Right and wrong in MassachusettsChapman, Maria Weston
History
Right and wrong in Massachusetts
Chapman, Maria Weston
Antislavery movements -- Massachusetts -- Boston; Massachusetts Anti-slavery Society
I dont know but my mentioning the objections _some_ felt to the
Liberator, led you to think of the project of a new paper, as a
sort of _opposition line_ to the Liberator. But this is far from
my idea of the matter. True, the character and contents of that
paper exclude it from circulation in this county so extensively,
that it does not answer the purpose of advertising our County
Meetings even. Nor will its circulation increase. In some of the
strongest Anti-Slavery towns, where most is done for the cause,
scarcely a single copy is taken, or can be got in. So it is all
over the State. I suppose not more than half the circulation of
the Liberator, (probably not one third,) is in Massachusetts. Nor
will this state of things, in that respect, be materially changed
at present, in my judgment. I think it certain that papers from
New York or elsewhere, cannot do for our State to act efficiently.
And that there are thousands of abolitionists, and others who
need, and would take a paper, wholly devoted to Anti-Slavery
and published at Boston, admits not of a question. It would
have five hundred to one thousand subscribers in this County,
_at once_. Now, I think the good of our cause _demands_ of us,
that such a paper be started, and a small monthly, like “Human
Rights,” besides. And if it is done as our official State paper,
there can be no ground for considering it as in opposition to the
Liberator. Whereas, if individuals start a paper, the case will be
just the reverse. It will then be a rival to the Liberator, and
will materially injure its circulation. Now, a State official,
_confined_ to Anti-Slavery exclusively, will not cross the track
of the Liberator scarcely at all. I have, so far, heard of not a
syllable of disapproval but from yourself, from any part of the
State. I do still hope, on reflection, you will think differently
of the thing. There can be no evil, or warfare, it seems to me,
unless those who like the Liberator insist that it shall be,
virtually, _the State Paper_, while not so in form, and choose
to claim the whole of the vast unoccupied field, in this State,
as its own. But if they resist and successfully, the measure
proposed, _then_ all peace or compromise will indeed end. A new
paper will, no doubt, be started, as an individual enterprize, and
it will not spare the peculiarities of opinion, etc. manifested
in the Liberator. It is true, it is open to controversy on peace,
etc. But, on that very account, it has no claims to be the
_Anti-Slavery_ paper of Massachusetts, and to circulate as such,
among those who reluctantly take it for its local news, while
they cannot endure its sectarianism.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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