tones not less certain, the third
cooerdinate branch of the State government might catch its cue and act
with energy in suppressing the disturbers of the peace of the
commonwealth and of the dear Union as well. This was the scheme, the
conspiracy which was in a state of incubation in Massachusetts in the
year 1836. The pro-slavery portion of Governor Everett's message,
together with the Southern demands for repressive legislation against
the Abolitionists were referred to a joint legislative committee for
consideration and report. The chairman of the committee was George Lunt,
of Newburyport, a bitter pro-slavery politician, who saw no sign,
received no light which did not come out of the South.

The Abolitionists perceived the gravity of the new danger which
threatened them, and rallied promptly to avert it. They shrewdly guessed
that the object of the committee would not be the enactment of any new
law against themselves but the adoption of condemnatory resolutions
instead. This course they rightly dreaded more than the other, and to
defeat it the managers of the Massachusetts Anti-slavery Society
requested a public hearing of the committee, which was granted. On March
4th Garrison and many of the anti-slavery leaders appeared before the
committee, with a carefully planned programme of procedure. To each of
the selected speakers was assigned a distinct phase of the great subject
of discussion before the committee. Samuel J. May was appointed to open
with an exposition of the anti-slavery movement and of the object and
motives of its founders; Garrison to follow with an exhibition of the
pacific character of the agitation as contained in official publications
whereby forgiveness, submission, and non-resistance were steadily
inculcated; Ellis Gray Loring was next to demonstrate the perfectly
constitutional character of the agitation. The Abolitionists had in no
wise contravened the National or the State Constitution, either in
letter or spirit, and so on through the programme. It was thus that the
Abolitionists dexterously killed two birds with one stone; for at the
same time that they made their defence before the committee, they
managed to present their cause to the attention of the public as well.
Appearing before the committee to prevent hostile action on the part of
the legislature against their movement, they skillfully turned the
occasion into the most notable meeting for agitating the subject of
slavery in the S