Francis Jackson Garrison, William Lloyd Garrison, 1805-1879; the story of his life told by his children: volume 1

[433] middle of June, subject to the order of Garrison & Knapp; and a periodic examination of their accounts by the Managers of the Society, with an annual report from them to the several contributors. This rather vague scheme, coupled with anticipated voluntary efforts to extend the circulation of the paper, and a threatened rigid enforcement of the rule exacting payment in advance, apparently failed of approval, for on June 6 Mr. Garrison wrote to Miss Benson (who had promptly¹ met the situation with ‘Bread-and-water agrees with me perfectly’): ‘I am happy to say that it is probable the Managers of the New England Anti-Slavery Society will determine, to-morrow afternoon, to take all the pecuniary liabilities of the Liberator hereafter, and give me a regular salary for editing it, and friend Knapp a fair price for printing it. My salary will not be less than $800 per annum, and perhaps it will be fixed at $1000. . . . The new arrangement will go into effect on the 1st of July.’

In November, however,² the continuance of the Liberator was still a question. It was the same old story— the paper could not pay its expenses; the arrears were excessive. The editor was again seriously contemplating giving it up, and again negotiating with the New England Anti-Slavery Society ‘to get rid of the³ bookkeeping, money-getting part of the business.’ He also approached the American Anti-Slavery Society, with the result of an offer on its part to purchase a certain⁴ number of the anti-slavery publications undertaken by Garrison & Knapp, if sufficient means were furnished them from other sources to relieve them from their present embarrassment.⁵ Arnold Buffum had his plan⁶ of making Mr. Garrison the corresponding secretary of the New England Anti-Slavery Society, and the salaried editor of the Liberator, adopted as its organ. Elizur