Northampton meeting, again

July 14, 1843

This longer account of the rejection at Northampton, to the Liberator, tells of a speaker who rose at the meeting, critical of Garrison.  He claims that Garrison cannot tell how to abolish slavery. The speaker abhorred slavery too, but it was supported by the Constitution, and could not be ended until the Constitution was amended.  Since Garrison was opposed to political action,  Garrison was unable to say how slavery should be abolished!  Garrison, in response, claims to have answered the criticism to the satisfaction of most in the audience.   The article then includes comments on the Northampton papers. “There are three newspapers here — two whig, and one democratic.  The Courier and Gazette (both whig) took no notice of the meeting — whether from motives of policy,or in the spirit of contempt, I do not know… their silence in regard to a meeting held under such peculiar circumstances, in so public a manner, and with such a noble object in view, is certainly not creditable to their humanity or courtesy… In the Democrat appeared an editorial sketch of the meeting, which was chiefly confined to a personal attack upon myself, and to a broad caricature of what was said of the lowest black-guardism… ”  1

1 Letters of William Lloyd Garrison – Volumes I – VI