156 THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 



Kobert S. Rantoul, W. S. Nevins, Professor Barrett Wen- 

 dell of Harvard College, Aimer C. Goodell, jr., Dr. A. 

 P. Putnam of Concord, W. A. Mowry, superintendent 

 of the schools of Salem, Eoss Turner, Hon. Charles S. 

 Osgood and Secretary Henry M. Brooks. 



Mr. Nevins called the meeting to order and said that 

 it was not desired by the committee or by the Essex In- 

 stitute that anything should be said or done to bring dis- 

 credit upon the Salem of 1892 by rehearsing the story of 

 1692, but it was only with the hope that the matter might 

 be so presented as to divest the name of Salem from the 

 possible stain thrown upon it by prevalent misconceptions 

 of the character of the people and the proceedings of that 

 era. If Salem did not do something in presenting the 

 truth regarding that time, other historians would, and was 

 it not much better that the narrative should be told by their 

 own local historians who were familiar with the subject, 

 than that the task should be assigned to strangers. Mr. 

 Nevins read the warrant for the arrest of Sarah Good, 

 Feb. 29, 1692, and then presented Mayor Rantoul as chair- 

 man of the meeting. 



The Mayor, on taking the chair, said : — "History imposes 

 on us to-night a delicate and difficult task. We are here 

 to commemorate something we would willingly forget. 

 The witchcraft horror, the terrible frenzy which overtook 

 our ancestors two centuries ago, — is a chapter in our lo- 

 cal annals which I for one would make haste to blot out 

 forever if I had it in my power to do so. All that can be 

 said in extenuation, all that can be said to the personal 

 credit of the few who stood up bravely against the wretched 

 business, to the honor of Judge Saltonstall, who retired 

 from the court rather than give his judicial sanction to the 

 hearing of the miserable charges, to the honor of good- 

 man Woodbury whose horse stood ready saddled, night 



