New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-15
CENTENNIAL OF AMERICAN ABOLIT1ONIsM

OPENING OF THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE
PENNsYLvANIA ABOLITION soCrEY-ADDREss BY
y1Cy-pREsIpESr wnsoN-HIsToRICAL SKETCH BY
DR. WILLIAM ELDER-LILCoLN's MEMCET At
Tackled AND DEFENDED.
PHILADELPHIA, April 14.-The centennial
celebration Of the of the Antsavery Society
began this morning in Concert Hall. In the addresses
and letters the importance OF maintaining the orSanF
ton OF the Society was strongly urged, an"
new career of usefulness ard greatness IN ana
ing to elevate the negro and 10 secure for
him fuller equality, mapped out President
Wilson called the assembly to order and in snort az
drcss stated the character the meeting and the history
OF the Society the organization of which ths days cere
monies COMMUNICATED. He sketched the growth
progress, and triumph of the principles advocated Ny
the abolition aoceties the American Colonies, and SUD
seauently in the United States. The NiceIresident
asserted that investigations substantate the
clahn OF the Pennsylvania Abolition Society
that IL il tho oldest Society OF TINS
character in the world Through is entire history large
proportion OF its members nave pen acav ana
pended during the Of the revolution The vlrs
President states that after the war however s
was revived the most active part OK if career negng
in I794. benjamin Franklin about that une vas , Jus
pS@ss4 In and 1890 "i the society
nal TO Congress urging acton IL, IN iacGr race
For the next half century it employed every means Of
aiding the negro After the passage OF the Fusltys
southern borders OF Pennsylvania. along the MARY anu
e rive slaves we're assisted beyond
The President feared that there Was counter reVo
uswe mean taat , te Sppnce,ort and forever
in1 nv the Hutchinson family Dr. william Elder deliV
cred eloquent review OF the career OF Inc sycey s
its organization. Frederick Douglas lOo"en aM eaa
lie sentiment. To create this sentiment moss ne NV
around him must put the Old AniSiaVefy engines 10
Work. ,. ,,,,,,o,,
After remarks by Lucretia Mott and Charles
c. Burlegh the afternoon SESSION ciose'' Az
the Convention reassembed at Bethel tco-
ored) Church. Bishop Campbell presided ana
prayer WAS offered by the Rev. Mr.. Baldwin OF
New York Mrs. F. W. Harper the colorcd poetess,
oe eloauenty OF the changes which had occurred since
she slave sought in vain for free soil IN PennsyVSna
u a. rre from the lakes to the gulf The great ques
tiou for the cOorcd people TO consider was not l
dc for them but What they could them
selves. Their work was srandy Ths ro1ored
race could 50 compel the respect which Is Their
right The speaker urged efforts To- create an nc
@ Finn Wright and prof j. ~ Langston of Washington,
A6by Kelly Foster madS bitter attack upon the me
mory Of Abraham lincoln announcing that she was an
iDonoclast and meant to down idol More
slaves were returned, she declared, during
iincon's Administrator than during any of
career AZ President which tended show that he
ceCed % emancipation matter OF policy ana NOT OF
nrinciple she dragged into unvecome and inappropr
ate prominence object being apparently TO show that
nobody but the original uncompromising aoontOnsts
dcsrryed any gratitude confidence from tic negroes
After this une pected blast there was loud call Tor
Henry wilson, VINO "a: upon the platform He declared
that Abraham Lincoln was as true an AMI Anil !,
slavery man in 1881 az any one present
tonight Lincoln said must have the
pcoIe with MS; we must whip up the wheel,
borses and hold I'm the leaders and carry The load
through He did carry through because CIRCUMSTANCES
ard the needs Of the war, rather than the Anti
Slavery sentiment Of the country, SUSTAINED
the Emancipation Proclamation. Perhaps he made
nIstasrs All public did. Seward had
been criticized but his services to the cause or freedom
were Understandable Chase m onc n GrceIey per
haps erred but the value OF his Efforts TO, for
nbcrty through a series Of years was incacuIne ne
lesson OF duty OF the hour IN view OF the RAPID thnp2
OF our ranks by loss OF such men a. these WI tt
ne should step 10 the verge influence and power
IN carry ont the work and Instruct and elevate the col
ored men of the country and the whites or the
south degraded by slavery. The speaker wished
ali who once were Republicans were 80 still, ana That all
woud stand together to maintain through victory de-
Feat the principle OF equal rights to all Several other
speakers followed and Il nearly midnight when the
meeting adjourned.