Francis Jackson Garrison, William Lloyd Garrison, 1805-1879; the story of his life told by his children: volume 2

[341] tools, Myron Holley and others, to call it. So at a county convention at Arcade, near Rochester, they (Holley, Smith and Chaplin) got a resolution passed to this effect. There has been no general concert among the friends. It is to be a kind of packed meeting of political office-hunters calling themselves abolitionists. They make this move to be prepared for the May meeting in New York, to have candidates ready to present to that meeting. Thus it appears to me. I may be mistaken. I hope I am. But our office-seeking abolitionists are desperate. Gerrit Smith has lost much of his moral influence by the stand he has taken. As a non-resistant, I care not how quick such a party is formed. It must be based on the Divinity of the Ballot-box, or it is useless. Of course they will have to argue the question of the rightfulness of governments of human will and human slaughter.

The Massachusetts Board lost no time in opposing the call for the Albany Convention. As soon as Mr. Garrison could prepare an address to the abolitionists of the United States, it was promulgated. It reviewed the¹ causes of division in the anti-slavery ranks, and the rise of the Third Party movement, in spite of its unanimous condemnation by the anti-slavery societies, State and local; pointed out the unwise and reprehensible conduct of the Emancipator in advocating it, and the culpable complicity of the Executive Committee by its silent approval; and called upon the various anti-slavery bodies and periodicals to give no countenance to the approaching ‘National Anti-Slavery Convention for Independent Nomination.’ The call was presumptuous and without authority. ‘It is evident that there is, in the western part of New York, a small but talented body of restless, ambitious men, who are determined to get up a third party, come what may—in the hope, doubtless, of being lifted by it into office.’ ‘Let the meeting be insignificant and local, and thus rendered harmless’; and let there be no more calling of national conventions by irresponsible persons. The Executive Committee, in concurrence with the State boards, should call them, through the official organ. The address closed with an