The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1859-09-10
ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING OF THE
COLORED CITIZENS on R0STnM1 iI

Speech Of Rev. Henry Hlghland I Gc-
net 1Tsnnphant Reso1utio1s in toror
Of Mr.. Garnet. ''' =" J"'o'
~ expressly for this Paper. by ]. M po,,..
) Iuesday evening, 29th ult., the citizens
81 boston assembled in the Joy-street Ban
'lSf u Church to hear lecture b. Rev. Hen.
~ Highland Garnet, on African C;viIiz.
ton. He was introduced to the audience
, oy Rev. j. Sella Martin, who remarked as
5 follows: ''''' '>o'' GO
A'0'es ana gentlemen In INTRODUCING
our staunch friend and able advocate fseG1
that it would be superAuous for me 70 W
ter one word OF eulogy upon his character
or one sentence in commentator Of HE
course (Applause). / am confident that
the generosity and wisdom of this audi;
ence will accord to him all that he wisboo
or needs, both in respect to courtesy and
justice. But, while this is true, feel il
incumbent upon me to remove some unfs.
vorable impressions which others land 7
know not but he may entertain in REGARD
to the conduct of some of the leading men
of the Twelfth (colored) Baptist Church of
this city. When Mr.. Garnet's personal
friends applied for that church for him 10
speak in, the reason assigned for the refu.
sal to open it to him was that the citizens
of Boston did not wish to hear him, be.
cause they were tired of the discussion of
the African civilization question Now
without stopping to refute these reasons,
admitting that they were true, it may not
be out of place for me to state that did
all that l could, in one of the preliminary
meetings which were taking measures for
the success of the Convention, to dssuade
the originators Of the Convention from in.
Producing that subject as a matter of dis
cussion; but all to no purpose. Not that
l feared discussion, but because l did not
wish to interrupt more important objects of
the Convention by the introduction ola
topic which / know would not benefit our
people generally, as the Convention would
not have time to examine the merits of the
question.
Now, my friends, no matter what tho
self-elected guardians of the colored PEG.
pie of Boston may say, feel that l am
prepared to deny the charge that the col.
ored people Of Boston are so unjust and
uncourteous as to refuse to hear any man
in his defense and efforts to remove impu.
tations cast upon his character in his alb.
sense by those who disagree with him
! (Applause) l know too much about the
generosity of the colored people of this
city to allow our dear friend, Mr.. Garnet,
to go away with the impression that you
are enemies to free discussion. Duringmy
labors in fremont Temple, where the arg.
est white congregation in New England
assemblies, have been cheered by the
presence of our most intelligent and re.
spectacle colored friends, and when, during
the week l have been out among you, you
have given me words of sympathy and en-
couragement. (Applause) And if you
have acted thus kindly towards me in my
humbleness and obscurity, l know you
will not depart from this course when the
character of H. H. Garnet is at stake and
submitted to your just judgment. Zap.
plause). A man who is celebrated for his
charity towards both his friends and h
enemies, as he is admired for the ability
with which he defends the one and over
throws the other when they dare to meet
him. (Applause). Could it be possible
for Boston, with all its talent and respecta
bility, With courtesy and love of freedom,
to act worse than the Shareholder does TO-
ward his slave? When slave is tried in
the south they will at least allow him the
privilege of pleading guilty or not guilty
| repeat, it has not been done by the col
ored people of Boston. (Applause). A
few men, whose minds and hearts melted
into one would find room to rattle in the
shell of mustard seed, Qaughter), whose
perceptions are as dull as their consciencs
are elastic, and whose highest sense Of
right is to go with what may for the time
appear popular, and the utmost of whose
usefulness is measured by the power Of
their lungs; Qaughter), these men are the
only persons to be blamed in Boston, and
upon these the blame shall fall. (Applause).
Mr.. Grimes knew, when he refused to open
his church, and his satellites, wher they
refused to hire the church, (notwithing it
has been hired to every and any man who
could command five dollars to pay for it.
they knew that the people, had they KNOW
of it at the time, as they have done since
would have given expression to their just
indignation at this ostracism and unmanli'
ness. /, for one, am not sorry for the state
of shame and confusion into which his
contemplate unkindness has precipiated
him. (Applause). A man who would vi
olate the courtesy which he owed to
brother minister, with so little compunction
of conscience as to go to every colored
church to get them to act as he had done
in refusing his church-a man who would
outrage every claim of hospitality in the
person of man from whom he had en-.
ioyed hospitable entertainment, by refus'
ing his church and his nouse to one who
took him for friend up to the moment Of
refusal, simply because that man differed
with him in opinion-a man who would
strike down freedom of speech in the person
of great leader among colored people,
while he affects to condemn the same thinS
among pro-slavery white people, is at once
L.