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[50]
news of which had not yet arrived.
One of the party present at Fort Sumter and Charleston has informed the present writer that it was most impressive to see the reverence with which the Negroes looked at Garrison, many of them touching his coat as if they expected virtue to come out of it.
When the adoption of the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution, declaring the abolition of slavery, was assured, Garrison made up his mind to bring the Liberator to a close and to retire from the various anti-slavery societies.
Their work was indeed ended, the mass of the population had caught up to them, and it was absurd now to pretend to any exclusive virtue.
Many of the Abolitionists were incensed at his course, and insisted on keeping up the skeleton of their organization for several years; but the life had left them, and their total lack of influence proved how wise Garrison's action had been.
He set up the last paragraph of his paper himself in December, 1865, and republished in the last issue the prophetic salutatory of thirty years before.
Not one penny of gain had he to show for this lifetime of service.
Chicago: the Public Publishing Company, 1905.
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