The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-06
THE DAILY STAR
CHARLES OSBORN vs.. LUNDY
AND GARRISON.
Interview With p. B. Osborn.


slavery movcmens contained in the arti-
Gle contributed to the Cincinnati Ga-
xette some time since by E. d. Mans
field, in which a claim was made that
Charles Osborn preceded Lundy and
Garrison, as champion of anti-savery,
having an opportunity, had the follows
ing interview with P. B. Osborn, son of
Charles Osborn, for years resident of
Clinton County.
Reporter-Mr. Osborn, some months
since we noticed an article from the pen of
L. d. Mansfield, in which he gives a
sketch of your fathers early work in the
cause of anti-slavery, in which also he
gives him precedence over Benjamin
Lundy or Lloyd Garrison as an advocate
of immediate and unconditional emanci-
patton. .
MIR. O.-Yes, sir, the article to which
you refer appeared last July and coming
to the notice OF Oliver Johnson he indited
letter to the Gazette in August in
which he affirms that "E. ID. NJ" is mis-
taken and that VIM. Lloyd Garrison was
the first man in this country to advocate
immediate and unconditional emancipa-
ton. But l am possessed of proof posi-
tive that fathers paper, the Philanthro-
pi,t published at Mt. Pleasant, O., dates
before Garrison's "Liberator" or Lundy's
";enius of Universal Emancipation."
Rep.--I see that Mr.. johnson, in his
letter to the Gazette, says: "But the
fact, if it is fact, can be demonstrated
only by quotations from Charles Osborn's
paper. Until such extracts are produced,
shall continue to believe, as have be-
lieved for fifty years. that William
Lloyd Garrison was the first man in the
United States to advocate immediate, in
distinction from gradual emancipation.
We must have the very words
OF Mr.. Osborn himself" Have you any
files of the Phianthropist containing
what Mr.. johnson calls for, viz: Some
thing from the pen of your father?
Here Mr.. Osborn produced yellow,
moth-eaten file of the Philanthropist dat
Ing from March q, 1918, to Septemb +
2. 1879.
Mr.. O.-Yes, l have files of the Phi
lanthropist. The first of the files, you
notice, is dated March Dist, 1878; and as
you see, this is vol. 2, No. 2. Now, if it
was published in six months volumes it
is more than likely the first copy ap-
peared in August 1917.
claim that this is the first paper pub
]shed in the United States that devoted
50 much of its space to the radical dis
cusson of the emancipation question.
While | have been unable to find in these
numbers of five months before me pas
sage advocating the immediate and un-
conditional abolition of slavery from his
own pen, in SO many words, | have
often heard him say that they had finally
taken his position on that subject, which
he had often preached to them they
would have to before they could stand
OH tennable ground.
Rep.-Whilc you say there are not
words saying Immediate and uncondi-
tional emanci patton, can that be inferred
=. from his writngsT'
Mr.. O.---Let me show you closing
passage of an article in the Philanthropist
on the "Slave Trade" and you can draw
your own differences:
But much remains to be done. The
system of slavery is acknowledged on all
hands to be an evil of the greatest magni-
tude x y and nsw is the time for
the advocates of freedom to exert them
selves to overthrow that colossal fabric
of despotism. y Let the enliyht-
enedp hilanthropist of either hemisphere
continue tqearry on the benevolent work
until they have finally accomplished the
same. \ y In the language of one
of the greatest orators of the present day
they will then have the satisfaction to
know that through their instrumentality,
large portion of their fellow creatures
are, politically speaking, Redeemed, re-
generated, and disenthralled by the gen.
Jus of universal enamel patton"
1t will be seen that the closing words
of the above, credited by Osborn to the
great Irish orator, may have suggested to
Lundy the name of his illustrious paper,
hut appeared in the 'Philanthropist"
three years before the publication of the
Genius of Universal Emancipation"
Rep.-Your father, being the edit
or of the "Philanthropist," was, of
course, responsible for all that appeared
in it?
Mr.. O.-Certainly; and articles ap-
pearing in the paper editorially were his
own as much as if written by his pen,
and generally were suggestions of his.
Reps there anything in the
paper to subs tantiate the tcstimonialist
quoted by Mansfield in his article in re;
gard toyour fathers opposition to coloni-
zation when first discussed?
Mr.. O.--Yes! there is an an article in
which he energetically opposes it. Here
it is. Among other objections he says:
"But the greatest objection to the plan
(colonization)' appears to be the proba.
bility that its popularity would power
fully tend to perpetuate slavery by keep
ing other expedients out of view."
This was in reply to various articles
addresses and letters appearing in the
"philanthropist" in favor Of the scheme