Press enter after choosing selection

Michigan State Anti-slavery Society

Michigan State Anti-slavery Society image Michigan State Anti-slavery Society image
Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
February
Year
1847
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Annual Meeting was held at Kalamazoo, Feb. 3, 1847. The President, C. Gurney Esq. took the chair, and BUer Twisa addressed the Throne of Grace. Messrs. Marsh, Alexander and Gallup, were appointed a commiltee on Credenlials. They reported the following list of members of the Society. St. Joseph - N. Nickerson and C. Gurney. Eaton - E. N. Bartlett, E. Curiiss, J. B. Barnes, H. A. Trench. Berrien - John Orr, and J. I. Alexander. Gencsee - J. W. King, and J. C. Gallup. Wayne- S. M. Holmes, and C. H. Stewart. Washtenaw - T. Foster, G. Dell, anc A. A. Copeland. Jackson - Samuel Higgins. Kaïamazoo - -Joseph. Gilbert, Joseph Merrill, J. White, J. P. Marsh, J. A. B. Stone, S. M. Babbilt, N. M. Thomas, W. C. Denison, F. Den:son, J. White, M. Wilson,A. N. Nourse, T. W. Merril, H. Montague, A. II. Hill, M. L. Hill, M. Kingsley, H. Thayer, O. P. Hoyt, A. Foibe.,A. B. Cobb, A. W. Bushnell,C. Anderson, H. Wells, M. Percival, anc A. Lakin. Calhoun - J. Harris, E. Hussey, A. Densmore, J. S. Twiss, nnd C. Cooley. Branch - J. D. Zimmermnn. Van. Buren - R. D. Gurnsey, and S. Hunt. Allegan- W. C. Warrant, S. F. Drury, C. Lay, T. N. Russell, E. H. House, C. G. Brunson, J. B. Porter and II. J. Cushman. C. H. Stewarr, F. Denison, J. W. King, Dr. BabMlt, and John Orr, were appointed a Business Committee. E. Hussey, S. M. Holmes, N. Nickerson, J. D. Zimmerman, Dr. Thomas, T. Foster, Eider Twiss, S. F. Drury nnd W. Denison, were appointed a committee on Nominations. Adjourned. Thuksüay, Feb. 4, 1847. Prayer by Rov. Mr. Morris. C. C. Brunson wns appointed assistant Secretary. Communications addressed to ihe Society by D. M. Bngley and E. II. Sanford were read, and laid on the table for furiher action. Resolutions 1, 2 and 3 reported by the Business Commitfee, were diseussed by Messrs. Stewart, F. Denison, Hussey and others, and adopted. Eider Twiss oflered the following, which was adopted : Resolved, That the recent exhibition of public feeling in the village of Marshall in resisting the attempt of the Southern slaveholders to carry off a whole family into tslaveiy from which they had escaped some 4ycars ago, meetsour approjation, and wc hail it as indicative of anodvance in the true principies of tbe Liberty pariy. Messrs. Zimmermnn, Orr, Gallup, Holmes and Thomas wero appointed a committce on the time and place of the next meeting. The Comin'itlcc on Nomínatíons reported the following list of officers, which was coniirmed by Jhe Sociely, For President, WK, DBNISON," of Kdamtuoo. For Vice Presidente, T. M. RussEx-l, of Allegan County, J. D. Zimmehman, of .B ranch J. W. King, of Genesee . " S. M. Holmes, of Wayne " Excculivc CommiUce - O. P. Iloyt, J. A. B. Stone, and N. M. Thomas, of Kalamazoo County : for Secretary, F. Fostcr, of Washtenaw : for Treasurtjr,. J. P. Marsh, o{ Kalamazoo. The Commiüee on the time nnd place of tho noxt annunl meeting reportcd Ann Arbor as the place, and the first Thursday in February as the time, at 9 o'clock, A. M. and the President was authorized to cali a meeting the evening previous, if practicable. Adjourned. AFTERXOON 8ESSION. Prayor by Rev. Mr. Bartlctt. Tho Annual Address was ihen delivered by ihe President. The Society voted their thanks to that gentleman for the able and interesting address, and requested a copy for publication. A brief report of tho Exec-Jtive Committoe of last year wa3 presented by a pnrt of tho Commilteo (the othersnot having been advised with) and adopted as follows : " The Executive Committee of the Michigan Slate Antislavery Society, beg leave to report, that during the last year, unusual circumstances have markedour course - some that cause deep regret, and some, cause of graiulation. Some discordant views huve existed, and while many have adhered to our formerand firat principies, many oihers have wished to hasten the cause by some new schemc. - Such a state of things has produced tenporary relaxation and npathy, but on the whole we havo cause of thankfulness that Liberty men are Liberty men still, and that many new converts have been made. Furlher, we feel that the present dilemma, in which the course of the Democratie and Whig parties has brought them - the one to commence and urge on a detestable war with Mexico, and the oiher, to sxipport it right or wrong, has brought our opponents to the blush, and given us high vantage grnund, showing conclusively, the better ounsels of the Liberty party. Finally, we think and feel that our present position is auspicious, and invite and urge our friends to join and unitedly press to final victory, and success, our piinciples of Liberty." A resolution offered by H. A. Trench, proposing in substance that the Liberty party ought to take full grounds on eVery subject of national interest, was debated by Messrs. Trench, F. Denison, Copeland, Bartlett, Drury, Hussey, and Holmes, ond was unanimously rejected. [The resolution cannot be given verbalim, as it was not left on the Secreiary's table.] The folloiving resolution was then adopted : Resolved, That whilo we view the establishment of " The National Era," as as one of the most chcering features in the signs uf the times, - we feel ihat our liberty friends are, at this time, pecuiiarly called upon to rally around tho liberty press of our own Slate. Adjourned. EVEXINO SESSION. Prayer by Eider Twiss. Resolution No. 6 was taken up and discussed by Messrs. Siewart, Foster, Harris, Gallup, F. Denison, and others and adopted. The State Central Committee made a report which was adopted, and ordsred to bcpublished, and