_/pre ,,speeches1 ,,addresses1 ,,and ,,occasional ,,sermons1 ,,by ,,theodore ,,parker1 ,,minister ,,of ,,the ,,twenty-,,eighth ,,congregational ,,church ,,in ,,boston4 ,,in ,,three ,,volumes4 ,,vol4 ,,iii4 ,,boston3 ,,horace ,b4 ,,fuller1 7,,successor ,,to ,,walker1 ,,fuller1 ,,and ,,company17 #bde1 ,,washington ,,street4 #ahfg4 ,entered according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahee1 by ,,theodore ,,parker1 in the ,clerk's ,office of the ,district ,court of the ,district of ,massachusetts4 ,,contents ,,of ,,volume ,,iii4 ,i4 ,a ,,speech ,,at ,a ,,meeting ,,of ,,the ,,citizens ,,of ,,boston ,,in ,,faneuil ,,hall1 ,,march #be1 #ahej1 ,,to ,,consider ,,the ,,speech ,,of ,,mr4 ,,webster ,,page #a ,,ii4 ,a ,,speech ,,at ,,the ,,new ,,england ,,anti-,,slavery ,,convention ,,in ,,boston1 ,,may #bi1 #ahej #ch ,,iii4 ,a ,,discourse ,,occasioned ,,by ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,the ,,late ,,president ,,taylor4--,preached at the ,melodeon1 on ,sunday1 ,july #ad1 #ahej #hg ,,iv4 ,,the ,,function ,,and ,,place ,,of ,,conscience1 ,,in ,,relation ,,to ,,the ,,laws ,,of ,,men2 ,a ,,sermon ,,for ,,the ,,times4--,preached at the ,melodeon1 on ,sunday1 ,september #bb1 #ahej #aca ,v4 ,,the ,,state ,,of ,,the ,,nation1 ,,considered ,,in ,a ,,sermon ,,for ,,thanksgiving ,,day4--,preached at the ,melodeon1 ,november #bh1 #ahej #ahj ,,vi4 ,,the ,,chief ,,sins ,,of ,,the ,,people4--,a ,sermon delivered at the ,melodeon1 on ,fast ,day1 ,april #aj1 #ahea #bcj ,,vii4 ,,the ,,three ,,chief ,,safeguards ,,of ,,society1 ,,considered ,,in ,a ,,sermon ,,at ,,the ,,melodeon1 on ,sunday1 ,july #f1 #ahea #bib ,,viii4 ,,the ,,position ,,and ,,duties ,,of ,,the ,,american ,,scholar4--,an ,address delivered at ,waterville1 ,august #h1 #ahdi #cdf ,i4 ,,speech ,,at ,a ,,meeting ,,of ,,the ,,citizens ,,of ,,boston1 ,,in ,,faneuil ,,hall1 ,,march #be1 #ahej1 ,,to ,,consider ,,the ,,speech ,,of ,,mr4 ,,webster4 ,mr4 ,president and ,fellow ,citizens3 ,it is an important occasion which has brought us together4 ,a great crisis has occurred in the affairs of the ,united ,states4 ,there is a great question now before the people4 ,in any ,european country west of ,russia and east of ,spain1 it would produce a revolution1 and be settled with gunpowder4 ,it narrowly concerns the material welfare of the nation4 ,the decision that is made will help millions of human beings into life1 or will hinder and prevent millions from being born4 ,it will help or hinder the advance of the nation in wealth for a long time to come4 ,it is a question which involves the honor of the people4 ,your honor and my honor are concerned in this matter1 which is presently to be passed upon by the people of the ,united ,states4 ,more than all this1 it concerns the morality of the people4 ,we are presently to do a right deed1 or to inflict a great wrong on others and on ourselves1 and thereby entail an evil upon this continent which will blight and curse it for many an age4 ,it is a great question1 comprising many smaller ones3--,shall we extend and foster ,slavery1 or shall we extend and foster ,freedom8 ,slavery1 with its consequences1 material1 political1 intellectual1 moral2 or ,freedom1 with the consequences thereof8 ,a question so important seldom comes to be decided before any generation of men4 ,this age is full of great questions1 but this of ,freedom is the chief4 ,it is the same question which in other forms comes up in ,europe4 ,this is presently to be decided here in the ,united ,states by the servants of the people1 ,i mean1 by the ,congress of the nation2 in the name of the people2 for the people1 if justly decided2 against them1 if unjustly4 ,if it were to be left to-morrow to the naked votes of the majority1 ,i should have no fear4 ,but the public servants of the people may decide otherwise4 ,the political parties1 as such1 are not to pass judgment4 ,it is not a question between whigs and democrats2 old party distinctions1 once so sacred and rigidly observed1 here vanish out of sight4 ,the party of ,slavery or the party of ,freedom is to swallow up all the other parties4 ,questions about tariffs and banks can hardly get a hearing4 ,on the approach of a battle1 men do not talk of the weather4 ,four great men in the ,senate of the ,united ,states have given us their decision2 the four most eminent in the party politics of the nation--two great whigs1 two great democrats4 ,the ,shibboleth of their party is forgotten by each2 there is a strange unanimity in their decision4 ,the ,herod of free trade and the ,pilate of protection are made friends1 when freedom is to be crucified4 ,all four decide adverse to freedom2 in favor of slavery2 against the people4 ,their decisions are such as you might look for in the politicians of ,austria and ,russia4 ,many smaller ones have spoken on this side or on that4 ,last of all1 but greatest1 the most illustrious of the four1 so far as great gifts of the understanding are concerned1 a son of ,new ,england1 long known1 and often and deservedly honored1 has given his decision4 ,we waited long for his words2 we held our peace in his silence2 we listened for his counsel4 ,here it is2 adverse to freedom beyond the fears of his friends1 and the hopes even of his foes4 ,he has done wrong things before1 cowardly things more than once2 but this1 the wrongest and most cowardly of them all3 we did not look for it4 ,no great man in ,america has had his faults or his failings so leniently dealt with2 private scandal we will not credit1 public shame we have tried to excuse1 or1 if inexcusable1 to forget4 ,we have all of us been proud to go forward and honor his noble deeds1 his noble efforts1 even his noble words4 ,i wish we could take a mantle big and black enough1 and go backward and cover up the shame of the great man who has fallen in the midst of us1 and hide him till his honor and his conscience shall return4 ,but no1 it cannot be2 his deed is done in the face of the world1 and nothing can hide it4 ,we have come together to-night in ,faneuil ,hall1 to talk the matter over1 in our ,new ,england way2 to look each other in the face2 to say a few words of warning1 a few of counsel1 perhaps something which may serve for guidance4 ,we are not met here to-night to calculate the value of the ,union1 but to calculate the worth of freedom and the rights of man2 to calculate the value of the ,wilmot ,proviso4 ,let us be cool and careful1 not violent1 not rash2 true and firm1 not hasty or timid4 ,important matters have brought our fathers here many times before now4 ,before the ,revolution1 they came here to talk about the ,molasses ,act1 or the ,sugar ,act1 or the ,stamp ,act1 the ,boston ,port ,bill1 and the long list of grievances which stirred up their manly stomachs to the ,revolution2 afterwards1 they met to consult about the ,embargo1 and the seizure of the ,chesapeake1 and many other matters4 ,not long ago1 only five years since1 we came here to protest against the annexation of ,texas4 ,but before the ,revolution or after it1 meetings have seldom been called in ,faneuil ,hall on such solemn occasions as this4 ,not only is there a great public wrong contemplated1 as in the annexation of ,texas1 but the character and conduct of a great public servant of the people come up to be looked after4 ,this present conduct of ,mr4 ,webster is a thing to be solemnly considered4 ,a similar thing once happened before4 ,in #ahjg1 a senator from ,massachusetts was disposed to accept a measure the ,president had advised1 because he had recommended it on his high responsibility4 ,i would not consider1 said the senator1 ,i would not deliberate1 ,i would act4#a ,he did so2 and with little deliberation1 with small counsel1 as men thought at the time1 he voted for the ,embargo1 and the ,embargo came4 ,this was a measure which doomed eight hundred thousand tons of shipping to rot at the wharf4 ,it touched the pockets of ,new ,england and all the ,north4 ,it affected the daily meals of millions of men4 ,there was indignation1 deep and loud indignation2 but it was political in its nature and personal in its form2 the obnoxious measure was purely political1 not obviously immoral and unjust4 ,but1 long as ,john ,quincy ,adams lived1 much as he did in his latter years for mankind1 he never wholly wiped off the stain which his conduct then brought upon him4 ,yet it may be that he was honest in his vote2 it may have been an error of judgment1 and nothing more2 nay1 there are men who think it was no error at all1 but a piece of political wisdom4 ,a senator of ,massachusetts has now committed a fault far greater than was ever charged upon ,mr4 ,adams by his most inveterate political foes4 ,it does not directly affect the shipping of ,new ,england and the ,north3 ,i wish it did4 ,it does not immediately concern our daily bread2 if it were so1 the contemplated wrong would receive a speedy adjustment4 ,but it concerns the liberty of millions of men yet unborn4 ,let us look at the matter carefully4 ,here is a profile of our national action on the subject now before the people4 ,in #aggd1 we agreed to import no more slaves after that year1 and never finally repealed this act of agreement4 ,in #aggf1 we declared that all men are created equal1 and endowed by their ,creator with certain unalienable rights1 among which are life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness4 ,in #aggh1 we formed the ,confederacy1 with no provision for the surrender of fugitive slaves4 ,in #aghg1 we shut out slavery from the ,northwest ,territory for ever1 by the celebrated proviso of ,mr4 ,jefferson4 ,in #aghh1 the ,constitution was formed1 with its compromises and guarantees4 ,in #ahjh1 the importation of slaves was forbidden4 ,but1 ,in #ahjc1 we annexed ,louisiana1 and slavery along with it4 ,in #ahai1 we annexed ,florida1 with more slavery4 ,in #ahbj1 we legally established slavery in the territory west of the ,mississippi1 south of #cf deg4 #cj min4 ,in #ahde1 we annexed ,texas1 with three hundred and twenty-five thousand five hundred and twenty square miles1 as a slave ,state4 ,in #ahdh1 we acquired1 by conquest and by treaty1 the vast territory of ,california and ,new ,mexico1 containing five hundred and twenty-six thousand and seventy-eight square miles4 ,of this1 two hundred and four thousand three hundred and eighty-three square miles are south of the slave line--south of #cf deg4 #cj min4 ,here is territory enough to make more than thirty slave ,states of the size of ,massachusetts4 ,at the present day1 it is proposed to have some further action on the matter of slavery4 ,connected with this subject1 four great questions come up to be decided3-- #a4 ,shall four new slave ,states at any time be made out of ,texas8 ,this is not a question which is to be decided at present1 yet it is one of great present importance1 and furnishes an excellent test of the moral character and political conduct of politicians at this moment4 ,the other questions are of immediate and pressing concern4 ,here they are3-- #b4 ,shall ,slavery be prohibited in ,california8 #c4 ,shall ,slavery be prohibited in ,new ,mexico8 #d4 ,what laws shall be passed relative to fugitive slaves8 ,mr4 ,webster1 in this speech1 defines his position in regard to each of these four questions4 #a4 ,in regard to the new ,states to be made hereafter out of ,texas1 he gives us his opinion1 in language well studied1 and even with an excess of caution4 ,let us look at it1 and the resolution which annexed ,texas4 ,that declares that new ,states 444 not exceeding four in number1 in addition to said ,state of ,texas 444 may hereafter1 by the consent of said ,state1 be formed out of the territory thereof1 which shall be entitled to admission under the provisions of the ,federal ,constitution4 ,and such ,states 444 