THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON. 871 



tion in Massachusetts caused by the attempts at that time to enforce 

 the fugitive-slave law. Here were two men, both hostile to slavery, 

 both animated by a keen sense of honor, both striving to do their 

 duty. The one if he should perform the duties of the office which he 

 had accepted would be compelled to restore to slavery an individual, 

 entitled under local laws to his personal freedom. The other, should 

 the decision of the case have the effect of returning the fugitive to 

 his master, and should opportunity offer to attempt the rescue of the 

 fugitive, would be prompted by a sense of duty to violate the laws of 

 his country and in such event would himself become, in all probability, 

 either a fugitive from justice or a prisoner. 



Higginson wrote to Devens imploring him to resign rather than to 

 be the instrument of sending a man into bondage. The answer was 

 courteous, but Devens considered that, however repugnant the perform- 

 ance of this service might be, the service was nevertheless inherent 

 upon his having accepted the office of marshal. Simms was returned to 

 servitude. The vigilance of the police prevented any attempt to release 

 him. Devens showed how deeply he felt the burden of rendering offi- 

 cial service which would perhaps cost a man his freedom, by making two 

 efforts at a later date to secure through purchase the liberty of the negro, 

 the first offer being refused by the master and the second attempt being 

 frustrated by the outbreak of the war. In the course of military 

 events Simms recovered his freedom, and Devens at a later period was 

 able to help him pecuniarily and otherwise. 



In 1852 Higginson was invited to take charge of the Worcester Free 

 Church, an organization which sprang up under the influence of Theo- 

 dore Parker's society in Boston, in which there was no church member- 

 ship, which did not call itself specifically Christian, and which held no 

 communion service. This call he accepted and his evening lectures or 

 sermons soon became very popular. He retained connection with this 

 church for six years and in 1858 resigned in order to devote his life to 

 literary pursuits. 



It will be seen at a glance that his relations with his followers here 

 were widely different from those which existed between himself and his 

 congregation at Newburyport. Fresh from the Divinity School, without 

 political record, he had assumed charge at Newburyport of a congrega- 

 tion having a history of two hundred years behind it and having as a 

 body no pronounced political opinions. There was, however, a certain 

 amount of denominational adherence and of pride in the old church. 

 On the other hand, he came to Worcester, a preacher without a congre- 

 gation and an open advocate of resistance to the government in all 

 attempts to enforce the fugitive -slave law. This move was made at the 



