harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as
justice. I am in earnest, I will not equivocate, I will not
excuse, I will not retract a single inch, and I will be heard".
(Cheers.) And that, after all, expresses to a great extent the
future course of his life.

But what was at that time the temper of the people amongst whom
he lived, of the people who are glorying now, as they well may
glory, in the abolition of slavery throughout their country? At
that time it was very little better in the North than it was in
the South. I think it was in the year 1835 that riots of the
most serious character took place in some of the northern
cities; during that time Mr. Garrison's life was in the most
imminent peril; and he has never ascertained to this day how it
was that he was left alive on the earth to carry on his great
work. Turning to the South, a State that has lately suffered
from the ravages of armies, the State of Georgia, by its
legislature of House, Senate, and Governor, if my memory does
not deceive me, passed a bill, offering ten thousand dollars
reward, (Mr. Garrison here said five thousand) well, they seemed
to think there were people who would do it cheap, (laughter)
offered five thousand dollars, and zeal, doubtless, would make
up the difference, for the capture of Mr. Garrison, or for
adequate proof of his death. Now, these were menaces and perils
such as we have not in our time been accustomed to in this
country in any of our political movements, (hear, hear) and we
shall take a very poor measure indeed of the conduct of the
leaders of the emancipation party in the United States if we
estimate them by any of those who have been concerned in
political movements amongst us. But, notwithstanding all
drawbacks, the cause was gathering strength, and Mr. Garrison
found himself by and by surrounded by a small but increasing
band of men and women who were devoted to this cause, as he
himself was. We have in this country a very noble woman, who
taught the English people much upon this question, about thirty
years ago; I allude to Harriet Martineau. (Cheers.) I recollect
well the impression with which I read a most powerful and
touching paper which she had written, and which was published in
the number of the _Westminster Review_ for December, 1838. It
was entitled "The Martyr