Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1850-12-20
GEORGE TIaoMPsoN,s SPEECH,
At the City Hall, in Worcester, Mass, Satur

|
CITIZENS OF WoRcEsTER-LAD1Es AND GEN
TLEMEN:--I must acknowledge, in very brief
terms, this, your very cordial welcome, to the
| heart of the State of Massachusetts. Ny speech
must be wholly unprecedented; and, delivered
under circumstances like these it is likely to be
extremely imperfect and unconnected. For,
however qualified may be to withstand opposi-
ton, and contend with prejudice, and hatred, and
malgnity, | do not pretend to be able, at any
time, to acknowledge compliments to myself, or
to make a suitable return to those who are pleas
ed, in their Partially and friendship, to pronounce
an enconium upon me. (Cheers.)
To me, it is much more congenia to have to
! fight with beasts at Ephesus, then to contend
with the smiles and appreciation of those who
sympathise with me. cloud cheew.) There
fore, ladies and gentlemen, if you expect from
me, this morning, an eloquent acknowledgment
of the compliments which have been paid me by
my friend, who has just sat down, you are doom
ed to disappointment. And if you expect from
me- speech suited to the meridian of that part
Of Faneui Hall which is situated Immediately
below the chandelier, you expect speech most
inappropriate in the City Hall of the heart OF
the Old Bay State. daughter and cheers.)
My friends, my advent in this country, an
nounced by Geographic communication, made
known to the citizens of this great country, with
extraordinary celebrity, and particularly, seems
to have created great sensation; what is it all
about? cloud cheers.) | cannot understand
| come to this country upon no special mission;
those to whom ! communicated my intentions, a
fortnight before l left England, will bear me wit.
ness that, in my own hand writing, | declared
did not come to this country to undertake, as
undertook in 1884, an anti-slavery mission; but
to see those with whom had been privileged to
labor in this land, in the days that were passed
and to have an opportunity Of ascertaining for
myself, what you had been doing in this country
during the period that had elapsed since nv for.
mer visit. (Cheers.) But it seems that | am
to be identified, as closely as ever, with the an
ti-slavery cause! BE il so! Loud cheers. y
1t appears that again, in my person is to be test
ed the right of man, in any part of world, to
express his opinions upon matters connected
with the freedom and happiness of the human
race! Be it so! (Cheers.) 1t appears that
mobs arc again to be summoned 10 the easy work
! Of siencing my voice! Bel so! III am not to
permitted to be a quiet spectator, and sojonrner
and traveller, among you in this country; if it
must be so that am to be every hour identified
with your peculiar national struggle, for the free
! dom of three millions of slaves; and made an
swerable for the principles and sentiments of
such men as those who sit on this platform =
essary, in the year $780, or 1851, for man tc
endure and suffer in defence ofthe right of speak
! ing in any part of the world, his mind on the
4 subject of human rights, | am content, for the
rest of this year, for the whole of next year, un
til the question be settled to remain in the Uni.
! ted States of America. Immense and long con-
/ tinued cheers.) | have not sought this contro-
\ versy, but shall not shun it, (cheers) and
4 should live, | am determined to have the last
| word upon it, cloud cheers.) | am branded
as foreigner! Well, if it be crime, others
are more responsible for it than myself (Laugh-
ter and cheers.) am told that speech is to be
bounded by geographical lines; they have not
been as yet defined; and am perplexed. May
express my thoughts upon American affairs, in
England? May express them, while the yes
sci that bears me here is gliding down the Mer
sew May express them, when we have lost
sight of Cape Cear7 May express them hall
way over the Atlantic? Am then free to speal
what think of America, in connection with hel
domestic nstitutions-her peculiar domestic in
stitutions? (Cheers and Laughter) May
speak all the way over the Atlantic? Will the
free winds that fill our sails rebuke me? No
Will the chanless pillows that play around oul
ship forbid me? No! Shall meet with no re-
buke, unless it be from some fellow passenger
who claims the right of insulting any man thai
lifts up his voice in behalfof the slaves that are
weeping on his plantations? (cheers.) Wher
does my right cease TO be a right? Why have
| not the right, here1 / have veto learn that
have been rebuked by the voice of your own in
stitutioDs! Your forefathers, very plainly AM
openly, one fine morning, spoke out their minds
and YOU are what you are, to-day, because the,
declared, in the face of the world, the right o.
every human being to flee action. Does it re
buke me for procaiming this self evident truth
that GOOD has created all men free and equal.
(Cheers.)
But then the question is said to be American
and am to be put down! But, who says so
Do the three millions of slaves at the South sa1
"Pia him do,on" If they were not snittel
with dumbness, by the rcd of the enchanter, the,
would answer that they desired not that shoul'
be pat do,on! Am told to be silent by the fiv'
hundred thousand colored persons, who are scat
tered all over the free States of America?
have not met with single colored man who con
iured me to be silent in reference to the wrongs
of his race on these shores! When at Faneui
} Hall, i was told that had no right to speak,
By whom was told this? BY the orderly an
and the decent No. By the intellectual AM
moral? No. By the sober and the patriotc?-
No. By any portion of the community of this
great country, for whom could entertain any
respe ct. and by whose Judgment | am likely t
be guided? NO But by those who had com
together to enjoy an hours amusement, in pre-
venting even their own citizens from being hear
and who;in temple consecrated to Liberty, in
suited the goddess at her own alter (Tremen
, dous cheers If am to follow the advice o
any portion of the American community, shall
follow the advice of some hundred and fifty boys
who mingled their voices together on the occa
sion referred to? Certainly not! But, m,
friends, 10Th or a0itho,a permission of such pei
sons, l claim the right to speak my thoughts, o
the question of slavery, TO any audience, eithe
here or elsewhere; and snail not be terrified b
{ any opposition | may meet with, whatever forr
! that opposition may take! / will follow the ez
ample of America and Americans in this respect
. have travelled in many parts of this world
have met Americans in all parts of the woric
. and | have not found that the citizens of tn
United States of America have, of all men bee
the most prudent, or the most taciturn in refer
ence to their opinion of the institutions of tn
countries in which they have travelled. hav
met an American missionary on the shores {
: Madras. I have heard him stand up and revil
the gods of hundred millions of the huma
race, and they the subjects of the British Queer
} I have heard him denouncs all that was mos
connected with the preiudices, and intimatel
aSeociatod with the rroynrl1flle0t Of the country