shall be admitted with or without slavery1 as the people of each ,state asking admission may desire4 ,i will not stop to consider the constitutionality of the joint resolution which annexed ,texas4 ,mr4 ,webster's opinion on that subject is well known4 ,but the resolution does two things3 #a4 ,it confers a power1 the power to make four new ,states on certain conditions2 a qualified power1 restricted by the terms of the act4 #b;d4 ,it imposes an obligation1 namely1 the obligation to leave it to the people of the new ,state to keep slaves or not1 when the ,state is admitted4 ,the words may be1 etc41 indicate the conferring of a power3 the words shall be1 etc41 the imposing of an obligation4 ,but as the power is a qualified power1 so is the obligation a qualified obligation2 the shall be is dependent on the may be1 as much as the may be on the shall4 ,admitting in argument what ,mr4 ,webster has denied1 that ,congress had the constitutional right to annex ,texas by joint resolution1 and also that the resolution of one ,congress binds the future ,congress1 it is plain ,congress may admit new ,states from ,texas1 on those conditions1 or refuse to admit them4 ,this is plain1 by any fair construction of the language4 ,the resolution does not say1 they shall be formed1 only may be formed1 and shall be entitled to admission1 under the provisions of the ,federal ,constitution--not in spite of those provisions4 ,the provisions of the ,constitution1 in relation to the formation and admission of new ,states1 are well known1 and sufficiently clear4 ,congress is no more bound to admit a new slave ,state formed out of ,texas1 than out of ,kentucky4 ,but ,mr4 ,webster seems to say that ,congress is bound to make four new ,states out of ,texas1 when there is sufficient population to warrant the measure1 and a desire for it in the ,states themselves1 and to admit them with a ,constitution allowing slavery4 ,he says1 ,its guaranty is1 that new ,states shall be made out of it1444 and that such ,states 444 may come in as slave ,states1 etc4 ,quite the contrary4 ,it is only said they may be formed1 and admitted under the provisions of the ,constitution4 ,the shall be does not relate to the fact of admission4 ,then he says1 there is a solemn pledge1 that if she shall be divided into ,states1 those ,states may come in as slave ,states4 ,but there is no solemn pledge that they shall come in at all4 ,i make a solemn pledge to ,john ,doe1 that if ever ,i give him any land1 it shall be a thousand acres in the meadows on ,connecticut ,river2 but it does not follow from this that ,i am bound to give ,john ,doe any land at all4 ,this solemn pledge is worth nothing1 if ,congress says to new ,states1 ,you shall not come in with your slave ,constitution4 ,to make this stipulation with ,texas binding1 it ought to have provided that new ,states 444 shall be formed out of the territory thereof 444 such ,states shall be entitled to admission1 in spite of the provisions of the ,constitution4 ,even then it would be of no value2 for as there can be no moral obligation to do an immoral deed1 so there can be no constitutional obligation to do an unconstitutional deed4 ,so much for the first question4 ,you see that ,mr4 ,webster proposes to do what we never stipulated to do1 what is not so nominated in the bond4 ,he wrests the resolution against freedom1 and for the furtherance of the slave power6 #b and #c4 ,mr4 ,webster has given his answer to the second and third questions1 which may be considered as a single question1 ,shall slavery be legally forbidden by ,congress in ,california and ,new ,mexico8 ,mr4 ,webster is opposed to the prohibition by ,congress4 ,here are his words3 ,now1 as to ,california and ,new ,mexico1 ,i hold slavery to be excluded from those territories by a law even superior to that which admits and sanctions it in ,texas4 ,i mean the law of nature1 of physical geography1 the law of the formation of the earth4444 ,i will say further1 that if a resolution or a law were now before us to provide a territorial government for ,new ,mexico1 ,i would not vote to put any prohibition into it whatever4 ,the use of such a prohibition would be idle1 as it respects any effect it would have upon the territory3 and ,i would not take pains to reaffirm an ordinance of nature1 nor to reenact the will of ,god4 ,the gentlemen who belong to the ,southern ,states would think it a taunt1 an indignity2 they would think it an act taking away from them what they regard as a proper equality of privilege 444 a plain theoretic wrong1 more or less derogatory to their character and their rights4 ,african slavery1 he tells us1 cannot exist there4 ,it could once exist in ,massachusetts and ,new ,hampshire4 ,very little of this territory lies north of ,mason and ,dixon's line1 the northern limit of ,maryland2 none above the parallel of forty-two degrees2 none of it extends fifty miles above the northern limit of ,virginia2 two hundred and four thousand three hundred and fifty-three square miles of it lie south of the line of the ,missouri ,compromise1 south of #cf deg4 #cj'4 ,almost all of it is in the latitude of ,virginia and the ,carolinas4 ,if slavery can exist on the west coast of the ,atlantic1 ,i see not why it cannot on the east of the ,pacific1 and all the way between4 ,there is no reason why it cannot4 ,it will1 unless we forbid it by positive laws1 laws which no man can misunderstand4 ,why1 in #aghg1 it was thought necessary to forbid slavery in the ,northwest ,territory1 which extends from the ,ohio ,river to the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude4 ,not exclude slavery from ,california and ,new ,mexico1 because it can never exist there6 ,why1 it was there once1 and ,mexico abolished it by positive law4 ,abolished1 did ,i say6 ,we are not so sure of that2 ,i mean1 not sure that the ,senate of the ,united ,states is sure of it4 ,not a month before ,mr4 ,webster made this very speech1 on the #acth and #adth of last ,february1 ,mr4 ,davis1 the ,senator from ,mississippi1 maintained that slavery is not abolished in ,california and ,new ,mexico4 ,he denies that the acts abolishing slavery in ,mexico were made by competent powers2 denies that they have the force of law4 ,but even if they have1 he tells us1 ,suppose it be conceded that by law it was abolished--could that law be perpetual8 ,could it extend to the territory after it became the property of the ,united ,states8 ,did we admit territory from ,mexico1 subject to the ,constitution and laws of ,mexico8 ,did we pay fifteen million dollars for jurisdiction over ,california and ,new ,mexico1 that it might be held subordinate to the laws of ,mexico8 ,the ,commissioners of ,mexico1 he tells us1 did not think that we were to be bound by the edicts and statutes of ,mexico4 ,they pressed this point in the negotiation1 the continuation of their law for the exclusion of slavery2 and ,mr4 ,trist told them he could not make a treaty on that condition2 if they would offer him the land covered a foot thick with pure gold1 upon the single condition that slavery should be excluded therefrom1 ,i could not entertain the offer for a moment4 ,does not ,mr4 ,webster know this8 ,he knows it too well4 ,but ,mr4 ,davis goes further4 ,he does not think slavery is excluded by legislation stronger than a joint resolution4 ,this is his language3 ,i believe it is essential1 on account of the climate1 productions1 soil1 and the peculiar character of cultivation1 that we shall1 during its first settlement1 have that slavery ,african slavery in a part1 at least1 of ,california and ,new ,mexico4 ,now on questions of ,a law of nature and physical geography1 the ,senator from ,mississippi is as good authority as the ,senator from ,massachusetts1 and a good deal nearer to the facts of the case4 ,in the ,house of ,representatives1 ,mr4 ,clingman1 of ,north ,carolina1 amongst others1 wants ,new ,mexico for slave soil4 ,pass the ,wilmot ,proviso over this territory1 and the question is settled1 disposed of for ever4 ,omit to pass it1 and slavery will go there1 and you may get it out if you can4 ,once there1 it will be said that the ,compromises of the ,constitution are on its side1 and we have no jurisdiction over the slavery which we have established there4 ,hear what ,mr4 ,foote said of a similar matter on the #bfth of ,june1 #ahdh1 in his place in the ,senate3 ,gentlemen have said this is not a practical question1 that slaves will never be taken to ,oregon4 ,with all deference to their opinion1 ,i differ with them totally4 ,i believe1 if permitted1 slaves would be carried there1 and that slavery would continue1 at least1 as long as in ,maryland or ,virginia4 ',the whole of ,oregon' is north of forty-two degrees4 ,the ,pacific coast is totally different in temperature from the ,atlantic4 ,it is far milder4444 ,green peas are eaten in the ,oregon city at ,christmas4 ,where is the corresponding climate to be found on this side the continent8 ,where we sit--near the thirty-ninth8 ,no1 sir2 but to the south of us4 ,the latitude of ,georgia gives1 on the ,pacific1 a tropical climate4 ,the prohibition of slavery in the laws of ,oregon was adopted for the express purpose of excluding slaves4 ,a few had been brought in2 further importations were expected2 and it was with a view to put a stop to them1 that the prohibitory act was passed4 ,now1 ,mr4 ,foote of ,mississippi--,hangman ,foote1 as he has been called--understands the laws of the formation of the earth as well as the distinguished senator from ,massachusetts4 ,why1 the inhabitants of that part of the ,northwest ,territory1 which now forms the ,states of ,indiana and ,illinois1 repeatedly asked ,congress to allow them to introduce slaves north of the ,ohio2 and but for the ordinance of '#hg1 that territory would now be covered with the mildew of slavery6 ,but ,i have not yet adduced all the testimony of ,mr4 ,foote4 ,last year1 on the #bc;d of ,february1 #ahdi1 he declared3 ,no one acquainted with the vast mineral resources of ,california and ,new ,mexico1 and who is aware of the peculiar adaptedness of slave labor to the development of mineral treasures1 can doubt for a moment1 that were slaves introduced into ,california and ,new ,mexico1 being employed in the mining operations there in progress1 their labor would result in the acquisition of pecuniary profits not heretofore realized by the most successful cotton or sugar planter of this country8 ,does not ,mr4 ,webster know this8 ,perhaps he did not hear ,mr4 ,foote's speech last year2 perhaps he has a short memory1 and has forgotten it4 ,then let us remind the nation of what its ,senator forgets4 ,not know this--forget it8 ,who will credit such a statement8 ,mr4 ,webster is not an obscure clergyman1 busy with far different things1 but the foremost politician of the ,united ,states4 ,but why do ,i mention the speeches of ,mr4 ,foote1 a year ago8 ,here is something hardly dry from the printing-press4 ,here is an advertisement from the ,mississippian of ,march #gth1 #ahej1 the very day of that speech4 ,the ,mississippian is published at the city of ,jackson1 in ,mississippi4 ,,california1 ,,the ,,southern ,,slave ,,colony4 ,citizens of the slave ,states1 desirous of emigrating to ,california with their slave property1 are requested to send their names1 number of slaves1 and period of contemplated departure1 to the address of ',,southern ,,slave ,,colony1' ,jackson1 ,miss4444 ,it is the desire of the friends of this enterprise to settle in the richest mining and agricultural portions of ,california1 and to have the uninterrupted enjoyment of slave property4 ,it is estimated that1 by the first of ,may next1 the members of this ,slave ,colony will amount to about five thousand1 and the slaves to about ten thousand4 ,the mode of effecting