And Rhode Island refused to enact into law the pending bill for the suppression of anti-slavery societies.

They declined to violate the plain requirements of their Constitution that the interests of slavery might be promoted.
Not many years later they were ready to strain or break the Constitution for the sake of liberty.
In the general crusade against liberty churches proved more pliable than States.

The authority of nearly all the leading denominations was directed against the abolitionists.

The General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church passed in 1836 a resolution censuring two of their members who had lectured in favor of modern abolitionism.

The Ohio Conference of the same denomination had passed resolutions urging resistance to the anti-slavery movement.