He Soon Got An Audience, Amongst Whom Were Several Men
From The Southern States.
He denounced slavery in no very measured
terms, and soon provoked the Southern men to interject - 'Why don't you
go into the South?' 'Why, Sir,' was the reply, 'you know, it would be
as much as my life is worth.' 'Nonsense!
We will give you five hundred
dollars to go, and you shall be safe.' 'To what State, Sir?' 'Georgia,'
replied one voice; 'Alabama,' another; 'North Carolina,' another.
'Why,' was the rejoinder, 'three of our preachers were expelled from
those very States not a month ago.' 'Your niggers here are free, and
they are worse off than ours; why don't you mend their condition
first?' And so the attack and reply went on (this was Sunday evening)
for half an hour, amidst laughter, jeers, and the occasional
propulsion, by fellows behind, of some unlucky lad or other against the
poor preacher's horse; a movement which endangered the woman and child
especially, but which appeared to give great satisfaction to many, and
which no one interfered in any manner to prevent. I left the spot in
disgust. I have seen, however, as much petty intolerance at home. I
returned from my walk in time to hear the preacher pronounce his
benediction, in the midst of which there arose a hideous yell: three or
four boys were shot against the horse, and the car was nearly
overthrown; after which a shouting multitude followed the retreating
abolitionist for some distance, to harass and annoy him, as he drove
with difficulty away.
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