Year: 1875

Centennial anniversaries are the fashion now
but among them all not one-not even the Lex
ington celebration to be shortly held-surpasses
in real interest the event to be commemorated
in Philadelphia ON the 14th Of this month. That
event is the celebration OF the hundredth ami
versary of the establishment of the American
anti-slsvery society. Even well informed per-
SONS may be pardoned for ignorance of the fact
that before the Declaration Of Independence
was signed and about the time the initial battle
for American Freedom was fought, opposition
to slavery had already taken organized form.
The fact may seem all the stranger to the gen.
eral intelligence because it is known that the
founders Of the government, North AZ well as
South were reconciled to Slavery as social in-
stitution, and because it was recognized IN the
constitution Of all the States, even in that OF
Massachusetts. But for all this there was a
small body OF thinkers and reformers who saw
how evil the thing was in itself and in its ten
denotes. These obscure men and women
were wiser than the Washingtons and
Jefrersons of the time, for they
realized that the attempt to found new govern
nient on system admitting aud encouraging
human bondage was to make dangerous ex-
pertinent. 1t succeeded, despite of slavery, by
reason Of its many merits and the need the
world had for such society, but the end has
shown that those early reformers were right, and
that permanent establishment was out of the
question as long as barbaric system was made
an element of free institutions.


1t is scarcely necessary to say that in the
Revolutionary Gays the anti-slayery society hat
little influence in public affairs. Long after, in
deed. even in our own day, it WAS not in itself
power as the word il generally understood. II
held the same relation to politics that Emerson
holds to the world Of thought. Few people
come directly to Emerson for inspiration, bu
those who do come become Teachers through
whom the world at large is instructed and en-.
lightened. The direct abolition disciples were
very few but they nsensibly spread through in
creasn5 years conviction of the in
justice and the illogical character O
Slavery. Men gradually adopted thest
views, while largely protesting at tht
same time that they had no desire to interfere
with Southern " rights" This was substantial,
the position of the Wing party. At last tn,
shareholders having completely impoverishet
one OF the finest sections of countly's in th
world saw that their supremacy depended on th
acquisition OF fresh territory, and in the strug
gle for it broke down their only ssfeguard-th
conservatism of Observation-Disclosures and over
threw their institution. Thus in few word
may be summarized this renowned contest. an,
that man can see but little wa
into principle and motive VIII
fails to realize that the increasing
moral conviction of the enormity Of Slavery wa
tho real leayen which preserved us nation.
The original abolitionists may have been,-wer
it had better be said-persons of little politica
influence, but they set all men thinking, and t
think on the subject Of slavery, with pure an
honest men, was to condemn it. 1t is the fash
ion with loose-jointed people to say that ou
armies overthrew slavery, but true intelligenc
knows great deal better; knows that an a
last educated moral force was the true agenc
in the revolution. The Philadelphia annivel
aary has an interest Of the fullest and most al
sorbing kind.