The weekly Anglo-African., 1859-09-10

" colored people in this country, who
stands to day as much respected and as
dearly beloved as any man among us, who
i a. calm in his Judgment, as Jealous in
his advocacy, and as eloquent and efficient
IN his efforts as he has been unchanging
and unchanged in his fidelity, who advo-
Gates the movement, who has given his
time and talent to it without reward, and
who now comes to remove the aspersions
cast upon him in the late New England
Convention, and to vindicate, by his own
statements, the position he occupies with
regard to this movement. Allow me, then
to introduce to you the Rev Henry High
land Garnet prolonged applause).
Mr. Garnet spoke as follows:
am happy that one impression, unfavo-
rable to theliberalty Of the sentiment Of the
people of Boston, which, for little while,
had rested on my mind, has been aitogeth-
er removed.
On the first day of August, when the
Convention was held here, | was engaged
in the State of Pennsylvania, away down
almost on the borders of Maryland. Twas
liftino M my feeble voice in behalf of
NV OPPRESSED and down-trodden brethren.
I had been engaged to labor there at that
time. eighteen months previous. Had my
engagement been of such character that
[ could easily have broken it. should
have foregone the pleasure of being at that
meeting, and should have fastened to Bos-
ton to attend the Convention of colored
men that was to be held here on that day
DR.. Knox-And of white men also.
Mr.. Garnet-Well, and of white men
also-put pin there Iaughter). l
emphasized the words "colored men" to
show that we are in an age Of progression
[ remember when, few years ago, to talk
in New England of holding COlored
Mems Convention was to have the idea
secuted. We had got 50 far ahead as to
suppose we need not make any effort in
the cause of liberty, especially as people
of color. / knew they were wrong. l
told them So That spirit ran all over the
free States; and by and bye we swelled
up to such dimensions that we disposed to
take the name of color; and then we said
we must talk only about universal rights
and universal liberty. knew that the
day would come when you would think
that we, as colored people, had peculiar in
terests-feelings and interests that no 9TH
er people had-and that we understood the
cause better than any others, and that if
we wanted the work done at all we must
do it ourselves; and that when we had &C
complished the object, we should lay aside
all distinctive labors, and come together as
men and women, members Of the great
American family. Hooked, therefore, up
on this fact as a matter of importance, that
c0i0red men, as it was stated in the call for
the Convention, were to meet here. |
wished the time might have been altered.
that we of New York might have been
here also. thought it was to be Con
vention to consider the interests of the col
ored people of this country, and do some
thing to advance the great cause of human
freedom.
found, when the Convention was over,
and read the minutes, that there seemed
to be two objects which that Convention
had in view, and to which they must strict
ly and faithfully attended. The first was to
attack the African Civilization Society gem
orally, and its President in particular, to
misrepresent my views on that subject, and
on the great subject of humanity, That
seemed to bethe first object, and, mind you,
it was concerted plan to carry out
this same measure in other parts of the
country In Poughkeepsie, Mr.. Myers, of
Albany, introduced resolution, not among
the regular resolutions brought forward by
the Business Committee, but introduced by
him on bis own responsibility, and when
the Secretary read it, friend of mine and
old co-worker in the cause of freedom,
though not altogether agreeing with me,
said:
"This is not the time and place for such
action; you have sprung this on the Con-
yention"
8Tr. Myers said: 90, yes, yOm must do
ii for it as.to be done IN Boston, and at all
the other celebrations to-day" So you see,
while we knew nothing about it, it was
plan concerted, well arranged, among those
ready to take that course.
Mr.. Nell-Will you give way for cor
rection2
Mr.. Ganet-Certainly.
Mr.. Nell regret that you made that
statement. l am authorized to deny it.
1t was not part, at all, Of the plan.
Mr.. Garnet-I expect the gentleman
will get up many times before / am done
I intend to make some of your seats warm,
tonight Laughter). If it was not a
concerted plan then what mean the resolu-
tons brought forward on that subject by
the Business Committee. / think my
friend Nell was the Chairman. How do
you get up resolutions unless by concert
ed plan? Do You get up, and by instinct
or intuition, frame and propose your rcso-
buttons? Were they not arranged in pri-
vate before you came to that meetingf
Yes, perhaps weeks before; and the Off
GERS knew exactly what kind ofresolutions
were to be passed, and came up armed to
the teeth to battle them through; and you
bagged them altogether, good and evil, SO