ancestors became rampant, and in defiance he shouted: 'Rattle
your pans; hoot and toot; ring your bells, ye pesky fools, if it
does ye any good,' and plying his whip to his now frantic horses
he escaped the mob.

"Torringford street arose in its anger and might, at this insult,
opened her church doors, and the abolition convention held
session there for two days. Although there was great opposition
on the street at this new move, there was no other demonstration.

"Inspired by Dea Rood's defiance, the abolition spirit blazed
high, and monthly meetings were held in barns, sheds, and groves,
throughout the county. These enthusiasts were called all sorts of
opprobrious names such as, 'Nigger friends, and disturbers of
Israel,' and some were excommunicated from the churches. These
were indeed stirring days; Connecticut had received a change of
heart, and in her ecstasy had forgotten her own sins.

"Even our own village did not escape unscathed. A pastor of the
First Congregational church who had strong antislavery
principles, dared to preach an abolition sermon one Sunday from
his pulpit, and the next morning the village was flooded with a
'Broadside' demanding the people to rise, and teach this
disturber a lesson, and not allow such sins to be perpetrated in
their midst. A copy of this sheet was even nailed upon his own
doorway, and is now deposited in our historical society, and is
worthy of your perusal.

"Even the historic cannon now reposing in our historical rooms
was used to break up 'pestilent abolition meetings' in our own
midst. Thus I have endeavored to give you some idea of an
interesting phase in the history of our Commonwealth, that may
not be familiar to all, and which I would term as a Connecticut
mistake."--_The Springfield Republican_, June 18, 1916.

DOCUMENTS

LETTERS OF ANTHONY BENEZET

Benezet published his letters at his own expense and distributed them
with the accompanying circular letter below.

"Copy of the substance of a letter written to several persons of note,
both in Europe and America, on sending them some of the negroe
pamphlets, viz. account of Africa, &c. particularly to the ARCHBISHOP
OF CANTERBURY, dated about the year 1758, and since.

* * * * *

"With the best respects I am capable of, an