constituents. recent demonstration of Liberty in the ever-to-be-loved and honored city of “The Syracuse will, undoubtedly, have a mighty effect in quickening, and strengthening, and spreading the antislavery Smith assured his readers. But Smith feared that the Jerry sentiment,” Rescue alone could not serve to garner support for the Liberty by relying on this Party. “If, glorious demonstration to increase our Smith wrote, shall relax our efforts to increase vote,” “we it, it will not be The Jerry Rescue must act as catalyst and inspiration, and was not increased.” simply a signal of a mission accomplished. The political playing field, Smith continued, remained are fractured. “Our countrymen divided into two great political Smith reminded his followers, are at work to detach parties,” “we them from these parties, and to bring them to vote, not according to party, but according to These political parties, the Democrats and the Whigs, were simply defined in truth.” Smith’s mind: madness of the many for the gain of the The national political parites were rife “the few.” with, and by, and sorcerers of all “bewitching corrupting influences,” wielded “wire-workers grades from the Town and County to the State and National Smith moaned, politician.” “But,” Whigs and Democrats are prepared to leave their The thousands of partisans, “few parties.” were gathered at Syracuse, and who either participated in, or rejoiced in, the rescue of the “who fugitive Smith admitted, themselves therein to be men of But he slave,” “show heart.” questioned their willingness to hold to these principles, and when they, to the polls of the “come approaching Election, they will, with, alas, too few exceptions, show themselves to be sadly deficient in consistency and principle.” Gerrit voice, even on paper, was imposing. But his figure was equally as Smith’s well suited for making an impression. frame was, his With Smith’s “stately;” features, “noble.” brown mottled hair and long beard which, in strong masses over the Smith, “fell collar,”
constituents. “The recent demonstration of Liberty in the ever-to-be-loved and honored city of Syracuse will, undoubtedly, have a mighty effect in quickening, and strengthening, and spreading the antislavery sentiment,” Smith assured his readers. But Smith feared that the Jerry Rescue alone could not serve to garner support for the Liberty Party. “If, by relying on this glorious demonstration to increase our vote,” Smith wrote, “we shall relax our efforts to increase it, it will not be increased.” The Jerry Rescue must act as catalyst and inspiration, and was not simply a signal of a mission accomplished. The political playing field, Smith continued, remained fractured. “Our countrymen are divided into two great political parties,” Smith reminded his followers, “we are at work to detach them from these parties, and to bring them to vote, not according to party, but according to truth.” These political parties, the Democrats and the Whigs, were simply defined in Smith’s mind: “the madness of the many for the gain of the few.” The national political parites were rife with, “bewitching and corrupting influences,” wielded by, “wire-workers and sorcerers of all grades from the Town and County to the State and National politician.” “But,” Smith moaned, “few Whigs and Democrats are prepared to leave their parties.” The thousands of partisans, “who were gathered at Syracuse, and who either participated in, or rejoiced in, the rescue of the fugitive slave,” Smith admitted, “show themselves therein to be men of heart.” But he questioned their willingness to hold to these principles, and when they, “come to the polls of the approaching Election, they will, with, alas, too few exceptions, show themselves to be sadly deficient in consistency and principle.” Gerrit Smith’s voice, even on paper, was imposing. But his figure was equally as well suited for making an impression. Smith’s frame was, “stately;” his features, “noble.” With brown mottled hair and long beard which, “fell in strong masses over the collar,” Smith,