' s ▁Let ters ▁on ▁S la very ▁had ▁begun ▁to ▁direct ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁Americans ▁to ▁the ▁ev ils ▁of ▁sla very , ▁and ▁a ▁new ▁organization , ▁the ▁American ▁Anti - S la very ▁Society , ▁held ▁its ▁initial ▁meeting ▁in ▁Philadelphia ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 3 . ▁Its ▁president , ▁Arthur ▁T app an , ▁through ▁whose ▁liberal ▁don ations ▁Be e cher ▁had ▁been ▁induced ▁to ▁head ▁the ▁new ▁Lane ▁Sem inary , ▁forward ed ▁to ▁the ▁students ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁address ▁issued ▁by ▁the ▁convention , ▁and ▁the ▁whole ▁subject ▁was ▁soon ▁under ▁discussion . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁of ▁ 1 8 3 4 , ▁students ▁at ▁Lane , ▁with ▁national ▁public ity , ▁for ▁ 1 8 ▁consecutive ▁night s ▁deb ated ▁the ▁colon ization ▁issue : ▁whether ▁the ▁American ▁Col on ization ▁Society , ▁which ▁sought ▁to ▁sett le ▁fre ed ▁slaves ▁in ▁Africa , ▁was ▁worthy ▁of ▁support . ▁The ▁students ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁permission ▁to ▁do ▁so , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁stopped ▁ahead ▁of ▁time . ▁Most ▁of ▁them ▁abandoned ▁colon ization ▁as ▁a ▁ho ax , ▁replacing ▁it ▁with ▁abol ition ism . ▁ ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁students ▁were ▁from ▁the ▁South , ▁and ▁an ▁effort ▁was ▁made ▁to ▁stop ▁the ▁discuss ions ▁and ▁the ▁meet ings . ▁S lave hold ers ▁from ▁Kentucky ▁came ▁in ▁and ▁inc ited ▁mob ▁violence , ▁and ▁for ▁several ▁weeks ▁Be e cher ▁lived ▁in ▁a ▁tur mo il , ▁not ▁knowing ▁whether ▁the