in the face once more, and renew their vows upon a common altar? Let them come from every quarter—freemen, free women, and fugitives! They are bid a most cordial welcome by the good people of Cazenovia. There are friends, hospitalities, meeting houses, and beautiful groves there! Let all come, who have a heart and can! In befalf of the New York State Vigilance Committee, Gerrit Smith, PresidentCharles B. Ray, Secretary It was promptly reprinted in Frederick Douglass's North Star, William Garrison's Liberator, and other anti-slavery papers. It was also reprinted, with outrage, in a number of Southern and pro-slavery Northern newspapers. Convention activities Two newspapers, the Madison Daily Whig and the Utica Daily Gazette (also Whig) sent reporters, who with the Cazenovia weekly provided detailed, session-by-session accounts. The Gazette'''s reports were reprinted nationally, although the New York Tribune got much of the credit. William Chapin A feature of the convention, as originally planned, was that William Chapin was to appear, together with some enslaved who he had helped escape. During the convention, William L. Chaplin was discussed. Chaplin was a radical political abolitionist who helped plan the escape of 77 slaves from Washington, D.C. This plan ultimately failed and later, Chaplin was arrested after he was caught driving a carriage with two escaped slaves. His fiancée, Theodosia Gilbert, attended the convention. There was a resolution by James C. Jackson that was adopted to create a committee to raise money in order to liberate Chaplin. He advised them to raise 20,000 dollars in 30 days. They also called upon the Liberty Party to nominate Chaplin as its candidate in the 1852 presidential election. "Letter to the American Slaves from those who have fled from American Slavery" An open letter titled "To American Slaves from Those Who Have Fled from American Slavery", written, "it is said", by Gerrit Smith, who introduced it to the attendees. This letter described to those still enslaved the advantages of escaping and the lies of their owners. It recommended those escaping enslavement steal their owners' cash and fastest horse. It quotes the state motto of Virginia—"Death to Tyrants"—and says it should be the Black man's motto as well. "You are prisoners of war...and therefore, by all the rules of war, you have the fullest liberty to plunder, burn, and kill, as you may have occasion to do to promote your escape." Letter to the Liberty Party Text