The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1860-05-26

ooclcIy b duHOiCh17 q" d"N0tioHCi53 anu the
replies were of course satisfactory to the
society's friends.
This "great meeting" was held in a place
that would not accommodate more hun
dreds than Zion church had just accommo-
dated thousands called to denounce the Af
rican Civilization Society, which meeting
was broken up by a systematic effort on
the part of a comparatively small but de-
termined number of ruffian men, lads, and
brainless women, by an ecclesiastic lead.
The "as much ascver" ex preston of broth.
er Garnet's meeting in connection with hos
tility to the American Colonization Society,
is little indefinite This is more cir
cumscribed expression of hostility to that
society than honest, out-spoken gatherings
Of the colored people have ever been known
to give when they have deemed it right
and proper to give fitting expression of
their deep hostility to that society This
expression looks like fear of giving Of
fence-seems cramped; but l think, new
ertheless, that it is too outspoken for GER
tain quarters
The more Immediate object / had in
taking my pen in hand, was to notice
few things suggested by the Rev. j. Sella
Martin. He says: "The late meeting held
in New York city TO oppose the African
Civilization Society presented features
which do not reconcile me to my connec-
ton with that association" What were
the presented features" of the meeting
They were the election of set of officers
for the meeting, the reading of number of
well considered, dispassionate, non- personal
and respectful letters strongly denunciato-
ry of the society-letters from our fore
most men, men living in various localities,
men who it may be fairly said know and
represent the feelings of the people they
are identified with--the masses; also the
reading of a series of resolutions which de-
fly criticism as to truthfulness, due respect
and point in the direction aimed; an effort
to have adopted by the meeting rule al
lowing the greater numbers chance to ex-
press their views; an effort on the part of
the getters-up of the meeting to be heard
in defence of their cause-in a word, to
open the meeting as was their right; the
ca ling for the letter which called forth the
various letters that had been read--a copy
of which not being in the house, its sub
stance was given; continued effort on
the part of the Rev. Henry Highland Gar
net, from the commencement of the effort
to organize the meeting until it was dis
persed, TO disturb and break up the same
of which Feature" impartial reporters have
remarked that he was evidently bent upon
a disturbance; his telling an evident false
hood; my telling him of it in plain words
These were the prominent presented fea-
lures" that controlled the meeting, some of
which, if not all of them, seem not to have
reconciled the Rev. J. SelIa Martin to his
connection with the African Civilization
Society, Notwithstanding he had come all
the way from Boston to defend the princi-
Piles of the same. We reason that if the
presented features" were Objectionable,
rowdy, unfair, on the part of the opponents
of the society, they would not have been
good reasons for not reconciling the gen
tleman to the society. He proves his good
sense; he says but the truth when he re-
marks that IF agents abroad are represent
ing that the colored people intend leaving
the United States-if the existence of this
society, supported by colored men, gives
the impression to white Americans that we
intend to leave them-and if it affords
grounds of suspicion that any colored man
is base enough to sacrifice the interests of
the colored people for money to such a
monster of iniquity as the Colonization So
ciety-its existence can work only harm.
and therefore cannot support it." He
further remarks: 81 am confident that there
is no purer man than Henry Highland
Garnet in America, and had not personal
representations of the most corrupt charac-
ter been made against him, he would have
taken no interest in defense Of the Society
when he found out that the colOred peo-
pie generally did not approve of it." 1t
occurs to me, why did he not, if pure, de-
tend himself, independent of the society,
against personal representations of the
most corrupt character" which had, as Mr..
Martin says, "been made against him ~
Why did he seek cover in what might be
called deceptive defense of the African
Civilization Society," If his character was
worth defending, it was worth defending
openly, above, and independent of any So
Il Il n