Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-26

occurred in Worcester, is an assault
made on noted anti-slavery speaker, in
the old town hall, SO years ago, by sun
dry emissaries of the slave power. In
the early days of the anti-slavery
movement, Aug. TO- 1855, as Rev. Orange
Scott, noted anti-slavery Methodist
preacher and lecturer, afterward bishop
was delivering an anti-slavery lecture In
the old town hall, it is q discredltable
fact, that two men-Levi Lincoln, Jr.,
and Patrick Doyle-entered and walked
directly to the desk. The former seized
the lecturers notes and tore them In
pieces. while Doyle took hold Of the lee
turer with the intention of dragging
him out. Several persons interfering,
he desisted, and the meeting was closed.
This was the second year of the or
ganization of the first Methodist church
in Worcester, and two years before the
first Methodist meeting house was built,
till which time the Methodists held their
meetings In the old town hall. The
Methodists were the first Of the old re-
ligious denominations to permit anti
slavery meetings in their meeting hou-
ses, and when the first Methodist house
was built on Exchange street, in 1887,
anti-slavery meetings used to be held
there, before other churches could be
secured for the purpose.
1t Is not at all likely that the words or
language used by Orange Scott against
slavery in 1885 were near 30 severe as
those afterwards used In the same place
by Charles Sumner, John P. Hale or
others, but the times Mad changed
An Indignation meeting val held at
the city hall on Saturday, May ~, 1854,
in consequence Of the seizure In Boston
of Anthony Burns, an escaped slave.
Speeches were made by Hon. w. w.
Rice, D. o. Martin, T. w. Hlgginson and
S. S. Foster. 1t was ''voted unanlm ous-
ly to lay aside all business on Monday
and proceed to Boston en- maSse to meet
the friends OF liberty from other places
and take counsel upon the emergencies
of the times" Nine hundred persons
went to Boston on the 2Tth, the writer
of this among the number, and on Mon
day, May 29th, there was q special train
with half price tickets, Of which a large
number took advantage, and there was
hot old time in the hub on that
occasion.
Louis Kossuth, the great Hungarian
patriot. in his tour through the country
In 1852, gave an address on the old
common, In the afternoon of April 26,
and in the evening at the city hall.
Thomas H Benton, United States SEN
ator from Missouri for thirty years, and
father-in-law of John G. Fremont, re-
puDllean candidate for president in 1856,
gave lecture at the city hall on the
evening of jan 21, 1857, on "The preser-
walton Of the federal union''
The noted English author, VIM M.
Thaca1eray, lectured at the city hall on
the evening Of Dec. 12 1856
Daniel Webster gave an address at the
City Hall on the evening of Nov 6, 1S4s
in behalf of the election of Taylor and
Fillmore, WING candidates for president
and vice president. The great statesman
was SO moderate and cool in his manner
and words, that no report of the speech
got into the papers A few weeks before
that at Arlington, he had said, THE
nomination OF Gen. Taylor for president
was one not fit to be made"
Father Mathew, the distinguished
Irish temperance advocate and reformer
arrived in Worcester Oct. 20, 1S49,
preached at the Roman Catholic Church
on Temple street on Sunday, Oct. 21. and
received signatures to the pledge at the
City Hall on Monday, Oct. %.
Capt Cushins spoke at democratic
meeting at the City Hall, Oct. IS, 1S4s,
| in support Of his election as candidate
| of the party for governor