, 1874-06-14
MOB LAW.
Difficulties Of Anti-Slavery Preaching
in Illinois.
Experiences of the Rev. MIR.
Barnes.
Forming an Ant1-Slarery Society:

Forming an Ant1.Slarery Society:
The following paper, written by Mrs. o. q
Barnes, to be read ut the recent Abolition re
union, gives an account Of the prosecutions sui
fored by her husband while endeayoring t
preach Anti-Slavery doctrine in Tazewell Count.
at an early day:
Illinois was adopted as the home Of myself
and husband at an early day. We had passed
through many scenes Of hardship, privaton, ant
encouragement in our pioneer life, but hat
laborea for our Master patiently and hopefully
had seen churches increase and Christians multi.
ply, and friends were multiplying around us,
with whom We enjoyed pleasant, social inter
course, but, in espousing the cause Of the blacl
man, these Christians and friends, many ot
them, branded us as the foe Of these
churches, and accused us Of unnecessarily
promoting divisions and contentious This
! was harder to be borne than I can
| tell we had 1abored with and for these friends,
had stood by their sick-bed, their little ones had
| grown up with our own, their prosperity and
success WAS as our Own, their zriefs and sorrows
were as ours, and could We part company But
| We felt that ne had enlisted for God under Hs
banner TIC must walk, whether it led through
sylvan groves with ease and plenty and the
p]audits Of friends, or whether it led us, alone.
in poverty, through da1kneRs, storms. and tenn
pests. That slavery wrong, great out
rage npon the coloEed man, seemed written. in
| unmistakable characters in the innermost soul
Of every one, and would not down, more
! than would Banquos ghost, but 1t WAS up,
| at all times, thrnsting its hideous form
where least desired. Gospel sermons were
greatly called for. Election (for the white MANI
would be subject 1T Tor profound attention.
and. original s'n-" In Adams fall. we Rinned
all would receive especial commenda.ion.
ON CHRISTMAS WEEK
my husband gavo out that, on certain evening,
ne would preach on GODS love to man, and
the whole Town OF washington was astir. There
was Aoolt'onlsm,- m,-perhaps they Judged rightly,
the nigGer would come in, certainly; it might be
all niger; they could not endure that, and
would not; the sermon should not be preached
Accordingly, my husband was waited on by dele
gaslon9 ot various # knds' warning him against
ful colors the terrible consequences that might
ensue. Many came as personal friends, and
never for moment did doubt their friendship,
warning and entreat'ng US to forbear and not en-
a!anger our lives BY advocating that ve1ed ques.
ne refuse to deliver the message God had gwen
hlm3 ne could not do it; he could not give up
his rights as citizen: ho could not turn
Halsor TO his GOD, to his country his con-
se.ooe7 ai1u Luo Cauho ue uau espoueed- Our
friends might forsako US in the timo OF our need
and see US alone IN the hands of an infuriated
mob Had not our Savior been forsaaep, AMI
did He not go alone to Gethsemane, and On the
cross cry cut IN bitterness OF spirit. NY God,
why hast Thou forsaken me- 2" Could We not
folio" ~ His footsteps should the servant be
above hls master
!, we had a family OF little Children and left
them ID tho care Of q friend, and OF our Father
IN Heaven, particularly the latter, not knowing /
tue things that might befall ua.
ON ARRIVING At THE PLACE OF APPOINTMENT.
twenty or thirty brave ones had yenturod out at I
Gnr1s1mas time to hcar OF Gods love to man. !
Soon ''er the exercises commenced most un- |
earthly sound was heard approaching. kinds |
OF hldeous screams and shrieks ringing Of BELLS |
pounding upon tin-pans. firing OF guns, With |
Barnes. Abolition nigger," floating out in CO.
deuco long and loud Soon ACKNOWLEDGMENT
lied mob surrounded the building in which the