Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-07-18

utsroR1cAL JorTINos-THE EARLY ABOLITION
lists, &C.


lists, &C.
2. Eastman of Chicago, the gentleman who
established the "Vermont Free Press" here
in 1884, returning after an absence of ~
YEARS. met the descendants of his co-workers
Of that early day at Union hall on Wednes-
day evening, 9th inst, and made them n brief
address upon practical temperance and the
universal and widespread influence of intern
pernnce with the views and practices upon
the subject in England and on the continent
Of Europe lie then turned to that subject
which the death of William Lloyd Garrison
has brought to the public mind, namely. the
anti-slavery movement, and gave n very in
tcresting narrative of its rise and growth in
the country, giving many facts of local his
torica interest, graphically describing an in
teryiew between b. NJ. Field, o. L. Shafter
and himself upon the receipt of the news of
the murder of Lovejoy and the destruction of
his press by the mob. Mr.. Field, il seems,
was firm believer in the Jacksonian democ-
racy Of the hour, and failed not to use his
caustic powers of speech upon the abolition
lists in terms not to be misunderstood. Young
Shafter was equally imbued with the then
new doctrines of emancipation, and had writ
ten and published n series of articles in the
Free Press under the title, as the African
Negro Man ?" The abolitionists at that
time were the extremists of the day they
were the unpopular element of society, scott
ed ut by both the leading political parties of
the time aud their first county convention
held at the court house in Fayetteville, in
1887, was as thinly attended MS certain later
gatherings of the kind under the Democratic
banner have been. The elite of Brattleboro.
Newfane and Townshend did not attend, ex-
ccpt a few as curiosity seekers. Its men,
bers were mninly from the hill towns. But
all who entered the convention listened to n
stirring address from Ichnbod Codding, a stu
dent from Middlebury college, who short
time previous had preached the first abolition
sermon in the county at Jamaica. Such was
the cloquence and magnetic power of the
man that his course soon attracted the atten-
ton Of the college faculty, who put him un-
der the ban of censure for such intolerable
cTrontery to the time-honored dignity of the
institution. There had been associated with
Mr. Eastman on his paper n young man by
the name of Buttcrfeld from Massachusetts,
and John +. Wheeler of this town; and as
the paper had proved financial failure, the
trio were free to drift with the floating west
ward tide of emigration, and in the course of
time landed together in Michigan, and from
thence jourueyed on to Chicago, where
Wheeler and Butterfeld found work at their
trade. Eastman continued his travels, and
hat tba nF
the "Gcnius Of Universal Emancipation" at
Lowell on the Vermllion river (the only Alb
clifton paper in all the Vest, was in want of
a printer, thither he bent his steps, and soon
found himself installed in charge of the sheet,
which by the sudden death of Mr.. Lundy,
Aug. %, 1889, fell into his hands, and right
royalty has he worn the mantle of his worthy
predecessor being one of the founders of the
Underground Railroad, whose first passenger
was run through to Canada the following fall.
In 1912 he removed his paper to Chicago,
where it soon became a power in the land,
making itself felt to such an extent that upon
the accession of Mr.. Lincoln to the Presiden-
tial chair, Mr.. Eastman was appointed con-
sui to Bristol, England. where he remained
with credit to himself and his country eight
years. John Wheeler became the founder of
the Chicago Tribune, and Ichabod Codding,
who followed in the wake of his frie nd East
man, became one of the most powerful and
stirring anti-slavery speakers of the West
one whom Salmon P. Chase pronounced a
very prince of orators and the most powerful
speaker that he ever heard He and John
Wheeler are among the honored dead, having
left names that will long be remembered by
the friends of liberty throughout the West