organization1 c41 will be privately transmitted to actual members4 ,jackson 7,miss471 ,feb4 #bd1 #ahej4 dtf4 ,what does ,mr4 ,webster say in view of all this8 ,if a proposition were now here for a government for ,new ,mexico1 and it was moved to insert a provision for the prohibition of slavery1 ,i would not vote for it4 ,why not vote for it8 ,there is a specious pretence1 which is publicly proclaimed1 but there is a real reason for it which is not mentioned6 ,in the face of all these facts1 ,mr4 ,webster says that these men would wish to protect the everlasting snows of ,canada from the pest of slavery by the same overspreading wing of an act of ,congress4 ,exactly so4 ,if we ever annex ,labrador--if we re-annex ,greenland1 and ,kamskatka1 ,i would extend the ,wilmot ,proviso there1 and exclude slavery forever and forever4 ,but ,mr4 ,webster would not reaffirm an ordinance of nature1 nor reenact the will of ,god4 ,i would4 ,i would reaffirm nothing else1 enact nothing else4 ,what is justice but the ordinance of nature8 ,what is right but the will of ,god8 ,when you make a law1 ,thou shalt not kill1 what do you but reenact the will of ,god8 ,when you make laws for the security of the unalienable rights of man1 and protect for every man the right to life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness1 are you not re-affirming an ordinance of nature8 ,not reenact the will of ,god8 ,why1 ,i would enact nothing else4 ,the will of ,god is a theological term2 it means truth and justice1 in common speech4 ,what is the theological opposite to ,the will of ,god8 ,it is ,the will of the devil4 ,one of the two you must enact--either the will of ,god1 or of the devil4 ,the two are the only theological categories for such matters4 ,aut ,deus aut ,diabolus4 ,there is no other alternative1 ,choose you which you will serve4 ,so much for the second and third questions4 ,let us now come to the last thing to be considered4 ,what laws shall be enacted relative to fugitive slaves8 ,let us look at ,mr4 ,webster's opinion on this point4 ,the ,constitution provides--you all know that too well--that every person held to service or labor in one ,state1444 escaping into another1 shall be delivered up4 ,by whom shall he be delivered up8 ,there are only three parties to whom this phrase can possibly apply4 ,they are1 #a4 ,individual men and women2 or1 #b4 ,the local authorities of the ,states concerned2 or1 #c4 ,the ,federal ,government itself4 ,it has sometimes been contended that the ,constitution imposes an obligation on you1 and me1 and every other man1 to deliver up fugitive slaves4 ,but there are no laws or decisions that favor that construction4 ,mr4 ,webster takes the next scheme1 and says1 ,i always thought that the ,constitution addressed itself to the ,legislatures of the ,states1 or to the ,states themselves4 ,it seems to me that the import of the passage is1 that the ,state itself 444 shall cause him the fugitive to be delivered up4 ,that is my judgment4 ,but the ,supreme ,court1 some years ago1 decided otherwise1 that ,the business of seeing that these fugitives are delivered up resides in the power of congress and the national judicature4 ,so the matter stands now4 ,but it is proposed to make more stringent laws relative to the return of fugitive slaves4 ,so continues ,mr4 ,webster--,my friend at the head of the judiciary committee has a bill on the subject now before the ,senate1 with some amendments to it1 which ,i propose to support1 with all its provisions1 to the fullest extent4 ,everybody knows the act of ,congress of #agic1 relative to the surrender of fugitive slaves1 and the decision of the ,supreme ,court in the ,prigg case1 #ahdb4 ,but everybody does not know the bill of ,mr4 ,webster's friend at the head of the judiciary committee4 ,there is a bill providing for the more effectual execution of the third clause of the second section of the fourth article of the ,constitution of the ,united ,states4 ,it is as follows3-- ,be it enacted by the ,senate and ,house of ,representatives of the ,united ,states of ,america1 in ,congress assembled1 ,that when a person held to service or labor1 in any ,state or ,territory of the ,united ,states1 under the laws of such ,state or territory1 shall escape into any other of the said ,states or territories1 the person to whom such service or labor may be due1 his or her agent1 or attorney1 is hereby empowered to seize or arrest such fugitive from service or labor1 and to take him or her before any ,judge of the ,circuit or ,district ,courts of the ,united ,states1 or before any commissioner or clerk of such courts1 or marshal thereof1 or before any postmaster of the ,united ,states1 or collector of the customs of the ,united ,states1 residing or being within such ,state wherein such seizure or arrest shall be made2 and1 upon proof to the satisfaction of such judge1 commissioner1 clerk1 postmaster1 or collector1 as the case may be1 either by oral testimony or affidavit taken before and certified by any person authorized to administer an oath under the laws of the ,united ,states1 or of any ,state1 that the person so seized or arrested1 under the laws of the ,state or territory1 from which he or she fled1 owes service or labor to the person claiming him or her1 it shall be the duty of such judge1 commissioner1 clerk1 marshal1 postmaster1 or collector1 to give a certificate thereof to such claimant1 his or her agent or attorney1 which certificate shall be a sufficient warrant for taking and removing such fugitive from service or labor to the ,state or territory from which he or she fled4 ,sec4 #b4 ,and be it further enacted1 ,that when a person held to service or labor1 as mentioned in the first section of this act1 shall escape from such service or labor1 therein mentioned1 the person to whom such service or labor may be due1 his or her agent or attorney1 may apply to any one of the officers of the ,united ,states named in said section1 other than a marshal of the ,united ,states1 for a warrant to seize and arrest such fugitive2 and upon affidavit being made before such officer 7each of whom1 for the purposes of this act1 is hereby authorized to administer an oath or affirmation71 by such claimant1 his or her agent1 that such person does1 under the laws of the ,state or territory from which he or she fled1 owe service or labor to such claimant1 it shall be and is hereby made the duty of such officer1 to and before whom such application and affidavits are made to issue his warrant to any marshal of any of the courts of the ,united ,states1 to seize and arrest such alleged fugitive1 and to bring him or her forthwith1 or on a day to be named in such warrant1 before the officer issuing such warrant1 or either of the other officers mentioned in said first section1 except the marshal to whom the said warrant is directed1 which said warrant or authority1 the said marshal is hereby authorized and directed in all things to obey4 ,sec4 #c4 ,and be it further enacted1 ,that upon affidavit made as aforesaid1 by the claimant of such fugitive1 his agent or attorney1 after such certificate has been issued1 that he has reason to apprehend that such fugitive will be rescued by force from his or their possession1 before he can be taken beyond the limits of the ,state in which the arrest is made1 it shall be the duty of the officer making the arrest1 to retain such fugitive in his custody1 and to remove him to the ,state whence he fled1 and there to deliver him to said claimant1 his agent or attorney4 ,and to this end1 the officer aforesaid is hereby authorized and required to employ so many persons as he may deem necessary to overcome such force1 and to retain them in his service1 so long as circumstances may require4 ,the said officer and his assistants1 while so employed1 to receive the same compensation1 and to be allowed the same expenses as are now allowed by law1 for transportation of criminals1 to be certified by the judge of the district within which the arrest is made1 and paid out of the treasury of the ,united ,states3 ,provided1 ,that before such charges are incurred1 the claimant1 his agent1 or attorney1 shall secure to said officer payment of the same1 and in case no actual force be opposed1 then they shall be paid by such claimant1 his agent or attorney4 ,sec4 #d4 ,and be it further enacted1 ,when a warrant shall have been issued by any of the officers under the second section of this act1 and there shall be no marshal or deputy marshal within ten miles of the place where such warrant is issued1 it shall be the duty of the officer issuing the same1 at the request of the claimant1 his agent1 or attorney1 to appoint some fit and discreet person1 who shall be willing to act as marshal1 for the purpose of executing said warrant2 and such persons so appointed shall1 to the extent of executing such warrant1 and detaining and transporting the fugitive named therein1 have all the power and the authority1 and he1 with his assistants1 entitled to the same compensation and expenses1 provided in this act1 in cases where the services are performed by the marshals of the courts4 ,sec4 #e4 ,and be it further enacted1 ,that any person who shall knowingly and wilfully obstruct or hinder such claimant1 his agent1 or attorney1 or any person or persons assisting him1 her or them1 in so serving or arresting such fugitive from service or labor1 or shall rescue such fugitive from such claimant1 his agent1 or attorney1 when so arrested1 pursuant to the authority herein given or declared1 or shall aid1 abet1 or assist such person so owing service or labor1 to escape from such claimant1 his agent1 or attorney1 or shall harbor or conceal such person1 after notice that he or she was a fugitive from labor1 as aforesaid1 shall1 for either of the said offences1 forfeit and pay the sum of one thousand dollars1 which penalty may be recovered by1 and for the benefit of1 such claimant1 by action of debt in any court proper to try the same1 saving1 moreover1 to the person claiming such labor or service1 his right of action for1 on account of1 the said injuries1 or either of them4 ,sec4 #f4 ,and be it further enacted1 ,that when such person is seized and arrested1 under and by virtue of the said warrant1 by such marshal1 and is brought before either of the officers aforesaid1 other than said marshal1 it shall be the duty of such officer to proceed in the case of such person1 in the same way that he is directed and authorized to do1 when such person is seized and arrested by the person claiming him1 or by his or her agent1 or attorney1 and is brought before such officer or attorney1 under the provisions of the first section of this act4 ,this is the bill known as ,mason's ,bill1 introduced by ,mr4 ,butler of ,south ,carolina1 on the #afth of ,january last4 ,this is the bill which ,mr4 ,webster proposes to support1 with all its provisions to the fullest extent4 ,it is a ,bill of abominations1 but there are some amendments to it1 which modify the bill a little4 ,look at them4 ,here they are4 ,the first provides in addition to the fine of one thousand dollars for aiding and abetting the escape of a fugitive1 for harboring and concealing him1 that the offender shall also be imprisoned twelve months4 ,the second amendment is as follows--,and in no trial or hearing under this act shall the testimony of such fugitive be admitted in evidence4 ,these are ,mr4 ,mason's amendments1 offered on the twenty-third of last ,january4 ,this is the bill1 with some amendments1 which ,mr4 ,webster says1 ,i propose to support1 with all its provisions1 to the fullest extent4 ,mr4 ,seward's bill was also before the ,senate--a bill granting the fugitive slave a trial by jury in the ,state where he is found1 to determine whether or not he is a slave4 ,mr4 ,webster says not a word about this bill4 ,he does not propose to support it4 ,suppose the bill of ,mr4 ,webster's friend shall pass ,congress1 what will the action of it be8 ,a slave-hunter comes here to ,boston1 he seizes any dark-looking man that is unknown and friendless1 he has him before the postmaster1 the collector of customs1 or some clerk or marshal of some ,united ,states court1 and makes oath that the dark man is his slave4 ,the slave-hunter is allowed his oath4 ,the fugitive is not allowed his testimony4 ,the man born free as you and ,i1 on the false oath of a slave-hunter1 or the purchased affidavit of some one1 is surrendered to a southern ,state1 to bondage life-long and irremediable4 ,will you say1 the postmaster1 the collector1 the clerks and marshals in ,boston would not act in such matters8 ,they have no option2 it is their official business to do so4 ,but they would not decide against the unalienable rights of man--the right to life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness4 ,that may be1 or may not be4 ,the slave-hunter may have his fugitive before the collector of ,boston1 or the postmaster of ,truro1 if he sees fit4 ,if they1 remembering their ,old ,testament1 refuse to bewray him that wandereth1 the slave-hunter may bring on his officer with him from ,georgia or ,florida2 he may bring the custom-house officer from ,mobile or ,wilmington1 some little petty postmaster from a town you never heard of in ,south ,carolina or ,texas1 and have any dark man in ,boston up before that magistrate1 and on his decision have the fugitive carried off to ,louisiana or ,arkansas1 to bondage for ever4 ,the bill provides that the trial may be had before any such officer1 residing or being in the ,state where the fugitive is found6 ,there were three fugitives at my house the other night4 ,ellen ,craft was one of them4 ,you all know ,ellen ,craft is a slave2 she1 with her husband1 fled from ,georgia to ,philadelphia1 and is here before us now4 ,she is not so dark as ,mr4 ,webster himself1 if any of you think freedom is to be dealt out in proportion to the whiteness of the skin4 ,if ,mason's bill passes1 ,i might have some miserable postmaster from ,texas or the ,district of ,columbia1 some purchased agent of ,messrs4 ,bruin ,hill1 the great slave-dealers of the ,capitol1 have him here in ,boston1 take ,ellen ,craft before the caitiff1 and on his decision hurry her off to bondage as cheerless1 as hopeless1 and as irremediable as the grave6 ,let me interest you in a scene which might happen4 ,suppose a poor fugitive1 wrongfully held as a slave--let it be ,ellen ,craft--has escaped from ,savannah in some northern ship4 ,no one knows of her presence on board2 she has lain with the cargo in the hold of the vessel4 ,harder things have happened4 ,men have journeyed hundreds of miles bent double in a box half the size of a coffin1 journeying towards freedom4 ,suppose the ship comes up to ,long ,wharf1 at the foot of ,state ,street4 ,bulk is broken to remove the cargo2 the woman escapes1 emaciated with hunger1 feeble from long confinement in a ship's hold1 sick with the tossing of the heedless sea1 and still further etiolated and blanched with the mingling emotions of hope and fear4 ,she escapes to land4 ,but her pursuer1 more remorseless than the sea1 has been here beforehand2 laid his case before the official he has brought with him1 or purchased here1 and claims his slave4 ,she runs for her life1 fear adding wings4 ,imagine the scene--the flight1 the hot pursuit through ,state ,street1 ,merchants' ,row--your magistrates in hot pursuit4 ,to make the irony of nature still more complete1 let us suppose this shall take place on some of the memorable days in the history of ,america--on the #aith of ,april1 when our fathers first laid down their lives in the sacred cause of ,god and their country2 on the #agth of ,june1 the #bb;d of ,december1 or on any of the sacramental days in the long sad history of our struggle for our own freedom6 ,suppose the weary fugitive takes refuge in ,faneuil ,hall1 and here1 in the old ,cradle of ,liberty1 in the midst of its associations1 under that eye of ,samuel ,adams1 the bloodhounds seize their prey6 ,imagine ,mr4 ,webster and ,mr4 ,winthrop looking on1 cheering the slave-hunter1 intercepting the fugitive fleeing for her life4 ,would not that be a pretty spectacle8 ,propose to support that bill to the fullest extent1 with all its provisions6 ,ridiculous talk6 ,does ,mr4 ,webster suppose that such a law could be executed in ,boston8 that the people of ,massachusetts will ever return a single fugitive slave1 under such an act as that8 ,then he knows his constituents very little1 and proves that he needs ,instruction4#b ,slavery is a moral and religious blessing1 says somebody in the present ,congress4 ,but it seems some thirty thousand slaves have been blind to the benefits--moral and religious benefits--which it confers1 and have fled to the free ,states4 ,mr4 ,clingman estimates the value of all the fugitive slaves in the ,north at #ae1jjj1jjj4 ,delaware loses #ajj1jjj in a year in this way2 her riches taking to themselves not wings1 but legs4 ,maryland lost #ajj1jjj in six months4 ,i fear ,mr4 ,mason's bill and ,mr4 ,webster's speech will not do much to protect that sort of property from this kind of loss4 ,such action is prevented by a law even superior to that which admits and sanctions it in ,texas4 ,such are ,mr4 ,webster's opinions on these four great questions4 ,now1 there are two ways of accounting for this speech1 or1 at least1 two ways of looking at it4 ,one is1 to regard it as the work of a statesman seeking to avert some great evil from the whole nation4 ,this is the way ,mr4 ,webster would have us look at it1 ,i suppose4 ,his friends tell us it is a statesmanlike speech--very statesmanlike4 ,he himself says ,vera pro gratis#c--true words in preference to words merely pleasing4 ,etsi meum ingenium non moneret necessitas cogit--,albeit my own humor should not prompt the counsel1 necessity compels it4 ,the necessity so cogent is the attempt to dissolve the ,union1 in case the ,wilmot ,proviso should be extended over the new territory4 ,does any man seriously believe that ,mr4 ,webster really fears a dissolution of this ,union undertaken and accomplished on this plea1 and by the ,southern ,states8 ,i will not insult the foremost understanding of this continent by supposing he deems it possible4 ,no1 we cannot take this view of his conduct4 ,the other way is to regard it as the work of a politician1 seeking something beside the permanent good of a great nation4 ,the lease of the ,presidency is to be disposed of for the next four years by a sort of auction4 ,it is in the hands of certain political brokers1 who operate in presidential and other political stock4 ,the majority of those brokers are slaveholders or pro-slavery men2 they must be conciliated1 or they will not understand the nod of the candidate--,i mean of the man who bids for the lease4 ,all the illustrious men in the national politics have an eye on the transaction1 but sometimes the bid has been taken for persons whose chance at the sale seemed very poor4 ,general ,cass made his bid some time ago4 ,i think his offer is recorded in the famous ,nicholson ,letter4 ,he was a ,northern man1 and bid ,non-intervention--,the unconstitutionality of any intervention with slavery in the new territory4 ,mr4 ,clay made his bid1 for old ,kentucky never tires1 the same old bid that he has often made--a ,compromise4 ,mr4 ,calhoun did as he has always done4 ,i will not say he made any bid at all2 he was too sick for that1 too sick for any thought of the ,presidency4 ,perhaps at this moment the angel of death is dealing with that famed and remarkable man4 ,nay1 he may already have gone where ,the servant is free from his master1 and the weary are at rest2 have gone home to his ,god1 who is the ,father of the great politician and the feeblest-minded slave4 ,if it be so1 let us follow him only with pity for his errors1 and the prayer that his soul may be at rest4 ,he has fought manfully in an unmanly cause4 ,he seemed sincerely in the wrong1 and spite of the badness of the cause to which he devoted his best energies1 you cannot but respect the man4 ,last of all1 ,mr4 ,webster makes his bid for the lease of that bad eminence1 the ,presidency4 ,he bids higher than the others1 of course1 as coming later2 bids ,non-intervention1 ,four new slave ,states in ,texas1 ,mason's ,bill for ,capturing ,fugitive slaves1 and ,denunciation of all the ,anti-slavery movements of the ,north1 public and private4 ,that is what he bids1 looking to the southern side of the board of political brokers4 ,then he nods northward1 and says1 ,the ,wilmot ,proviso is my thunder2 then timidly glances to the ,south and adds1 ,but ,i will never use it4 ,i think this is the only reasonable way in which we can estimate this speech--as a bid for the ,presidency4 ,i will not insult that mighty intellect by supposing that he1 in his private heart1 regards it in any other light4 ,mr4 ,calhoun might well be content with that1 and say ,organize the territories on the principle of that gentleman1 and give us a free scope and sufficient time to get in--we ask nothing but that1 and we never will ask it4 ,such are the four great questions before us2 such ,mr4 ,webster's answers thereunto2 such the two ways of looking at his speech4 ,he decides in advance against freedom in ,texas1 against freedom in ,california1 against freedom in ,new ,mexico1 against freedom in the ,united ,states1 by his gratuitous offer of support to ,mr4 ,mason's bill4 ,his great eloquence1 his great understanding1 his great name1 give weight to all his words4 ,pains are industriously taken to make it appear that his opinions are the opinions of ,boston4 ,is it so8 ,cries of ,no1 ,no4 ,that was rather a feeble cry4 ,perhaps it is the opinion of the prevailing party in ,boston4 ,no1 ,no4 ,but ,i put it to you1 ,is it the opinion of ,massachusetts8 ,loud cries of ,no1 ,no1 ,no4 ,well1 so ,i say1 ,no2 it is not the opinion of ,massachusetts4 99 99 99 99 99 ,before now1 servants of the people and leaders of the people have proved false to their employers1 and betrayed their trust4 ,amongst all political men who have been weighed in the balance1 and found wanting1 with whom shall ,i compare him8 ,not with ,john ,quincy ,adams1 who1 in #ahjg1 voted for the embargo4 ,it may have been the mistake of an honest intention1 though ,i confess ,i cannot think so yet4 ,at any rate1 laying an embargo1 which he probably thought would last but a few months1 was a small thing compared with the refusal to restrict slavery1 willingness to enact laws to the disadvantage of mankind1 and the voluntary support of ,mason's iniquitous bill4 ,besides1 ,mr4 ,adams lived a long life2 if he erred1 or if he sinned in this matter1 he afterwards fought most valiantly for the rights of man4 ,shall ,i compare ,mr4 ,webster with ,thomas ,wentworth1 the great ,earl of ,strafford1 a man whose doubtful character and memorable end have made him the most conspicuous character of a reign so fertile in recollections8 ,he1 like ,webster1 was a man of large powers1 and once devoted them to noble uses4 ,did ,wentworth defend the ,petition of ,right8 ,so did ,webster many times defend the great cause of liberty4 ,but it was written of ,strafford1 that in his self-interested and ambitious mind1 patriotism was the seed sown among thorns6 ,if we reflect upon this man's cold-blooded apostasy on the first lure to his ambition1 and on his splendid abilities1 which enhanced the guilt of that desertion1 we must feel some indignation at those who have palliated all his iniquities1 and embalmed his memory with the attributes of patriot heroism4 ,great he surely