The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1875-11-26
THE WORLD MOVES.

I
Gus thorny seed time never succeeded
by peaceful harvest. Though the his
tory Of the anti-slavery movement is
plain contradiction to these assertions,
it is history apparently little conned,
certainly imperfectly understood, by
this class Of persons.
Let US glance back to the 21st day of
October, 1885. Forty years, with their
changing vicissitudes, have not erased
from the memory of many yet living
the scenes Of that day when the century
was yet young. Forty years ago the
21st of October, mob of gentlemen of
property and standing in the city of
Boston, broke up a meeting of the Fe-
male Anti-Slavery Society, dragged
William Lloyd Garrison through the
streets at the peril of his life, and finally
locked him up in prisoners cell.
We can scarcely, at this distance,
have an idea of the absolute persecution
the early advocates of the abolition of
slavery endured. At that time political
parties and religious sects alike took
sides with slavery, while those who
held different views scarcely dared whis-
per them.
The ladies of the society mentioned
above having been denied the use of
several other halls, met that day in a
small room on Washington street, in
the same building 10 which was the Of
| flee of Mr. Garrison. The mob assem-
bled, packing the street densely, and Ut
tering various outcries. The ladies'
meeting had been called to order, and
clear above the din at times could be
distinguished the voice of the President,
Miss Mary Parker, as she thanked God
that while "there were many to modest,
there were none to make afraid.n Be-
ing after a time waited upon by the
mayor with an urgent request to retire
to their homes, as it was dangerous to
remain, the reply was given: "If this is
the last bulwark of freedom, we may as
well die here as anywhere" Speaking
of this scene, Wendell Phillips said:
"There is nothing braver than that in
the history of the Long Parliament or of
the Roman Senate"
Mr.. Garrison, in his account of the
disturbance, says it. was an awful, sub
lime, and soul-thrilling scene-enOugh,
one would suppose, to melt adamantine
hearts, and make even fiends of dark
ness stagger and retreat. Indeed, the
clear, untremulous voice of that Chris
tian heroine in prayer occasionally
awed the ruffians into silence, and was
heard distinctly even in the midst of
their Kisses, yells, and curses-for they
could not long silently endure the agony
of conviction, and their conduct became
furious. They now attempted to break
down the partition, and partially sue
ceeded; but that little band of women
still maintained their ground unshrink-
ingly, and endeavored to transact their
business. Two or three constables hav-
ing cleared the hall and staircase of the
mob, "the ladies adjourned to meet at
house of one of their number for the
completion of their business; but as
they passed through the crowd, they
were greeted with taunts, Kisses, and
cheers of moboeratic triumph"
An assault was now made upon the
door of the office in which Mr.. Garrison
sat writing. The sign from the office
was shattered into thousand pieces,
amid loud demonstrations of vengeance
from the franctic mob. Mr.. Garrison
thus describes his exit from his perilous
situation:
preceded by my faithful and beloved
friend, ]. R. c., 1 dropped from back
window on to a shed, and narrowly es-
capped falling to the ground. We en-
, tered into carpenters shop, through
which we attempted to get into Wilson's
Lane, but found our retreat cut off by
the mob. They raised shout as soon
as we came in sight, but the workmen
promptly closed the door, which kept
them at bay for time, and thus kindly
afforded me an opportunity to find some
, passage. We then went upstairs, and
finding vacancy in one corner of the
room, got into it, and a young man
! piled up some boards in front of me to
SDlelu III from OBSERVATION. In q lew
minutes several ruffians broke in.
: On seeing me, several of the rioters
; raised yell and furiously dragged me
, to the window with the intention OF
hurliDg me from that height to the
ground; but one of them relented and
said, Don't let us kill him outright.
So they drew me back and coiled q rope
about my person-probably to drag me
through the streets. / bowed to the mob,
and, requesting them to wait patiently,
went down upon ladder that was raised
for the purpose. L fortunately extri-
Gated myself from the rope, and was
seized by two or three powerful men, to
whose muscular energy am probably
indebted for my preservation. They led
/ me along bareheaded (for had lost my
hat through mighty crowd, ever and
anon shouting, He shan't be hurt p
You shan't hurt him p He is an
Americanv This seemed to excite SYM
, patby in the crowd, and they reiterated
, the cry, He shan't be hurt p I was
thus conducted through Wilson's Lane
into State street, in the rear of the City
Hall, and upon that consecrated spot
the ground of which was once stained
with the blood of the first martyrs in
the cause of liberty and independence
: by the memorable massacre of 1775,
3 was made an object of scorn and deris.
, ion. My body was denuded of q large
i portion of itS oOvorinur in tho proconco ~