New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-09-06
THE FALL OF SLAVERY.
RrCOILECTIONS OF AN ABOLITIONIST.
By OLIVER JOHNSON.
y
End OF TIE FIRST YE'R-A FRESH SUMMONS TO rnE

II The L5.ga;or during the first year II its exist
,nee failed to accomplish ali that its enthusiastic
Editor hoped il might. il vet succeeded in creating
n moral agitation of the question of slavery that
WIS not 20 cease until every bondman in the land
should be free. II il did more TO reveal the un-
reien,iug ard impacabc hostility OF the savehold-
els t. emancipation than TO awaken in the minds
OF the pie generally fixed and intelligent pur-
po-e 10 overthrow the slave system, it Is neverhe-
less true that il did important and Indispensable
preliminary work. and thus opened the way to
future success MI Garrison. 80 far from being DIS
MAYED by the denuncations and threats of his OPP
ponents, much encouraged. " The paper" he
said has succeeded beyond cur reasonable expec-
taticns. II was commenced without subscrbersrest-
ing It's permanency alone upon It's merits and il has
gradually but antly increased It's subscriptions
up 10 the present time. We now propose TO enlarge
il TO a royal size on the commencement Of the new
year. His address to his patrons is full of good
cheer and happy illustration of the spirit in which
the moveIner was begun and carried on 10 the end.
We have all" be said. " but one Object-the res
toratiOn of two millions of our fellOw-cOuntrymen.
who are now wearing the calling fetters of slavery,
10 equal ghts and privileges, not by physical force,
but moral suason not by milan mataTy appeals to
the bad passions of men. but by calm. pungent and
rational addresses 20 their understandings and
consciences We do not" be continues. IL
that deserve 10 ne remembered ~
afording REPUTATION Of current caium-
MICS swish to emaucipate the slaves at the
expense Of the happiness and safety of the Planters
our benevoence embraces the whole population;
our aim is ~ promote public well as private good
We are not vindictive ia feelings toward the
Shareholders their crimes we aboginate their
situation pity. their blindness deplcre. We see
them hurrying themselves, and tneir Victims, ana
lis. and our country-along with the hopes of the
Il .fr~ 4F ltnFtt %
rs 10 the world. posterity. TO God, forbds US 10
hold our peace. We must. we will be heard;
apathy now is death-silence is treason-despair Is
CRIMINAL We propose TO continue our efforts
another wear, and go long He who IS the avenger
Of the oppressed shall deem our instrumeutality
useful. We ask you all 10 stand by us; give
strength and pernauency 70 The Librator let the
light Of truth blaze yet more intensely upon the
thick darkness of our lant stiie not the voice OF
humanity justice, religion; suffer the trumpet OF
alarm 20 sound long and loud, that it may be heard
from the East 70 the West. from the North to the
South. everywhere rousng the sluggish, inspirting
the timid. encouraging the active, and uniting in
one noble army the friends OF the Countrywide
friends alike Of master ana slave, the friends Of
God - shall fetters fall. and the fabric of
oppression t0tter to the earth. and the song OF
rejoicing be heard on earth and in heaven and they
who once were deadly enemies shall embrace as
friends and all wrongs be forgotten and every man
sit under his own vine and hg tree, with none TO
mo.est or make him AFRAID"
Is not this grand and noble conception Of the
purposes of the anti-slavery movement Does 1t
not indicate a sound Judgment as well as a pure
heart Ii this is fanatlcism, where the records
of human speech shall we look for wisdom II
this Il nfdelity. where shall we look for
empihcation of the Christian spirit Oh. If this
earnest appeal the hearts and cOnsciences Of the
American people had been heard and needed, and
caught up and reeshOed from pulpit and press. and
in the churches and legislative assembesot the land
what of precious human blood might have been
spared! And If the conception Of the objects sought
was noble, were not the instrumentaht.es by which
they were to be achieved such also should have
commended them TO the Judgment of enlightened
menf " Make your memory" exclaimed the great
leader Of the cause. make your memory store
house of arguments. and ag1tate the subject Of
slavery on every suitable occasion, and among all
classes Of people. Discourse, write debate, intame
about it, Ever carry the torch OF truth 10 lluuine
the moral darkness. and let your watcbword be
IMMEDIATE ABOLITION. BE not afraid of the result;
talking viii create zea-zeal, neutrality-suspicious.
will drive men to inQuiry-inquiry Will induce con-
viction-conviction will lead to actiOn-action Will
demand union-and then viii follow victory"
Verify the light of the last fifty years has not served
II make much clearer either the principles or the
methods of reform, and the men of the present
generation may well sit at the feet of Garrison. 10
be instructed how to deal with great public evils.
have already alluded to the Nat Turner insur-
rection OF August, 1881 {; but mention II again 10
call attention 10 the great debate 70 which II led ID
the Virginia Legislature, In the session of ls31-32
That debate was remarkable for the confessions it
elected as 10 the character and the cruel wrongs of
slavery and for the utter moral helplessness IN
dealing with il exhibited by the leading men of the
State. Nothing that Garrison had said could say
of the evils Of slavery exceeded what Shareholders
themselves con fessed in the course of this debate
M. Broadna1 forgetting that the people Of Virginia
had brought IT upon themselves in defiance Of Gods
law described IL ~ the greatest curse that God in
lis wrath ever inflicted upon people" Dir. Boiling
sand II was "the bane of our happiness, the most
pnlcious of all the evils with which the body pO-
lite can lie afflicted Mr.. Chandler declared II TO
be 1.-THE greatest curse that has ever been in
hicted upon the State" Mr. Moore said il was 1.-THE
severest calamity that has ever befaen any portion
of the human race and that its irresistible ten
dencv was 10 undermine and destroy everything
like virtue and morality in the community" Nj.
Eau kn.r spoke Of II as that bItterest drop from
the chaiice of the destroying angel" and said the
country was groaning under the heaviest and black
e>t curse that ever afflicted freemen." Mr. Summers
wished 10 arrest the desolating scouTge OF our
country 10 save from after ages the accumulated Ills
OF a then hopeless and remediiess disease Mt. ber-
~ said 1T was a cancer on the body polite as
TAIN steady, and fatal IN its progress as any cancer
on the physical system = and Mr.. Mcdowell, after
ward Governor Of the State. saii n not the
fear Of Nat Turner and mis- deiuded, drunken hand
ful o4 70 lowers that had excited the peOpe-'It
was the suspicion eiernaliy attached iotheslave him.
self suspicion that a Nat Turner might be In