New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-06-20

A correspondent Of the Providence Journal,
who has lately visited John G. Whittier,
gives this account of conversation with
him:
Everybody knows, too, that Mr.. Whittier
was an original abOlitiOnist with Garrison,
though he did not agree with him in all his
ultra notions. He told me that when Garri-
son was imprisoned i'm 1882 for publishing his
anti-slavery paper in Baltimore he was sOrely
tried, being himself very poor and without
influence, to find out how he could aid him.
MIR. Garrison was great adnirer and friend
OF Clay, and had written a strong article
urging his nomination for the Presidency.
Mr.. Whittier said he enclosed the article in
note to Mr.. Clay, asking him to use his in
f1uence for Garrison's release from prison,
and that Mr.. Clay responded cordially at
once that he should have done everything in
his power for his friend, but that he was dis
charged just before his letter reached him.
The next year MFR. Whittier wrote his first
pamphlet against slavery. Arthur Tappan
had five hundred copies struck Off at once
and distributed. 1t was for circulating this
pamphlet in the South that DIR. Crandall was
imprisoned.
Mr.. Whittier was in the midst of three
great anti-savery mObs, but he told me the
risk was at Concord, New Hampshire, where
he and George Thompson, the Englishman,
went to hold an anti-slavery meeting. The
mob collected in great numbers, armed with
stOness clubs, and muskets, broke up the
meeting, and followed him and Thompson to
the house of the FREUD with whom they were
staying, Mr.. Kent, brother of Governor Ed
ward Kent, of Maine. Mr.. Whittier came
near losing his life by a severe blow from a
stone in his back and shoulder. But they
got into the house, and Thompson managed
to get out at the back door and into the
woods unobserved. Mr.. Whittier said it was
the most excited scene he had ever wit
messed. The mob surrounded the house and
threatened to tear it down unless Thompson
was sent out to them. Mr.. Kent was firm
man, and barred the door against them. The
family were all beside themselves except Mr..
and Mrs. Kent. Two daughters OF Ezekiel
Webster were there. Mr.. Whittier said one
OF them threw her arms around him, saying,
20, Mr.. Whittier, we will die with you %
just then clergyman who was in the house
proposed that they unite in prayer, but Mrs.
Kent said she thought that they had better
fight than pray. God bless her hberty-loy-
ing soul forever, sayD The mob finally
dispersed. Thompson got into the house.
Whittier, exhausted, fell asleep on the bed,
while Thompson sat up. Directly stone
dashed in the window Of the room where they
were, and Mr.. Whittier said he jumped clear
from the bed.
The mob had returned, and with them a
friend of Mr.. Whittier, who pretended to be
in the interest of the mob, who, by his finesse
and tact, got them away the second time,
when Thompson and Whittier got into car.
rage and drove of. When short distance
from the house nusket-shots were fired at
them, but doing no other damage than hole
through the carriage. And thus they es.
capped. "And now" said Mr.. Whittier,
"you may think that, poor, despised, and
prosecuted as we were, we were very mis-.
cradle set !; but 1t was not so. We had very
pleasant times together, and think Lean
understand how the old martyrs might have
enjoyed themselves very much"