New-York tribune., 1879-11-22
THE FALL OF SLAVERY.
XVII.
RECOLLECTIONs OF AN ABOLITIONIsT.

The National Convention, wheh met III Ihiia-
delphia Dec. 4, 1888, To form the American Anu
Slavery Society, very remarkable body OF men,
aud its proceedings were of the highest interest
and importance from their bearing upon tie pro-
grcss of he cause and the welfare Of the Nation.
II was composed of sixtytwo delegates from eleven
different states. Without a single exception, be-
licve they werc Christian men, most of them mem
hers. and dozen ministers of evangelical or
orthodox churches. Only two or three of the small
denomination of Unitarans were presontbut Oneoi
these, the late Samuel j. May, was host in him.
self. Both branches of the Society of Friends,
Orthodox and Hicksite, were represented. l was
not myself member OF the Convention. Before 1t
was called cfi Boston for visit to Ohio under
circumstances which made lay Attendance inpos-
sbe. This to me has beea subject Of lifelong
regret, for no public gathering daring the whole
anti-slavcry struggle was more memorable than
this. IL was composed OF men most of whom had
never seen each other before. but who were drawn
together by convictions and purposes as high rs
any that ever animated the human soul. They
were of one heart and one mind their bond of union
beng the common love of freedom which the
founders of the Republic declared TO be nalienabc,
and which Is of the very soul aud substance of
Christianity; "A common hatred of a system which
made merchandise of humanity and n common
to deliver their country from such crime and
curse. They knew that they were undertake
ing no holiday task. They saw the black
cloud that was gathering around them
and heard the muttcrings of the storm that
was SO soon to burst upon their devoted heads.
Philadelphia, then Southern city IN its sympha-
thies, met them with angry frowns. The press
tecmcd with misrepresentation and menaccs that
fell upon the Southern ho;-bloods gathered in the
medical schools and upon other mobocratic ele-
mcnts of the population, as sparks upon tindeF.
The very air of the city was sulphurous. ready at
any moment to burst into a devourng fame They
were officially warned 10 hold no evening meetings;
the Mayor could only assure them protection III the
Gaytimc This i'll the city OF lrOthorly Love-"
whence issued, but ffty-sevon years before. the
Declaration OF American Independence! In such
circumstances we need not wonder that some of the
delegates. at preliminary conference, resolved, if
possible, TO persuade some distinguished and we'll
known citizen Of the city, whose name might
be a shield, TO act as president Of the convention
Thomas Wister and Robert Naux two eminent phi
lanthrOpists Quakers both, successfully
waited upon, and earnestly enreated to accept the
position, but they both declined. Robert Naux was
the one last waited upon but though he was
profcssed Aboliionst he cOald not be persuaded to
face the gathering storm. When the committee
retired from his house they were conscious that
they had at least gone quito far in their search
for n distinguished presiding officer as their self
respect would allow; and Bcriah Green said, in
sarcastic tone: If there is not timber amongst
ourselves big enough to make president of let US
get along without one 60 home and stay there
till we have grown mp to be men,"
The delegates on their way to the Adelph Bulld-
ing, where the Convention was held, says Samuel
taII la l.1 wit in
suting words" AS they passed through the door,
guarded by body of policemen. and took their
seats in the hall, need not wonder If they were
awed by sense of the greatness of their task and
of their need of Divine help II may believe the
testimony of some who were present, the disciples
of Jesus, hen they were assembled together after
the crucixion, to consider what they should do for
the propagation of the Christian faith. We're no
moro oolomn tender prnycrful in t!ivir ,n"Od,
than were the members of this Convention in view
of the work before them. In such an hour men
forget all the petty differences of sect and party,
and remember only their humanity and the sacred
ness of their work. Says Samuel j. May: Never
have / seen men ready, 30 anxious to rid
themselves of whatsoever was narrow, selfish
or merely UNCONVENTIONAL If ever there was
PRAYING assembly, / believe that one"
After n fervent PRAYER in which all the members
the appointment of the Rev. Berah Green. of
Wbitesboro \. Y, as president and Lewis Tappan
and John G. Whittier rs secretarcs After free and
somewhat informal interchange OF thought, ii was
unanimously agreed that the time had come for The
organization OF a National Society, and committees
were appointed to draft constitution aud
nominate officers. The reports of these COM
mittees occupied the convention during tho
afternoon. The object of the new society.
as set forth in the constitution, was " the
entire abolition Of slavery the United States
While admitting that each State had exclusive
right to legislate i'll regard TO its abolition, 1t
avowed its aim 10 be to convince the people of the
Slave States by arguments addressed to their under
standings and consciences, that slavc-holdiDg was
henous sin against God, and that duty and safety
required its immediate abandonment. without
expatriati0n. Ii maintained the duty of Congress
to abolish slavery in the District OF Columbia, and
the trade IN slaves between the several States and
urged the duty of elevating the character and con-
dition of the free people of color. 1t pledged the
society, moreover, to discountenancc the use OF
force to secure the freedom of the slaves. From
this it VIII he that the society was fully aware
of all the limitations of the United States Constitu-
tion. and that it called npon the National Govern
ment to exercise only such powers in relation to
slavery as by the common consent of statesmen OF
all parties, up to that time. ii possessed 1t is i'm
porfant to observe this, since the Aboltionsts
charged by their opponents with an unintelligent
and reckless zeal that overleaped all the barriers OF
the Constitution. and would free the slaves by
means which that instrument forbade. The discus
sions in Congress and i'll the newspapers, so far as
our opponents were concerned. went on for years
upon tins false assumption. The shareholders and
their apologists knew that they wonld resist us
successfully only by appeals TO popular ignorance
and prejudice and by excitiQe wild clamor III the
midst of which the reasonableness Oh our purposes
and plans should be overlooked
But the constitution of the society ms an EXPOSE
tion of its PRINCIPLES. purposes and plans was