The Liberator Files

January 2, 1837 

Notice of move to 25 Cornhill.

January 2, 1837

Two black women, on board a ship, signal distress from cabin window. Some men of color, seeing this, get a writ of habeas corpus, and the women are freed from the custody of the Captain. A court case proceeds, and the Judge proclaims the women free. Then the article includes a dialogue with the agent of slaveholders.

January 28, 1837
In the Juvenile Dept, a Talk to the Children –No 11
ARE LITTLE CHILDREN SOLD?
Here is half a column of instances of children being sold into slavery

February 25, 1837  

Under the  Ladies’ Department
Letter from Female Antislavery Society of Concord, N.H., from Nov., 1835, addressed to Angelina Grimke, and in response to Grimke’s letter published by Garrison.  Letter expresses gratitude to Grimke, for the encouragement her words have given.
 

March 11, 1837  

“Resolved:  That slavery, as it exists with us, we deny to be an evil, and that we regard  those who are now making war upon it, in any shape or under any pretext, as furious fanatics or knaves and hypocrites; and we herby promise them, upon all occasions which may put them in our power, the fate of the pirate, the incendiary, and the midnight assassin.”

March 18, 1837

Meeting in Susquehanna township, elects men as trustees of the school, and authorizes them to allow speakers of various denominations to speak in the school, “but in no event shall they open the door to lectures on abolitionism, negroism,  and amalgamationism, except a majority of the subscribers to the schoolhouse direct to the contrary.”

March 24, 1837

From “The Advocate of Moral Reform”, a delightful story of women who have refused the “attention” of men of this character.

March 31, 1837

Notice to “Friend Garrison” , from Charles Fitch, tells of abolition meeting which was disturbed by an ” irregular assembly of personages who seemed evidently to have congregated for a disturbance.”

April 7, 1837

Under a heading,   Children of Boston, March 25, 1837, note addressed to Garrison, and signed by H.C. Wright, Children’s Agent, tells of a meeting of the Juvenile Anti-Slavery Society, at the Marlboro Chapel, which Wright has addressed for an hour and-half (!!!), and then recounts what he is sure that the children will tell about the evils of slavery.

April 7, 1837

There had evidently been something of a “riot” on March 2, when a lecture to an audience of women was disturbed by a “vile rabble”.  Here appears an account of a meeting the next day between Mr. Parkman, a Marshall sent by the Mayor, to meet with Mr. Graham , the lecturer. 

Graham is concerned that the Marshall was very “civil” toward the men who disturbed the meeting, but “uncivil” toward the women, who were asked to leave the hall.  The Mayor also appears, and he and the Marshall are insisting on knowing if Graham intends to repeat these lectures “only to women” in the city. 

Graham intends to continue, indeed, is scheduled to do so on the next day.  The Marshall says they can “give no protection”. 

Graham wonders if there is any longer a civil authority in the city.  The Mayor  says, “We certainly shall do all that we can to protect, you, sir, but what will that amount to?  What can a few constables do against an excited populace?  And suppose I should call out the militia, it would be impossible to make them act with any efficiency, while all their prejudices and sympathies are on  the side of the mob?”

A note indicates that the meeting did occur, without disturbance, but other lectures by Graham were disturbed.