The sun., 1883-12-30
TIE regular circulation of Tile Sun for III,
meek c,din0 Dec 90 1888, 1rds:
Not Fifty Years Ago.

statue OF HARRIET MARTINEAU was un-
vciled last Wednesday at the Old South
Meeting House in Boston, The ceremony
drow together n cultivated audience which
dlled that historic temple and addresses
were made by Mr.. WENDELL PHILLIPS,
WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON Jr., and others.
ut is atonemcnt day in Boston" said MIR.
GARRISON; and all the speakers dwelt on the
great change in public feeling which was OK
pressed by the erection in Boston of a statue
of HARRIET MAHTrNEAU.
When that Engishwoman came to the Uni
tod States in 1891, she was welcomed as wri-
ter of great reputation. who was especially de-
serving Of distinction because of her services
In behalf of tho political and philant hropic
reforms in which the serious mon of that day
wcro Interested. Boston was ready to do her
honor, for 1t was then the scat Of literary nc-
tivity. and humanitaranism was said to be-
held In high esteem there.
But the Boston OF those days, though fond
enough of philanthropy i'll general, was bit
terly opposed to that particular sort oi phi
lanthropy which desired In" abolition of
slavery. 1t was morDidiy sensitive as to that
matter; and anybody suspected OF abolition
ism was put under II soca! ban. out-and-
out abolitonists wcro even mobbGd; and Il
u,an who had yenturcd to predict that tho
negro slaves would be voting in this free and
glorious republic within generation would
have been regarded as a crazy fanatic, or at
least pcstilcnt disturbcr Of all that was safe
in politics. society, and religion.
1t SO happened that HARRIET MAETINEAU
passed through Boston in 1885 on day when
the respectable citizens were too much alb
/Sbcd In special piece OF business TO pay
fmuch regard to her at tho moment. They
had assembled in State street. not far from
Euncuil Hall, the Cradle Of Liberty for the
purpose of mobbng WILLIAM LLOYD GAR
RISoN, the abolitionist leader. and hanging
him on Boston Common. Miss MARrISEAU
was alarmed by the tumult, the cause Of
which she could not make out. When she
reached her destination. she inquired of her
host what il all meant and was horror struck
to learn the truth, which had pre- yiously been
kept from her. He assured her. however,
that there could he no harm from such
gathering, for at was not IA mob, but col
lection of gentlemen" The responsibility of
BosLonabhorrcd an abolitiunist in those days.
But Miss MARrlSEAU took pains to go to
meeting of anti-slnvcry women which had
asscmblcd in Il private parlor because of fear
of the mob, and there briefly expressed her
eympathy with them. So doing, she COM
llttcd an objectionable sin in the eyes of re-
ipcctaLlc Boston. After the few words she
said at the meeting" Mr.. WENDELL PILL
LIPS told the audience on Wednesday, the
friends who entertained her were ostIacized.
for no ono would enter their house, although
they were not tainted with abolitionisin.
Such was the lawlcssncss of that day that
she was obliged to forego The Western Jour-
aey which she had planned. because she was
told il would not be safe for her to enter the
State of Ohio, where she would surely be
lynchcd."
And all that took place at a time within the
memory of many living men! Yet it seems
now like u story of the Dark Ages.