By October of 1852, the abolition community had moved beyond revenge and making Constitutional stands over Jerry, toward commemoration and remembrance of the event which had scarcely passed. A notice appeared in a Syracuse newspaper, announcing the planned commemoration of the Jerry Rescue on its first anniversary. Another article ran adjacent, noting that the call for a mass meeting had, a commotion in certain The “occasioned quarters.” celebration was, as treasonable and wicked; and foolish and The “denounced suicidal besides.” paper chided that, else can out conservative friends expect from traitors and above “what ‘sinners all other as they have so often declared us to the paper cajoled the men,’ be?” “Gentlemen,” be in a We shall paddle our own boat, and make the best of the naysayers, “don’t flurry.” it,” writer continued, are, aud [sic] always have been, entirely about this Jerry in earnest “we affair.” The haughty voice tested the mettle of the Syracuse conservatives, declaring that, we said “what in we are ready to stand by in The abolitionists had, a year to think of it, and ’51, ’52.” “taken are more sure than ever that we are the article [sic] for the right.” “So,” proclaims, “hurra Celebration!” Gerrit Smith took the podium at this first commemoration of the Jerry Rescue to address the abolition community. The Syracuse reported that the crowd he addressed Carson League numbered nearly five thousand. Smith's rolling voice washed over the immense crowd. “Poor Jerry, the image of the skilled orator intoned, bruised and tattered image, indeed, for he God,” “a had passed through the fearful mill of slavery, yet the image of God, and capable, by Divine grace, of But Jerry had been captured to be taken back to that how shining forever.” mill. “O can men be found to execute, or even to conceive, such a Smith wondered to the purpose?” gathering. He quickly followed with a sharp quip: did I say? They cannot have been “Men, he assured the crowd, must have sunk their manhood and become monsters, before men,” “They
By October of 1852, the abolition community had moved beyond revenge and making Constitutional stands over Jerry, toward commemoration and remembrance of the event which had scarcely passed. A notice appeared in a Syracuse newspaper, announcing the planned commemoration of the Jerry Rescue on its first anniversary. Another article ran adjacent, noting that the call for a mass meeting had, “occasioned a commotion in certain quarters.” The celebration was, “denounced as treasonable and wicked; and foolish and suicidal besides.” The paper chided that, “what else can out conservative friends expect from traitors and ‘sinners above all other men,’ as they have so often declared us to be?” “Gentlemen,” the paper cajoled the naysayers, “don’t be in a flurry.” We shall paddle our own boat, and make the best of it,” the writer continued, “we are, aud [sic] always have been, entirely in earnest about this Jerry affair.” The haughty voice tested the mettle of the Syracuse conservatives, declaring that, “what we said in ’51, we are ready to stand by in ’52.” The abolitionists had, “taken a year to think of it, and are more sure than ever that we are right.” “So,” the article proclaims, “hurra [sic] for the Celebration!” Gerrit Smith took the podium at this first commemoration of the Jerry Rescue to address the abolition community. The Syracuse Carson League reported that the crowd he addressed numbered nearly five thousand. Smith's rolling voice washed over the immense crowd. “Poor Jerry, the image of God,” the skilled orator intoned, “a bruised and tattered image, indeed, for he had passed through the fearful mill of slavery, yet the image of God, and capable, by Divine grace, of shining forever.” But Jerry had been captured to be taken back to that mill. “O how can men be found to execute, or even to conceive, such a purpose?” Smith wondered to the gathering. He quickly followed with a sharp quip: “Men, did I say? They cannot have been men,” he assured the crowd, “They must have sunk their manhood and become monsters, before