New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-05-20

Some thirty years have passed since hand
full of obscure and insignificant fanatics, p"
as they were very inaccuratcly stigmatized.
began 70 peregrinate the more enlightened por-
tons Of the Free States, lhboriously collecting
audiences usually averaging one superannuated
pastor, fiye or six old maids glad of any Clip
TO the monOtony of their drcnry lives, one or
two novelty hunters, three or four uOboG;es
and eight or ten children, who would gracious.
Is listen to their long-drawn disqusitions On
the iniquity and mischief OF holding aud SELL
tg men, women and children as ss'c,. by
tho great mass Of the community, these Az n
tors were regarded With stolld Indifference or
with intense aversion. Politicians, lawyers,
baLkers, mcrchants-Gn who considered them.
selves any body or aspired to be somebody-
held meetings to denounce aud silence them;
" respectable halls and churches were sterply
refused them; clerks aud bundles hOoied md
srosned al them; vicious boys aud fowdic-
rOtten-egged them, put cayenne pepper aud
asaiptida on the stoves Of low, mean convent. -
Giles; while Mayors Conges,men and dry
goods obbers wrote letters to the South, pro-
claiming their intense disgust aud adherence
of their reasonable incneatons Nineteen.
twent.cths OF I'LL whose attention was drawn to
the subject welding ninety mine hundredths Of
the social and political power Of the connu.
nity were unqualifedly hostile to these odiou'
Abolitonists," and would generally have re-
lnaiUed 50 10 this day, had not the Anne1atio
of Texas, .he War in Mexico, the reputation
Of tie Missouri COmpromlse, the outrages in
Kansas, aud the persistent efforts of the SGy,
Power to make tie Federal Government IT.
mere creature and convenience, absolutely
Compelled millions in the interest Of that con
scr, atism and quiet which they cherished, re.
sist these incessant encrOachments aud oggrcs-
sions. Had Slavery been content to let thing.
remain as they WERE it would have had TO tim
day nine -teDths of the property aud intelligence
of the North, with all of the ignorance aud
deprayity, as its ardent apologists and uphold
ers.
In those high old times-which were only
spoiled by the c1gerness of the Slave Power to
make too much hay while its sln shone--ycry
few imagined that free Speech implied the
right TO advocate unpopular and odious opinions,
or suspected that AbolitiOnists, any more than
! negroes had any rights that other men were
bound to respect. They were hunted out Of
their own holes as though they had been pigs
in garden, stoned in the streets, mobbed ia
their houses, and widely treated Us social
outlaws whom any ruiiian might rob or mangle
to his hearts content aud with the pleasing
consciousness Of performing q patriotic duty.
Public meetings were widely he'd and boun-
teousy attended-wc recOllect one in Utica es-
pecially--whcrcin the right TO advocate Anti
Slavery views in public was vehemently de.
nOuuced and its suppression by violence plalnly
justified And the then Democratic Governor
Of our State-Wjlliam j.. Marcy by name
grsyely recommended to the Legislature end
People the passage Of a law making such adj
yocacy crime.
The times have brayely altered since then,
and altered, We rejoice 10 say, for the better.
The right Of free dscussion-which means the
right to proclaim and defend unpopular views,
since the other sort have no need Of protection
is now affirmed aud upheld by those who for
a quarter oil century persistenty scented
and trampled on it,. We have Democratic
meetings in our City and elsewhere. whereby
it is maintained that, even in times of civil
war, when the Republic ttembles on the brink
Of destruction, meu who sympatbizo with her