The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-17
REV. DR. BACON'S ADDRESS
4 ANII-SLAVERY MOVEMENT XXTEN-
 SIZE BEFORE GARRISON.
The Contest in Missouri and Illinois Healthy Movement in the south Agi- tatiOn in Park Street Church., Boston Garrison Pre-eminently Bitter.

tatiOn in Park Street Church, Boston
 Garrison Pre-eminently Bitter.
 The regular meeting of the New Ha-
 ven Colony Historical society was held
 last evening in the Society's building on
 Grove street. Rev. Leonard w. Bacon,
 D. D., of Norwich, and formerly of this city, read a paper on ''The Anti-Slavery
 Movement Before Garrison" The in-
 formation relating to the movement
 from 1920 to 1920 was less full than is desired On one hand, it would seem
 that the country was in a state of gen
 eral apathy concerning the wrongs i'1-
 flicted on the African race in our own country and in Africa. The reverend
 doctor quoted from the writings or
 Garrisons biographer statements writ
 ten to bolster up this impression. He
 then proceeded to demonstrate, from
 records printed before the advent or
 Garrison on the scene, the extent Of the
 anti-slavery movement as 1t existed m
 the early twenties of 1900. Although
 the partisans of Garrison would have
 us believe that the press dared not pub
 fish anything on the subject, and the
 pulpit feared to utter anything antago-
 nistic to that institution, there were
 newspapers and widely circulated
 pamphlets issued and men in the pull
 pit, who afterwards became famous,
 who consistently decried the national
 shame of slavery before Garrison, Oli-
 yer Johnson and Wendell Philips
 preached against slavery, In Massa-
 chusetts Jeremiah Everett unceasingly
 worked for the abolition of slavery, The
 fight over the admission of Missouri as a slave state showed how the anti-slav- cry movement had spread. There were, at about 1920. anti-slavery organizations
 scattered throughout the southern states. These societies were composed of moral, intelligent and cultivated men who were constantly working for slav- ery's abolition. Henry Clay, who led the fight in congress for the admission of Missouri as a slave state, did so de- claring his detestation of slavery IT he was sincere in his assertions it was ample proof of the growing extent or the anti-siavery movement. If he was not sincere it was greater proof, be- cause it showed the state of public opinion of the nation in regard to slaV- cry as estimated by the pro-slavery ele- ment.
 Missouri was admitted as a slave state, but in North Carolina and Ten nessee the anti-slavery movement was growing beyond all precedent Cross 1 ing over to Illinois we find her in one ] of the most strenuous ant-slavery struggles flnown in our history. And what is still more remarkable, the state was settled mostly by people from the slave states of the south, as was Mis- souri. In eighteen months the contest ended in complete defeat for the pro- slavery element. This was In August, 1924 Indiapa. and Ohio were involved in the same controversy. In the Park street church in Boston there were an- nual anti slavery meetings held on theF Fourth of July. These meetings were mostly by Methodist and Congregational ministers, and were ini- tiated by young man fresh from An dover, Rev. Dr. Leonard Bacon Gather of the speaker).
 These impassionate addresses were emulated elsewhere. In 1926 in New Haven, Rev Leonard Bacon Edward Beecher Theodore D. Woolsey and Al exander Twining organized a society and set about working along three diff ferent lines at once to bring about the abolition of slavery.
 The speaker said that the first great achievement of the anti-slavery move ment was the limiting of the time for the importation of slaves which was ina the constitution of 17S7 through the efforts of Jefferson, From that time the movement was growing and healthy, until in 1927 the country was entirely one-half free. The con- luct of the anti-slavery people up to his time eliminated with the result hat the north was solidly arrayed against slavery, and the south was di- yided on the subject. In 1927 Garrison appeared as a young and enthusiastic man and anti slavery advo- ate His incorporate and abusive at- ! acks only tended to solidify the south n favor of the perpetuating of slavery i ind repelling considerable of the best { clement of the north. The state of pub ic. opinion was reversed /
 Rev pr. Bacon contrastsd the claims asserted by MT. Garrison and his biog- 'aphers as to the anti-slavery move nent at the advent of Garrisons enter ng on the scene by numerous quota ions which were often delivered and 'epeated with superb sarcasm, l
 At the close of his address Hon. Sim : ,on E Baldwin stated that the first r lnti-slavery society in Connecticut was l organized in 17S7 or whereabouts. Sev- ( raj other gentlemen present supple $ nented the remarks of the divine with craps of personal ante-slavery knowl- I dge. II
 The society, on motion of General F. d