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‘ “Immediate and unconditional Emancipation.” —American Anti-Slavery Society formed Dec. 6th, 1833.— “No Union with slaveholders!”
’ Mr. Garrison accepted it in a speech which, as Adin Ballou affirmed, “in grandeur of moral sentiment and force of expression, was of transcendent excellence;” Lib. 14.97. and which one may read in Mrs.1 Chapman's report.
His last words were caught up in song by the Hutchinson Family,2 and the whole audience rose in enthusiasm.
Banners multiplied in this year 1844, and became the visible token of the new crusade.
In various places on the First of August, inscribed with Disunion sentiments, they were borne by men and women marching in thronged3 procession, under green arches, to the groves where they were to celebrate West India Emancipation.
One by one, more or less promptly and unconditionally, the several4 Massachusetts town and county societies gave in their adhesion to their leader and became non-voters.
Persuasion had overtaken the editors of the Pennsylvania Free-5 man, and their conduct of the paper according to their new light was formally approved by the Eastern6 Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, in Mr. Garrison's presence.7
2 These gifted natural singers had been discovered and proclaimed by N. P. Rogers, their fellow-citizen of New Hampshire, and, through his influence, had been led to join the anti-slavery to the temperance cause in their musical mission (Lib. 13.10, 19, 31, 32, 81).
4 Lib. 14: 35, 46, 47, 99, 111, 151, 171.
7 Aug. 4, 1844, E. Quincy writes to J. M. McKim, Philadelphia (Ms.): ‘The [Mass.] Board are in session at this time at Mr. Jackson's house, and we have succeeded in persuading Garrison to go to Norristown [Penn.]. We think his presence very important for the purpose of showing precisely where we stand on the Disunion Question. We wish to show that we are not bigoted or intolerant on the subject, and not in the least desirous of dragooning or browbeating abolitionists into the measure until they are ready for it. Garrison has been ready for the question these three years, and so has Phillips and the rest of what Elizur Wright calls the Boston Clique, but we have never urged it to a decision until the way had been fully prepared for it by full discussion. Garrison will be the very man for your meeting, if you wish to have the question fairly and clearly stated, and argued in a temperate and dispassionate manner, with the single desire of promoting the truth, and not of obtaining victory. You will find him an excellent auxiliary in your other business, and his influence out of the meetings will be very beneficial in disarming prejudice and comforting friends.’
The Century Company. , 1885-1889.
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