Reading Garrison's Letters

Nov 7, 1835

Garrison writes to Helen, who is safely with her family in Connecticut, but he has returned to Boston. He tells of being in the Anti-Slavery office, when a “procession marched by the office, with a band of music in full blast, and followed by a squad of spectators; and what do you think they had with them?  It was a large board, on which were drawn two figures, quite conspicuously — George Thompson and a black woman.  Over the head of Thompson were the words, ‘The Foreign Emissary’ –and the black woman asking him, ‘When are we going to have another meeting, brother Thompson?’  It is fortunate, perhaps, that this company did not know that I was then in the Anti-Slavery office  — else they might have excited another uproar  … city authorities made not the slightest attempt to interfere …. Mr. Thompson will probably sail for England in the course of a fortnight — but this must be kept private…”  ¹

¹ Letters of William Lloyd Garrison – Volumes I – VI