The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-05-14
Northern AboiitiOnists In the Southern
states.
From the Savannah Republican, May 81
PUBLIC MEETING.

PUBLIC MEETING.
BARNwALL CoURr HOUSE, May 2, 1S4S
The citizens Of this place met in the Masonic Hall
to-day, at III o'clock to take into consideration
the runors which had reached them concerning a per-
lately arrived here, calling himself DR.. L. Major
lecturer on the philosophy of animal magnetism and
who was suspected of being an abolition emissary.
On motion, Major Lewis OBannan called to the
chair and James Mckenzie requested to act as Secre
tary.
which it had been assembled, and called upon those
present who knew anything about DR.. Major to mako
the same known to the meeting.
Col. B. H. BRowN and others then stated the nfor-
nation they had received concerning this individual,
and the opinions which he had expressed in this
muny from which it appeared that DIR. Major repre-
sented himself as having come from the North few
months since-that he had there been abotionist
but that he was not quito so much in favor of that
doctrine now-that he spoke great deal about slave
wherever he went but protested to be in of it
that in Beaufort District he had been in field
conversing with the slaves, who gathered around
him-that the owner of these slaves ordered him off,
and questioned the slaves to what they had been
the citizens of Robertvc had threatened to take him
and that he had expressed surprise that slaves
not permitted to sit and eat at the table with
their owners 1t appeared also that DR. Major was ira
Yelling with female not believed to be white person
These matters having been submitted, J. PATTERSON
Esq addressed the meeting the course to taken
under these circumstances, and advised nvestiga
ton into the facts
+. BELLIScER, Jr., Esq then made few remarks ex-
pressvc of his views Of the matter and offered the fol-
lowing resolutions, which unanimously adopted :
1. Resolved, That Dr. L. Major who purports to be
whose sinister designs relation to our peculiar inst
tutions have received sufficient proof be- and he
hereby is, required to quit the village immediately
Resolved That a committee of three be appointed
to the above resolution into effect and trans
NIT to his Excellcncy such information may be
ccssary for Executive action in the premises.
3. Resolved. That the committee do institute
such other proceedings be to enforce
the A. A., 1874 and to protect our slaves
The Chair appointed Messrs E. Bcllingcr Jr J. Pat
tcrson and NJ. utson, the committee of three under
the second resolution, and the meeting adjourned, to
meet again at the call of the Chair.
On re-assembng, Mr. BELLINGER from the Committee
OF Three reported, that they had made known to Dr.
MAJOR tne resolutions adopted, and had allowed him
two hours to get ready to start But Dr. Majors
sorting his innocence, and claiming to be heard in his
own defence the COMMITTEES in order to avoid tho least
appearance OF injustice, had suspended action And
rs the individual was present, Mr. Bellinger moved
that he be heard accordingly To this the meeting
readily assented, and DR.. MAJOR then into de-
fence of himself He admitted that he was opposed to
slavery in the abstract aud that tho citizens of
fort district had charged him with being an abolition
st but no denied the truth of the statements which
charged him with having harangued any slaves or in
terfcred with the institution of slavery lie said he had
discussed the question Of slavery with great many
persons in the South referring to them by name but
had done so in private and protested that he pro
citizens OF Robervle to hold public meeting hear
his views slavery, and in all his lectures, but
since he heard Of the suspicious against him he had
explained his opinions OF the condition of slaves ;
said that at the North he abolitonist and
sdcrcd that slavery oppressive and injurious to the
negroes; but here his opinions had been modified and
said that he was preparing course of six lectures to
be delivered in Boston on the subject Of slavery.
Dr. Major went into these matters at considerable
length, and was listened to with great patience When
he had concluded Mr. Bellinger, after few premina
ny remarks offered the following preamble and resou
| ton:
This meeting having heard DR.. l.. Major in his de-
fence and learning nothing from him calculated al
ter their views of his character set forth in the first
| solution, heretofore adopted therefore
Resolved, That n committee Of ten be appointed to
cause the said DR.. l.. Major to quit village forth
with
After an interchange Of views TO the best mode Of
proceeding, in which Messrs Belingcr. r. A. H. CAN'T,
J. M. Hutson David Elliott and w. H. Thompson par
tcpatcd the resolution adopted and the following
gentleman appointed the committcc
h. Belngcr, Jr, j. Patterson, j. NJ. Hutson. N g. w.
Walker s. w. Trotti, f. l.. Patterson, DR. j. o. IIa-
good MIR. H. Stanscl Seth Daniel, and VIM II. Thorn
son.
On motion ordered, That these proceedings be pub
ishcd in the newspapers The meeting adjourned
L. OBASNoS, Secretary.
| j. MCKENZIE, Secretary.
The committee Of ten discharged the duty assigned
them, and request southern newspapers re ncray to
publish the above proceedings II Is also proper to add
that hours after they had performed their duty
still further proof received to the true
Of the said DR. L. Majorn particular to his habits
of hunting with negroes in order to deliver phi
losophical lectures freedom and also to his
rng about him chemical preparation to change the
color Of the skin. IL will thus be seen, that COM
munity have acted towards DR.. Major with n forbcar-
ance which will not be repeated II ho can be found
within the limits Of our district1