good success almost everywhere, for they have seldom failed to gather large and attentive audiences, wherever they have proposed to lecture.

Our cause has also been very much advanced in Massachusetts by the efforts of Rev. Amos A. Phelps, Agent of the American Anti-Slavery Society, and of Mr. George Thompson, respecting whom we shall have much more to say in another part of our Report. Besides the gentlemen already named, we are indebted to Mr. C. C. Burleigh, Rev. Orange Scott, Rev. Shipley W. Wilson, and Rev. P. R. Russell, for occasional but very valuable services. By these living voices, the claims of our enslaved countrymen have been urged upon many thousands of the citizens of Mas-achusetts, while other faithful friends of the suffering and dumb, have been as diligent and useful in their behalf with their eloquent pens.

The Liberator, which, though not indeed the official organ of any Society, must be acknowledged the most efficient instrument of the Abolitionists, has greatly enlarged the range of its circulation and influence; and has continued to speak in its accustomed tone of strength and courage. In one particular it is distinguished from all, and above all papers of this or any other age. Its columns are wide open to its worst opposers. The Editor even takes pains to lay before its readers whatever objections are urged against his principles, and whatever arguments are adduced in their support. "Judge between me and mine adversaries," is the invitation given in every number of the paper. There is a fairness and fearlessness in this course, that deserves high commendation. It shows in the Editor a consciousness of power in himself, and in the principles he propounds and advocates.

We often hear the complaint, that the columns of the Liberator are sullied by needless and provoking personalities, still our attachment to the paper was never stronger than it is now, nor our confidence higher in the singleness, purity and power of its uncompromising Editor. Our daily growing acquaintance with Mr. Garrison reveals to us new proofs, that he regards no man with the feelings of a personal enemy. But he has so identified himself with the cause he has espoused, that he may often seem to others to be influenced by personal feeling, in what he writes against its opposers. He "remembers them that are in bonds,

as bound with them." He feels for them as his brethren. Their chains have entered into his soul; and, we believe, he speaks for them, and as they would, if they had the power, and were permitted to give utterance to their thoughts. It is because he has thus put himself in their stead, and is willing to be crushed with them, if he cannot break their yoke, that we respect and love him. Many there are in this community, who are sensitive enough, when anything is said that may affect the reputation or feelings of one, who may be inhaling with every breath the air of liberty, and basking in the sunlight of popular favor, whose rights are secured, and who is able to defend himself. Mr. Garrison is as sensitive, when he hears anything said prejudicial to the cause of the poor, despised, down-trodden one, who has none to help him. He is very jealous for the slave. For this we respect, we love him. This is the source of his severity, and in this too is the secret of his power. He is one of those to whom contemporaries never do justice. Posterity will highly appreciate him. The general strain of his writings must exalt him among the friends of civil and religious liberty. That liberty is in peril, sore peril in our land. The greatest evils are struggling for perpetuity here, and can only be broken down by great power. "Interests of infinite moment are at stake, and he is to be admired for binding himself to them, with the whole energy of his mind, and for defending them with fervor and vehemence. We must not mistake Christian benevolence, as if it had but one voice, that of soft entreaty. It can speak in piercing and awful tones. There is constantly going on in our world a conflict between good and evil. The cause of human nature has always to wrestle with foes." Never has it encountered more determined enemies than in this country, at this time. The greatest victory in the cause of human nature is yet to be achieved in this Republic. It may have to be won by the severest struggle. But won it must, it will be. The spirit of the age and the spirit of the Almighty assure our spirits that it shall be "Men gifted with great power of thought and language, and loftiness of sentiment," like Mr. Garrison, are especially summoned to the conflict. They hear, as it were, in their own magnaninity, and generous aspirations, the voice of a divinity; and thus commissioned, and burning with a passionate devotion to truth and freedom, they must and will speak with an indignant en

won.

ergy, and they ought not to be measured by the standard of ordinary minds, in ordinary times. Men of natural softness and timidity, of a sincere but effeminate virtue, will be apt to look on these bolder, hardier spirits, as violent, perturbed, and uncharitable; and the charge will not be wholly groundless. But that deep feeling of evils, which is necessary to effectual conflict with them, and which marks God's most powerful messengers to mankind, cannot breathe itself in soft and tender accents. The deeply moved soul will speak strongly, and ought to speak so as to move and shake nations."

Those who have read Dr. Channing's brilliant and much admired review of Milton's character and writings, will perceive that we have appropriated to our purpose, in the foregoing paragraph, what he has offered in palliation, if not apology, for "the party spirit, coarse invective, and controversial asperity," of that great champion of freedom, of whom he elsewhere says, "Milton we should rank among seraphs." Surely the faults of a seraph may be forgiven in a man.

