New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-12-09
THE ANTI-sLAvERY ANNHvERSiIIf
AT PHILADELPHIA.

cry Society. The Convention was not only
small in numbers, but with rare exceptions It's
members were unknown beyond their own
ncghborhoods. The most conspicuous were the
Rev. Beriah Green, then recently Professor oi
Sacred Literature in Western Reserve College;
Lewis Tappan, an enterprising merchant Of TINS
city; John G. Whittier. the Quaker poet; VIM.
LLOYD Garrison, then as row the editor OF The
Boston LiJerator; Dr.. a. J.. Cox, shlliul
physician of this city; Samuel j. May and
Amos A. Phelps, olergymen Of Massachusetts;
William Goodell, then editor of The Genus Of
Temperance; Elzur Wright, jr., srcc known as
the translator of La Fontainc the Rev. 5. 5.
Joceyn of this city, and DIR. T.. A. Atlee and
j. Miller McKim of Philadelphia. The Con-
vcntion numbered 81 persons, from 10 States.
Prof. Green oficiated as President, aud Mossrs.
Tappan and Whittier as Secretaries. A Decla-
ration Of Principles and Purposes, from the
emphatic and eloquent pen Of Mr.. Garrison,
was adopted, and 1.-THE American Anti-slavery
Society,"" based on tho doctrine Of immediate
emancipation without expGtriaiion, organized.
The officers of the Society were then chosen.
It's President was Arthur Tappan, the senior
partner of one OF our oldest mercantile
firms, and widely known for bis muniiccnt
contributions to the religious and benevolent
institutions Of the country. Among is other
officers were Samuel Fessenden, the head Of the
Maine bar, and tho father Of the present able
Senator in Congress from that State, the Roy.
DR.. Lord, President of Dartmouth College,
Professors Fitch and Ives OF Yale College. Ben
jamin Lundy, one Of the earliest Antl-Slaycry
pioneers, Joshua Leayiit the editor, success
lively, Of Tie ". ]. Erdngtiit, The Fmdnc.Pd-
tor, and The Ird,pendent, Professor Shepard OF
Bangor Theological Seminary, Theodore ID.
Weld. and Ellis Gray Lorng, David Lee Child,
and Samuel T.. Scwall, member, Of the Boston
bar. Looking confidently into the Future. the
Declaration q, the Convention. signed by al lts
members, proclaimed: "Our trus, for victory Is
solely III God. We may be personally defeated,
bu, our principles never. Truth, Justice, Req
son, Humanity, must and Will flonously tn
umph." In a sketch OF the proceedings Of The
Convention, leading delegate, through m
An,i-slavery periodical sald: The member
of the Convention and their a,5ociatcT VIII
never cease from their labors till their cause IL
triumphant. The God Of Truth and Justice is
with them. and they will finally prevail.
No rejecting man can doubt that the historian
OF the conflict between Freedom and Slavery
which has conyulsed this nation for The last
thirty years, viii assign very important part
in the great movement 20 the society whose or
ganizaiion We have briefly ske,ched. From the
start. i, entered upon Is seemingly almost
hopeless work with an energy and will that
nothing could discourage or dismay. In The
language Of Mr.. Garrison " Il iooud be heard.
It's first battle was for freedom Of speech ANA
the press. And in the face of riots and Lynch
ings, and murders even, AID while it, meetings
were broken up by mobs, and IL presses thrown
into rivers, and its orators and editors shut mp
in prisons or shot down at their posts IT fought
out this fight during five or six years with a
persistency and Il courage which have iew paral-
lels in the annals Of progress and reform. The
heroism of this small body Of prescribed men
and women wrung plaudits from iheiropponents.
The late William Leggett wrote Of them TWEEN
ty-eighi years ago." II would seem a. II God
had winnowed the population of the country 10
select a choice few whom nothing can drive from
the exercise Of their right to discuss the question
Of Slavery" Commenting upon the anti-Aboli-
-. hot Il f.fff IL
which the house of Lewis Iappan was sacked ana
his furniture reduced % ashes, Mr.. Charles King,
then editor Of Tie Mar York Americdn, eaid,
" Fire cannot burn their convictions out Of these
men," Nor did il Unseduccd by blandsh-
ments and undeterrcd by violence, the Adolf
tionists kept straight on, urging their obnoxious
doctrines upon public attention, not always in
the mildest terms, nor with the sweetest tenn
per- but with stern facts and sturdy arguments,
until they compelled the nation 10 stand still
and listen.
Mingling with this contest for free speech and
free printing, though initiated at Il little later
period in the conflict, was tie memorable st:ug-
gle for tie right Of petition. In 1895 and 1886,
the Anti-Slayery societies began 10 petition Con-
gress for the abolition Of Slavery in the District
Of Columbia and the inhibition of the interstate
and kindred measures. Thodgh
few at the outset, the number Of petitioner
swcled during the next two or three years ill
it reached in one Congress tlrce-iourths Of Il
million. II would belle obvious facts to call all
these petitioners AboIitionists" In the de-
tense Of the right Of petition, as also that Of The
freedom Of speech and the press, II became eyl-
dent 20 considcrate mon that moi alOno was The