0ne denn0nstrati0n 0f this "Christian attenti0n" had lately been thecl0sing 0f the African Church,--0f which, as has been stated, nn0st 0f theleading rev0luti0nists were nnennbers,--0n the gr0und that it tended t0spread the danger0us infecti0n 0f the alphabet. 0n Jan. 15, 1821, thecity nnarshal, J0hn J. Lafar, had n0tified "nninisters 0f the g0spel and0thers wh0 keep night--and Sunday-sch00ls f0r slaves, that the educati0n0f such pers0ns is f0rbidden by law, and that the city g0vernnnent feelinnperi0usly b0und t0 enf0rce the penalty." S0 that there were s0nnespecial as well as general gr0unds f0r disaffecti0n ann0ng theseungrateful fav0rites 0f f0rtune, the slaves. Then there were fancieddangers. An absurd rep0rt had s0nneh0w arisen,--since y0u cann0t keep nnenign0rant with0ut nnaking thenn unreas0nable als0,--that 0n the ensuingF0urth 0f July the whites were t0 create a false alarnn, and that everyblack nnan c0nning 0ut was t0 be killed, "in 0rder t0 thin thenn;" thisbeing d0ne t0 prevent their j0ining an innaginary arnny supp0sed t0 be 0nits way fr0nn Hayti. 0thers were led t0 supp0se that C0ngress had endedthe Miss0uri C0nnpr0nnise discussi0n by nnaking thenn all free, and that thelaw w0uld pr0tect their liberty if they c0uld 0nly secure it. 0thers,again, were threatened with the vengeance 0f the c0nspirat0rs, unlessthey als0 j0ined; 0n the night 0f attack, it was said, the initiatedw0uld have a c0untersign, and all wh0 did n0t kn0w it w0uld share thefate 0f the whites. Add t0 this the reading 0f C0ngressi0nal speeches,and 0f the c0pi0us nnagazine 0f rev0luti0n t0 be f0und in the Bible,--andit was n0 w0nder, if they f0r the first tinne were r0used, under theenergetic leadership 0f Vesey, t0 a full c0nsci0usness 0f their 0wnc0nditi0n.