The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-05-26
AMERICAN ANTI-sLAvERY SOCIETY.

AMEhlChN hNIloLAfEhI sUClE1H.
AT the anniversary meeting Of the American
Anti-Savery Society in New York, on Wednes-
day. 18th May, deeply interesting speeches
were made, by VIM. Lloyd Garrison, its Presi-
dent Lucy Stone, and Wendell Phillips No
disturbance was attempted, Captain Rynders
not being present to take the interests of the
Church and State under his protection.
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher came forward, in
reply to repeated calls and said he had resolved
not to say anything at this meeting; but it was
one thing to resolve to get up in the morning,
and another thing to do it; and it was one
thing to resolve to be silent, and another thing
to restrain the tongue. He felt an emotion of
gladness in such n meeting, with one common
object, though they might differ about the
means. They at least agreed that Slavery was
an accursed abomination against Christianity
but he could not agree with his friend, Mr..
Phillips though he was always charmed to
hear him speak and he found it much easier
| to dissent from his arguments than to answer
them Applause He has feeling that will
not let him come on that ground. He has,
perhaps, more hopefulness than he and would
propose to himself country not forever having
not less than from lake to lake and little
more, and from ocean to ocean, that will boast
of having freedom, not for the sake of making
slaves, but freemen. Cheers He was ashamed
that Slavery should have been introduced-not
| introduced, for over that We have 10 control
but that IL should have sprung up with tho
rapidly OF fungus, and the strength of an
oak. IL he had the choice he would cut the
country in two, for half would be better
than nothing but he hoped, nay by his faith
in Christ, he believed, that we should not be
always slaveholdng country, and 30 free
country, yet undivided He had faith that, in
time, this may be effected the power would be
found in Christianity to riddle the system Of
Slavery. Was it wrong in him to say, if he
had the choice, whether Slavery should be
abolished in fifty years, not by Christianity
but to the shame Of Christianity ky self inter
est or in seventy.fve years by the means Of
Christianity, that he would prefer il to linger
twenty-five years longer, that God should be
honored, and not Mammon, in its destruction
Who ever could argue that Christianity was
not in favor of liberty What was Christianity
but liberty? II was not in favor Of it was lib
erty itself Christianity bad been DETAINED by
misinterpretstion, but would not always be go.
Children would stand On that platform, and
thank tho power Of God, which, through the
cross Of Christ, had done what could not be
done by Mammon.
Frederick Douglas was then called upon,
and, on coming forward, was loudly cheerod
he said: will not detain you more than
very few minutes, at this stage Of the proceed
ings experience great pleasure in appearing
before an audience in the city of New York at
the anniversary Of the American Anti Slavery
afu l hat, 3 haa taLa
among the anniversaries of this month | re-
gard it as an earnest of our future triumph
rejoice that this is so. There has been much
said this morning NJ to the hopeful and tho
fearful sides of this great contest with Slavery.
feel both hopeful and fearful 1t seems to me
that the slave power has determined upon
fixed and definite policy with regard to tho
colored people Of the country. They appear
determined to suppress the freedom OF speech,
TO expatriate every free colored man and woman
from the United States and they seem deter
mined also, on the perpetuation of Slavery for
ever in the Southern States They are deter
mined to make Slavery respected in every
State Of the Union. The history Of the past
few years is not unfavorable to some of these
designs II seems to me Mr. Phillips is right
when he tells you that tho Fugitive Slave Law
has succeeded ne is right when he pictures to
you the ruin that has followed in it, track.
Hundreds and thousands Of men and women
have virtually had their property con6scatcd.
and have been driven forth, wanderers ON the
highways Of the earth, by this law. Blu. to
make the law respected in the North, cannot
be done by law. The relation of master and
slave is 80 shocking, 30 monstrous, that men
cannot look upon II with respect they cannot
look upon the slave as on any other piece of
property. No law, no enactment can ever blot
out the manhood, and the consciousness Of
manhood, in the slave, Applause and he
never can feel, when ho sees him escape, as he
does when he sees a loose horse They en-
deavor 10 bring oil others to look on him az
horse or an OK but that can't be done. They
endeavor 10 secure peace to the stakeholder
the stakeholder cannot have peace. "No peace
TO the wicked, saith my God" Applause
They might silence the voice Of Wendell Phil.
lips, or the pen Of Lloyd Garrison they might
cut out my tongue and gather together ali the
Anti. Slavery literature in the United States,
ret match TO it and scatter its ashes to the
four winds but then the stakeholder will be
III at ease. Thou art verify guilty concerning
thy BROTHER cannot resist the hopeful, the
fearful, yet have faith. believe it will be
crushed. take this assembly - guarantee
that, ere long, no chains will clank in our ears.
The President then made few remarks.
He said he agreed with Dir. Beecher, in believ-
ing that Slavery was inconsistent with Christi
anity and for this belief he was an in6del, in
the Judgment Of the American church. His
friends both agreed with him but Mr. Phillius