Twenty societies, or more, have been formed auxiliary to this since our last Anniversary. Five of them are of females. Our opposers affect to sneer at their co-operation. But we welcome, we are grateful for it. The influence of women never was, never will be insignificant. It is dreaded by those, who would be thought to contemn it. Men have always been eager to secure their co-operation. In those emergencies, that have tried men's souls, women have always borne their part well. Honorable mention is made of many, who toiled and suffered with the Savior and the Apostles, for the redemption of the world. Not a few there were, in the perilous times of the Reformation, who stood side by side with those, who dared to defy a power, that had well nigh subjugated the whole of Christendom. The hands of our Pilgrim Fathers, too, were strengthened, and their hearts encouraged, by the presence and the fortitude of their women. Our American revolution was not achieved by men alone. Their wives and daughters partook of their hardships, and animated them to persist in the enterprise. In England, women were among the earliest, the latest, the most untiring, uncompromising promoters of the Abolition of the Slave Trade; and were even more conspicuous in those recent efforts of philanthropy, which have effected the emancipation of eight hun

dred thousand in the British West India Islands. We hail it therefore, as most auspicious of our success, that so many faithful and zealous women have espoused the Anti-Slavery cause in this Republic. Events of the past year have proved that those, who have associated themselves with us, will be helpmates indeed; for they are animated by a spirit that can brave danger, endure hardship, and face a frowning world.

Would that there were time for us to speak, as our feelings. dictate, and truth would justify, of our numerous fellow laborers in various parts of the country; Birney and Weld and Wattles. and Thome in Ohio and Tappan and Stuart and Wright and Greene and Jay and Smith in New York-and Gould in Pennsylvania and Phelps and Goodell and Potter and Stanton now in Rhode Island, and Storrs in New Hampshire, and Murray in Vermont, and Thurston and Rand in Maine-and many very many more, who deserve to be had in everlasting remembrance. for their steadfastness and zeal in this most unpopular, but most righteous cause. It will be necessary for us, however, to confine ourselves to the statistics of the cause in Massachusetts alone, and to indulge only in general observations upon the leading events of the year, that has just gone with its momentous account.

But we may not thus excuse ourselves from making special mention of the services of one, now we trust breathing again the air of his native land, whence he came to this country, at the invitation of this society, to raise his voice of strength, and exert his various, and surpassing talents, for the relief of suffering men. Mr. Thompson has been the chief speaker among many who have spoken well, and has labored more abundantly than any of those, who have abounded most in this work of the Lord. He has labored with us and for us in a manner and a measure, that have given an impulse to the Anti-Slavery cause, which will be felt to the last. It flows and will keep flowing on. out like water; and the wonder of all who his stream of facts, and arguments, and illustrations and appeals, seemed to be never diminished, but still gushed forth as from a fountain, ever full and overflowing. He performed, while here, an amount of service, as we have elsewhere said, the narrative of which would be regarded by many as an incredible tale. The remembrance of his energy, zeal, and alacrity in the work he was

He poured himself heard him was, that

sent to do, will never be effaced; and we hope it will incite us to constantly increasing diligence. He came to us as highly commended as he could be, by the Christian philanthropists of England. And he returns to them with our united testimony, that he has amply redeemed the pledges they gave us. He has shown himself to be thoroughly furnished for his office. And he has in no case compromised the Christian character of his mission.* We cannot find words to express our shame for the ineffable meanness of our opposers, who, unable to answer his arguments or to withstand his appeals, were eager to drive the highly gifted philanthropist from the country, by insult, calumny and violent assaults upon his person. They have effected their purpose. But we weep rather for them, than for him.

The past year has been prolific of events, that have gone to establish the charges, which the Abolitionists have alleged against our country; have satisfied us, that we have "laid the axe to the root of the tree" of evil, which has so long been diffusing its poison throughout our borders; events that have revealed the importance already attained by the Anti-Slavery enterprise, in the regard of the whole nation; and such as we think, should encourage us to persevere in our work, still putting our trust, and hope of success, wholly in the truth and the grace of Almighty God. We shall comment upon as many of them, as a due regard to the other exercises of this occasion will permit- being guided in our course more by the order of time, than of the relative importance of the events, we shall notice.

In this order, the formation of "the American Union for the relief and improvement of the colored race," comes first. What gave birth to it? What but the conviction that the claims of that down-trodden people were to be no longer set at naught, or disregarded? A number of highly respectable gentlemen, prominent in the administration of ecclesiastical matters, perceived that Slavery had come to be a subject of so much concernment, both in and out of the church, that it would not do to overlook it any longer. The despised Abolitionists had made a deep impression upon the public mind. They had exposed the delusion of Colonization, to

* If any are in doubt on these points, we refer them to our statement respecting him published in the Liberator of Dec. 5, the Boston Courier of Dec. 17, and the Daily Advocate of Dec. 31, 1835.