of The Friends of Emancipation, held in London in 1840 Joseph
Sturge, the founder of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery
Society, proposed the calling of a world's anti-slavery
convention, and the proposal was promptly seconded by the
American Anti-Slavery Society. The call was addressed to
"friends of the slave of every nation and of Yes, let them
gather! Summon forth The pledged philanthropy of Earth. From
every land, whose hills have heard The bugle blast of Freedom
waking; Or shrieking of her symbol-bird From out his cloudy
eyrie breaking Where Justice hath one worshipper, Or truth one
altar built to her; Where'er a human eye is weeping O'er wrongs
which Earth's sad children know; Where'er a single heart is
keeping Its prayerful watch with human woe Thence let them come,
and greet each other, And know in each a friend and brother!
Yes, let them come! from each green vale Where England's old
baronial halls Still bear upon their storied walls The grim
crusader's rusted mail, Battered by Paynim spear and br