The excitement caused by Mr. Tappan’s unexpected visit, the hearty
encouragement he had given me, and the great addition he had made to
my means of defence, altogether were so grateful to me that I did
not at first fully realize how much I had undertaken to do. But a
night’s rest brought me to my senses, and I clearly saw that I must
have some other help than even Mr. Tappan’s pecuniary generosity
could give me. I was at that time publishing a religious paper,--_The
Christian Monitor_,--which, together with my pulpit and parochial
duties, filled quite full the measure of my ability. Unfortunately
the prospectus of _The Monitor_, issued a year before the beginning
of the Canterbury difficulty, precluded from its columns all articles
relating to personal or neighborhood quarrels. Therefore, though the
editor of a paper, I could not, in that paper, repel the most injurious
attacks that were made upon my character. Had it been otherwise, there
would have been no need of starting another paper. But, as Mr. Tappan
promptly allowed, another paper must be issued, and to edit two papers
at the same time was wholly beyond my power. What should I do?
Soon after the enactment of the “Black Law” an admirable article,
faithfully criticising it, had appeared in _The Genius of Temperance_,
and been copied into _The Emancipator_. It was attributed to Mr.
Charles C. Burleigh, living in the adjoining town of Plainfield. I
had heard him commended as a young man of great promise, and had
once listened to an able speech from him at a Colonization meeting.
To him, therefore, in the need of help, my thoughts soon turned. And
the morning after Mr. Tappan’s visit I drove over to Plainfield.
Mr. Burleigh was living with his parents, and helping them carry on
their farm, while pursuing as he could his studies preparatory to the
profession of a lawyer. It was Friday of the week, in the midst of
haying time. I was told at the house that he was in the field as busy
as he could be. Nevertheless, I insisted that my business with him
was more important than haying. So he was sent for, and in due time
appeared. Like other sensible men, at the hard, hot work of haying,
he was not attired in his Sunday clothes, but in his shirt-sleeves,
with pants the worse for wear; and, although he then _believed_ in
shaving, no razor had touched his beard since the first day of the
week. Nevertheless, I do not believe that Samuel of old saw, in the
ruddy son of Jesse, as he came up from the sheepfold, the man whom the
Lord would have him anoint, more clearly than I saw in C. C. Burleigh
the man whom I should choose to be my assistant in that emergency. So
soon as I had told him what I wanted of him his eye kindled as if eager
for the conflict. We made an arrangement to supply his place on his
father’s farm, and he engaged to come to me early the following week.
On Monday, the 14th of July, 1833, according to promise, he came to
Brooklyn. He then put on the harness of a soldier in the good fight for
equal, impartial liberty, and he has not yet laid it aside, nor are
there many, if indeed any, of the antislavery warriors who have done
more or better service than Mr. Burleigh.
On the 25th of July, 1833, appeared the first number of our paper,
called _The Unionist_. After the first two or three numbers most
of the articles were written or selected by Mr. Burleigh, and it
was soon acknowledged by the public that the young editor wielded a
powerful weapon. The paper was continued, if I remember correctly,
about two years, and it helped us mightily in our controversy with
the persecutors of Miss Crandall. After a few months C. C. Burleigh
associated with him, in the management of _The Unionist_, his brother,
Mr. William H. Burleigh, who also, at the same time, assisted Miss
Crandall in the instruction of her school; and for so doing suffered
not a little obloquy, insult, and abuse.
It was still the cherished intention of C. C. Burleigh to devote
himself to the law, and without neglecting his duties to _The Unionist_
he so diligently and successfully pursued his preparatory studies,
that in January, 1835, he was examined and admitted to the bar. The
committee of examination were surprised at his proficiency. He was
pronounced the best prepared candidate that had been admitted to the
Windham County Bar within the memory of those who were then practising
there; and confident predictions were uttered by the most knowing
ones of his rapid rise to eminence in the profession. Scarcely did
Wendell Phillips awaken higher expectations of success as a lawyer
in Boston, than C. C. Burleigh had awakened in Brooklyn. But just at
the time of his admission I received a letter from Dr. Farnsworth, of
Groton, Massachusetts, then President of the Middlesex Antislavery
Society, inquiring urgently for some able lecturer, whose services
could be obtained as the general agent of that Society. I knew of no
one so able as C. C. Burleigh. So I called upon him, told him of the
many high compliments I had heard bestowed upon his appearance on the
examination, and then said, “Now I have already a most important case,
in which to engage your services,” and showed him Dr. Farnsworth’s
letter. For a few minutes he hesitated, and his countenance fell. The
bright prospect of professional eminence was suddenly overcast. He more
than suspected that, if he accepted the invitation, he should get so
engaged in the antislavery cause as to be unable to leave the field
until after its triumph. He would have to renounce all hope of wealth
or political preferment, and lead a life of continual conflict with
ungenerous opponents; be poorly requited for his labors, and suffer
contumely, hatred, persecution. I saw what was passing in his mind, and
that the struggle was severe. But it lasted only a little while,--less
than an hour. A bright and beautiful expression illuminated his
countenance when he replied, “This is not what I expected or intended,
but it is what I ought to do. I will accept the invitation.” He did so.
Before the close of the week he departed for his field of labor. And I
believe he ceased not a day to be the agent of one antislavery society
or another, until after the lamented President Lincoln had proclaimed
emancipation to all who were in bondage in our land.
When, in April, 1835, I became the General Agent of the Massachusetts
Antislavery Society, I was brought into more intimate relations with
Mr. Burleigh. We were indeed fellow-laborers. Repeatedly did we
go forth together on lecturing excursions, and never was I better
sustained. With him as my companion I felt sure our course would be
successful. I always insisted upon speaking first; for, if I failed
to do my best, he would make ample amends, covering the whole ground,
exhausting the subject, leaving nothing essential unsaid. And if I
did better than ever, Mr. Burleigh would come after me, and fill
twelve baskets full of precious fragments. He is a single-minded,
pure-hearted, conscientious, self-sacrificing man. He is not blessed
with a fine voice nor a graceful manner. And the peculiar dress of
his hair and beard has given offence to many, and may have lessened
his usefulness. But he has a great command of language. He has a
singularly acute and logical intellect. His reasoning, argumentative
powers are remarkable. And he often has delighted and astonished his
hearers by the brilliancy of his rhetoric, and the surpassing beauty
of his imagery, and aptness of his illustrations. The millions of the
emancipated in our country are indebted to the labors of few more than
to those of Charles C. Burleigh. But to return.