was1 since that epithet can never be denied without paradox to so much comprehension of mind1 such ardor and energy1 such courage and eloquence1 those commanding qualities of soul1 which1 impressed upon his dark and stern countenance1 struck his contemporaries with mingled awe and hate 444 ,but it may be reckoned a sufficient ground for distrusting any one's attachment to the ,english ,constitution1 that he reveres the name of ,strafford4 ,his measures for stifling liberty in ,england1 which he and his contemporaries significantly called ,thorough in the reign of ,charles ,i41 were not more atrocious1 than the measures which ,daniel ,webster proposes himself1 or proposes to support to the fullest extent4 ,but ,strafford paid the forfeit--tasting the sharp and bitter edge of the remorseless axe4 ,let his awful shade pass by4 ,i mourn at the parallel between him and the mighty son of our own ,new ,england4 ,would ,god it were not thus6 ,for a sadder parallel1 ,i shall turn off from the sour features of that great ,british politician1 and find another man in our own fair land4 ,this name carries us back to the times that tried men's souls1 when also there were souls that could not stand the rack4 ,it calls me back to ,the famous year of '#hj2 to the little ,american army in the highlands of ,new ,york2 to the time when the torch of ,american liberty which now sends its blaze far up to heaven1 at the same time lighting the northern lakes and the ,mexique ,bay1 tinging with welcome radiance the eastern and the western sea1 was a feeble flame flickering about a thin and hungry wick1 and one hand was raised to quench in darkness1 and put out forever1 that feeble and uncertain flame4 ,gentlemen1 ,i hate to speak thus4 ,i honor the majestic talents of this great man4 ,i hate to couple his name with that other1 which few ,americans care to pronounce4 ,but ,i know no deed in ,american history1 done by a son of ,new ,england1 to which ,i can compare this1 but the act of ,benedict ,arnold6 ,shame that ,i should say this of any man2 but his own motto shall be mine--,,vera ,,pro ,,gratis--and ,i am not responsible for what he has made the ,,truth2 certainly1 meum ingenium non moneret1 necessitas cogit6 ,i would speak with all possible tenderness of any man1 of every man2 of such an one1 so honored1 and so able1 with the respect ,i feel for superior powers4 ,i would often question my sense of justice1 before ,i dared to pronounce an adverse conclusion4 ,but the ,wrong is palpable1 the ,injustice is open as the day4 ,i must remember1 here are twenty millions1 whose material welfare his counsel defeats2 whose honor his counsel stains2 whose political1 intellectual1 moral growth he is using all his mighty powers to hinder and keep back4 ,vera pro gratis4 ,necessitas cogit4 ,vellem1 equidem1 vobis placere1 sed multo malo vos salvos esse1 qualicunque erga me animo futuri estis4 ,let me take a word of warning and of counsel from the same author2 yes1 from the same imaginary speech of ,quintus ,capitolinis1 whence ,mr4 ,webster has drawn his motto3--,ante portas est bellum3 si inde non pellitur1 jam intra maenia erit1 et arcem et ,capitolium scandet1 et in domos vestras vos persequetur4 ,the war against the extension of ,slavery1 not against the ,volscians1 in this case is before your very doors3 if not driven thence1 it will be within your walls namely1 it will be in ,california and ,new ,mexico2 it will ascend the citadel and the capitol to wit1 it will be in the ,house of ,representatives and the ,senate2 and it will follow you into your very homes that is1 the curse of ,slavery will corrupt the morals of the nation4 ,sedemus desides domi1 mulierum ritu inter nos altercantes2 praesenti pace laeti1 nec cernentes ,,ex ,,otio ,,illo ,,brevi ,,multiplex ,,bellum ,,rediturum4 ,we the famous ,senators of the ,united ,states sit idle at home1 wrangling amongst ourselves like women to see who shall get the lease of the ,presidency1 glad of the present truce meaning that which is brought about by a compromise1 not perceiving that for this brief cessation of trouble1 a manifold war will follow that is1 the horrid internecine war which will come here1 as it has been elsewhere1 if justice be too long delayed6 ,it is a great question before us1 concerning the existence of millions of men4 ,to many men in politics1 it is merely a question of party rivalry2 a question of in and out1 and nothing more4 ,to many men in cities1 it is a question of commerce1 like the establishment of a bank1 or the building of one railroad more or less4 ,but to serious men1 who love man and love their ,god1 this is a question of morals1 a question of religion1 to be settled with no regard to party rivalry1 none to fleeting interests of to-day1 but to be settled under the awful eye of conscience1 and by the just law of ,god4 ,shall we shut up slavery or extend it8 ,it is for us to answer4 ,will you deal with the question now1 or leave it to your children1 when the evil is ten times greater8 ,in #agdi1 there was not a slave in ,georgia2 now1 two hundred and eighty thousand4 ,in #agej1 in all the ,united ,states1 but two hundred thousand2 now1 three millions4 ,in #aiej1 let ,mr4 ,webster's counsels be followed1 there will be thirty millions4 ,thirty millions6 ,will it then be easier for your children to set limits to this crime against human nature1 than now for you8 ,our fathers made a political1 and a commercial1 and a moral error--shall we repeat it8 ,they did a wrong2 shall we extend and multiply the wrong8 ,was it an error in our fathers2 not barely a wrong--was it a sin8 ,no1 not in them2 they knew it not4 ,but what in them to establish was only an error1 in us to extend or to foster is a sin6 ,perpetuate ,slavery1 we cannot do it4 ,nothing will save it4 ,it is girt about by a ring of fire which daily grows narrower1 and sends terrible sparkles into the very centre of the shameful thing4 ,joint resolutions cannot save it2 annexations cannot save it--not if we re-annex all the ,west ,indies2 delinquent representatives cannot save it2 uninstructed senators1 refusing instructions1 cannot save it1 no1 not with all their logic1 all their eloquence1 which smites as an earthquake smites the sea4 ,no1 slavery cannot be saved2 by no compromise1 no non-intervention1 no ,mason's ,bill in the ,senate4 ,it cannot be saved in this age of the world until you nullify every ordinance of nature1 until you repeal the will of ,god1 and dissolve the union ,he has made between righteousness and the welfare of a people4 ,then1 when you displace ,god from the throne of the world1 and instead of his eternal justice1 reenact the will of the ,devil1 then you may keep ,slavery2 keep it forever1 keep it in peace4 ,not till then4 ,the question is1 not if slavery is to cease1 and soon to cease1 but shall it end as it ended in ,massachusetts1 in ,new ,hampshire1 in ,pennsylvania1 in ,new ,york2 or shall it end as in ,st4 ,domingo8 ,follow the counsel of ,mr4 ,webster--it will end in fire and blood4 ,god forgive us for our cowardice1 if we let it come to this1 that three millions or thirty millions of degraded human beings1 degraded by us1 must wade through slaughter to their unalienable rights4 ,mr4 ,webster has spoken noble words--at ,plymouth1 standing on the altar-stone of ,new ,england2 at ,bunker ,hill1 the spot so early reddened with the blood of our fathers4 ,but at this hour1 when we looked for great counsel1 when we forgot the paltry things which he has often done1 and said1 ,now he will rouse his noble soul1 and be the man his early speeches once bespoke1 who dared to fear that ,olympian head would bow so low1 so deeply kiss the ground8 ,try it morally1 try it intellectually1 try it by the statesman's test1 world-wide justice2 nay1 try it by the politician's basest test1 the personal expediency of to-day--it is a speech not fit to be made1 and when made1 not fit to be confirmed4 ,we see dimly in the distance what is small and what is great1 ,slow of faith how weak an arm may turn the iron helm of fate2 ,but the soul is still oracular2 amid the market's din1 ,list the ominous stern whisper from the ,delphic cave within-- ',they enslave their children's children1 who make compromise with sin4' ,,footnotes3 #a ,mr4 ,john ,quincy ,adams4 #b ,alas1 a single year taught me the folly of this confidence in ,boston6 ,see ,no4 ,,vi4 of this volume4 #c ,motto of ,mr4 ,webster's speech4 ,,ii4 ,,speech ,,at ,,the ,,new ,,england ,,anti-,,slavery ,,convention ,,in ,,boston1 ,,may #bi1 #ahej4 ,mr4 ,president1--,if we look hastily at the present aspect of ,american affairs1 there is much to discourage a man who believes in the progress of his race4 ,in this republic1 with the ,declaration of ,independence for its political creed1 neither of the great political parties is hostile to the existence of slavery4 ,that institution has the continual support of both the whig and democratic parties4 ,there are now four eminent men in the ,senate of the ,united ,states1 all of them friends of slavery4 ,two of these are from the ,north1 both natives of ,new ,england2 but they surpass their southern rivals in the zeal with which they defend that institution1 and in the concessions which they demand of the friends of justice at the ,north4 ,these four men are all competitors for the ,presidency4 ,not one of them is the friend of freedom2 he that is apparently least its foe1 is ,mr4 ,benton1 the ,senator from ,missouri4 ,mr4 ,clay1 of ,kentucky1 is less effectually the advocate of slavery than ,mr4 ,webster1 of ,massachusetts4 ,mr4 ,webster himself has said1 ,there is no ,north1 and1 to prove it experimentally1 stands there as one mighty instance of his own rule4 ,in the ,senate of the ,united ,states1 only ,seward and ,chase and ,hale can be relied on as hostile to slavery4 ,in the ,house1 there are ,root and ,giddings1 and ,wilmot and ,mann1 and a few others4 ,but what are these among so many8 ,see how it strikes a stranger4 ,here is an extract from the letter of a distinguished and learned man1#d sent out here by the ,king of ,sweden to examine our public schools3 ,i have just returned from ,washington1 where ,i have been witnessing the singular spectacle of this free and enlightened nation being buried in sorrow1 on account of the death of that great advocate of slavery1 ,mr4 ,calhoun4 ,mr4 ,webster's speech seems to have made a very strong impression upon the people of the ,south1 as ,i have heard it repeated almost as a lesson of the catechism by every person ,i have met within the slave territory4 ,it seems now to be an established belief1 that slavery is not a malum necessarium1 still less an evil difficult to get rid of1 but desirable soon to get rid of4 ,no1 far from that2 it seems to be considered as quite a natural1 most happy1 and essentially ,christian institution6 ,not satisfied with keeping an institution which the more ,christian religion of the ,mohammedan ,bey of ,tunis has rejected as a sin against ,god1 we seek to extend it1 to perpetuate it1 even on soil which the half-civilized ,mexicans made clear from its pollutions4 ,the great organs of the party politics of the land are in favor of the extension2 the great political men of the land seek to extend it2 the leading men in the large mercantile towns of the ,north--in ,boston1 ,new ,york1 and ,philadelphia--are also in favor of extending slavery4 ,all this is plain4 ,but1 ,sir1 as ,i come up here to this ,convention year after year1 ,i find some signs of encouragement4 ,even in the present state of things1 the star of hope appears1 and we may safely and reasonably say1 ,now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed in anti-slavery4 ,let us look a little at the condition of ,america at this moment1 to see what there is to help or what to hinder