This coincided with the emergence of "immediatism": the call for immediate and uncompensated freeing of all slaves, which at the time was a radical idea, and the rejection of "colonization", sending freed slaves to (not "back to") Africa (see American Colonization Society). "The anti-slavery and the colonization questions had become exciting ones throughout the whole country, and the students deemed it to be their duty thoroughly to examine them, in view of their bearing upon their future responsibilities as ministers of the gospel." Shortly after their arrival at Lane, the Oneida contingent held a lengthy, well-publicized series of debates, over 18 days of February, 1834, on the topic of abolition versus colonization, concluding with the rejection of the latter and endorsement of the former. (Although announced as debate, no one spoke in favor of colonization on any of the evenings.) The trustees and administrators of Lane, fearful of violence (see Cincinnati riots of 1829), prohibited any future "off topic" discussions, even at meals. The Lane Rebels, including almost all of Lane's theological students, among them the entire Oneida contingent, resigned "en masse" in December, and published a pamphlet explaining their decision. A trustee, Asa Mahan, did so as well, and the trustees fired John Morgan, a faculty member, for supporting the students.