Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-04-15
FIRST EDITION.
The Anti-siavery Centennial.

CELEBRATION IN PHILADELPHIA, yEsTERDAy-THI
OLD GUARD RE-aATHEnED THE OCCASION. AD
DRESSES, &c.
Sneeial Report for the Commercial.
The Centennial Anniversary of the Pennsyl
vania Society for promoting the Abolition Of
Slavery, was held in Philadelphia, yesterday af
ternoon, at Concert Hall q momentous occasion
for those most closely identified with the anti
slavery movement, who have go wonderfully
found themselves converted from church mill
tant to a
| CHURCH TRIUMPHANT
within the first hundred years since the incep-
ton OF their grand idea.
The throng that at all early hour assembled IN
the hall of meeting showed but a small sprink
| ling of unsympathetic unaccustomed sight
| seers in comparison to the number of familiar
| faces, seen at every turn, of those long known
| i'll kindred ii less jubiant gatherings, while the
platform was fittingly crowned with venerable
heads grown white in the service of the cause.
| Hon. Henry Wilson, Rev. Dr. W. II. Furness.
DIR. VIM Elder. Frederick Douglass Lucreta
| iiott, Abby Kelly Foster, Robert Purvis, Chas.
O. Bnrlcigh, William Still, Bishop Campbell, and
others, among the noticeable tenants OF
| the elevated seats. Youth at discount i'll
this centennial celebration, for it WAS that of q
| triumphant and completed fact, page of his
| tory now folded and laid away.
THE MEETING WAS OPENED
| Dy prayer Dy inc reverend ana Venerhule d. w.
II. Furness. and called to order by the chairman,
Hon. Henry Wilson, Vice President of the Uni
ted States, who in Il short address expressed the
| unusual pleasure which he felt in being called
to preside i'll such assembly and for such q
purpose reviewed the labors and the triumph
| ant SUCCESS of the society, and reminded his
hearers that though much was done, much yet
| remained to be accomplished, that there are
&c ars to be healed, preju1ices to be worn away
work to be done for the elevator, not alone of
the black man, but of the white, who suffered
almost equally in the degradation of his neigh
Dor.
Music followed, song rather chant by
members of the perennial Hutchinson Family
the words. as well as well as music, being prob
ably the offspring of the singers own genius !;
a hymn in honor OF the glorious occasion, de-
clared to be "a Millennium" in which
"All wailikc weapons now we see,
Made implements of huSt andry
-Plopghs and pruniDg-hooks
Robert Purvis read
A NUMBER OF LETTERS
from expected guests of the occasion prevented
by various causes from being present. VIM. Lloyd
Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Geo. w. Curtis, and
G.. W. Julian, all expressing hearty sympathy,
congratulations for the past, and plans OF fur
ther work in the future.
DIR. William Elder gave the historical address
of the occasion, tracing the rise and progress OF
anti slavery effort, from period even preceding
that of the centennial now commemorated down
to the present time. He could not undertake.
he said, to give the biographies nor even the
names of the
GREAT HOST OF LABoRERs
in the cause whose memories confront us to-
day. more than to count the rils from
thousand mountain tops which form the mighty
rivers that girdle the world. We cannot point
to the birth of anti slavery, for like Topsy ut
never made it growed." During the last
half OF the 18Th century and the beginning of
this there WAS Il great awakening, all outpour-
ing of the spirit OF freedom upon the world in
which the grand idea Of equal human rights
dawned upon the world. This WAS the era of
the beginning of our national life, grand
blrth-h hour for free nation. The chief points
touched upon, noting that they were directed
against the save-trade rather than the system
itself
THE EARLY WORKERS scoTcuED THE SNAKE
and thought they had killed it they cut off the
branches OF the tree aud wondered when it put
forth new growth. 1t was not till $780, that the
theory of immediate and unconditional emanc-
patton WAS put into practical shape and became
the vital force of the struggle. The speaker
went on to give many interesting and amusing
Incidents OF the Ant-Slavery fight of these lat
ter days. chiefly those of his own ground in
Western Pennsylvania. He claimed for Pitts
burg what Philadelphia could not boast, that no
fugitive had ever been sent back to bondage
from her midst. The rowdy element which in
the east peted abolitionists here took up the
very paving-stones i'll the street to drive out the
slave e-hunters.
DIR. Elder WAS succeeded by
FREDERICK DOUGLASS,
who contrasted this Centennial with that whose
grand celebration is preparing for next year.
He claimed for this field as much the broader
philanthropy Is greater than patriotism. The
Centennial OF '76 commentaries nationality,
that of rs universal human rights; the one is
transient, the other eternal. BY way of point
ing the progress that the African race has made
in, worldly Mr. Dnuulaa br0u
ward quaint little book written not quite two
centuries ago by pious missionary who
zealously contended for the extreme doctrine
that it was not a sin to baptise an infant of At
rican blood
The worthy author seemed to have been in
stigated to the expression of these dangerous
views, "by one of those meddling and oficious
poodle called Quakers," a people who have
ever since.
THE GREAT SENSATION.
of the audience was the appearance Of Lucretia
Mott as the next speaker. handkerchief were
waved and many ose to their feet as she came
forward. The same face, spiritualized rather
than worn with age, which has so long beamed
serene peace in the forefront of the battle the
same SILVER speech, still clear and unfalterng,
were here. Her words were few and addressed
to the future rather than the past. She spoke
of plans for educaton-for moral education-as
what 1--WE must do, them after pause, added,
with beautiful radiant smile. " No, you must
do for 1 am done p While she spoke, the
President remained standing fitting and grace
full expression of the general feeling of venera-
ton which
MOVED THE HEARTS
of the assembly. Succeeding this, as at other
intervals, the Hutchinson's gave the " Song of
the Furnace Blast, and similar inspiring strains
@. c. Burleigh made short but eloquent ad-
dress in his well earnest and stirring
manner, at the close Of which the President
announced the close of the session, notifying
at Bethel Church, on Sixth street, below Pine.
The benediction pronounced by Bishop
Campbell, Of the African NJ. E. Church, and the
meeting dissolved.
EVENING MEETING.
The meeting in the evening was addressed by
President Wilson and others, and continued to
late hour. Mrs. Foster made a vehement attack
on Abraham Lincoln, whose fame Mr.. Wilson
ardently defended.