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rejected by large majorities.
The Rev. Leonard Bacon was a spectator of the closing scenes, but was not among the officers chosen, who all belonged to some one of the four Northern New England States.
Mr. Garrison was cautioned by estimable abolition brethren ‘not to be too precipitate, or too uncharitable, or too harsh in passing judgment on the new Society.’
Accordingly, he let it off by branding it ‘as cold and1 proud in its spirit, defective in its organization, corrupt in its origin, deceitful in its object, and delusive in its action’; ‘a wretched imposition,’ doomed to come to naught; ‘a soulless organization with a sounding title.’
Its chief promoters were Joseph Tracy, formerly of Vermont, and Leonard Bacon, colonizationists like the majority of their associates, and therefore incapacitated from winning the confidence of the colored population whom they proposed to ‘relieve.’
Their constitution would not prevent cooperation with the Colonization Society in ‘relieving’ that population off the face of the land.
Their organization was narrowly sectarian, being almost wholly within the Orthodox-Congregational body;2 and their membership was by election—an odd feature in a philanthropic society.
Arthur Tappan, to Mr. Garrison's sorrow, was the first and the only prominent abolitionist who fell into a trap set, doubtless, for him more than for any other man. His elder brothers, John and Charles, had had a considerable share in the preparation and direction of the convention, and their private representations to him could hardly have failed of effect.
What ensued is thus described in a letter from G. W. Benson to S. J. May:
2 Profs. Sidney Willard and Henry Ware, Jr., and the Rev, E. S. Gannett, all Unitarians, were among the vice-presidents chosen; but all were removed at the first meeting of the Union, except Prof. Willard, whose presence made it awkward to get rid of him too (Lib. 5.11, 17, 19). This was baseness itself, considering the Union's virtual appropriation subsequently of the constitution of the Cambridge A. S. Society (which see in Muzzey's “Reminiscences,” pp. 294, 295). Channing's name, proposed as ‘friendly’ to the nominating committee, was not reported back (Lib. 5.19).
The Century Company. , 1885-1889.
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