Smyrna times., 1875-05-19
BUREAU or CORRENruNDENcE !
OF THE PANTARCHY.
- WEST 54TH STREET. ,
NEW York, Nav 9th. I%-5

from you, that | would communicates for
your journal q somewhat more extended
account of the incident called out from me
III my examination as witness in the
lllton- Bcccher case, relating to a commits
SION ! received from Gerrit Smith some
years ago, to negotiate for the abolition of
slavery i'll the State of Delaware. upon the
condition Of purchase. Mr.. Bacon said
that you thought that the recital Of the
1actS would be interesting to the people of
your State. They are however. vcry few
and simple, and mostly confined to what
stated in my evidence
1t was. | think, in the summer Of 1910.
possibly in the year 1850 The project
arose iii discussion between Nh. Smith
and myself in relation to the best methods,
OF operating for the overthrow of slavery.
Heleaned tomcrely morala agitttion anGordi-
nary Political action; advocated strategy
and diplomacy. as we'll / ,lo not rcinelu-
ber whether ii was he or myself VINO first
drew attention to the Anomalous. ANA -. il
| were pivotal position of the State Of Della
/ ware, III respect To- the balance. ot power
| between the Slaveholdng and the free.
/ States. and to the fact that. POSSIBLY. her
situation might be made The. KEY of tl,,
! position i'll the whole anti-sluypry warfare
At all events we jointly collated the fact.
that there were then exactly fifteen slave
| holding and fifteen free state, in the Union.
| giving thirty Senators for each section of
| the country. leaving still tie in the Senate.
II all the free States should come to act n,
a unit upon questions a:irrtilic slavery
within the scope Of the powers Of Congress
AS the slaveholding States were. certain,
! to do; that the balance would b, broken
up, if Il single State could be detached
from its committal by the nature Of it,
! Institutions to the South; that the lttlc
! State Of Delaware was the one Of the
/ slave States least attached in that man
/ nrr To the south. srmi-frcc State in
fact: that is Pccuniary and sentimental
interests in slavery were very Slight: that
its small size would render it easily anon
able 20 influcnc" and 80 forth.
Thee" facts as th.y were brought homo
to the mind Of Mr.. Smith. impressed him
very strongly. and after studying the qucs.
I ti"n som" day-. or weeks. perhaps. he sur
, lriSe'i lnr i,Y the proposition that should
90 down 70 Delaware and cautiously sound
TIA" ImbIic opinion Of the Statesmen and in
I fuential people OF that state with regard
TO their willingness to relieve. tho State
4 ..,l,.
l"c"uigTY compensation. lie estimated
that !i'r" were. in round numbers. 1000
slaves only III the State. that 5000, or at
most $3.50 head wou!d be the commercial
vllu" of those slaves including the vounr
and th" aged. making an aggregate sum of
$40O.0OO or $j0O.000 lie said that if
found that the project would be entertained
at all by the people OF the State, was to
endcavor to induce the State to co-opc-
rate in til" plan by its own aid by aIpro-
Fflatlng som" portion Of this sum: L.t that
was not to be a @;"c 9n, nam. If tho whole
amount should have to be raised at the
North, be would issue subscription list
heading Il himself with a subscription Of
v.
of "ne-half the amount. He enlarged
greatly on the moral effect which would be
produced in favor of the total abolition of
slavery in the other border States bv the
example Of Delaware
! went first to Wilmington and imne-
di"tcly made visit to Senator CLAYTON.
wholn ! had known slightly IN Washington,
and vino was, perhaps, the mort prominent
citizen of the State. | exhibited my Gre
dcntials and opened to him the nature of
my mission. He was greatly surprised.
very cautious in his manner of expression
III treating of the proposition, hut evidently
much interested in it. lie could hardly
credit the assertion that Mr. Smith was |
ready to invest Il quarter Of million in this |
matter OF mere bcnevolrnce and with no |
view to any pecuniary return. He WAS
courteous and kind. He gayeme advice os |
to how | should proceed He named
several prominent men whom it would be |
well for me to see at once and before anv |
public proceeding, and think that I met
two or three such persons along with him
the day following, but at this point nv
memory grows cloudy. was attacked ly
fever, and ! think the fever was already
upon me- was received into the hospita |
bic household of Mr.. Jas. Webb. of vii. |
mington, Il ci dcoam Quaker, and then an |
abolitionist My life was probably saved |
| by the kindness that | experienced in that |
annable family. My recovery, after three
or four weeks, was followed by an imme-
date relapse, from too early an attempt to
resume my mission, and at this second
attack ] was reduced to the borders of the
grave, remaining still in the charge of my
good friends, the Webbs On my return
home still fingered for many more weeks
and it was more, | think, than four months
before | was able to visit Mr.. Smith, at
Perterboro, and report to him in person,
announcing my readiness, if required to re.