us4 ,first1 ,i will speak of the present crisis in our affairs2 then of the political parties amongst us2 then of the manner in which this crisis is met2 next of the foes of freedom2 and last1 of its friends4 ,i will speak with all coolness1 and try to speak short4 ,by the middle of anniversary week1 men get a little heated2 ,i am sure ,i shall be cool1 and ,i think ,i may also be dull4 ,there must be unity of action in a nation1 as well as in a man1 or there cannot be harmony and welfare4 ,as a man cannot serve two masters antagonistic and diametrically opposed to one another1 as ,god and ,mammon1 no more can a nation serve two opposite principles at the same time4 ,now1 there are two opposite and conflicting principles recognized in the political action of ,america3 at this moment1 they contend for the mastery1 each striving to destroy the other4 ,there is what ,i call the ,american idea4 ,i so name it1 because it seems to me to lie at the basis of all our truly original1 distinctive and ,american institutions4 ,it is itself a complex idea1 composed of three subordinate and more simple ideas1 namely3 ,the idea that all men have unalienable rights2 that in respect thereof1 all men are created equal2 and that government is to be established and sustained for the purpose of giving every man an opportunity for the enjoyment and development of all these unalienable rights4 ,this idea demands1 as the proximate organization thereof1 a democracy1 that is1 a government of all the people1 by all the people1 for all the people2 of course1 a government after the principles of eternal justice1 the unchanging law of ,god2 for shortness' sake1 ,i will call it the idea of ,freedom4 ,that is one idea2 and the other is1 that one man has a right to hold another man in thraldom1 not for the slave's good1 but for the master's convenience2 not on account of any wrong the slave has done or intended1 but solely for the benefit of the master4 ,this idea is not peculiarly ,american4 ,for shortness' sake1 ,i will call this the idea of ,slavery4 ,it demands for its proximate organization1 an aristocracy1 that is1 a government of all the people by a part of the people--the masters2 for a part of the people--the masters2 against a part of the people--the slaves2 a government contrary to the principles of eternal justice1 contrary to the unchanging law of ,god4 ,these two ideas are hostile1 irreconcilably hostile1 and can no more be compromised and made to coalesce in the life of this nation1 than the worship of the real ,god and the worship of the imaginary ,devil can be combined and made to coalesce in the life of a single man4 ,an attempt has been made to reconcile and unite the two4 ,the slavery clauses of the ,constitution of the ,united ,states is one monument of this attempt2 the results of this attempt--you see what they are1 not order1 but confusion4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we cannot have any settled and lasting harmony until one or the other of these ideas is cast out of the councils of the nation3 so there must be war between them before there can be peace4 ,hitherto1 the nation has not been clearly aware of the existence of these two adverse principles2 or1 if aware of their existence1 has thought little of their irreconcilable diversity4 ,at the present time1 this fact is brought home to our consciousness with great clearness4 ,on the one hand1 the friends of freedom set forth the idea of freedom1 clearly and distinctly1 demanding liberty for each man4 ,this has been done as never before4 ,even in the ,senate of the ,united ,states it has been done1 and repeatedly during the present session of ,congress4 ,on the other hand1 the enemies of freedom set forth the idea of slavery as this has not been done in other countries for a long time4 ,slavery has not been so lauded in any legislative body for many a year1 as in the ,american ,senate in #ahej4 ,some of the discussions remind one of the spirit which prevailed in the ,roman ,senate1 ,a4 ,d4 #fb1 when about four hundred slaves were crucified1 because their master1 ,pedanius ,secundus1 a man of consular dignity1 was found murdered in his bed4 ,i mean to say1 the same disregard of the welfare of the slaves1 the same willingness to sacrifice them--if not their lives1 which are not now in peril1 at least their welfare1 to the convenience of their masters4 ,anybody can read the story in ,tacitus1#e and it is worth reading1 and instructive1 too1 at these times4 ,here are some of the statements relative to slavery made in the thirty-first ,congress of the ,united ,states4 ,hearken to the testimony of the ,hon4 ,mr4 ,badger1 of ,north ,carolina3 ,it is clear that this institution slavery not only was not disapproved of1 but was expressly recognized1 approved1 and its continuance sanctioned by the divine lawgiver of the ,jews4 ,whether an evil or not1 it is not a sin2 it is not a violation of the divine law4 ,what treatment did it receive from the founder of the gospel dispensation8 ,it was approved1 first negatively1 because1 in the whole ,new ,testament1 there is not to be found one single word1 either spoken by the ,saviour1 or by any of the evangelists or apostles1 in which that institution is either directly or indirectly condemned2 and also affirmatively4 ,this he endeavors to show1 by quoting the passages from ,st4 ,paul1 usually quoted for that purpose4 ,nothing would be easier than for ,st4 ,paul to have said--',slaves1 be obedient to your heathen masters2 but ,i say to you1 feeling masters1 emancipate your slaves2 the law of ,christ is against that relation1 and you are bound1 therefore1 to set them at liberty4' ,no such word is spoken4 ,thus far goes the ,hon4 ,senator ,badger1 of ,north ,carolina4 ,mr4 ,brown1 of ,mississippi1 goes further yet4 ,he knows what some men think of slavery1 and tells them1 ,very well1 think so2 but keep your thoughts to yourselves4 ,he is not content with bidding the ,freest and most enlightened nation in the world1 be silent on this matter3 he is not content1 with ,mr4 ,badger1 to declare that if an evil1 it is not a sin1 and to find it upheld in the ,old ,testament1 and allowed in the ,new ,testament2 he tells us that he regards slavery as a great moral1 social1 political and religious blessing--a blessing to the slave1 and a blessing to the master4 ,thus1 the issue is fairly made between the two principles4 ,the contradiction is plain4 ,the battle between the two is open1 and in sight of the world4 ,but this is not the first time there has been a quarrel between the idea of slavery and the idea of freedom in ,america4 ,the quarrel has lasted1 with an occasional truce1 for more than sixty years4 ,in six battles1 slavery has been victorious over freedom4 #a4 ,in the adoption of the ,constitution supporting slavery4 #b4 ,in the acquisition of ,louisiana1 as slave territory4 #c4 ,in the acquisition of ,florida as slave territory4 #d4 ,in making the ,missouri ,compromise4 #e4 ,in the annexation of ,texas as a slave ,state4 #f4 ,in the ,mexican war--a war1 mean and wicked1 even amongst wars4 ,since the ,revolution1 there have been three instances of great national importance1 in which freedom has overcome slavery2 there have been three victories3 #a4 ,in prohibiting slavery from the ,northwest ,territory1 before the adoption of the ,constitution4 #b4 ,in prohibiting the slave-trade in #ahjh4 ,i mean1 in prohibiting the ,african slave-trade2 the ,american slave-trade is still carried on in the capital of the ,united ,states4 #c4 ,the prohibition of slavery in ,oregon may be regarded as a third victory1 though not apparently of so much consequence as the others4 ,now comes another battle1 and it remains to be decided whether the idea of slavery or the idea of freedom is to prevail in the territory we have conquered and stolen from ,mexico4 ,the present strife is to settle that question4 ,now1 as before1 it is a battle between freedom and slavery2 one on which the material and spiritual welfare of millions of men depends2 but now the difference between freedom and slavery is more clearly seen than in #aghg2 the consequences of each are better understood1 and the sin of slavery is felt and acknowledged by a class of persons who had few representatives sixty years ago4 ,it is a much greater triumph for slavery to prevail now1 and carry its institutions into ,new ,mexico in #ahej1 than it was to pass the pro-slavery provisions of the ,constitution in #aghg4 ,it will be a greater sin now to extend slavery1 than it was to establish it in #afbj1 when slaves were first brought to ,virginia4 ,ever since the adoption of the ,constitution1 protected by that shield1 mastering the energies of the nation1 and fighting with that weapon1 slavery has been continually aggressive4 ,the slave-driver has coveted new soil2 has claimed it2 has had his claim allowed4 ,louisiana1 ,florida1 ,texas1 ,california and ,new ,mexico are the results of ,southern aggression4 ,now the slave-driver reaches out his hand towards ,cuba1 trying to clutch that emerald gem set in the tropic sea4 ,how easy it was to surrender to ,great ,britain portions of the ,oregon ,territory in a high northern latitude6 ,had it been south of #cf deg4 #cj'1 it would not have been so easy to settle the ,oregon question by a compromise4 ,so when we make a compromise there1 the reciprocity must be all on one side4 99 99 99 99 99 ,let us next look at the position of the political parties with respect to the present crisis4 ,there are now four political parties in the land4 #a4 ,there is the ,government party1 represented by the ,president1 and portions of his ,cabinet1 if not the whole of it4 ,this party does not attempt to meet the question which comes up1 but to dodge and avoid it4 ,shall ,freedom or ,slavery prevail in the new territory8 is the question4 ,the government has no opinion2 it will leave the matter to be settled by the people of the territory4 ,this party wishes ,california to come into the ,union without slavery1 for it is her own desire so to come2 and does not wish a territorial government to be formed by ,congress in ,new ,mexico1 but to leave the people there to form a ,state1 excluding or establishing slavery as they see fit4 ,the motto of this party is inaction1 not intervention4 ,king ,james ,i4 once proposed a question to the ,judges of ,england4 ,they declined to answer it1 and the ,king said1 ,if ye give no counsel1 then why be ye counsellors8 ,the people of the ,united ,states might ask the government1 ,if ye give us no leading1 then why be ye leaders8 ,this party is not hostile to slavery2 not opposed to its extension4 99 99 99 99 99 #b4 ,then there is the ,whig ,party4 ,this party has one distinctive idea2 the idea of a ,tariff for ,protection2 whether for the protection of ,american labor1 or merely ,american capital1 ,i will not now stop to inquire4 ,the ,whig ,party is no more opposed to slavery1 or its extension1 than the ,government party itself4 ,however there are two divisions of the whigs1 the ,whig ,party ,south1 and the ,whig ,party ,north4 ,the two agree in their ideas of protection1 and their pro-slavery character4 ,but the ,whig ,party ,south advocates ,slavery and ,protection2 the ,whig ,party ,north1 ,protection and ,slavery4 ,in the ,north there are many whigs who are opposed to slavery1 especially to the extension of slavery2 there are also many other persons1 not of the whig party1 opposed to the extension of slavery2 therefore in the late electioneering campaign1 to secure the votes of these persons1 it was necessary for the whig party ,north to make profession of anti-slavery4 ,this was done accordingly1 in a general form1 and in special an attempt was made to show that the whig party was opposed to the extension of slavery4 ,hear what ,senator ,chase