Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state... — John Shaqi
Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...Godcharles, Frederic Antes
History
Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...
Godcharles, Frederic Antes
Pennsylvania -- Biography; Pennsylvania -- History
Such incidents failed to daunt the spirit of Lucretia Mott, and her
husband, who approved the part she took.
A meeting of the Anti-Slavery Society in New York City was broken up by
roughs, and several of the speakers, as they left the hall, were beaten
by the mob. Lucretia Mott was being escorted from the hall by a
gentleman.
When she noticed some of the other ladies were frightened, she asked her
friend to leave her and take care of the others. “Who will look after
you?” he asked. Lucretia laid her hand on the arm of one of the roughest
in the mob, saying: “This man will see me safely through the crowd.”
Pleased by the mark of confidence, the rioter did as she asked and took
her to safety.
The home of the Motts was always open for the relief of poor colored
persons, and they helped in sending fugitive slaves to places of refuge.
On one occasion the Motts heard the noise of an approaching mob. Mr.
Mott rushed to the door and found a poor colored man, pursued by the
mob, rushing toward the friendly Mott house. He entered and escaped by
the rear door. A brick hurled at Mr. Mott fortunately missed him, but
broke the door directly over his head.
A sequel to the riot at Christiana, Lancaster County, September 11,
1851, which occurred on the farm then owned by Levi Powell, was the
arrest of Castner Hanway and Elijah Lewis, two Quakers of the
neighborhood, and nearly fifty others, mostly Negroes, on the charge of
high treason for levying war against the Government of the United
States.
The trial began in the United States Court at Philadelphia, before
Judges Green and Kane, November 24. It was one of the most exciting ever
held in the State. Thaddeus Stevens, John M. Read, Theodore C. Cuyler,
and Joseph J. Lewis, conducted the defense, while District Attorney John
W. Ashmead was assisted by the Attorney General of Maryland, and by
James Cooper, then a Whig United States Senator from Pennsylvania.
Lucretia Mott attended the trial personally every day, and after the
elaborate argument of counsel, Judge Green delivered his charge. The
jury returned a verdict, in ten minutes, of “not guilty.”
A colored man named Dangerfield was seized on a farm near Harrisburg on
a charge of being a fugitive slave. He was manacled and taken to
Philadelphia for trial.
The abolitionists engaged a lawyer to defend the Negro. Lucretia Mott
sat by the side of the prisoner during the trial. Largely through her
presence and influence Dangerfield was released. The mob outside the
court awaited Dangerfield to deliver him over to his former master, but
a band of young Quakers deceived the crowd by accompanying another Negro
to a carriage and Dangerfield walked off in another direction.
Lucretia Mott and her friends were rejoiced to see the Negroes all free.
There was still much to be done after the Civil War. This noble woman
remained a hard worker for their cause all through her life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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