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

[306] on an intimation of his intention to arrive somewhat earlier than he did. They promptly arranged for a¹ reception in Faneuil Hall on November 15, and invitations to lecture on various topics began to pour in from all² directions. But already the satanic press of the country had sounded the alarm to the mob. Bennett, in his Herald,³ making evil of Thompson's good, with absurd falsifications of his English career, advised him—“if he value not the peace of this country, to value his own, and to be exceedingly careful to restrain his tongue in this country. The difficulties which beset us are quite sufficient, without the presence of any foreign agitator, bent on the disunion and dissolution of these States, with the fancied belief of aiding British manufacturers.” Lib. 20.178. According to the Boston Times, Thompson had been imported by the abolitionists⁴ ‘as a “star” —to extinguish the Fugitive Slave Law,’ and the city authorities would be requested to deny the use of Faneuil Hall for the reception. What happened, however, was a repetition of the Rynders mob, in which simple uproar was substituted for violence or the show of it, and the rioters held the floor instead of the gallery and the platform.

As there were no seats on the floor, it was easy to form rings “in which individual and general fights took place, hats were smashed, and ivory-headed canes flew briskly— then came a series of dances, with Indian war-whoop accompaniments. It was hell let loose, and no mistake.” Boston Herald; Lib. 20.186. Cheers for the Constitution and for Daniel Webster were mingled with cheers for every conceivable subject that came uppermost in frantic brains. Mr. Garrison succeeded in reading an address recapitulating Mr. Thompson's philanthropic engagements and political honors since his former visit, but not a speaker was allowed to be heard— not more Wendell Phillips than George Thompson himself; not Edmund Quincy nor Douglass; not Elizur Wright nor Theodore Parker. As in New York, the police looked on with indifference, Marshal Francis Tukey⁵ playing the part of Chief-of-Police Matsell, and Mayor