says on this point4 ,i read from his speech in the ,senate1 on ,march #bf1 #ahej3-- ,on the whig side it was urged1 that the candidate of the ,philadelphia ,convention was1 if not positively favorable to the ,proviso1 at least pledged to leave the matter to ,congress free from ,executive influence1 and ready to approve it when enacted by that body4 ,general ,cass had written the celebrated ,nicholson ,letter1 in which he declared that ,congress had no constitutional power to enact the ,proviso4 ,but so anxious were the ,democrats of the ,north to assume an anti-slavery aspect1--continues ,mr4 ,chase1--that ,notwithstanding this letter1 many of his friends in the free ,states persisted in asserting that he would not1 if elected1 veto the ,proviso2 many also insisted that he regarded slavery as excluded from the territories by the ,mexican laws still in force2 while others maintained that he regarded slavery as an institution of positive law1 and ,congress as constitutionally incompetent to enact such law1 and that therefore it was impossible for slavery to get into the territories1 whether ,mexican law was in force or not4 ,this1 says ,mr4 ,chase1 was the whig argument3-- ,prohibition is essential to the certain exclusion of slavery from the territories4 ,if the democratic candidate shall be elected1 prohibition is impossible1 for the veto will be used3 if the whig candidate shall be elected1 prohibition is certain1 provided you elect a ,congress who will carry out your will4 ,vote1 therefore1 for the whigs4 ,such was the general argument of the whig party4 ,let us see what it was in ,massachusetts in special4 ,here ,i have documentary evidence4 ,this is the statement of the ,whig ,convention at ,worcester in #ahdh1 published shortly before the election3-- ,we understand the whig party to be committed in favor of the principles contained in the ordinance of #aghg1 the prohibition of slavery in territory now free1 and of its abolition wherever it can be constitutionally effected4 ,they professed to aim at the same thing which the free soil party aimed at1 only the work must be done by the old whig organization4 ,free soil cloth must be manufactured1 but it must be woven in the old whig mill1 with the old whig machinery1 and by the old whig weavers4 ,see what the ,convention says of the democratic party3-- ,we understand the democratic party to be pledged to decline any legislation upon the subject of slavery1 with a view either to its prohibition or restriction in places where it does not exist1 or to its abolition in any of the territories of the ,united ,states4 ,there is no ambiguity in that language4 ,men can talk very plain when they will4 ,still there were some that doubted2 so the great and famous men of the party came out to convince the doubters that the whigs were the men to save the country from the disgrace of slavery4 ,here let me introduce the testimony of ,mr4 ,choate4 ,this which follows is from his speech at ,salem4 ,he tells us the great work is1 ,the passage of a law to-day that ,california and ,new ,mexico shall remain forever free4 ,that is 444 an object of great and transcendent importance3444 we should go up to the very limits of the ,constitution itself 444 to defeat the always detested1 and forever-to-be detested object of the dark ambition of that candidate of the ,baltimore ,convention1 who has consented to pledge himself in advance1 that he will veto the future law of freedom6 ,is there a whig upon this floor who doubts that the strength of the whig party next ,march will extend freedom to ,california and ,new ,mexico1 if by the ,constitution they are entitled to freedom at all8 ,is there a member of ,congress that would not vote for freedom8 ,sancta simplicitas6 ,ora pro nobis6 ,is there a single whig constituency1 in any free ,state in this country1 that would return any man that would not vote for freedom8 ,do you believe that ,daniel ,webster himself could be returned1 if there was the least doubt upon this question8 ,that is plain speech4 ,but1 to pass from the special to the particular1 hear ,mr4 ,webster himself4 ,what follows is from his famous speech at ,marshfield1 ,september1 #ahdh4 ,general ,cass 7he says7 will have the ,senate2 and with the patronage of the government1 with the interest that he1 as a ,northern man1 can bring to bear1 cooeperating with every interest that the ,south can bring to bear1 we cry safety before we are out of the woods1 if we feel that there is no danger as to these new territories6 ,in my judgment1 the interests of the country and the feelings of a vast majority of the people require that a ,president of these ,united ,states shall be elected1 who will neither use his official influence to promote1 nor who feels any disposition in his heart to promote1 the further extension of slavery in this country1 and the further influence of it in the public councils4 ,speaking of the free soil party and the ,buffalo platform1 he says--,i hold myself to be as good a free soil man as any of the ,buffalo ,convention4 ,of the platform he says--,i can stand upon it pretty well4 ,i beg to know who is to inspire into my breast a more resolute and fixed determination to resist1 unyieldingly1 the encroachments and advances of the slave power in this country1 than has inspired it1 ever since the day that ,i first opened my mouth in the councils of the country4 ,if such language as this would not deceive the very elect1 what was more to the point1 it was quite enough to deceive the electors4 ,but now this language is forgotten2 forgotten in general by the whig party ,north2 forgotten in special by those who seemed to be the exponents of the whig party in ,massachusetts2 forgotten at any rate by the nine hundred and eighty-seven men who signed the letter to ,mr4 ,webster2 and in particular it is forgotten by ,mr4 ,webster himself1 who now says that it would disgrace his own understanding to vote for the extension of the ,wilmot ,proviso over the new territory6 ,there were some men in ,new ,england who did not believe the statements of the whig party ,north in #ahdh1 because they knew the men that uttered the sentiments of the whig party ,south4 ,the leaders put their thumbs in the eyes of the people1 and then said1 ,do you see any dough in our faces8 ,no6 said the people1 not a speck4 ,then vote our ticket1 and never say we are not hostile to slavery so long as you live4 ,at the ,south1 the whig party used language somewhat different4 ,here is a sample from the ,new ,orleans ,bee3-- ,general ,taylor is from birth1 association1 and conviction1 identified with the ,south and her institutions2 being one of the most extensive slaveholders in ,louisiana--and supported by the slaveholding interest1 as opposed to the ,wilmot ,proviso1 and in favor of securing the privilege to the owners of slaves to remove with them to newly acquired territory4 99 99 99 99 99 #c4 ,then there is the ,democratic party4 ,the distinctive idea of the democrats is represented by the word anti-protection1 or revenue tariff4 ,this party1 as such1 is still less opposed to slavery than the whigs2 however1 there are connected with it1 at the ,north1 many men who oppose the extension of slavery4 ,this party is divided into two divisions1 the democratic party ,south1 and the democratic party ,north4 ,they agree in their idea of anti-protection and slavery1 differing only in the emphasis which they give to the two words4 ,the democrats of the ,south say ,slavery and ,anti-protection2 the democrats ,north1 ,anti-protection and ,slavery4 ,thus you see1 that while there is a specific difference between democrats and whigs1 there is also a generic agreement in the matter of slavery4 ,according to the doctrine of elective affinities1 both drop what they have a feeble affinity for1 and hold on with what their stronger affinity demands4 ,the whigs and democrats of the ,south are united in their attachment to slavery1 not only mechanically1 but by a sort of chemical union4 ,mr4 ,cass's ,nicholson letter is well known4 ,he says ,congress has no constitutional right to restrict slavery in the territories4 ,here is the difference between him and ,general ,taylor4 ,general ,taylor does not interfere at all in the matter4 ,if ,congress puts slavery in1 he says1 ,very well6 ,if ,congress puts slavery out1 he says the same1 ,very well6 ,but if ,congress puts slavery out1 ,general ,cass would say1 ,no4 ,you shall not put it out4 ,one has the policy of ,king ,log1 the other that of ,king ,serpent4 ,so far as that goes1 ,log is the better king4 ,so much for the democratic party4 99 99 99 99 99 #d4 ,the ,free ,soil party opposes slavery so far as it is possible to do1 and yet comply with the ,constitution of the ,united ,states4 ,its idea is declared by its words1--,no more slave territory4 ,it does not profess to be an anti-slavery party in general1 only an anti-slavery party subject to the ,constitution4 ,in the present crisis in the ,congress of the ,united ,states1 it seems to me the men who represent this idea1 though not always professing allegiance to the party1 have yet done the nation good and substantial service4 ,i refer more particularly to ,messrs4 ,chase1 ,seward and ,hale in the ,senate1 to ,messrs4 ,root1 ,giddings and ,mann in the ,house4 ,those gentlemen swear to keep the ,constitution2 in what sense and with what limitations1 ,i know not4 ,it is for them to settle that matter with their own consciences4 ,i do know this1 that these men have spoken very noble words against slavery2 heroic words in behalf of freedom4 ,it is not to be supposed that the free soil party1 as such1 has attained the same convictions as to the sin of slavery1 which the anti-slavery party has long arrived at4 ,still they may be as faithful to their convictions as any of the men about this platform4 ,if they have less light to walk by1 they have less to be accountable for4 ,for my own part1 spite of their short-comings1 and of some things which to me seem wrong in the late elections in ,new ,england1 ,i cannot help thinking they have done good as individuals1 and as a party2 it seems to me they have done good both ways4 ,i will honor all manly opposition to slavery1 whether it come up to my mark1 or does not come near it4 ,i will ask every man to be true to his conscience1 and his reason1 not to mine4 ,in speaking of the parties1 ,i ought not to omit to say a word or two respecting some of the most prominent men1 and their position in reference to this slavery question4 ,it is a little curious1 that of all the candidates for the ,presidency1 ,mr4 ,benton1 of ,missouri1 should be the least inclined to support the pretensions of the ,slave ,power4 ,but so it is4 ,of ,mr4 ,cass1 nothing more need be said at present2 his position is defined and well known4 ,but a word must be said of ,mr4 ,clay4 ,he comes forward1 as usual1 with a ,compromise4 ,here it is1 in the famous ,omnibus ,bill4 ,in one point it is not so good as the ,government scheme4 ,general ,taylor1 as the organ of the party1 recommends the admission of ,california1 as an independent measure4 ,he does not huddle and lump it together with any other matters2 and in this respect1 his scheme is more favorable to freedom than the other2 for ,mr4 ,clay couples the admission of ,california with other things4 ,but in two points ,mr4 ,clay's bill has the superiority over the ,general's scheme4 #a4 ,it limits the ,western and ,northern boundaries of ,texas1 and so reduces the territory of that ,state1 where slavery is now established by law4 ,yet1 as ,i understand it1 he takes off from ,new ,mexico about seventy thousand square miles1 enough to make eight or ten ,states like ,massachusetts1 and delivers it over to ,texas to be slave soil2 as ,mr4 ,webster says1 out of the power of ,congress to redeem