Was one of the warmest friends of the slave and of the colored
man. He was very solicitous for their welfare, and that the
colored people who were free should be enlightened and educated.
He opened a Sunday-school for colored adults, which was
numerously attended, in West Broadway, New York, and with a few
others, devoted the most of the Sabbath to their teaching. When
he and his brother Arthur, assembled the seventy anti-slavery
agents, who were thereafter, like "firebrands," scattered all
over the land, they held their meetings in this room. These
agents were entertained by abolitionists in the city, and many
of us had two or three of them in each of our families for a
couple of weeks. They went out all over the land, and were
instrumental in diffusing more truth, perhaps, about the
dreadful system of American Slavery, than was accomplished in
any other way. He also aided in establishing several
periodicals, brimful of anti-slavery truth; among which, were
the "_Anti-Slavery Record_," the "_Emancipator_," the "_Slave's
Friend;_" the latter, to indoctrinate the children in
Anti-slavery. The American Missionary Society, originally begun
for the support of a mission in Africa, on the occasion of the
return of the Amistad captors to their native land, and now
doing so much for the freedmen of the South, was almost entirely
established by his efforts. During the continuance of Slavery,
much was done by this Society for the diffusion of an
anti-slavery gospel.
The "Vigilance Committee," for aiding and befriending fugitives,
of which I was treasurer for many years, had no better or warmer
friend than he. He was almost always at their meetings, which
were known only to "the elect," for we dared not hold them too
publicly, as we almost always had some of the travelers toward
the "north star" present, whose masters or their agents were
frequently in the city, in hot pursuit. At first, we sent them
to Canada, but after a while, sent them only to Syracuse, and
the centre of the State.
In 1834, I think, was the first rioting, the sacking of Mr.
Tappan's house, in Rose Street. The mob brought all his
furniture out, and piling it up in the street, set it on fire.
The family were absent at the time. Soon after, they stoned Rev.
Mr. Ludlow's, and Dr. Cox's church, and the house of the latter.
They threatened Arthur Tappan & Co's, store, in Pearl Street,
but hearing that there were a few loaded muskets there, they
_took it out in threats_. But their mercantile establishment was
almost ostracised at this time, by the dry goods merchants; and
country merchants in all parts of the country, north as well as
south, did not dare to have it known that they bought goods of
them; and when they did so, requested particularly, that the
bundles or boxes, should not be marked "from A. Tappan & Co.,"
as was customary. Southern merchants especially, avoided them,
and when, two or three years later, there was a general
insolvency among them, occasionally large losses to New York
merchants, and in some cases failure; _the Tappans were saved by
having no Southern debts_!
Through Mr. Tappan's influence and extensive correspondence
abroad, many remittances came for the help of the "Vigilance
Committee," from England and Scotland, and at one time, an
extensive invoice of useful and fancy articles, in several large
boxes, was received from the Glasgow ladies, sufficient to
furnish a large bazaar or fair, which was held in Brooklyn, for
the benefit of the Committee.
Although lately afflicted by disease, Mr. Tappan still lives in
the enjoyment of all his faculties, and a good measure of
health, and in his advanced years, sees now some of the great
results of his life-long efforts for the restoration and
maintenance of human rights.
Although still suffering under many of the evils which Slavery
has inflicted upon him, the _American slave_ no longer exists!
Instead stands up in all our Southern States the _freedman_,
knowing his rights, and, as a rule, enjoying them. Original
American abolitionists, who met the scorn and odium, the imputed
shame and obloquy, the frowns and cold-shoulders which they bore
through all the dark days of Slavery, now see and feel their
reward in some measure; to be completed only, when they shall
hear the plaudit: "Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."