e to attend antislavery meetings and conventions
and to perform all prescriptions of "the Garrisonian Liberator." At that
my meeting with him in the "Anti-slavery Office" I understood from his
conversation with others, that they had appointed a meeting at
candle-light of that day, and that that Mulatto was by virtue of his
office president of that meeting. I did not inquire, for what
antislavery purpose that meeting was appointed, and without asking this
I said to the Mulatto, that I was also inclined to attend that meeting,
if he would tell after their meeting to the audience, that I had a
message which would need no more than three minutes time, and that my
message would not interfere with their meeting. The rich Mulatto
accepted my offer.
That meeting was held in a large church of the colored people and the
church was crowded. But I was quite surprised, when I understood from
their proceedings and harangues, that it was an "underground railroad"
meeting, in which they disclosed so much of their secret proceedings of
the transportation of slaves to Canada, and endeavored by their
revolutionary speeches to kindle the animal passions of the audience to
rebellion that if such a meeting would have been held in France or
Austria or several other monarchies, all speakers would have been
imprisoned in the State's Prison and if not all, certainly several of
them would have remained perpetually in prison. After their meeting the
rich Mulatto chairman announced, that I had to deliver a short message
independent from their meeting. I mentioned briefly, that I am a
messenger of Peace, having superabundance of credentials for delivering
slaves by co-operation of slaveholders themselves, if abolitionists
would learn our message and give good example to slaveholders; and that,
since there was no time for an explanation of the matter, they should
appoint a committee to whom a manuscript of mine should be read,
containing that which those should know, who are working for redemption
of slaves. A committee of five colored men was appointed; but at our
first meeting all members of the committee were not present, and those
who came to the first meeting were so distracted with other business,
that they did not pay attention to what has been read the first time,
and the others had their excuses to come again, except a Mulatto from
West India who would have persevered, if others had done the same. But
he alone could do nothing, because he w
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