534 RELIGIOUS DEVELOPMENT-II 



ground against slavery; but these were generally New 

 England Unitarians or members of other bodies rejected 

 by the orthodox, and this fact increased my distrust of the 

 dominant religion. 



Some years before this, while yet a boy preparing for 

 college, I had met for the first time a clergyman of this 

 sort the Rev. Samuel Joseph May, pastor of the Uni 

 tarian church in Syracuse ; and he had attracted me from 

 the first moment that I saw him. There was about him 

 something very genial and kindly, which won a way to all 

 hearts. Though I knew him during many years, he never 

 made the slightest effort to proselyte me. To every good 

 work in the community, and especially to all who were 

 down-trodden or oppressed, he was steadfastly devoted; 

 the Onondaga Indians of central New York found in him a 

 stanch ally against the encroachments of their scheming 

 white neighbors; fugitive slaves knew him as their best 

 friend, ready to risk his own safety in their behalf. 



Although he was the son of an honored Massachusetts 

 family, a graduate of Harvard, a disciple of Channing, a 

 man of sincere character and elegant manners, he was 

 evidently dreaded by the great majority of the orthodox 

 Christians about him. I remember speaking to him once 

 of a clergyman who had recently arrived in Syracuse, 

 and who was an excellent scholar. Said Mr. May to me, 

 &quot;I should like to know him, if that were possible. &quot; I 

 asked, &quot;Why not call upon him?&quot; He answered, &quot;I 

 would gladly do so, but do you suppose he would return 

 my call 1 &quot;Of course he would, I replied ; &quot; he is a gen 

 tleman.&quot; &quot;Yes,&quot; said Mr. May, &quot;no doubt he is, and so 

 are the other clergymen ; yet I have called on them as they 

 have come, and only two or three of them all have ever 

 entered my house since. Orthodox fanatics came to re 

 monstrate and pray with him, but these he generally over 

 came with his sweet and kindly manner. To slavery he 

 was an uncompromising foe, being closely associated with 

 Garrison, Phillips, and the leaders of the antislavery 

 movement ; and so I came to see that there was a side to 



