The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-18
ANTIQUITY OF AB0LITl0S1sM'

4ba Oldest society Of this character III TIC
,,or,d Through its entire history large
proportion of its members nave oeen '.u"A7
Thoaah founded in April IA, 1"D, us WORK
VA practically suspended during the war -
~ a Revolution, the attention OF the people u
PENNSYLVANIA then being mainly enSeossea III
.be struggle for independence. Alter the
,,s, h,.eyer, its work was revived, the most
,o+;ya mart Of its career beginning in 17Sf |
Ranianlia franklin about that time was
lis President, and later Benjamin Rush a leac-
7ce member In 1890 the Society addressed
:, memorial to Congress urging action IN favor
or the elevation and amelioration OF the BLACK
race For the next half century II employed
avery means of aiding the negro. After the
passage OF the Fugitive State law, IN 1891, the
:, ,cisty was particularly energetic in assisting
f1aitiye slaves, devoting its lebors to the
Southern borders Of Pennsylvania, along the
MARYLAND line. Through the agency OF this
society and its representatives., fugitive slaves
we're assisted beyond the reach Of capture
Tie paragraph is quoted from Washing
son dispatch dated April ID, relating to the
yisi, of Hon. Henry Wilson, Vice President,
to Philadelphia, to attend the celebration OF
the one hundrelih anniversary OF the found
ing of what is claimed to be the first society
which had for its object the emancipation Of
negro slaves.
L. 1875 the society represented the peculiar
aenets of the Friends, or Qnakers, religious
and social fraternity never very numerous
ont Of Pennsylvania and New jersey. They
opposed slavery, not because the slaves in
the colonies were Africans, not because the
condition of slaves in Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, New York and New England appealed
particu' arly to their humane sympathles but
chiefly because it was inconsistent with their
Quaker creed that one OF their fellow-men
should have power over the action and will OF
another, or that any man should be called
master, or otherwise be put above his fellow
man. /. is a notable fact tina. the Friends
were almost unanimously opposed to slavery.
even when residents in the States where
slavery was fully sanctioned by law, and
almos. universally approved by al!
other citizens. The abolitionism Of
Quakers was part OF the Quaker latin
and REPRESENTED in no manner the sentiments
Of their co.emporaries. Sixty years after the
time when Benjamin Franklin, Quaker,
presided over this society, popular sentiment
in that State was almost universal against the
A,oltionists, who were regarded then as pes
Silent gangs of asitators, malicious dlsturDers
Of tie peace vio.ators Of the implied oollSa-
ton, OF the Constitution of the United States,
and persons bent on causing civil STRIFE. In
the same meeting houses where the ses-
sio.ls Of the anti-slayery society of HUNDRED
years go were held without the least him
draace. anti-slavery meetings IN 1888 ? or
4 would have been in danger of violent as
sault and dispersion. \ hundred years ago
there were emanc;pationists III every colony
ia America VINO held, uttered and acted on
Jheir convictions without molestation or re-
monstranco; but forty years ago the agitation
m the North of the anti-slavery discussion
was considered to be hostile to union, peace
and concord among the States. At the later
date negro slavery had become exinguished
IN the Northern States, and hence at that
time agitation was leve!ed altogether
against the institution as it continued to
exist IL the Southern States. The agitation
had the effect in the North to arouse the
bitter and vehement opposition by great
majority of the inhabitants against Adolf
tionists, who began to be hated and feared in
the South in proportion to their constantly
increasing numbers. This agitation spread
Hu ho action
the majority at elections, while the reac-
tionary and autagonistic feeling in the South
grew and strengthened until it became nearly
universal.
The conduct of Abolitionists was especially
lifted to anger and intlame the people of the
southern States, and in nothing so much as
IN the aid, comfort, concealment, advice and
symrathy given to the fugitives from slavery
in known violation of the law. Resistance to
the return of fugitives is an item OF the
record of Abolitionists of which their
descendants now boast, but it will not for
= moment he believed that Benjamin Frank
lin or the Quaker emancipationists over whom
he presided would steal the slaves from a
Rhode Island whaler, o South Carolina
schooner, New York packet ship, or
West India merchantmen.
What would have been the result if the
sllvehoiding States Of the South had been let
alone IN the matter of slavery can only be
copiectured. Sentiment in favor OF emanci-
patton was steadily increasing. especially IN
the border States, until abolitionism IN the
North became violent and formidable. But
for Northern agitation and hostility, plans
looking to the eventual elimination OF African
slavery would no doubt have been put in
operation in Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky
and Missouri thirty years ago, where their
success would have prompted an imitation OF
the example farther South, so that before the
close Of the current century the Southern