Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-08-29
THE COMPENSATION CONVENTION.


with a view Of securing emancipation by the
purchase of the slaves, was held in Cleveland this
week, commencing on the 25th inst. We were
present during a part Of the preliminary meeting
on Tuesday and during tho forenoon of Wedues.
day. 1t was announced that one thousand persons
had signed the Call, citizens of various States.
The attendance was respectable in numbers, though
what portion were members Of the Convention we
ore unable to say. Those having the direction of
affairs were eminently conservative and seemed
resolved at all hazards, to be on good terms with
the Shareholders, as of course was desirable in
order to drive a good bargain with them for their
slaves. The only active persons in the Conven.
tion who have hitherto been known as abolition.
lists, were Getrt Smith, Rev. John Rankin Of
Ripley, Brown county, Ohio.
The officers of tho preliminary meeting were
Dr.Elliott of indianapolis, and Rev. Mr.. Charles W.
Dcnnison, formerly an active Abolitionist, but mo
recently known as a Federal ofice-holder and a
know-Nothing editor. The official proceedings Of
yhe drst day were confined to the appointment of
committees for the permanent organization Of the
Convention. Much of the time however was oc.
cupied in deciding who were to be considered en-
titled to participate in the proceedings, and
whether the call necessarily pledged those who
signed it to the principles Of com pensation to the
masters. There seemed quite a number cl
persons present, who were in rather an enquiring
state of mind who were DESTROYS to participate
in the meeting, but were not ready to make the
necessary pledge for compensation. Some were
disposed to pay the sldres, but this the President
informed them would not entitle them to member
ship. 1t was the masters they contemplated
paying. Others thought the North was entitled to
an offset in the settlement on account of her loss
es in money and morals, and that the increase in
the price of land consequent upon emancipation,
would be an ample equivalent for the slaveholo-
ers' balance against the North. The Rev.
Secretary Dennison, with that easy virtue which
has characterized his anti-slavery history, thought
that all these and any other truck and dicker" ar
engagements which persons might be disposed to
make and call compensation would entitle them
TO sign the call as compensationists. To this
trifing however, on the subsequent day, both
Messrs. Burri,t and Smith administered a severe
rebuke. The discussion at length was stopped by
the decision of the Chairman, that only those who
had signed the call could be permitted to partici-
pate in the meeting until its permanent organiza-
ton, when, perhaps, the courtesy of the meeting
might extend the privilege of discussion TO out
siders. Soon after this discussion the meeting
adjourned till the next day.
On Wednesday morning the meeting was per-
manently organized by appointing Rev. DR..
Hopkins of Massachusetts, President, with several
Vice Presidents, whose names we cannot recall,
and Rev. c.. w. Dennison of New York, DIR.
Elliot of Indiana, and Mr.. Keller of Ohio Sec
retaries.
Mr.. Burrit followed with a resolution referring
to the removal Of slavery as q thing desirable,
affirming the duty of all classes, North and South.
to participate in the work, and affirming the
claims of the slave-holders to a "fair and honor
able compensation" for their slaves enancipated.
We have no report of the proceedings and cannot
give the resolution in its own language. 1t was
followed by a speech from the mover, in which he
calculated the average cash value of the slaves
per head, and presented two or three plans which
he deemed feasible for their purchase. In our
impression of the speech we could not but sympa-
thise with the feeling of a friend, who exclaimed
in the midst it,"How heartless /! That man should
learn to feel that God and human souls are greater
than dollars" If men are going into the slave
trade, even for emancipation, we suppose these
business details must be looked to; but then we
cannot help an involuntary shudder as they afix
their market price upon men, women and babes.
We could not help something of the feeling of
adherence during Mr.. Burrit.'s speech which we
have before felt when watching the public sale OF
slaves in Nashville and New Orleans.
Mr.. Burrit was followed by Gerrit Smith, who
approved of ''the central principle" of the Resolu-
-. IL L .sao.l, --L.l ,,ot,,oI - Int pro
posed several amendments lie thought that
while they respected the rights of Shareholders
they should also respect themselves and their own
convictions, and should by all means in this reso.
luton characterize slavery, a thing the resolution
had entirely failed to do. One of his amendments
therefore designated slavery as - and in
human" one of the adjectives we have forgotten,
Mr.. Burrit rose quite troubled, the omission,
evidently had not been without purpose. lie said
such adjectives were perhaps in place with Other
anti.slavery men and ON anti-slavery platforms, bu'
not on this. The insertion would do injury
Their business was with the compensation ques
ton and matters appertaining to it, and he very
earnestly and repeatedly "entreated his esteemed
and veuerated friend"to withdraw his amendment,
and not place the Convention in the position Of
% o'o'SA ih $3.50
was seconded very earnestly by Mr.. Secretary
Dennison, who added to the entreaty of Mr.. Bur
rift that If Mr.. S. must insist upon such condem'
nation of Slavery, that at least he would oblige
them by not inserting it in this resolution, bu'
would embody it in one by itself. But as Mr.. S
continued to think that this was the very place fol-
his adjectives, Mr.. Burritt desired they might be
substituted by the declaration that slavery was q
moral and political eUit. Mr.. Smith said that il
that change would satisfy them he would cheerful,
~ make it, as to his mind, the condemnation con.
veyed by it was more severe and comprehensive
than the language he had himself chosen. The
amendments were accepted by the Convention.
The chair announced in answer to inquiries
that none were entitled to vote or speak in TIT
convention who were not pledged to the compensa
A. --.-..-1~ L. IL Ill NJ Gil