, 1874-06-21
ANTl-SLAvERY.
Gen, Brisbin on the Late Con-
veution.
of Ben Wade, Levi
Coffin, and Other Anti
Slavery Men.

9th, 10th, and 11th Of the present month.
would have liked to have been there, but fear, il
bad, should hi ve quarreled with the modo oi
procedure. Thcrt' vas a groat deal OF interest
ing talk and matter put forth but think thai
Tor want OF proper Business Committee, much
was said anu done that might with advantage
have been omitted It WAS not until the last day
TINT the Convention seemed to wake up to the
necessity Of regulatin its proceedings and curb
Ing tho propensity O.: few to do all tho talking
The paper on Lu, 1dy by Eastman, on Collins
by Williams, on Ooddmg by his daughter, on
Lovejoy by Beecher, on Birney by Ills son, on
Bailey by Brisbin, on Giddiags by Riddle, and on
David Root by Horace White, were I'll very
! good but the funerz procession WAS rather too
| long, and the services at the grave much drawn
| cut. I do not belies q in turning q convention
| into q literary society to eulogizo the dead.
| There were plenty Of non in the Convention the
country would have been glad to have heard
from, but they seem to have been crowded aside
to make room for the obituary corps.
Why did not the old man Brisb1n, when talking
about his doad friend, Gamaliel Bailey, also tell
| us OF
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,
and his connection with it2 How, in the days of
Slavery, he and Low Coffin brought up negroes
labeled "Cotton Picker,'' "Cotton PIanter.''
lone Cotton Machin o." etc' How, on one occa-
sion, at Louisville. when the steamboat-hands
rolled package on the wharf. the niggcr sloshed
about SO he broke tho box, and rolled out to tho
astontshment Ut the Kontucklaas, who mover af-
forwards would allow a'uy Southern package con-
signed to Levi Coffin u pass without careful
examination? Why, too. did not tie Doctor tell
uA tue destruction OF tie Abolition neYSpaper at
Coyington, ky., aud how it Was pitched into the
Ohio hiver By mob? shoull hare liked also
TO have heard Levi Coffin explain, az he ouca did
to me-, the difficulty Of hiding away nggers, and
STILL TELLING THE TRUTH
when the Marsilal came hunting after Them
ISctne-Eefore tho War: q house in Cincinnati
Two negroes, newly arrived, and evidently plan
Two planters and the Marshal Of Cincinnati
coming hastily up the Street. 4 lady (Auuk |
katie) enters thu parlor hurriedly, and address,
ing broad-br1mmed Quaker, speaks j
Levi. mako thee haste. ! sse strange men |
coming with that pastilent Marshall |
Levi goes out aud meets the man at the gate.) |
Aarahal-.' Good morning, friend Colin. We |
are seeking for two runawayB."
cotip-"T'so escaped slaves theo would recap
tnrs7"
Marshal and both owners" Yes, yes. Can
you tell Us where they ara:"
Cofin-"Was one boy very black and rather |
heayy.set; tho other yellow and but slightly |
Both owners-" Yes, yes! You describe them
exactly"
Codin-"I sar two such boys, not half IN |
hour since, pass this gate and il you haste, you
may yet overtaxo them at the depot before the |
tram leaves" |
Away 20 tho Marshal and the elareowners,
while Coffin rc-enters the house, and, addressing
his wife, says:
MARX, Katie, did but eav tbs bows passed |
tho gate, but sald laot whether they went iu or
out. Go hurry thsm with their meal, while |
hitch up the old grIy horse, and drive the POOR
souls station or tn beyond the city, whore they
call smbaFk with SAT ctT."
It would be intere sting to know what has be-
come OF the old white horse. Ha must have
died long ago and it ever the colored people 20
to erecting n1onuu ents to men who set them
free, they ought not to forget tho faithful old
beast who hculed more than 800 Of their race on
their way to freodonl.
1t would have been almost worth trip to Uhi-
cago to SEQ tho
LIVING ACTORS oF " UNCLE TOMS cAn1N,"
and have gazed once more On the benevolent |
faces Of Levi Coffin and his old wlfe,-Aunt
Katie,-h now over 73, and she II years OF age.
coiiin was the leading spirit Of the Underground
Railroad, and really the President OF that pecu-
liar institution from 1886 TO 1862 when it ceased
to bo necessary, the negroes being set free By
Abraham Lincoln, except thosa IN kentucky,
where branch Of the mysterious road, with |
Con. Burbridge JOHN II. Palmer. and myself ns
Conductors, was operated as late as 1861 and
1861 Mr. Coffin went to lire IN Cincinnati in
l647, and often had at his house. and socreted
about the city, al many as eight fugitive
b. at oraslod 1ns fe 10 II freedom snfs fss
,laves aud. during the thirty-fve years Of hls
.etive connection with the Anti-Slavery cause,
Coffin fed, clothed, sheltered, and aided to
.scape over 5000 slaves Even nfter the War, I
legro but collected mone:, both i'll this country
nd England, aud forwarded thousands OF casea
Il shoes and clothing, and tons OF food, all over
he South WAS then in Kentucky, and 1 can
+,~ ro.,I Att a
society did In helping along the poor negroes of
hat State. Why did not Levi Coffin give us
ulI account Of his tl-Slavery experiences? 1t
iouid have formed an intensely y-interosting and
page III ths proceedings OF tho lato
Convention. I
The attendance OF - ~ il
OLD BEN WADE 81
hould have boen secured, aod tbs old Ohio war ii
orso should nave booa brought out and mado .
y speak OF those days when he, Sumner, aud G
Taon bore the Anti-Slavery standard aloft in a
he Senate OF the United Statos. How strangely b
Le proceedings Of tho Senate beforo the War K
ow read. Tue Lecompton bill is under con- b
Iteration, and Mr.. Toombs, Of Georgia, ro- Fl
erring to the minority,-of which Mr. Wado Il
Que, sIys: 1.-THE majority hava rights and u
uties, aud trust there is fidelity enough to "
lenlsolyes, and their principles and tho country,
tho majority, to stand together ut all hazards, II
nd crush this factious minority" Instantly 3Ir. Ii
lads is on his feet, and shaking his fist at t o1
combs, roars out ''Havo { care, have q care, hi
e; You can't crush mo nor my people. You Ar
IN never conquer US; We will die first. I may dI
Ill here in the Senate Chamber but will never Fl
lake any compromise with auy such men. You st
lay brinR d majority and outvote me; but, so vi
dip me God. will neither compromise nor be ar
'ushed.' Then there il confusion and excite ht
eut, and one OF those violent scenes so COM | ne
on IN those days; but Ir Wade stands firm, til
I'd bears his State proudly forward in the face ba
the whole Slave Power. Ii
The Senate is proceeding quietly, and a1r. VT
Z II
an, is speaking Of the Ant1-s!avery doctrines, M
I'd exhibiting copy Of Garrisou's Literalor
th its horrible pictures Of Slavery Turning T.
Mr. Wade, who sat near him tha senator.
ks ''Is it not too bad that such paper
ould be allowed to exist? Why do not 70
o authorities Of the United States suppress do
ch slandcrous and disreputable sheet? Can no
be possible that any patriotic citizen Of the ty.
orth will tolerate such AL abomination :" 70.
nator Wada puts on his spectacies and, look ha
6 ut the title OF the paper e1cla1ms, III sur bus
1se: why, Senator Evans, in OHIO ~o cou- ur
leE this tie