g a step further, in 1850 a
number of free Negroes of New York formed an organization called the New
York and Liberian Agricultural and Emigration Society to cooeperate with the
Colonization Society. Considerable money was collected by the organization
to aid emigrants whom they sent to Liberia.[74]

In July, 1852, there was held in Baltimore, a meeting of delegates from
the city and different sections of the State of Maryland. After heated
discussion and much excitement they passed resolutions to examine the
different foreign localities for emigration, giving preference to Liberia.
It seemed that although a majority of the delegates present desired to
cooeperate with the American Colonization Society, they were afraid to do
so because of the opposition of the Baltimore people, who in a state of
excitement almost developed into a mob intent upon breaking up the
meeting.[75] As this meeting of delegates from the whole State seemed to
be favorable to the colonization enterprise, the people of Baltimore felt
it incumbent upon them to hold another meeting a few days thereafter,
maintaining that they did not know that a previous meeting was called for
the consideration of the questions brought before it, and denounced it as
being unrepresentative. They said that they were not opposed to voluntary
emigration but did not at any time elect delegates to the so-called Colored
Colonization Convention.[76]

To carry out more effectively the work of ameliorating the condition of
the colored people, a National Council composed of two members chosen by
election at a poll in each State, was organized in 1853. As many as twenty
State conventions were to be represented. Before these plans could be well
matured, however, those who believed that emigration was the only solution
of the race problem called another convention to consider merely that
question. Only those who would not introduce the question of African
emigration but favored colonization in some other parts were invited.
Among the persons thus interested were Reverend William Webb and Martin R.
Delaney of Pittsburgh, Doctor J. Gould Bias and Franklin Turner of
Philadelphia, Reverend Augustus R. Greene of Allegheny, Pennsylvania,
James M. Whitfield of New York, William Lambert of Michigan, Henry Bibb,
James Theodore Holly of Canada, and Henry M. Collins of California.[77]
Frederick Douglass criticised this step as uncalled for, unwise,
unfortunate, and premature. "A convention t