Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-04-15
THE REVOLUTIONARY FATHERS MOVE
MENr AGAINST SLAVERY.

The anniversary in Philadephia, yesterday,
calls to mind the facts-now little known-that
there WAS strong and widespread feeling Of
opposition to the system of slavery, in the last
quarter of the last century, and that societies to
oppose it were organized in several Of the
Statea. The Hest society was that which cele-
brated it's Centennial in Phadelphis, yesterday;
then followed the Society of New York, organic
el in 1875, of which John Jay was President /;
then the Society of this State-Delaware
1885, then, in 1889, Societies in Maryland and
Rhode Island in l790, the Connecticut Society
headed by President Stiles of Yale College and
in 1871 Society Of Virginia, and in 1892 that of
NJ. Jersey. In January, 1894, Convention
OF these organizations was held in Philadelphia,
the chief OF whose acts was the adoption of q
memorial to Congress-, in reference to the slave
trade.
The Society of Delaware had an existence, ,un-
doubtedly, but the circumstances of its career
are now mostly lost. In 1888, NJ. Brissot de War
vile, an intelligent and philanthropic French
man, member OF the "Philanthropic Society
of Paris visited this country, and wrote very
fully in reference to the state of feeling on the
question of Slavery. Great influence had been
exerted By the organization of the Philadelphia
Society, and he adds that They ae endeav
oring to form similar institutions in other States
aud have succeeded in the State of Delaware. y
Again. he says, at length aud more particularly !:
& The little four dimensions were even then
thought limited, it seems State of Delaware has
followed the example of Pennsylvania Instances
OF giving freedom are numerous. In this State
famous for the wisdom of its laws, for its good
faith and federal patriotism, resides that angel
of peace, Warner Mii1lin. Like Benezet he
occupies his time in extending the opin-
ion of his Society relative to the freedom of the
blocks and providing for their existence and
their instruction. 1t is in fact to his zeal that
Is owing the formation of society in that State
after the model of the one in Philadelphia, for
the abolition of Slavery
How long the Delaware Society existed, under
the active Efforts of Warner Mitilin and his as
sociates, is uncertain, but in 1897, the minutes
OF the Pennsylvania Society show the receipt of a
communication from the Delaware organization.
saying that in consequence of their small nun.
ber and the low state of their funds which were
Inadequate to meet their necessary expenses,
they had become discouraged, and were consid.
erins the step of suspending their operations
A committee of the Philadelphia Society, con-
sisting of T. Harrison, T. Parker and G. vii
hams, was appointed to visit Wilmington and
encourage the Society there, and grant of
twelve pounds ten shillings per quarter for the
next two years,was made to assist them. There
is some evidence that the Delaware Society re-
maned in existence as late as 1898.
Endorsed by names such as Benjamin Frank
lin, Benjamin Rush, John JAY and President
Stiles, in the North, and by men like Pat
rick Iienry and st. George Tucker, of Virginia,
this movement against Slavery in the closing
years OF the last century was strong and repu-
table, but it met an opponent still stronger when
it encountered those aterial interests of gain
aud power which formed the support of slave
institutions The promise of speedy growth in
ant-slayery opinion which looked 80 bright ust
after onr revolution, faded away in the brief
passage OF time, and instead of the beneficent
influences of philantbropic organization, the
plantation whip fourisled over and controlled
the opinions of Amercan aoriaty