The new hatred of slavery which the mob had aroused in Boston found heroic expression in a letter of Francis Jackson’s replying to a vote of thanks of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society to him for his hospitality to the ladies after their meeting was broken up by the mob.  Mr. Jackson in his answer points with emphasis to the fact that his hospitality had a double aim, one was the accommodation of the ladies, the other the preservation of the right of free discussion.  In his regard a foundation principle of free institutions had been assailed.  “Happily,” he shrewdly observed, “one point seems already to be gaining universal assent, that slavery cannot long survive free discussion.  Hence the efforts of the friends, and apologists of slavery to break down this right.  And hence the immense stake which the enemies of slavery hold, in behalf of freedom and mankind, in its preservation.  The contest is, therefore, substantially between liberty and slavery.

“As slavery cannot exist with free discussion, so neither can liberty breathe without it.  Losing this, we, too, shall be no longer free men indeed, but little, if at all, superior to the millions we now seek to emancipate.”  This apprehension and spirit of resistance, voiced by Francis Jackson, was Garrison’s new ally, which, phoenix-like, was born out of the ashes of that terrific attempt of his enemies to effect his destruction, known as the “Broad-Cloth Mob.”

CHAPTER XIII.

THE BAROMETER CONTINUES TO FALL.

Having made trial of the strong arm of the mob as an instrument for putting down the Abolitionists, and been quite confounded by its unexpected energy and unmanageableness, Boston was well disposed to lay the weapon aside as much too dangerous for use.  For the wild-cat-like creature might take it into its head, when once it had got a taste of blood, to suppress some other isms in the community besides Abolitionism.  No, no, the gentlemen of property and standing in the community had too much at stake to expose their property and their persons to the perils of any further experiments in that direction, even for the sake of expressing their sympathy for their dear brethren in the South, or of saving the dear Union into the bargain.  Another method more in accord with the genius of their high state of civilization, they opined, might be invented to put the agitation and the agitators of the slavery question down.  The politicians thereupon proceeded to make this perfectly wonderful invention.  Not the strong arm of the mob, quoth these wiseacres, but the strong arm of the law it shall be.  And the strong arm of the law they forthwith determined to make it.