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The Question Settled

Emancipator

The Unionist 1834-04-10

Unionist content

Transcription

THE QUESTION SETTLED.----The Windham County Advertiser, (the determined opponent of Miss Crandall,) in speaking of the late trial of Mr. Olney, says—It “was a patient examination of facts, and all who heard it admit that the fire was communicated by design.” Very well. This settles one point, and we may say the only point in which the American public at large, have any particular interest: and we will add, that on that point, there is a most intense interest felt throughout the country. It is simply this—Whether the house of Miss Crandall took fire by accident, or whether it was fired by some person or persons, determined to “break up” the school. As to the miserable attempt to cast suspicion upon the friends of the school, it will be an utter failure. Nobody of sound mind and principles will listen to it. It is out of the question. Miss Crandall and her sister and pupils are too well known, and too favorably and honorably known throughout the land, to be made objects of suspicion. A similar remark might be made respecting Mr. Olney, who is well known in this city, and whose character is as unimpeachable and well established as Judge Eaton’s. Besides, he stands acquitted and “all” who heard the evidence, “admit that the fire was communicated BY DESIGN!!! This settles the question forever, before the impartial jury of the American public, who will of necessity infer that  the fire was communicated by the same class of persons who pelted the house with stones and addled eggs, who filled the well with filth, and threatened to “break up the school.” For the honor of human nature, and especially of Windham county, (the land of our boyhood,) we had hoped that there would remain some ground for the opinion that the fire was accidental. We are sorry to learn, and from the source least likely to admit it, that such is not the fact. One question, however, of minor importance still remains to be settled, and that is which of all the persons in high life and in low, that have so virulently opposed the school of Miss Crandall, have been guilty of this base act? This question, which it concerns the decent and respectable portion of those opponents, chiefly to settle, is a question to which it would seem that the (fortunately for themselves,) possess no unmeaning clue. One of their members (the editor of the Advertiser) appears to have been favored, some time before hand, with intimation of the fact, that an attempt would be made to “break up the school.” Let him frankly reveal the source of his information, and let these informants be required to name their informants, and so on, and there is little doubt that those villains will be detected, and all honest men exculpated, at a cheaper rate than the adoption of useless and abortive measures to throw suspicion on the innocent.— Emancipator

About this Item

The author identifies himself as some one who grew up in Windham County. The editor of The Emancipator Charles Denison, is a potential candidate, having been born in New London county, but potentially having lived in Windham later. Likewise, African-American activist and theorist David Ruggles was an agent of the paper. Ruggles' style matches this enthusiastic prose,The editorial prominently highlights the Black students as "favorably and honorably known throughout the land" as well as Prudence and Almira Crandall, a reframing of the usual publicity that indicates either a genuinely anti-racist white writer, or a Black writer whose position within the community would have made the students' respectability obvious to him.

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