Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-05-28
Extract from Mr.. Higginson,. speoc,,
Before the american Aati, Slavery Society. h,
Neao York, Magl9, 1857.


Neao York, Mayl9 1857.
In the meantime, there are two things espe-
cially to be done by abolitonists in the States
where they live. 1t often happens in the progress
of institutions, Mr.. Chairman, that the very thing
which at one period is a bulwark for freedom, be-
comes, at later period, and upon further expert
ence, check and hindrance to it. There are
two institutions in our free States now, founded
with the noblcst of purposes. sustained with the
bravest energies, but both Of them grow antago-
niste to freedom, by the progress of things both
destined, trust, to be abolished.
The first of these institutions, once noble, now
outgrown and Objectionable, is the Underground
Railroad to Canada. God grant that we may see
an end to that pretty soon. The Underground
Railroad, l have believed for years, | believe
more and more every day, is demoralizing the
conscience Of our people, accustoming them to
thing that all their duty to freedom consists,
not in making their soil free. but in pointing
the way to some other soil that is Free l want,
and you want, if there is any manhood or woman
hood in you, to live upon free earth but the soil
which we tread is not free, if, when man comes
to your door and asks your protection in the
disk of the evening, all you do for him is to
say There is dollar, and that railroad leads to
Canada. That is not freedom. 1t is not freedom
SO long as there is any difference between Canada
and Broadway to single human being who has
right to tread Gods earth. (Creat ap-
plause.) To establish freedom anywhere, begin
by establishing it where you stand. If you can.
llOl Ahdh6 lIee lne SOIL upon WllCl your own feet
tread, 1t may be necessary evil to recognize some
freer soil anywhere else; but it is a disgrace to
yeu as long as the fact remains. 1t is ignoble it
Is dishonorable; is than that becauseit is
is demoralizing. The Underground Railroad
makes towards of us all. 1t makes us think,
and hesitate, and look over our shoulders and
listen, and wonder, and not dare to tell the
truth to the man who stands by our side. II may
be necessary evil, but an evil it is I do not
know how it is elsewhere, but can say that in
the city where live, there has been from year to
year deepening conviction that it is degrading
to let any man go out Of the city because he came
into it upon the Southern track. Its degrading,
dishonoTable demorazing.
There came there, some time ago, man Of
herculean proportions, who had earned his right
to freedom by brave labors. That man had gone
from city to city in the free States, seeking for
rest and finding none, because, though he was
willing to stay and run the risk himself the best
advice he could get at any of these places was to
push little further along. He came to Worees.
ter at last. We looked at the man and took tho
measure OF him. Such sinews l never saw
That man could take barrel of flour in his arms
lift it easily, and hold it out at arms length We
looked at those arms, and we said to him, Those
arms are better arguments for staying than your
legs are for going daughter and applause so stay
where you are He stayed. In order that there
might be no uncertainty as to the fact that he was
there, some of us took pains to allude to it in
the Boston papers, Tor the benefit of any United
States official who might feel disposed to come
there and make call upon him but there is
something in the air of Worcester little preiu.
dioial to the health of that class Of officers and
none of them ever came. thank God that many
| have done the same thing since. He was NOT the
first, nor is the latest one, trust the last 1
hope that the time will come in Massachusetts, If
| nowhere else, when we can call every fugitive
| slave within her borders to meet in convention
| under his own proper name, and hold deliberation
in the light Of day yes, to advertise the conyen.
ton in the pro-savery issues Of the widest crcu-
lation, in the New York papers, in its we'll
named J0a1nqt OF Commerce, and the ill-named
Journal Of Civilization, to advertise in them. all
and, Mr.. Chairman, in the name Of the citizens
| of Worcester, l demand that that convention
shall be held in our City HALL (Applause.)
So far, so good. There is something else to be
| abolished besides the Underground Railroad, and
| that is Personal Liberty Bills, as we pass them
now. do not know Personal Liberty Bill in
any State in this Union, that is not as il stands
a refuge for towards because they all proyide
every one Of them, that if the slave slips through
| the defences they offer him, he is a slave, and
must be sent Southwark as such. Mr. Chairman
do not want to see the fugitive slaves that come
into Massachusetts, protected only at the cost of
perjury on the Jury trial l do not want to see
any jury trial for fugitive slaves Slavery and
] juries are two things rreconcilabe. They have
nothing in common. II man is to be sent back
as slave, l would rather have only one mans
conscience darkened by the guilt of it, though il
be dark as Loring's, than have twelve men in the
| community put into the dilemma either of per.
juring themselves upon their oath To try the case
according 10 the law and the evidence or of send.
ing the man back into slavery. / do not want to
| see Personal Liberty Bills based upon any mar
| rover ground than the absolute right of every
man TO freedom, law or no law, slavery or no
slavery, Constitution or no Constitution. IAN.
plause) There is working up, Irejoice to say,
in Massachusetts, in New York. in Wisconsin. a
protest against these laws The only true law il
the law which makes the difference between tho
criminal and the slave, not ia favor of the Grim
inal, but in favor Of the slave. What we want
to see is law which makes escape from slavery
not the proof Of crime, but the browning fact Of
virtue. want law in the spirit of the old
Quaker who was sheltering a colored man under
the Fugitive Law, but not knowing that he was
fugitive slave. His neighbors were frightened
at last and came and demonstrated with him.
why said they that man has broken the law
oh, said the Quaker, think not he seems
good man. But said they, III you did but
know it, he is actually thief 'Oh, no. said
the Quaker. cannot heliara TINT he annraa