Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-01-02
BENJAMIN LUNDY.
BY T! z. WRIGHT.


! Since the abolition of slavery in this
country has become an accomplished
/ fact and seems now to have been almost
a matter OF course, it is interesting to
look back and learn something OF those
who began the agitation for an end that
undoubtedly seemed to them very re-
mote.
Among the most Jealous, untiring
pure minded, but not The most known
or those who wrote and spoke against
slavery within the past forty years i'm.
mediately preceding the war which de,
stroyed it, was, undoubtedly, the man
| whose name stands at the head OF this
paper. benjamin Lundy was the pion.
eer Aboli'ionist of the present century
who resolved 10 devote bis life 10 The
purpose OF persuading the American
people tina; slavery is wrong, and that
/ The. oppressed ought To go Tree; aud
| iaithfu did he perform that resolve
I From lS2l-when he established in
I Ohio the first exclusively anti-slavery
periodical that was ever published-to
1880, the year of his death, he devoted
all his thoughts, iabors and energies to
the cause OF the slave. He believed thai
the enslavement OF men, women and
children was a great crime aud dis.
grace 10 the Iand of MS blrtn; and he
! had the enthusiasm to think tnat if The
true view of the subject could be bro'i
before the American people and i'm
pressed upon them as it impressed itself
upon him, they would think as he did
AID the cause would be won
| Many of US remember The mob vio-
lence which broke out on the first at.
tempts OF the Abolitionists to discuss
slavery in the city of Cincinnati through
the columns OF newspaper established
! fur that purpose about the year 1884,
| The names OF those who stood IN the
front rank of the little nti-slavery band
of that day in Ohio were we'll known,
aud snn.e of them are still in public life.
I The public is also familiar with the no.
ted names belonging TO that and more
lrecent period, of lecturers, editors and
membersi0f Congress, who, dawn 10 the
/ beginning of the war in. 1861, never
ceased to denouuce slavery. But Lun-
| dy was earlier than any of these. His
principal labors were during period
| immediately preceding the last phase o!
fore Others had begun 10 think of the
subject at sill. He first set Others 10
| thinking. He first devoted printing
fpress to the cause. He acquired prin-
ter's art as necessary means, in his
poverty, of spreading far and wide his
appeals for the oppressed and for a
flong time he labored almost alone. But
he labored not in vain.
Undoubtedly the most conspicuous
among the agitatois of more recent Pc
riod especially as All 'editor-though he
twas also popular speakers and spoke
loften-was William Lloyd Garrison, o.
Boston, who happily has lived to see
the triumph Of the cause he Iabored for
SO long. Garrison may, in truth, be
said to belong TO both the periods spo-
ken of above; aud he was in fact con
vert of Lundy's, and was for q while as
sociaied with him as business partner.
When quite a young man Garrison lis
tened to what was doubtless the first
anti slavery lecture ever delivered in
Boston and that WAS an address by
Benjamin Lundy. Lundy first visited
Boston iu 1928. - -...5 -.
= We go back to relate briefly something
hnf the origin, and early career of Ben
Ejamin Lnndy. He was 0orn in War
rem County, New Jersey, in, 1885. The
family were of the society Of Friends
OF a delicate physical frame, he left
home very young 10 seek his fortune in
the West, hoping at the same time to
improve his health by travelling. AT.
ter visiting the Quaker settlements of
Eastern Ohio, he found his way to the
town, of Wheeling. on the Virginia side
7 OF the Ohio River; and stopping there,
Iapprenliced himself to learn the trade
Of a sadier and harness-maker. 1t was
here he fiFst saw slavery in practical op-
Grafton. =. i...1a:'i -. Ia
The provision in the Constitution of
the UBited, States which protected the
importation OF slaves till 1S0S, had in.
sured supply of laborers Tor the vast
Southwest. That supply was now cut
|off by Congress, and the slave trade W as
declared piracy. But the cotton and
sugar plantations of Mississippi and
Louisiana were increasing rapidly in
extent, and still demanded more labor
ers. and the internal slave trade now
|fIourisifed. Virginia the mother of
Presidents, became the mother Of the
domestic slave trade. 1t is remarka-
| bIe faci that during the first quarter or
this century, and even earlier, a strong
|disposition was manifested in the bor-
der States to get rid of slavery. At
that time slavery was felt TO be injuri-
Gus in Virginia, Kentucky. Tennessee
and iNoriii' Carolina. Ii was, in fact
building up rival States further South,
- of tnha In, a, rho
kplete change OF feeling which took place
afterw ard In favor of slavery was great
Ily owing to, the fact that;the raising OF
saves for The Southern market was oe-
coming profitable. Lundy, when he af-
terward discussed plans for the aboli-
Ition OF slavery, had the sagacity to see
the force ofsthis interest, and he never
railed to. urge that Congress should pro-
l.hibit. the slave trade between the States.
| 2 The town Of, Wheeling, whore young
Lundy4was HOW, learning his trade. was
Rduite tboroughfare oa this new traffic.
tGangs of hand-cuffed. slaves were fre-
l4uenily brought there to be placed on
boats bound for the. Lower Mississippi.
In writing 'of;what he. Witnessed there,
he says;iH 5g~eif ,..~..,,.ue, =
"My heart was deeply grieved at the
| gross abomination. il heard the wall of
the captive; ] ieit his apsng of distress,
ind the iron entered my soul.n, i.i .;T ~.
II In 1872 he removed to ST. Ciairsville,
ten miles west Wheeling, and there es-
tablished himself at his trade. 1t was
in the new Stale of Ohio, first born Of
the ordinance which forever excluded
slavery from the great Northwest, that
Lnndy was to begin his labors for the
oppressed. He was now twenty-six
years of age, and iu writing of this peri
odhe says:l .s-5ya.' = i(tt .-- q 49,
HI had lamented tho sad condition of
lthe slave ever since. became acquain-'
ted with his wrongs and sufferings. But
the question, What can do? was the
continual response to the impulse of my
heart. AS | enjoy no peace of mind
n ouravar of lpnUth coucludad that |