, 1874-06-15

ABOLITION AND MaNuattHsioN-EAnLY soulErlEs
Tho Anti-s!avory aontinaent oil our lleyolution-
ary period found early expression in Abolition
and AfnntlmiBaion .3ociotloH.
Tho Pennsylvania Abolition Society wns formed
II 1!7i, aud enlarged iu 1757.. Dr.. Dcntanin
Erankfin was itB President, md DR.. Don]arnin
ton of. Intlcpotldoneo. III TOO, It presented n
momorinl to Congross, drafted by Frnuklin, IN
which, citing. tic language Of tho pron,nblo to
the Constitution. 1t reminded Congress Of its
lug the lleaaingn Of lborty to tho people Of
tho Unito1 8tatea;" and Tho 1no,norinsts t'oo,,-
colyed TINT these blessings ought rightfnlfy to
10 administered Without distinction Of co!or.'-
nnder tho Constitutiou to abolish Slavery III tho
| btatos. ~ maintained by n portion Of modern
Aboliioniats haif ccntury afterwards.
strango & as T. may noy soon,, Mia memorial T
batad BY Congrosa, aud found logroo Of favor.
! THO Virgua, Alary1nud Rl,odo IHlanl Cou-
nccticut, Now York. ind baltimore socotfeB,
likowieo sent lip memorials to Congross, nH did
Il Socioty III Delaware. IN 17o4 ten hoolcticH
mot In Convention III Philadelphia, and con-
tinuod to moot annually for number Of years
Of tic Now York b1anuranission sooioty,
formed iu 1785. tho first proailons was john
Jhy. afterwards Chief Justice Of tho UuEtod
Statos, euccoeded by Gen. Alexander Hamilton.
Of the Revolutionary Army, afterwards Secretary
|
son, Unitod Statoa aiarsIal for Now York.
OK the Connecticut Abolition Society, DR..
| Ezra sttlcs President OF Yale College was the
first President, aud Simeon baldwin, was Sooto-
| thry.
OF tho Providence n, - Abolition Society,
orgnnlzod In 1789, Judge David Howell, a
member Of the First Cougrops. was tho first ProBi
| lont, and Gov. Arthur Tonncr ono Of Its Stand-
wero among itB members. It coutainod lis
members, Of whom G5 lived iii Massachusetts
and in Connecticut. Or. Jonathan Edwards
| WAS ono of tleao.
tIn l7s0 John Jay drafted and signed
momorial to tho Legislature Of Now York against
Slavery, and petltionng for it's abolition declaring
tlat tho men hold rs slaves by tho 1awH Of Now
York @ more,froo by the laws Of God: Among the
York City; Robert T. Livingston. nftorwnrd Sec
retary Of Foreign Affairs Of tbs United Stn.es,
nnl Chancellor Of te State Of Now York Alc1-
nEdor Hamilton, aMd many other eminent citizens
OF tho State" mss. by the Hon. William Jay.]
| "Amoug other distinguished individuals who
wore onlcont oilicors OF these Abolition Societies,
and delegates from thoir respective ssnto Socie-
tios at the annual meetings Of the American Con-
vention for Promoting tho Abolition OF Slavery,
We're tho Hon. Urinli Tracy. United States Sona-
tor from Connocticut; tho Hon. Zophaniah swift,
! Chief-1ustice Of the samo; tho lion. Cnanr a.
