" The Bishop left the meeting to attend a lecture on chemistry by
Dr. Wells, of Baltimore. Mr. Grice introduced the subject of the
convention; and a committee consisting of Bishop Allen, Benjamin
Pascal, Cyrus Black, James Cornish and Junius C. Morel, were appointed
to lay the matter before the colored people of Philadelphia. This
committee, led, doubtless, by Bishop Allen, at once issued a call for
a convention of the colored men of the United States, to be held in
the city of Philadelphia on the 15th of September, 1830.
Mr. Grice returned to Baltimore rejoicing at the success of his
project; but, in the same boat which bore him down the Chesapeake, he
was accosted by Mr. Zollickoffer, a member of the Society of Friends,
a Philadelphian, and a warm and tried friend of the blacks. Mr.
Zollickoffer used arguments, and even entreaties, to dissuade Mr.
Grice from holding the convention, pointing out the dangers and
difficulties of the same should it succeed, and the deep injury it
would do the cause in case of failure. Of course, it was reason and
entreaty thrown away.
On the fifteenth of September, Mr. Grice again landed in Philadelphia,
and in the fulness of his expectation asked every colored man he met
about the convention; no one knew anything about it; the first man did
not know the meaning of the word, and another man said, "Who ever
heard of colored people holding a convention--convention, indeed!"
Finally, reaching the place of meeting, he found, in solemn conclave,
the five gentlemen who had constituted themselves delegates: with a
warm welcome from Bishop Allen, Mr.
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