New-York tribune., 1874-12-29

Whom in October OF that wear 600 delegates assem-.
bled at Utica TO form State Slavery Society,
Samuel Beardsley, q Democratic member Oh Coh-
gress stirred up an opposition In the town. ana ne
and Judge Charles Hayden headed mob whicn
broke up the meeting Mr.. Smith. who was present
invited the delegates to meet at PeterDOro. his
father had been stakeholder in earlier days. anu
was among the first to manumt his slaves. Accept
ing the invitation, the American Anti-SlaVery 90
ciety completed its organization at Mr. omi'ns
homestead and from that time his promi-
nence dates as a leader Of the opposition TO
Slavery. At that meeting he spoke in words
of singular force on the inherent right OF free dis
cussion He declared that even then war had broken
ont between tho North and South ; its cause was
Slavery and tho sword shOnld never be sheatbed
fill that was extngushed In 1883 he urged that the
Slavery question should be made sole issue in
selecting candidates at the polls. Dir. Smith dincred
from Garrison Phillips Burlcigh, and many othor
AbolitiOnists in the views he took OF the Cohsttu
ton. Ho regarded it as an Anti-Slavery instrument.
shield to protect the slave, and cGrabe 0f being so
interpreted as if followed to put an end to slavery
His sense of Justice impellcd him to an act oi
extraordinary muniiicence. Although ono oi
the largest landed prOprictors IN tho hted STATES
he was greatly opposed to landed monopoly anu III
1917, distributed property among worthy benehd-
aries wherever his lands were situated, at that tihe
in % ont of the CD counties Of the State He thus
gave away 100000 acres, mostly among poor "hi'e
and black men, in parcels of about 50 acres. the TO-
mander going to institutions of learning and charity
I'm distributing his lands he had committee select
cd of those who resided in the neighborhood OF ms
property Among other institutions which Denented
bv his liberaty was the Orphan Asylum at OsweRo,
which he founded and maintained. He estaDiisheo
q farming region in Essex County for coiored peo-
p,c and bcrc he presented farm to John Brown on
condition that he should teach the co0rcd men now
to till their lands in northern climo IL Is I'D ths
very region that John Browns body lies buricu'
Mr. Smiths practical benevOlence continued 10 DO
his distinguishing characteristic, even mp to DIS ia5e
days, and ho gave o large portion OF his income
from the Oswego property to corporate charities
and to needy individuals. Providence blessed DIS
hberaity aud enabled him to give the worth OF his
nrcscnt ncrsonal estate four or five times
over IIe has declared that he intended to
die Door in property, but rich in tho memories OF
those who knew him. The demands made on MS
charity were iormous those by single mail Often
exceeding $1,000; but he was never known to let
proper application pass unheeded. lie READ anu
| answered all these applications, and no poor 10
serving man failed to receive response incios'
ING a Gift. But especially did his practical sympa-
tcs 90 ont TO the enfranchised or escaping slave,
to tho latter not less than the former Most that
he did to help runaways, must OF course remain un-
known. In June, 1SiS the Liberty League ana
split from the Liberty party held convention az
Buffalo and nominated Gcrrit Smith as their canoi-
date fol the Presidency IL was at this convention
that he uttered the remarkable sentiment Iherels
not in all the world more honorable tombstone
than that Oh which the STAKEHOLDER would lnscrioe'
| Here lies q slave-stealer" through MS
efforts in 1sig, Col Ftzhugh of Maryland father OF
his second wife, was induced to liberate his slaves,
and 10 purchase through agents those that had been
formerly owned and were subsequently sold by Mrs.
Fitzhugh All these liberated slaves were taken to
| Peterboro and supplied with homes Many OF them
| and their descendants remain at present IN
| that locality. In 1850 a save-owner IN
| Louisiana died, and by his will emancl-
patcd his slaves unconditionally. Gerrit Smith
| wrote TO Ncw-Orleans asking that they should be
sent to him and he would provide for them' lhey
were sent and landed In New-fork' Dut some Oh
thcm under the impression that Dir. Smith would
again reduce thom to slavery, left the vessel and
became outcasts in this city. The larger portion,
however. went to Peterboro, where they settled.
and where with their descendants, they are still to
be found in considerable numbers.
He took part in a meeting at which the Jerry
rescue" was devised and by means of which 1t was
effected at Syracuse in October 1851. The prisoner,
Jerry McHeDry had resided in that city for several
wears. but was arrested under the Fugitive Slave
law I'm the afternoon, after the trial, the court
room was surrounded the officers were Overpowered,
and Jerry was carried OF by his friends to place OF
concealment, whence he was subsequently dis
patched to Canada. Although not directly con-
nected with the raid of John Brown at larper'5
Ferry, tho melancholy termination of that affair
exercised serious influence Mr.. Smiths mind.
f.ra briaf rinIh
clouded.
When a young man. Gcrrit Smith became con.
nected with tho Presbyterian Church. and in later
years the church in Peterboro was greatly dependent
upon him. About % years ago his views OH religious
Subjects as he himself phrased 1T. were modified,
enlarged and changed" His new belief found
form in tho Religion Of Nature or what he
called Rationalism." During this change of mind
he still, however, retained reverence for tho his
tory and character OF Jesus Christ anu for
Supreme Deity. During the past two or throe
years he has remained somewhat silent on rel gous
subjects and many of his friends believe that he
was gradually returning to his early belief. But
questions and theories of this sort did not affect
the character of the man. His ueighbOrs In all the
county, aud especially i'll tho township Of smith
field. trusted his warm heart and poured into
bis ear all their troubles. both domestic and
pecunary. He generally found tho means of r.
lievlng them of their distress. 1t is said that be
prevented several separations of families by his
kindly and consilerate advice and more than one
divorce suit has been stopped through his cOunsels
His voice and efforts led Madison and Oswego COun
ties in advancing movements OF temperance and
moral reform. and in making the abolition Of
Slavery political issue. He did not seek their
suiirages they forced upon him by
the people who were willing to throw OFT allegiance
To parties and resolved to have representatye of