Rodney, Attorney General Of tho United Statos;
| tho lion. James a. Daynrd, United States Senator
| from Delaware; Gov. Bloomfield OF Now Jersey;
| tho 1Iou. William nawlo. tho late Venerable head
| Of tho Philadelphia Bar; CaBper Wistar Of
philadelphia; Ncs4rs. Fo=ter M! Tillinghast, Of
| 1ihodo Island 1lessrs Rittgoloy, Buchanan,
| nnd Wilkinson, Of Maryland; and A1ossrs.
ploasants Mclean, aud Anthony. Of Virginia"
| [Alomoir OF Hopkins, III Ills works, Vol. /. y
| 1857, whore tho account continuos:l ut was
that it injured tho reputation Of tho Blavo-
! traders, some OF whom were among the best
citizens Of Nowport that 1t injured tho char
acter Of tic slavcs by inducing them to l11n
n,jp1k
| which wns real benefit to lilo Africans ns it
| saved them from tho barbaritieB of their native
lund. and introduced then into civilized rogiouH;
tho spirit Of tho Society was adverse to tho Con
| which sas mado to prevent tho injustice which
this Society aud their atihorontB aro practicing, !"
etc. Moses brown rapliod with tho beautiful
calnlueaH which ever adorned lia mild lie.
| Judge Howell canln to tho roscue with Ills keen
argument and his Latnity Of STYLE"
| In this incident VIC llayo fororunuer Of tho
struggle, to which tho Abolitionssts OF genera
tions following would be summoned i'll conse-
1uence Of the unfinished work Of their fathers.
THE GENERAL PREVALENCE
Of Anti-slavery sentiment in that gnnnratian Ia
thus atttested by Jefferson: +" think change
is already perceptlble since the origin Of the
| present Revolution. Tho spirit Of tho mastor is
| abnting that of the slave ia rising from tho
dust, lis condition modifying; tho way, hope,
preparing, undor the auspicca OF Heaven, for q
total emancipation."
ary poriod such the reputation III which tlloy
wore held, instenl Of boiug denounced as fauat-
| cs; such the positions they occupied, instead Of
being peitod with rotten eggs, politically oatra-
highest civil penalties mud ecclesiastical con-
| sureB."
And such, n1nsl we're tho de1uavo expectations
indulged by thom. It was the deillsion Of sup-
cherished habits Of aocioty, tolerated by Gov
1nent, attempted to be restrained, limited mud
regulated, instead Of being prohibited and sup
pressed aH criminal, could DO overcome by conf
promising e1pelients, by measures of proosasti-
| nation, or Il spirit Of gradual improvement, I'LL
dor tho influence Of which they would almost die
| out, Of themselves.
DECLINE OF THE SPIRIT OF lib
ERTY,
| GROWTH AND RISING SUPREMACY OF THE sLAvE-
| POWER.
The delusions indulged by tito Abolitiouists OF
tho eighteenth century insured tho disappoint-
mont that followed, and mado necessary tile
moro arduoua struggles Of the Abolitiouists OF
tho nineteenth century, along with tho tcrriblo
catastrophe inseparablo from tho overthrow OF
the great evil they contcnlod agaiust. Thosa
who lament the controversy. tho agitation, and
the sacrifices, should learn to lamont and avoid
in future. tho moral causes TINT naturally pro.
ducs such olfects. Enlightened stntosmunHhip
should dread procrastination, halfway reforms,
tomporzing expeliants, and compromises, III
dealing With groat national and socinl wrongs, as
they dread rcbellonB aud civil wArs. Had Con-
gross disposed Of DR.. Franklin's memorial as II
ought and might layo dono, tho history ol
'sTho Riso and Fall Of tho Slayo-power" would
neycr have boon written.
Not all Of tho old-tme AboiitionistB woro nrlb.
ject to tue lamonsablo dclnsion described
franklin Bcan1H not to havo boon. DR.. Samuel
Hopkins, Of lshode IsInnd, aud William Pincl1.
ney, OF Maryland, certainly wers not. Both oI
them strongly Expressed their dissent from the
prevailing policy with grayo approximations fUI
tho future conBegnencoa. IIi4 Was trus Hagaoi.
ty, but Was doubtless regarded nj evidence Of
their incompoteucy to comprehend public aHare
n n " wna 'u MT opr hoforo o tha mn'cv oorod T.,
Hopkins and pinoknoy began to doyoluT ltsosf III
u markel decline Of tho spirit Of froeaon, re.