The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-02-14


Correspondence of Cass Co. Republican.
Abolition Convention at Ann Arbor..-
| Freedom of Speech denied..-Mob vio-
lenee Used.
ANN ARBoR, Mich, Jan. 2sth, 1861.
At the request of Parker Pillsbury,
of Boston, an Abolition Convention
was advertised to be held at this place
on the 28th and 9th inst, when he
should be present to address the Con-
vention.
Reports were soon circulated, that
an attempt would be made to break up
the Convention, which became so seri-
Gus that they found it impossible to en-
gage hall for the occasion, and it was
accordingly held at the "Free Church" :"
At the appointed hour on Saturday
afternoon, the church was densely
crowded, mainly with students of the
University, the great majority of whom
were decidedly in favor of free speech
and opposed to mob law.
Mr.. Pillsbury not having arrived,
the meeting was called to order by Mr.
Stebbins, a member of the Convention,
who introduced to the audience Mrs.
Griffith, who spoke very eloquenuy for
one hour, during which time she was
frequently interrupted with hisses,-
cries of ''time's up,' cor any other
man." &c. After she had taken her
seat, Mr.. Seneca Taylor arose and Of
fered resolution, "That this Union
was the best the world has ever known,
and pledging life, fortune and sacred
honor to resist traitors at the North as
well as at the South.
Mr.. r. Fraser then arose and made
a strong Union speech in support of
the resolution, and was answered by
Mr.. Stebbins who denied that they were
traitors, or endeavoring to stir up an
irrepressible conflict, for, he said that
such conflict was the natural result
of oppression, and referred to the wars
of the Helots, and the servile insurrec-
ton under Spartacus the Thracian
sheppard who had been kept at Capua
as a gladiator, and who escaping, called
his fellow gladiators to arm and be
men and who for two years harrassed
the Roman Commonwealth. He sta
r ted that they had been denied the use
of the halls of the city for fear of con.
sequences, but he had too much conf
, dence in the people of the place tc
think that they would deny to them the
right to express their own opinions
: and besides he did not wish to confine
the discussion to one side of the ques
ton that now agitate the country
And as for the resolution, if those op
posed to them wished to pass it, they
: might do SO. The resolution was
t adopted.
2 Mr.. Blair of the University said tha
! he desired that the Convention should
e not be interfered with, and that they
o might have larger hall for the eve
. ming session, and he offered resolu
e ton, ssthat if the Convention would oh
tain hall that the students woult
pledge themselves to maintain order t,
the best of their ability" which wa
unanimously adopted, after which tn
# Convention adjourned until o'elocl
in the evening.
II EVENING SESSION.
e Notwithstanding the resolution
At which was passed in favor of order an
J, the freedom of speech, the fear wa
at SO great that a riot would ensue, tha
,e the Convention could not obtain ha
- for the evening and accordingly it wa
held at the same place.
Long before the time, the house wa
crammed to overfowing, and whe
Parker Pillsbury and the members {
the Convention arrived they found
Democrat, named Welch, young Law
: yer of this place occupying the stan
an as President of the meeting, and WI
nd nd refused to give way having been place
IL in there by the persons who create
ed the disturbance. Notwithstanding Il
dc. do remonstrances of the Convention, tn
at it was their meeting, and that the
ID. should be permitted to choose the
own President