Another Abolition stronghold broken up.
Syracuse, N. Y., the stronghold of abolitionism, has turned upon the fanatics at last.-- On Tuesday last a Convention was to have been held there, of which
Mrs. Susan B. Anthony was to have been the presiding genius.
The people, however, determined that it should not be held.
A dispatch says:
‘
Before two o'clock, the hour appointed for opening the
Convention in Convention Hall, several hundred of the most influential inhabitants of
Syracuse made their appearance in front of the building, and from all the streets and avenues of the city laboring men, lawyers, mechanics, merchants, and representatives of all classes of the community, were seen wending their way to the place of meeting.
A number of the smaller dealers closed their places of business to take part in the proceedings, and all were inspired with a determination that this central city, which had been disgraced by the Jerry rescue, and celebrated for its abolition fanaticism, should not to-day be again disgraced.
The watch word of the crowd was, ‘"
Syracuse must redeem its reputation."’
The hall rapidly filled up, and several hundred persons were not able to obtain admission.
The crowd within was almost suffocating, and not an inch of room was left unoccupied.
At a quarter past two, on motion of
Ezra Douner,
D. A. Orcutt,
Esq., was unanimously chosen
Chairman, and
James Isdell and
Edwin Pierson were appointed to conduct him to his seat.
Mr. Orcutt ascended the platform amid vociferous cheering, and when order was restored made an effective speech.
He alluded to the fact that
Syracuse had been trampled upon for years by abolitionists, and he was happy to see the people now rise in their might to crush out treason in their midst, and manifest a disposition to save the
Central City from further disgrace.
He trusted that the
Union might yet be preserved, and that his Southern brethren would receive these conservative demonstrations as the olive branches from the
North, and be willing to restore the loved and lost in the bright galaxy of States.
Mr. Orcutt's remarks were received with the wildest enthusiasm by the dense crowd of people before him.
At this juncture,
Rev. Samuel J. May,
Rev. M. E. Strieby,
Susan B. Anthony, and several other leading abolitionists, appeared in front of the platform, and each of the masculine agitators in turn attempted to be heard.
Mr. May commenced with:
Mr. President, a Convention was called to assemble in this hall by--
Storms of hisses and applause broke out all over the house.
Mr. May.‘--I arose--’
Cries of ‘"Put him out,"’ ‘"We want no abolitionists here,"’ followed with hisses, clapping of hands, and the greatest excitement.
Mr. May attempted again to speak, but was received with such overwhelming and continued bursts of applause, with shouts of ‘"louder,"’ ‘"hear,"’ and a call for the ‘"Star Spangled Banner,"’ that his voice was drowned, and he at length subsided.
Rev. Mr. Strieby next attempted to address the
Convention, but with no better success than his predecessor.
Russell R. Lowell said that
Mr. Strieby desired to say a few words, but was answered with "No, no, no; abolitionists are played out in this city."
Mr. Strieby continued --Is this freedom of--? (Voices and hisses, with cries of "Put the nigger out.")
’
Two sets of resolutions were introduced, and among them the following:
‘
Whereas, Our glorious Confederacy is crumbling to pieces, and civil war is staring us in the face, and the chief cause thereof has emanated from unscrupulous abolitionists at the
North, who for years past have been preaching treason against the United States Government, and malignantly denouncing the constitutional institutions of the
South, and branding our Southern brethren as pirates, instead of cultivating with them friendship and brotherly love: and, whereas,
Syracuse has long been the rendezvous of Jerry-rescue traitors, headed by
Fred. Douglass, and the depot of underground railroad, marshalled by negro Conguen; and whereas, our city has often been disgraced by treasonable meetings, instituted by these dangerous men and their followers, in which meetings plots have been formed for sowing the seeds of abolitionism and disunionism abroad, which, in common with the action of other abolition meetings held at the
North, gave rise to the bloody raid at
Harper's Ferry; and whereas, it is the duty of all good citizens of these
United States, without distinction of party, to cultivate amicable feelings with and amongst each other, rather than to promote discord and to excite hatred, and believing at this particular juncture of national affairs it is unwise, unjust, and unpatriotic to agitate the question of the abolition of involuntary servitude, and while we are not for abridging the constitutional right of freedom of speech, but on the contrary desire it, and wishing hereby to give, by freedom of speech and of the press, an expression of the sentiments of a large majority of the citizens of the city: Therefore, be it.
Resolved, That it is the almost universally expressed sentiment of this community that they will not in any way assist, abet, or encourage, the attempts of a few persons in our midst to strip up strife between the
Northern and Southern portion of our common country, and that they will frown upon, discourage, and by all proper means resist, their attempts to override, annul and evade any portion of the provisions of the
Constitution and the laws.
Resolved, That we brand all such persons as fanatical rebels, disloyal to the
American flag, the
Constitution, the
Union and the laws, and we believe them unworthy of a country which cherishes and reveres the memory of
Washington,
Jefferson,
Jackson,
Webster and
Clay, and they should not be allowed to hold insurrectionary meetings in our midst.
Resolved, That we hereby tender and accord to our Southern brethren all their constitutional rights, both in the States and in the
Territories.
Resolved, That in memory of the past, we will use our best endeavors and all honorable means of securing happiness and prosperity for ourselves and our posterity, and firmly believing in the capabilities of man for self-government, we hope that the sunshine will soon, in undimmed splendor, break through the clouds that now hang darkly over us, and that our national flag, enveloping in its capacious folds the
Palmetto and all other State flags, for protection, will be greeted with applause in all portions of the
Union, and that that beautiful national air, the "Star Spangled Banner," will again and again be sung by a joyful and happy people, with emotions of pride and pleasure, from every hill top and savannah, from every mountain, plain and valley of our beloved country.
Mr. Strieby attempted to speak to the resolutions, but the uproar was so great that he could not be heard.
A motion to adopt the resolutions was then put, and carried by acclamation without a dissenting voice, and with repeated cheers.
Patriotic speeches were made by
B. Davis Noxon and others.
Moses E. Hart came forward, and spoke briefly, claiming to be a Republican, but in favor of preserving the
Union.
He said the Abolitionists had long held sway in
Syracuse, but their race was run.
Wm. W. Green made a patriotic speech, nearly two hours in length, during which a negro charged him with lying, and the negro was quietly passed through an aperture in the wall into the street.
At seven o'clock this evening an immense concourse of people assembled in front of Convention Hall; but after being assured by the owner of the building that no attempt to hold a session of the Abolition Convention during the evening and that the hall would not be opened, the crowd adjourned to eight o'clock to-morrow morning, and quietly dispersed.
’
[by telegraph.]
Syracuse, Jan. 30. --The Anti- Slavery Convention met here this morning in Convention Hall.
The Rev. M. E. Strieby, of this city,
Chairman of the
Committee on Resolutions, reported.
At first the attendance was small, but gradually the disorganizers gathered until the hall was filled.
A Mr. Powell attempted to speak, and through the efforts of the police he was heard for some time; but about noon the mob put him down, and got forward one of their number named
Luke McKinney, who mounted the platform and harangued, the crowd.
A tremendous confusion ensued, and during a brief lull of the tempest
Mr. Powell resumed his speech, and after a few remarks the antislavery men claimed that they had carried their point in declaring their sentiments, after which the
Convention adjourned
sine die.
The mob, not knowing what was done, made a violent assault upon the police, throwing rotten eggs, and in one or two cases exchanging blows; but the house was soon cleared without a serious collision.
It is probable that some arrests will be made.
