The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-07-14

ed by the colored citizens, the committee
readily consented to its being put at the
disposal of the lessees, who allowed their
colored friends the use of it. The meeting
was accordingly held Neither Arthur nor
Lewis Tappan were present. The meet
ing was not an abolition meeting"
The writer represents that possession
was taken of the large room on the speci-
fed evening wrongfully; that .the Music
Society were greatly incensed; and that
several leading men of the Society, after
arming themselves with iron rungs pulled
out of the balustrades," proceeded to drive
the colored audience from the building.
The facts are these, as represented to the
lessees Immediately afterwards: One of
the officers of the Music Society, having
been cognizant of the determination of the
Society not to hold meeting that even
ing, but ignorant that the use of the room
had been relinquished, passing by the cha
pei that evening and seeing it lighted up,
went in. Seeing that the place was occu-
pied by colored audience, whom he prob
ably supposed had got possession of the
room wrongfully, he became greatly excit-
ed, ordered the orator to stop, and COM
manded the people to retire, AS they re-
fused to do this, he stirred up a score or
two of persons as ignorant of the facts and
as Indifferent to the rights of the colored
people as himself, and attempted to drive
the speaker and the audience from the
chapel. 1t was stated at the time, and be-
lieved to be true, that the white intruders
were rather roughly handled by the color
ed people whose rights were thus trampled
upon, and that not few were pitched
headlong from the windows by a Summary
process"
Mr.. Spencer w. Cone undertakes to say
that the transactions of this evening were
the beginning of the riots that took place
in 1884 and 1885, and that they were oc-
casioned by the attempt of the Abolition
lists and their colored friends to obtain
wrongfullg the room in the chapel that be-
longed to the Music Society; and he has
given narration of pretended facts about
as wide from the truth as could well be
made. For aught I know, he may inag
inc his statement is correct. In the follow
ing particular it may be, viz: that the as
sault he describes as made by infuriated
men upon an unofending colored audi
ence, who were in rightful and peaceful
possession of hall where they were lis
tening to literary discourse from one of
their number, was the origin Of the dis
graceful mobs that occurred in this city
about quarter of century since. But
these disgraceful mobs were not brought
about by any wrong conduct on the part
of the anti-slaverY people or the colored
people, but were occasioned by audacious
attempts of pro-slavery men to repress free
discussion and a vindication of the rights
of man. The anti-slavery cause, however,
has, under the di 5ine blessing, triumphed
over the Vaccinations of the enemies Of the
Constitution and free speech, and we have
now a prospect of an increased triumph of
free principles. l hope that Mr.. Spencer
W. Gone will feel their animating power,
and become truthful advocate of correct
principles and veracious narrator of pass
ing events Yours truly,
LEWIS TAPPAN.
July 4, 1860.