms, calling on England to follow their
example (and England may follow them with adj
vantage to herseIf) but heard no reference
made to the 3,O3OO 600 ofpeoplc in this country
who are denied the privilege, not only of Temp
erancc, but of all other Societies. | heard not
word of the American Slaves, who, if seven Of
them we're found together at a Temperance
meeting or any ether place, would be scourged
and beaten by their cruel tyrants Yes, nine
and-thlrty lashes is the penalty required to be in
fllcted by the law if any of the Slaves get togeth-
er in number exceeding seven for any purpose
however peaceable or laudable, And while these
American gentlemen were extending their hands
to me, and saying, How do you do, Mr.. Dou-
glass! | am most happy to meet you here &c.
! knew that, in America, they would not have
touched me with a pair Of tongs. felt, there
fore, that was the place and the time to call to
remembrance the 5000, 900 of Slaves, whom
aspired to represent on that OCCASION | did so,
not mqliciously, but with desire, only to sub
serve the best interests of my race. | besought
/ the American Delegates whohad at first respond
cd to my speech with shouts of applause, when
they should arrive at home to extend the bord-
crs Of their Temperance Societies. so as to in
clude the 800 900 Colored People in the North
ern States of the Union | also called to mind
the facts in relation to the mob that occurred in
the City of Philadelphia in the year ls42.
stated these facts to show to the British public
how difficult it is for a coored man in this coun-
try to do anything to elevate himself or his race
from the state of degradation in which they are
plunged how difficult it is for him to be virtuous
or temperate, or anything but mental, an out
cast 'You all remember the circumstances Of
the mob to which have alluded A number of
intelligent, philanthropic, manly colored men,
deslroos of snatchlng their coored brethren from
the flngs of intemperance, formed themselves
into a procession and walked through the streets
of Philadelphia with appropriate banners, and
badges, and notices | stated the fact that that
procession was not allowed to proceed far, in the
City of Phiadelphia-the American City of
Brotherly Love, the city of all others loudes in
its boasts of freedom and liberty-before these
undetermined men were assaulted by the citz-
ems, their banners torn in shreds and themselves
trampled in the dust, and nhumanly beaten, and
all their bright and fond hopes and anticipations
in behalf of their friends and their race blasted
by the wanton cruelty of their white fellow citi-
zens And all this was done for no other reason
than that they had presumed to walk through the
streets with Temperance banners and badges,
like human beings
The statement of this fact caused the whole
Convention to break forth in one general express
sion of intense disgust at such atrocous and III
human conduct This disturbed the composure
of some Of cur American representatives, who,
in serious alarm, caught hold of the skirts of my
coat, and attempted to make me desst from my
exposition Of the situation ofthe colored race in
this country There was one Doctor of DIVINE
ty there-the ugliest man that | ever saw in my
life-who almost tore the skirts of my coat of,
so vehement was he in his friendly attempts to
f induce me to yield the floor. But fortunately
the audience came to my rescue, and demanded
! that should 90 on and did 60 on, and, trust,
r discharged my duty to my brethren in bonds and
the cause Of Human Liberty, in manner not
| altogether unworthy the occasion,
| have been accused of dragging the question
of Slavery into the Convention. | had a right
to do So 1t was the Worlds Conyention-not
the Convention of any sect or number of sects--
not the Convention of any particular Nation
, not a mans nor womans Convention, not a
, black mans nor white mans Convention, but
, the WRITES Convention, the convention of ALL,
bidck as we'll as Waite, bond as well as free And
, stood there, as | thought, a representative of
the 5000, 600 of men whom had left in rags
! and wretchedness to be deyoured by the accursed
q Institution which stands by them as with a
+ drawn sword ever ready to fall upon their deyot-
+ cd and dcfenceless heads. felt, as | said to
, DR.. Cox, that it was demanded of me by Consci-
q ence, to speak out boldly in behalf fthose whom
e had left behind Cheers, And, sir Il think
| may say this, without subjecting myself to the
\ charge of egotism) | deem it very fortunate for
the friends of the Slave, that Mr.. Garrison and
r myself were there just at that time Sir, the
Churches in this country have long repined at
the position of the Churches in England on the
subject of Slavery. They have sought many OPP
j. portuuities to do away the prejudice of the Eng
, fish Churches against American Slavery. Why,
sir, at this time there were not far from Seventy
Ministers of the Gospel from Christian America,
= in England, pouring their leprous pfo-siavery
distment into the ears of the people OF that
country, and by their prayers their conversation
and their public speeches, seeking to darken the
British mind ON the subject of Slavery, and to
create in the English public the same cruel and
heartless apathy that prevails in this country i'll
relation to the Slave his wrongs and his rights.
' knew them by their continuous slandering of
1 my race, and at this time, and under these cir
cumstances, l deemed it happy interposltlon of
f God, in behalf ofmy oppressed, and misrePres-
ented, and slandered people, that one OF their
y number should be able to break his chains and
burst up through the dark incrustatlons OF NAL