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

[105] the Union, and to admonishing the abolitionists to abstain from discussion, and all good citizens of the Commonwealth to refrain from mob violence, failed of adoption. Mr. Garrison, who had again gone to Boston in April, thus wrote to his wife on Saturday, the 16th:

On Thursday evening, we had a large meeting of ¹ antislavery friends, both male and female, at Mrs. Chapman's, which did not break up till about 11 o'clock. Prof. Follen and wife, Ellis G. Loring and wife, Mrs. Child, Miss Ammidon, the Westons, Miss Chapman, Mr. Sewall, Mr. Southwick, Mr. Knapp, Mr. Kimball, Mr. Fairbanks, &c., were present. Mrs.² Child looks in remarkably good health, and made some remarks at the ladies' meeting on Wednesday last, which manifested that she was as vigorous in spirit as in body. Her husband is at present out of the city, but will return in a few days. They are, I am sorry to say, going with Friend Lundy to Matamoras, near Texas, in all next month. What a hazardous project!³

But to return to the meeting: as we are disappointed in getting a meeting-house or hall in which to hold the N. E. Convention, except our own little hall at 46, we discussed the expediency of having the Convention held either in Providence or Lowell. Mr. Kimball proposed that we should hire a vacant lot of ground in this city, and erect upon it a large shanty, capable of holding two or three thousand people—saying that he would give $25 towards it. It was generally thought, however, that, if erected, it would be torn down before we could occupy it, and would be likely to excite a mob without doing us any benefit, as the market is now getting to be somewhat glutted with deeds of violence. For several good reasons, we have concluded, if we cannot do better, to hold the Convention in Roxbury or Cambridgeport.⁴ . . .