New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-09

did not prove quite satisfactory, and its
form was changed at the end of the first
year. The first officers of the society were (:
Arnold Buffum Ia Quaker, President; First
Vice-President George G.. Odiorne, Boston
merchant; Second Vice President, Alonzo
Lewis, the Lynn Bard p Corresponding Secretary.
VIM. Lloyd Garrison Recording Secretary, Joshua
Coffin antiquarian (Whittiers schoolmasterl; Treas
urer, Michael Fl. Simpsons Councillors, Moses
lhachsr, John L. Fuller. Oliver johnson, Robert
Is. Hall. Benjamin G. Bacon and Samuel E. Sewall.
These were respectable, but neither eminent nor
popular names, and remember how their insignif-
canoe was often contrasted with the long list Of
statesmen and diyines that constituted the official
board of the Colonization Society. 1t was thought
to be excessively ludicrous that a small association
OF " nobodles" should be talking Of aboIishing
American slavery, when the great body of the people
believed that the scheme utterly impracticabe.
The Rev. Joshua N. Danforth. agent of tine Coloni-
cation Society, often took occasion TO at the
men with more blood than brains" who, under
the lead of Arnold Buffum, Z" the Quaker halter"
had undertaken a job from which the great states
men and dvlnes OF the country shrank in utter dis
may. In the then state of public opinion such APP
peals to prejudice were exceedingly effective. Bat
those who made them should have remembered the
words OF Paul; The foOlishness of God is wiser
than men and the weakness OF God is stronger
than men. Not many wise men after the
ilesh' not many mighty not many noble arc called;
but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world
to oonfound the wise and God hath chosen the
weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty and base things of the world,
and things which are despised, hath God chosen,
yea. and things which are not to bring to nou yht
things that are; that flesh should glory in His
presence"
As the little company that formed the new society
were stepping out into the storm and darkness from
the African schoolhouse, where their work
complished, Mr. Garrison impresslvely remarked
>" We have met tonight in this obscure school
house our numbers are few and our influence Inn
tied but. mark my prediction, FaneuIl Hall shall
ere long echo with the principles have set forth.
We shall shake the Nation by their mighty power"
| well remember those words as they fell from the
lips of great leader, but am indebted for their
preservation to my friend, the late Benjamin G. Ba-
con, among whose private memoranda they were
found after his death, and who doubtless wrote
them down shortly after they were uttered. How
well the prophecy they contain has been fulfilled l
need not say.
If our cause, like Christianity, started with the
union OF twelve men. so also our twelve, like that
Of Jesus, had It's one traitor. The man to whom
alludo was then a theological student After en-
tering the ministry he found the of abolition
ism too heavy BEAR it nerfered withhis clerl-
cal ambitions, and so he threw it of. 1t was not
long afterward that he was compelled by charges
affecting his moral character to leave the ministry
He did not however, like Judas, 20 out and hang
himself, but after some years got elected to Con-
gress az a J." Know-Nothing." | am glad to say that
while member of thar body he so far returned to
the faith of his earlier years as to vote night upon
the anh-slayery issues of the time
The first thing which the new society did was to
make an appeal In puolc address to the people OF
New-England. That appeal was written by the
Rev. Moses Thacher one OF the original twelve"
and the litor Of The Boston telegram. In theology
he was of the school Of Emmons, aud he welded
powerful pen. The address was alike strong Ill ar
gument aud fehcItous in style, and Tilted In every
way to stir the heart of the reader. Mr.. lhacher
subsequently left New-England and became min
lister of the Presby terian Church. in whose service
he died about two years ago.
On the Fourth of July, 1881, the church of which
Dr. Beecher was the pastor held morning meeting
for prayer, and the Doctor made address, exhort-
ing his hearers TO support the Colonization Society,
and sneering at " the few foolish whites who were
opposing it, and advocating the immediate enamel
patton of the slaves, reckless of consequences
The good Doctor thought 1t quite feasible to deport
tina whole black population OF the United States to
Africa, but rdIculed as lmpTacticable the idea OF
emaucpatng the slaves upon tine soil. Mr. Garrison,
who was a member of the congregation, answered
him in The Libfrd'or in part as follows:
After ALL think viii be easy to prove that the Doc
tor is moi more sapipnt Immediate abOlitiOnsts
never knew 10 b. wise enough IN hs pulpit 10 tel
ms hearers tuat II they habItualY guilty Of drunk
enness of * rcsng cruelty, OF stealing pr"pert OF
committing adultery, they must refrain from tntse
crimes gradually, aud at uncertain, Indefinite.
ref S4Cu
consceuces anu dCe tEe ears OF druukards, tyrahs,
thieves an DC baueuees but il would hardly be toer
aeI even floIn tnc lips Lyman Bercler by tue wor-
sbUners in BUwdOiu Street Westinghouse NOW slavery
l. yil,t on OF every natural ugdt; II is system OF
robbery adultery, cruelty aud murder, and lis perpetu-
,ty Justly poses Na1on 10 tde wrath OF hefVeH.
VI ne il 0oisn in tne Doctors estimation, who tells
toe sayenoders 10 leave Of at once, ana 10
be- to-day, honest and humane men. For me, cannot
listen 10 any proposal for raiua abolition OF wicked
Mr.. Garrison also reminded the Doctor that among
the foolish whites who were - madly calling
for the immediate abolition OF slavery might he
reckoned a very large majority of the wlsest and
best men in Great Britain, including Clarkson, VIII
berforce. Brouqham, Washington, Stephen ana
OConnell and the most eminent clergymen OF all
denominations | refer to this only as illustrating
the way in which the contest between the aDol-
tionsts and the Church went on for IN reality Dr.
Beecher spoke for the latter as really as MT Uarr-
son did for the former Their encounter was but an
eDitOme OF the WnOic aTguntub oSN"SCh 'HO WV
p.rtles. and which of them has most occasion to
bush IN view of tue record it is needless to say.
Alter what have said of the degeneracy OF the
Roston clergy in those days. 1t is pleasant to record
the fact that Ralph Waldo Emerson, then pastor of
q Unitarian church IN that city. on Sunday evening"
Nav 30, had the courage to open his pulpit for the
delivery of sermon on slavery by the Rev. Samuel
J. May. What powerful Influence Mr. Emerson
afterward exerted in moulding the public opinion
that led to the abolition of slavery every Intelligent
American knows.
THE CANAL TRAFFIC.