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

‘ [33] of Independence! They ought not to be allowed seats in¹ Congress. No political, no religious co-partnership should be had with them, for they are the meanest of thieves and the worst of robbers. We should as soon think of entering into a “ compact” with the convicts at Botany Bay and New Zealand. So far as we are concerned, we “dissolved the Union” with them, as slaveholders, the first blow we aimed at their nefarious slave system. We do not acknowledge them to be within the pale of Christianity, of republicanism, of humanity. This we say dispassionately, and not for the sake of using strong language. With us, their threats, clamors, broils, contortions, avail nothing; and with the entire North they are fast growing less and less formidable.’

Like sentiments began to be heard from others at² antislavery meetings in Massachusetts,³ but as yet disunion formed no part of the official creed or programme of the State Society, which did, however, include, as an object⁴ to be striven for, an amendment to the Constitution either abolishing slavery, or exonerating the people of each free State from assisting in sustaining it.⁵ So far, indeed, the Liberty Party might have gone, though not free, as being a party, to advocate disunion pure and simple. Towards this organization Mr. Garrison maintained a dignified attitude, not denying to his personal friends like Mr. Sewall, or to bitter enemies like Torrey, the moderate use⁶ of his columns for Liberty Party notices and reports. He still held, with Channing, that, by such a conversion of⁷ their anti-slavery energies, abolitionists would ‘lose the reputation of honest enthusiasts, and come to be considered ’