_. Garrison said of this difference: "But I wasn't much
help to him, for he had been all for gradual emancipation, and as soon
as I began to look into the matter, I became convinced that immediate
abolition was the doctrine to be preached, and I scattered his
subscribers like pigeons."

But the good "Friend" contemplated the destructive zeal of his young
helper with the complacency so characteristic of his class, standing
by his doctrine that every one should follow "his own light." But it
was not long before Garrison made a bold attack upon one of the vilest
features of the slave-trade, which put an end to his paper, and
resulted in his arrest, trial for libel, conviction, and imprisonment.
The story runs as follows:

"A certain ship, the 'Francis Todd,' from Newburyport, came to
Baltimore and took in a load of slaves for the New Orleans
market. All the harrowing cruelties and separations which attend
the rending asunder of families and the sale of slaves, were
enacted under the eyes of the youthful philanthropist, and in a
burning article he denounced the inter-State slave-trade as
piracy, and piracy of an aggravated and cruel kind, inasmuch as
those born and educated in civilized and Christianized society
have more sensibility to feel the evils thus inflicted than
imbruted savages. He denounced the owners of the ship and all the
parties in no measured terms, and expressed his determination to
'cover with thick infamy all who were engaged in the
transaction.'"

Then, to be sure, the sleeping tiger was roused, for there was a vigor
and power in the young editor's eloquence that quite dissipated the
good-natured contempt which had hitherto hung round the paper. He was
indicted for libel, found guilty, of course, condemned, imprisoned in
the cell of a man who had been hanged for murder. His mother at this
time was not living, but her heroic, undaunted spirit still survived
in her son, who took the baptism of persecution and obloquy not merely
with patience, but with the joy which strong spirits feel in
endurance. He wrote sonnets on the walls of his prison, and by his
cheerful and engaging manners made friends of his jailer and family,
who did everything to render his situation as comfortable as possible.
Some considerable effort was made for his release, and much interest
was excited in various quarters for him.[13]

Finally, the benevolent Arthur Tap