l J. May, then a
young Unitarian minister, Samuel E. Sewall, a young member of the Bar,
and A. Bronson Alcott, a sage even in his early manhood. They had all
promised him aid and comfort in the great task which he had undertaken.
A little later two others, quite as remarkable as those first three were
drawn to the reformer's side, and abetted him in the treason to
iniquity, which he was prosecuting through the columns of the
_Liberator_ with unrivaled zeal and devotion. These disciples were Ellis
Grey Loring and David Lee Child. They were a goodly company, were these
five conspirators, men of intellect and conscience, of high family and
social connections, of brilliant attainments and splendid promises for
the future. To this number must be added a sixth, Oliver Johnson, who
was at the time editing _The Christian Soldier_, disciple of Garrison
then, and ever after his devoted friend. The early promises of this
noble half dozen friends of the slave were more than fulfilled in after
years. Often to the dingy room "under the eaves" in Merchants' Hall they
climbed to carry aid and comfort to "one poor, unlearned young man," and
to sit at his feet in this cradle-room of the new movement. It was there
in communion with the young master that suggestions looking to the
formation of an anti-slavery society, were doubtless first thrown out.

"The place was dark, unfurnitured and mean;
Yet there the freedom of a race began."

It was not all clear sailing for the editor of the _Liberator_ even with
such choice spirits. They did not always carry aid and comfort to him,
but differences of opinions sometimes as well. He did not sugar-coat
enough the bitter truth which he was telling to the nation. Some of them
would have preferred _The Safety Lamp_ to the _Liberator_ as a title
less likely to offend the prejudices of many good people. Some again
objected to the pictorial heading of the paper as an altogether unwise
proceeding, and positively mischievous. He had the same experience when
the formation of an Abolition society was under consideration. He was
confronted with this benevolent aversion to giving offence by calling
things by their right names. But much as he desired to have his friends
and followers organized for associated action, where a principle was at
stake he was with them as with slavery itself absolutely inflexible and
uncompromising. He was for organizing on the principle of immediate
emancipation. A few deemed