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

[226] could not adopt? If I belong to his kingdom, what have I to do with the kingdoms of this world? “Let the dead bury their dead.” . . .

I shall leave Brooklyn on Saturday next with my family,¹ for Boston, via Providence.

If there was preparation on one side, there was counterpreparation on the other. On the evening of September 17 (the day of Mr. Garrison's arrival in Boston), a meeting of ‘moderate’ peace men was held at the Eagle Bank, to concert measures for preventing the adoption, or even the prominent discussion, of ‘Mr. Wright's principles’ at the Peace Convention which was to commence the next day. Four clergymen and six laymen made up the group; ‘Mr. Ladd was anxiously expected, but did not arrive. Messrs. Wright, May, etc., had not been invited. Mr. Beckwith,’² say the anonymous Ms. minutes from which we quote, ‘opened the business of the meeting. His sentiment was that the cause should be protected from the extravagance of ultra men, and that the moderate party should so manage as to secure a chairman and a majority of the business committee on their own side. A sort of vigilance committee was chosen to attend to that business. The question then arose whether the moderate party should protest, or withdraw, or both, if women should be admitted to the convention and the committees. Mr. Beckwith said he would withdraw in that case, and, the question being put, all but two voted for withdrawal.’

In the forenoon of Tuesday, September 18, Mr. May³ called to order a convention whose rolls showed an attendance of 124 from Massachusetts, 23 from Rhode Island, about a dozen from the other New England States, and three from Pennsylvania. They showed more,—that a large proportion consisted of ‘incendiary’ and ‘cut-throat’ abolitionists; while the proceedings