May 7th. The leading lights of the abolition movement flocked to Syracuse to denounce slavery, the Fugitive Slave Law and Daniel Webster. The City of New York, likewise, could not avoid assault. at the William Lloyd Garrison spoke sarcastically to the assembly, “We here North,” no longer to have any thought, any opinion, any freedom of speech, or the right peaceably to “are assemble together to discuss the great cause of liberty; at least, it seems not in the great city of New But, the society was determined to make the best of the situation. Now that we are York.” driven out from New Garrison continued, are compelled to make our appeal to the York,” “we Garrison proclaimed, as is the of New York, is not the city it interior.” “Thank God,” “large State of New York! Thank God, wealthy and mighty as is the city of New York, it is powerless as against the Empire Garrison issued a call to the citizens assembled in the Syracuse State.” City Hall, asking loudly over the din of the crowd, people of Western New York and “Now, Syracuse, what do you say?... Shall we say just what we think on the subject of liberty and slavery? Will you defend the right of Garrison was met with hearty applause. speech?” Garrison shared his utmost conviction people of the North will surrender the never that, “the right of free speech.” The following three days of the convention were typical, punctuated by the indistinctive pronouncements on resolutions on the destructive nature of the Fillmore Slavery’s evil, administration for its course on the Fugitive Slave Law and promises of resistance when found a relatively receptive audience, even in those citizens who did necessary. Garrison’s band not typically ally with the abolitionists. one observer noted, the in masses “There is,” “among southern, central, and western New York, the farmers and mechanics, the operatives, and indeed all the non political interests of the country, a feeling of opposition to those measures of the last Congress with which Mr. Fillmore and Mr. Webster are so much This hostility could identified.”
May 7th. The leading lights of the abolition movement flocked to Syracuse to denounce slavery, the Fugitive Slave Law and Daniel Webster. The City of New York, likewise, could not avoid assault. “We here at the North,” William Lloyd Garrison spoke sarcastically to the assembly, “are no longer to have any thought, any opinion, any freedom of speech, or the right peaceably to assemble together to discuss the great cause of liberty; at least, it seems not in the great city of New York.” But, the society was determined to make the best of the situation. Now that we are driven out from New York,” Garrison continued, “we are compelled to make our appeal to the interior.” “Thank God,” Garrison proclaimed, “large as is the city of New York, it is not the State of New York! Thank God, wealthy and mighty as is the city of New York, it is powerless as against the Empire State.” Garrison issued a call to the citizens assembled in the Syracuse City Hall, asking loudly over the din of the crowd, “Now, people of Western New York and Syracuse, what do you say?... Shall we say just what we think on the subject of liberty and slavery? Will you defend the right of speech?” Garrison was met with hearty applause. Garrison shared his utmost conviction that, “the people of the North never will surrender the right of free speech.” The following three days of the convention were typical, punctuated by the indistinctive pronouncements on Slavery’s evil, resolutions on the destructive nature of the Fillmore administration for its course on the Fugitive Slave Law and promises of resistance when necessary. Garrison’s band found a relatively receptive audience, even in those citizens who did not typically ally with the abolitionists. “There is,” one observer noted, “among the masses in southern, central, and western New York, the farmers and mechanics, the operatives, and indeed all the non political interests of the country, a feeling of opposition to those measures of the last Congress with which Mr. Fillmore and Mr. Webster are so much identified.” This hostility could