Messrs. Foster, Hill and Beckley of Ana Arbor werenppoinied an auditing committee. [The Report will be found in another column.] Mr. Siewart then maden statement of the financial afTairs of the Central Committee, after which, a colleetion of $58,00 was taken up to meet the deficiency of funds, and the following gentlemen were appointed commitiees in their respective counties, to obtain further subscriptions to liquídate the whole arnount of indebtedness conlracted by the Central Commitiee : S. F. Drury, of Allegan. F. Denison, of Kalamazoo. Geo. Ingersoll, ofCalhoun. í. W. Clarke, of Branch. J. J. Aloxander, of Berrien. P. B. Osborn, of Cass. A. A. Copeland, of Washtcnaw. W. C. Hoyt,ofVan Buren. Hé A. Trench, of Eaton. VV. G. Stone, and N. Power, of Oakland. S. P. Munger, of Monroe. S. Zugg and H. ö. Bradley, of Wayne. W. Moody, of Lenawee. W. Canfield, of Macomb. W. VV. Jackson, of Hillsdale. Thos. McGoe, of Jackson. J. B. Barnes, of Shiawassee.J. W. King, of Genesco. S. J. M. Hammond, of St.Joseph; The rcmaining resol tríions were thoi adopfed, aflcr which the Society ad' journed. C. GURNEY, Frcs% T. FOSTER, } C. C. Brunso.n, 5 Secretarles. RESOLUTIONS. 1. Resolved, That our grateful (hank areoue 1o Almighty God, that during fhr past year he hasogain sustained his great principies of gospel and civil righta, and ftgainst poerfol opposition has advancod tbem ín power and influence. 2. Resolved, That a rcvlexr of tfo paal antislavery y car furnishes mttr botij o( congratularon and regret. Whil we rejoice that the cause ha gained in strenglh and importance, we regret th the want of the united aid of all its fricnOs did not permit it to reach the eleratïon it would oiherwise have attained. 3. Resolved, That the signs of au appronching crisis beiwoen Liberty and Siavery fast thicken in evory section of the nation. Liberty has increased iu vote : it has won important convertí : it lias sundered the hcretofore sfrongest political organizatton : in the highest quarters it has declared its opposition to exter.ding slavery : at the nation's Mat of government it has placed its press: it fast gathers public sentiment of all parties to coalesce against Slavery : and it. coerces the Jou mals of Slavery to hcaver und throe, and express thejr, talarm at tha symptoms around. 4. Rosolvod, Tl)at every consideration invites tho faith, hope, and pervranee of Slavery's opponents, and assures them that thereis wanting to victory onlyan eftbrt determined, combinod, aelfsacrificing, and sustained. 5. Resolved, That the revolution already acMoved in public sentiment raspecting Slavery by a minority weak in all snve principie, has accomplished by far the most difiïcult part of emancipation's task : nnd that compared to it, e 11 yet remaining to be done is comparatively smal!. 0. Resolved, That the Liberty party had its origin in the fact that ths existing pari:e3 wero proslavery : and as theio partics have since made no reform on this subject, but on the contrary still continuo iheirfellowshipwith Slavery, the original necessity for Liberty orgnnization continue.1; undiminished, and every person now voting for candidatos of other political parties, votes to support Rlavery. 7. Resolved, That the position and sentiments of a party are known only by its acts, and its doclarationa in Conyontion : and that to take the professions, or even the sentimontsof membersof a par tv, as the means to define the party's po. sition, is most dlusive, and has been openly repudiated as such by leading vvhig and democratie presses. 8. Rosolved, fhat to vote for any nomiinee of a party is to voto realJy for th party and its principies, the candidate bcjng presentad not because of his individu ality, but that he represonts party ; and we regret that many devoted friends of the slave, in their zeal for individuáis, presented on proslavery tickets, havo rotod in fact for principies and partres most repugnant lo those of Liberty. 9. Resolved, That the 6trongest obstacles now existing to the consummation of the Liberty efFort are the following :- - lukewarmness or indifference in prafeasei Liberty men : absence from the polls: voting proslavery nominations : a minority withholding cordial support from a majority : the expression of doubt on prin ciples long aettlod : and the want of faith and work. 10. Resolved, That with all, who ever stood by, or now bold dcar the causa of the slave, and our country, we plead tnderly to rally around those who work for both, as they best can : and in their content with a common enemy, to sustain their fellow& in principie and brothers in love. 11. Resolved, That iudividual exertion is the most efficiënt means of forwording tho antislavery enterprise : and to procuro such exertion this Convention carnestly recommends tho institution of School District Committees, whose duty it shall be to hold meetings within their several localities, at least once in each month to discuss the subject. ' 12. Resolved, That this Convention recommends the formation of Town and County Anti-Slavery Societies, auxiliary to the State Society, which shall report to tho annual meoting of the latter all malters of interest within their respectivo district?, and that such Auxiliary Societies be forthwith formed all through the State. 13. Resolved, That this Convention is deeply sensible of the efficiency of aid aestowed by the Ladies of Michigan ott the antislavery cause during the past year, nnd would express fheir thanks therefor did not the Ladies possess a higher tribute - tho testimony of an approving consciencc, and the blessing of God. We trust their cfiörts will be continued, and sxtended. 14. Resolved, That we ulteríy deprécate the war with Mexico, as unjust, un shristian, uncalled for, and an act more in iccordance with the days of savage igno