Francis Jackson Garrison, William Lloyd Garrison, 1805-1879; the story of his life told by his children: volume 3

[388] the anti-slavery cause, but simply as a man, uttering my own thoughts, on my own responsibility; and, therefore, whoever shall avail himself of my presence here to make me odious as the advocate of the slave, or to subject any anti-slavery body to reproach on that account, will reveal himself in his true character—that of a bigot, a hypocrite, or a falsifier.

Those who care may read the outpourings of the press, both secular and religious, on the ‘Infidel Convention,’ as grouped in the Liberator. The mob, as usual, found¹ there its justification; and frightened editors even talked² of securing legislative prohibition of such gatherings in the State of Connecticut, in view of the announcement³ that another Bible Convention would be held in January, 1854.

An excursion to Flushing, Long Island, in August, to take part in the celebration of West India emancipation⁴ under the management of the New York City Anti-Slavery Society,⁵ broke for a moment Mr. Garrison's summer rest. By the end of the same month, he was on his way to New York to share in an extraordinary series of meetings crowded into a single week. In May a so-called World's Temperance Convention had been held in that city, under the customary clerical auspices, and, though⁶ consenting at first to admit certificated delegates from the Women's State Temperance Society, was convulsed by a motion to place one of them on the business committee. A hearing was refused to the women themselves, and they were finally excluded, as not contemplated in the call. A secession accordingly took place, led by the Rev. T. W. Higginson of Worcester, Mass. A fall meeting having been arranged for the same misnamed Convention, on September 6, 7, a counter Whole World's Temperance Convention was projected for September 1, 2, and Mr. Garrison was naturally among the signers of⁷ the latter call. He took a very subordinate part in the⁸