The Portland daily press., 1863-03-04
joce in every measure tending to hasten this

and the United States become indeed and of
truth the United States of tree men; that from
year to year the ties binding our beloved
country and your own may be strengthened
and our citizens be united with each other in
bonds of amty and peace; and that you, Sir,
when your term ofofiice expires, may be known
as the President who saved his country by do
ing righteously and unloosing the heavy bur-
dens of an oppressed race, is our sincere and
earnest hope and prayer.
The spark to light this slumbering mine of
enthusiasm for freedom has been furnished by
the London Emancipation Society. The man
agement of the late meetings was entrusted to
the hundred and fifty gentlemen constituting
the Society's General Committee. 1t is i'm
possible to create popular enthusiasm by or
ganization; it is equally impossible to evoke
popular enthusiasm without organization.
The history of the Emancipation Society
is thus related by the London correspond
ent OF the Philadelphia Inquirer, writing
the day after the Exeter Hall meetings:
The germinal idea of this institution may be
said to date from the reception in England
of Mr.. Lincoln's proclamation of the 22d of
September. When it became evident that our
aristocracy and the 'flunkey" portion of our
middle class were laying themselves out to
greet the threatened New Years edict with
execration and scofiing it became equally ev-
ident to a number of educated radicals" that
now or never a counter demonstration must
be made A preliminary meeting was held at
the Wilmington Club on the 1th of Novem-
Der, and from this day the existence of the So
ciety may be said to date. 1t had an immense
task before it, the task of evoking the long dor
mant democratic element in the country, in
opposition to the aristocratc. 1t had to gal
vanize into activity an apparently dead force.
How did they proceed? They issued first
public address and then private circular to
those gentlemen in any part of England Wales,
Ireland and Scotland, who were notorious for
their sympathy, either with the American
Northerner or the American negro, or both.
These addresses would not reach the democ-
racy, but only served to band together the
educated radicals who would supply the in
tellect necessary to lead the masses in an as
sault upon the citadels Of the oligarchy.
But how did they reach the great slumber-
ing Demos itself? They began by calling
local meeting in a small hall in the northwest
ern section of the Metropolis 1.-THE Cleveland
Street lnstitute.l They had no funds 10 ad-
vertise the meeting largely, nevertheless.it il was
decided success. Your correspondent was
there, and saw that while the small room was
full of persons, it was still more charged with
enthusiasm.
This meeting during December) was the
parent Of dozen or more similar local meet
ings in different parts of the Metropolis. These
meetings were sometimes held in the Chapels
of the Independent and Baptist denominations.
the agency OF whose ministers in this move
ment has constituted prime element in its
success. Everywhere was the same success
The working classes rallied TO our support and
swept away all opposition.
These meetings were attended and addressed
by delegations from the Society. Meanwhile
tile provinces caught the infection. great
demonstration of the working classes was
made at Manchester on the 3lst, and Man
chester Union and Emancipation Society,
sprang into existence. Local committees we're
formed, and meetings were held at Birming-
ham, Bradford, Liverpool, and other places.
George Thompson took the field as n wander
ing agtator and ubiquitous representative of
the Society. Mr.. Thompson is everywhere
accompanied by Andrew Jackson, Jefferson
Davis colored coachman, who speaks with
great acceptance at all these meetings. Funds
were collected, pamphlets published, a week
ly sheet issued for circulation among editors
and gentlemen Of the press. giving all infor-
nation 1t could Gull from the American anti
slavery press concerning the progress of eman-
cipation. Among other publications issued
and distributed were two thousand five hun
dred copies OF Mrs. Stoves address 10 the wo-
men of England. s
Immediately after the receipt of Mr. Lin
coins proclamation of the lst Of January, a
deputation was gotten up among the members
of the Society to proceed to Mr.. Adams, and
congratulate him thereupon, and deliver their
aspirations In favor OF emancipation and re-
uaion. The Committee in their report say
of this step:
"They had every reason to be satisfied both
with the reception which was accorded TO
them by Mr.. Adams, and the effect which this
interview with him produced upon the public
mind. The English supporters of the South
ern slavocracy suddenly awoke to conscious
ness of the fact that the friends of negro
emancipation were in earnest, and were de-
termined to resist, and, if possible, to turn
back the current Of proslavery reaction
which had set in."
Now let us turn to the other section of So
ciety, and see what effect these demonstrations
had on them. As to the public meetings, the
English high-caste and hgh-priced pres
played their old and thoroughly English game
of "the conspiracy of silence" Not a word
was allowed to leak out in their columns tend
ing to let any of the neutral public know that
any Of these meetings had taken place. The
Times was silent as the grave. But the depu-
tation to Mr. Adams, and his reply, were
events which could not be passed over. The
Times then uttered a long-drawn, long-pent-
up howl of sarcasm and spleen. We were
gulls, silly fools, 'nobodies all" craving after
notoriety. There was not Somebody
among the whole crew. The nation, it in
sisted, sympathized with the South. have no
doubt this ludicrous TRADE did us great deal
of good with the masses, who delight to run
counter to the aristocracy and the Times.
We now felt strong enough in pocket, aud
strong enough in democratic support, to call
grand mass-meeting ("all classes invited,
said the postersI in Exeter Hall-that shrine
of the anti-slavery faith In England.
As member of the General Committee of
the Society | received two tickets admit
ting two each to the body of the hall and to
the platform. Giving one away to Mr.. G.. A.
Townsend, of your city, and Mr.. Billing,
the Boston architect, retained the platform
ticket for use Of myself aud friend. That
friend was the Rev. Mr.. Dewey, an aged New
England Independent Minister, long resident
In London. People who tried at the main en-
trance quarter of an hour before the COM
mencement OF the meeting, found admission
impossible. The great hall was crowded to
its utmost capacity. The lower hall was forth
9th engaged for a second meeting, and that
was filed in moment. Crowds kept pouring
towards the hall from all Sides 1t was neces-
sary to organize an open air meeting in the
Strand and on the steps of the hall. The be-
lated members of the Committee were the
| speakers.
! In Exeter street, on the western side of the
Hall opposite the platform entrance, another
open air meeting was organized and address
ed by Committeeman Among the sneakers