the patronage of those whom he is so eager to expose to the horrors of a servile insurrection. He is generally described as an amiable, weak, wellmeaning man, whose limited portion of intellect has been turned topsy-turvy by religious excitement. He has not sufficient mind to originate, or resist, any religious delusion. He is made the dupe of every fanatic or impostor, who thunders religious denunciations in his ears. New York appears to have been for some years afflicted with a prevailing tendency to fanaticism. Not a fanatic so stupid, but in New York he could find admirers; not an impostor so degraded, but in New York he could enlist followers. Nor has this weakness been confined to the ignorant alone. Col. Stone's life of Matthias, informs us, that the delusion has ascended to the very highest ranks of society; and even Matthias found his dupes and victims among the intelligent and wealthy merchants of New York. Of this class of fanatics, perhaps the most distinguished is the President of A. A. S. Society. The able and fearless editor of the New York Courier and Enquirer, a print that merits the gratitude of every Southron, for its early, consistent and inflexible opposition to the abolitionists, in an article on Fanaticism, holds the following language.

"Let our fathers of families-our upright, honest educated, thousands be convinced, and act while there is yet time for action! Let them shut up the doors of their houses, and of their hearts, against all fanatics, for all are evil-all are mad! Whether beginning by advocating the claims, which all good men allow, of temperance, they proceed from step to step, till they reach the mad insanity of stigmatising the Redeemer-like the Pharisees of old, as a wine-bibber and a glutton. Whether

starting with a society for the suppression of prostitution, they end by advocating promiscuous intercourse and unlimited concubinage!-or whether, pretending a zeal for the unhappy negroes, they tread the path that must inevitably lead to discord, and to civil war, with all its kindred horrors of rape, and sack and slaughter. And let them hear this too, those who deem it unconstitutional and unjust to crush this reptile in the egg-let them hear this! The man who set on foot the madness of Matthias, and the man who is now whetting myriads of swords for civil massacre, from one end to the other of these powerful and peaceful United States, IS ONE AND THE SAME! Tappan the founder of the Magdalen Societies of 1832-the causer of McDowall's infamous publications-the original head of that sect whence sprung the followers of Matthias; Tappan the head of the abolition societies of 1835!-whither his teachings led in the first instance, we have seen;-whither his teachings now shall lead futurity alone can prove, although it needs no prophet's eye to pierce the secret.

"O! if that man be virtuous-if he have a heart -if he have human feeling-let him pause. He has seen, he must know the results of that mad zeal, which he then set on foot, although we well believe, he dreamed not of its terrible effects. He has witnessed the guilt of those wretched victimsand his own heart, his own conscience-if he have a heart, or conscience-must tell him that he is in truth the origin of all this ruin. And if it be soif the religious zeal to which he then, piously we will believe and for good purposes, gave its first stimulus, has produced results the most opposite to his intentions; if it has disappointed his wishes, while it has confirmed the opinions all wise men

even then entertained of it,-will he not pause, and consider that this cry of abolition, to which he has now piously and for good purposes, given its first stimulus, may in like manner produce results the most opposite to his intentions;-may in like manner disappoint his wishes, and confirm the present predictions of all, who are not, like him, blinded by overweening confidence in their own selfidolizing sanctity."

It may be doubted, notwithstanding Mr. Tappan's fanaticism, whether his piety would have pressed him into so conspicuous a station among the abolitionists, had not another passion pleaded in its favour. Weak men are generally vain. Incapable of great or useful ambition; they cherish a pruriency for praise, or an anxiety to escape from their natural insignificance, by notoriety of any kind. Even abuse is grateful to them, for it is an acknowledgment of their importance; the praise and censure incurred by Mr. Tappan are acceptable incense to him, and are purchased cheaply by his large contributions to the abolitionists. He finds himself rendered, by his connection with them, "a marvellous proper man," and clings with delight to a cause which has ministered so successfully to the little vanity of a feeble and contracted mind.

Our attention is next directed to George Thompson, occasionally dignified with the title of the Reverend George Thompson, and otherwise simply designated as George Thompson, Esquire, from England. Who, it will be asked, is this foreigner, and what does he here? The answer will flush every American cheek with shame and indignation.

The first knowledge we have of Thompson, is as lecturer in England on Slavery in this country. How he acquired any knowledge of the subject, or how he was interested in it, we are left to conjec

ture. But we see by the Manchester Times, of August 2, 1834, that Thompson, at a great meeting in that city asserted that a slave-holder in this country, possessing five hundred slaves, in addition to his own vote, threw into the ballot box three hundred more to represent three fifths of his property. His geography appears to have been equal to his other accomplishments, as he gravely informed that intelligent audience, that the United States "consisted of twenty-four states exclusive of three small Districts called Columbia,” and detailed the manner in which "slaves were smuggled up the rivers of that territory for the purpose of supplying the markets!" But plain misrepresentation constitutes but a slight portion of his claims to our regard. The burthen of his song in England was abuse of this country.* Among other matters he stated, upon

* The following is a copy of a letter, from a highly respectable gentleman in Manchester, England, and was originally published in the New York Courier and Enquirer.

"Manchester July 29, 1834.

Dear Sir:-My object in writing at the present time is to inform you that a vile Fanatic by the name of THOMPSON, is about to visit the United States, under the patronage of (as I am informed) Mr. Arthur Tappan, and a few men of that clique.

Mr. Thompson gave a lecture last evening upon the subject of slavery in America, during which he took occasion to SLANDER the country MOST VILELY, and told many falsehoods too gross to be repeated. Mr. B. W. Richards, (the late respected Mayor of Philadelphia,) was present, and told me this day that he was upon the point of getting up and telling him his statements were false, but was only restrained from so doing by being a stranger in a strange land. My only object in writing you is to inform you and the intelligent readers of your paper, that Mr. Thompson embarks in the ship United States, (the packet of the 8th August) and put them on their guard against his proceedings. I am as much

one occasion, that female slaves were publicly sold by weight in this country; and scrupled not to make the institutions of the United States the subject of the most vehement abuse. So much for his public character. It may now be well to inquire into the private standing of this favourite and foreign maligner of our people and institutions. The individual who has the presumption to land upon our shores, and go from city to city to denounce our people and laws, should be immaculate himself-elevated so far above ordinary humanity, as to be worthy to rebuke even the most exalted of his fellow beings. What are the facts? From rumours afloat, in relation to his former character, it was considered necessary to make some inquiries in his native country. The following paragraph, extracted from a respectable daily journal of Philadelphia, will exhibit the result of this investigation.

"SERIOUS CHARGE.-The Editor of the New York Commercial Advertiser, says that he is authorized to state that the proofs of Mr. George Thompson's embezzlement of moneys from Messrs. Marshal & Dale, of London, for which he was dismissed from their employ, and but for their forbearance would have been sent on a mission to Botany Bay, as also the proofs of his expulsion from the literary and scientific institutions, &c., have arrived, and may be seen in the hands of James Jarret, Esq. They are in the shape of affidavits, taken before Thomas Aspinwall, Esq. U. S. consul for the city of London.

From this it appears, that the man who has arro

opposed to slavery as Mr. Thompson or any other person can be, yet I am not willing that he or any other foreigner should interfere in our concerns at all. Very respectfully, Your obedient servant."