Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-11-03
An lion of History.


Nothing 20 effectually demonstrates the fact
that the world moves, rs to note some of the
wonderful changes which have taken place
in men and things-ideas and Institutions
during thelast forty or fifty years. a few days
ago occurred the fortieth anniversary Of the
great pro-savery riot in Boston, when mob
of several thousand, headed by " gentlemen Of
property and standing" as represented by
the Boston papers, invaded the rooms Of the
Female Anti-slavery Society, broke up the
meeting. and handled Mr. William Lloyd
Garrison 70 roughly that he was glad to find
shelter from their rage within the walls of
even Lc,crett street Jail, whittier he was
dragged with rope about his neck.
No one not conversant with the public
sentiment Of those times, especially in our
larger cities, can have any adequate idea of
the excited state Of feeling upon the ques.
ton Of slavery Every other subject might
he freely discussed anywhere and at any
time but any man or woman who ventured
to speak or write against slavery was re-
gardsd as an outlaw, and from that moment
forth was threatened and often oyertaken
with Violence. SO strong was the prejudice
against color and so deep-rooted and wide
spread were the interests Of trade, that had
the people of Boston actually owned South
en plantations well stocked with slayes-as
doubtless many Of them did-there could
scarcely have been a greater intolerance Of
opinion than existed among all classes,
against those who lifted up their prophetic
voice against this gigantic and hoary-headed
iniquity There had been antislayery socie-
ties organized before, even as far back as
the Revolution but they had not struck at
! the root Of the tree, or even Topped off any
Of It's living branches, The American Col
onization Society had long existed, but even
| this had been turned into a safety valve to
the institution Of slavery, 10y expatriating
the dangerous class of free negroes. The
press and the politicians Of both parties We'd
with each other in subseryiency to the slave
power, aud the most eminent even Of our
NNiAHtlU HAdttSllltll-- W IN AllN tbtdhit tNtNl
ton Of John Quincy Adams crooked the
plant hinges Of the knee before this mighty
molochl
But We designed barely to allude to Mr.
Garrison's Imprisonment. The following in
soription, made by himself upon the walls Of
his cell, serves to point the tale
william Lloyd Garrison was put into this jail
Wednesday p. NJ, October n, 1895, to save hin
from the violence Of respectable and Influential
mob who sought to destroy him for preaching tn,
abomnable and dangerous doctrine that all mel
are born free and equal and that all oppression q
hateful in the sight Of God Hail Columbia
Cheers for the autocat Of Russia and the sultal
Of Turkey Reader, let this inscription remain
till the last slave in this despotic land is loose,
from his fettersr
It is remarkable that riots Of a like char
acter occurred ON the same or succeeding
day in Concord, New Hampshire, Montpe
lier, Vermont, and Utica, New York A
Montpelier, Rev. Samuel j. May was pre-
vented by a mob from making an address il
the old brick church, but he had better sue
cess in the state house the next evening
though missile was hurled at him through
a window-pane The half-dozen or 81
of gentlemen of property and standing.
who signed a placard warning Mr.. May t.
leave town, we believe have all passed away