New-York tribune., 1903-01-18

ions. In his home life. as knew him. this
of men, gently lenient to our chattering impert-
nence and sympatheticanv disposedsto the spirits
He was sturdy farmer of his New--Engiand
said. Il should hate to put my spade into
ground where 1t DID not mi aganSt r1ck nS ms
his hands were hard and gnared with toll. His
s eq d fs but
there vas look in them as of a man bent IN, In
who did not always see light upon that way.
A MODERN CRUSADER.
tomb but theologicaiIy and regiousIy he was the
the part o he 81 se n
v by may an soa haS
It's inevitable result in the minds of most aboli-
the church as an institution. and was, according
e1son to Se @ Of 6e PbaTc
BORN an
t6srbury' n H, in November. 1899 His father father
tonary soldier, His mother was beautiful and
yed m m neaI and d 5n Rr o % oe
was E farm of several hundred acres. situated on
faculty y hia Being e
m IN Re an MFd baeg At his
he entered T. upon course OF collegiate study to
6rt fT fhe e sGg OF Of te s5e Re
had already adopted the principle Of nonTesistance
College. to perform military duty he refused: was
e m IN ana trbS an condon Me
were there imprisoned for debt we'll as for
ike plying fgo anre FeceTng their
adences and observing their condition, after which
to the state Of affairs This protest excited so
prison when the nth on the floors was found to
be so deep and hard that were obliged to
led led to nvestgation s and an effectve novement to
improve the whole prison system Of New, HamP- 9
debt was soon abolished.
His college studies finished, , Stephen entered for
York Here something occurred which probably
not labor within the fold of the American church.
"a bTsan I e TO e ned az sa
and Great Britain. Being opposed to war for any
pToposed to ho msetine for prayer and confer
t II M ssg tho to ba s q ssuTa 4oo r f %
purpose, and was surprised as well grieved to
to grant the room, but unfavorable to the holding
OF such a meeting anywhere, he had already be
toward slavery. and arose in his mind a
sgving and doubt whether m to the chHTGh as
and character
COULD NOT BE A MINISTER.
1t was not until 1889 that Foster entirely relin-
quIshed his purpose tc become minister By that that
shown @ N him the utter impossibiiity Of any such
service for him. For some years he pursued the
apostle of his day going from town to town al
most begging people to come to hear his message.
In few places could he get adequate hearing.
The church dfgnitaries forbade him the use Of
Whch to speak they forbade the people to go to
hear his gospel The town OF stratham furnished
this tragi-comic warfare between a reformer and
and Psbury fonn DE- meeting house opened
and warmed for them at the hour for which they
benches ani listen to their words Foster made
second visit in The next sprtngtme ct ne to ct the town
began his address. Suddenly. when he was in the
arose. probably at some prearranged signal. and
walked solemnly and quietly out of the room.
his GESTURE half made. and his spirit perhaps
more disconnected than at any other moment of
In the summer OF 1871 a three days convention
Douglass then a young and unknown fugitive
slave, made great speech which was revela-
his capacities Parker Pilsbury came away. from
this t uSh ns eSGsa sq also much rh, dis S
Foster: After all. must come to NewH Hannp
the coming era. and the adjacent hills must reply,
5d W of uner o
must show ourselves what already called,
bV wbich we may improve on the operations Of
the past. # we scourged the pro-slavery church
chastise them with scorpions! To the popular pre-,
mean TO be and are willing to be scandalized
answered its appeal to inaugurate new methods:
On sepssnbsr 4 i @ ne went into the ,r old
in Concord. \. H. and just as the minister
was about to begin his sermon he stood up and
in solemn and dignfed manner claimed the
right I'm his character as man and Christian,
10 be heard In behalf OF the people who
siaved In this country. He seized by tw,
keepers Of the State prison who were present an0
was dragged out of the church.
HOW THEY DID THEIR WORK
After Fosters death Parker Pilisbury made a
memorial address and his comments on this incl
dent and Fosters later career offer such
complete exposition of the situation as 1t appeared
10 these two comrades in reform and is of such
historical value because of it's testimony to the
autocratic character of the New-England churches
of the period that II Is necessary TO make some
lengthy quotation from it Pillsbury referred to
the Concord episode ana tnen a saia; s rom tnat nat
like anything that had been known TO this country
before. especially relating to the subject OF
American slavery What else could the man do?
What else could any earnest man do? Emerson
had said a little while before. Let the world be-
ware when the gods let man loose in IT. From
that hour there a man loose In the world, and
instnctiveIy church and clergy found 1t out
Thaf was his method-what other could have been
so effectuaI? Scarcely any OF US agreed with him.
knew him well or | should not have agreed with
lrnaxy he zeal. bravery and devotion. the