These disunion sentiments continued with growing insistence in the
declarations of leading Abolitionists and in the platform of their
societies. On the 15th of January, 1857, there assembled at Worcester,
Mass., the "Disunion Convention." This body adopted, among other
resolutions, one demanding the immediate dissolution of the Union, and
declaring that "The sooner the separation takes place, the more
peaceful it will be; but that peace or war is a secondary
consideration in view of our present perils. Slavery must be
conquered, peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must."[312] This
convention appointed a State Committee of seven, of which the Rev.
Thomas Wentworth Higginson was made chairman, to direct the propaganda
of the new movement and a general convention composed of delegates
from all the free states was recommended. A call for the latter
convention was accordingly issued in July, 1857, signed by Mr.
Higginson, Wendell Phillips, William Lloyd Garrison, and other leading
Abolitionists. Cleveland, Ohio, was selected as the place for the
convention, because a majority of the signers to the call, some seven
hundred in number, were citizens of that state. The 28th of October
was fixed as the date for the meeting of the convention. This body,
however, failed to assemble because of the terrible financial panic
which began in September of that year,—the leaders deciding to
postpone the "projected Northern Convention until a more auspicious
period."[313]