from that scourge4 #b4 ,it does not maintain that ,congress has no power to exclude slavery in admitting a new ,state2 whereas1 if ,i understand the ,president in his ,message1 he considers such an act ,an invasion of their rights4#f ,let us pass by ,mr4 ,clay1 and come to the other aspirant for the ,presidency4 ,at the ,philadelphia ,convention1 ,mr4 ,webster1 at the most1 could only get one half the votes of ,new ,england2 several of these not given in earnest1 but only as a compliment to the great man from the ,north4 ,now1 finding his presidential wares not likely to be bought by ,new ,england1 he takes them to a wider market2 with what success we shall one day see4 ,something has already been said in the newspapers and elsewhere1 about ,mr4 ,webster's speech4 ,no speech ever delivered in ,america has excited such deep and righteous indignation4 ,i know there are influential men in ,boston1 and in all large towns1 who must always have somebody to sustain and applaud4 ,they some time since applauded ,mr4 ,webster1 for reasons very well known1 and now continue their applause of him4 ,his late speech pleases them2 its worst parts please them most4 ,all that is as was to be expected2 men like what they must like4 ,but1 in the country1 among the sober men of ,massachusetts and ,new ,england1 who prize ,right above the political expediency of to-day1 ,i think ,mr4 ,webster's speech is read with indignation4 ,i believe no one political act in ,america1 since the treachery of ,benedict ,arnold1 has excited so much moral indignation1 as the conduct of ,daniel ,webster4 ,but ,i pass by his speech1 to speak of other things connected with that famous man4 ,one of the most influential pro-slavery newspapers of ,boston1 calls the gentlemen who signed the letter to him1 the ,retainers of ,mr4 ,webster4 ,the word is well chosen and quite descriptive4 ,this word is used in a common1 a feudal1 and a legal sense4 ,in the common sense1 it means one who has complete possession of the thing retained2 in the feudal sense1 it means a dependent or vassal1 who is bound to support his liege lord2 in the legal sense1 it means the person who hires an attorney to do his business2 and the sum given to secure his services1 or prevent him from acting for the opposite party1 is called a retaining fee4 ,i take it the word ,retainers1 is used in the legal sense2 certainly it is not in the feudal sense1 for these gentlemen do not owe allegiance to ,mr4 ,webster4 ,nor is it in its common sense1 for events have shown that they have not a complete possession of ,mr4 ,webster4 ,now1 a word about this letter to him4 ,mr4 ,webster's retainers--nine hundred and eighty-seven in number--tell him1 ,you have pointed out to a whole people the path of duty1 have convinced the understanding1 and touched the conscience of a nation4 ,we desire1 therefore1 to express to you our entire concurrence in the sentiments of your speech1 and our heartfelt thanks for the inestimable aid it has afforded towards the preservation and perpetuation of the ,union4 ,they express their entire concurrence in the sentiments of his speech4 ,in the speech1 as published in the edition revised and corrected by himself1 ,mr4 ,webster declares his intention to support the famous fugitive slave bill1 and the amendments thereto1 with all its provisions1 to the fullest extent4 ,when the retainers express their entire concurrence in the sentiments of the speech1 they express their entire concurrence in that intention4 ,there is no ambiguity in the language2 they make a universal affirmation--7affirmatio de omni74 ,now ,mr4 ,webster comes out1 by two agents1 and recants this declaration4 ,let me do him no injustice4 ,he shall be heard by his next friend1 who wishes to amend the record1 a correspondent of the ,boston ,courier1 of ,may #fth3-- ,the speech now reads thus3--',my friend at the head of the ,judiciary ,committee has a bill on the subject1 now before the ,senate1 with some amendments to it1 which ,i propose to support1 with all its provisions1 to the fullest extent4' ,changing the position of the word which1 and the sentence would read thus3--',my friend at the head of the ,judiciary ,committee has a bill on the subject1 now before the ,senate1 which1 with some amendments to it1 ,i propose to support1 with all its provisions1 to the fullest extent4' ,call you that backing your friends8 ,really1 it is too bad1 after his retainers have expressed their entire concurrence in the sentiments of the speech1 for him to back out1 to deny that he entertained one of the sentiments already approved of and concurred in6 ,can it be possible1 we ask1 that ,mr4 ,webster can resort to this device to defend himself1 leaving his retainers in the lurch8 ,it does not look like him to do such a thing4 ,but the correspondent of the ,courier goes on as follows3-- ,we are authorized to state1 first--,that ,mr4 ,webster did not revise this portion of his speech1 with any view to examine its exact accuracy of phrase2 and second--,that ,mr4 ,webster1 at the time of the delivery of the speech1 had in his desk three amendatory sections1444 and one of which provides expressly for the right of trial by jury4 ,but who is the person authorized to state such a thing8 ,professor ,stuart informs the public that it comes from the hand of a man who might claim a near place to ,mr4 ,webster1 in respect to talent1 integrity1 and patriotism4 ,still1 this recantation is so unlike ,mr4 ,webster1 that one would almost doubt the testimony of so great an unknown as is the writer in the ,courier4 ,but ,mr4 ,stuart removes all doubt1 and says--,i merely add1 that ,mr4 ,webster himself has personally assured me that his speech was in accordance with the correction here made1 and that he has now in his desk the amendments to which the corrector refers4 ,so the retainers must bear the honor1 or the shame1 whichsoever it may be1 of volunteering the advocacy of that remarkable bill4 ,when ,paul was persecuted for righteousness' sake1 how easily might the offence of the cross have been made to cease1 by a mere transposition6 ,had he pursued that plan1 he need not have been let down from the wall in a basket3 he might have had a dinner given him by forty scribes1 at the first hotel in ,jerusalem1 and a doctor of the law to defend him in a pamphlet4 ,but1 alas6 in ,mr4 ,webster's case1 admitting the transposition is real1 the transubstantiation is not thereby effected2 the transfer of the which does not alter the character of the sentence to the requisite degree4 ,the bill1 which he volunteers to advocate1 contains provisions to this effect3 ,that the owner of a fugitive slave may seize his fugitive1 and1 on the warrant of any judge1 commissioner1 clerk1 marshal1 postmaster1 or collector1 residing or being within the ,state where the seizure is made1 the fugitive1 without any trial by jury1 shall be delivered up to his master1 and carried out of the ,state4 ,now1 this is the bill which ,mr4 ,webster proposes to support1 with all its provisions1 to the fullest extent4 ,let him transfer his which1 it does not transubstantiate his statement so that he can consistently introduce a section which provides expressly for the right of trial by jury4 ,this attempt to evade the plain meaning of a plain statement1 is too small a thing for a great man4 ,i make no doubt that ,mr4 ,webster had in his desk1 at the time alleged1 a bill designed to secure the trial by jury to fugitive slaves1 prepared as it is set forth4 ,but how do you think it came there1 and for what purpose8 ,last ,february ,mr4 ,webster was intending to make a very different speech2 and then1 ,i make no doubt1 it was that this bill was prepared1 with the design of introducing it6 ,but ,i see no reason for supposing1 that when he made his celebrated speech1 he intended to introduce it as an amendment to ,mr4 ,mason's or ,butler's bill4 ,it is said that he will present it to the ,senate4 ,let us wait and see4#g ,but1 since the speech at ,washington1 ,mr4 ,webster has said things at ,boston1 almost as bad4 ,here they are2 extracts from his speech at the ,revere ,house4 ,i quote from the report in the ,daily ,advertiser4 ,neither you nor ,i shall see the legislation of the country proceed in the old harmonious way1 until the discussions in ,congress and out of ,congress upon the subject1 to which you have alluded the subject of slavery1 shall be1 in some way1 suppressed4 ,take that truth home with you--and take it as truth4 ,a very pretty truth that is to take home with us1 that discussion must be suppressed6 ,again1 he says3-- ,sir1 the question is1 whether ,massachusetts will stand to the truth against temptation that is the question6 whether she will be just against temptation6 whether she will defend herself against her own prejudices6 ,she has conquered every thing else in her time2 she has conquered this ocean which washes her shore2 she has conquered her own sterile soil2 she has conquered her stern and inflexible climate2 she has fought her way to the universal respect of the world2 she has conquered every one's prejudices but her own4 ,the question now is1 whether she will conquer her own prejudices6 ,the trumpet gives no uncertain sound2 but before we prepare ourselves for battle1 let us see who is the foe4 ,what are the prejudices ,massachusetts is to conquer8 ,the prejudice in favor of the ,american idea2 the prejudice in favor of what our fathers called self-evident truths2 that all men are endowed with certain unalienable rights2 that all men are created equal1 and that to secure these rights1 governments are instituted amongst men4 ,these are the prejudices ,massachusetts is called on to conquer4 ,there are some men who will do this with alacrity2 but will ,massachusetts conquer her prejudices in favor of the unalienable rights of man8 ,i think1 ,mr4 ,president1 she will first have to forget two hundred years of history4 ,she must efface ,lexington and ,bunker ,hill from her memory1 and tear the old rock of ,plymouth out from her bosom4 ,these are prejudices which ,massachusetts will not conquer1 till the ocean ceases to wash her shore1 and granite to harden her hills4 ,massachusetts has conquered a good many things1 as ,mr4 ,webster tells us4 ,i think there are several other things we shall try our hand upon1 before we conquer our prejudice in favor of the unalienable rights of man4 ,there is one pleasant thing about this position of ,mr4 ,webster4 ,he is alarmed at the fire which has been kindled in his rear4 ,he finds considerable differences of opinion prevail 444 on the subject of that speech1 and is grateful to receive 444 opinions so decidedly concurring with his own1--so he tells the citizens of ,newburyport4 ,he feels obliged to do something to escape the obloquy which naturally comes upon him4 ,so he revises his speech2 now supplying an omission1 now altering a little2 authorizes another great man to transpose his relative pronoun1 and anchor it fast to another antecedent2 appeals to amendments in the senatorial desk1 designed to secure a jury trial for fugitive slaves2 derides his opponents1 and compares them with the patriots of ancient times4 ,here is his letter to the citizens of ,newburyport--a very remarkable document4 ,it contains some surprising legal doctrines1 which ,i leave others to pass upon4 ,but in it he explains the fugitive slave law of #agic1 which does not provide for the trial of any question whatever by jury1 in the ,state in which the arrest is made4 ,at that time1 nobody regarded any of the provisions of that bill as repugnant to religion1 liberty1 the ,constitution1 or humanity2 and he has no more objections to the provisions of this law1 than was seen to them by the framers of the law itself4 ,if he sees therein nothing repugnant to religion1 liberty1 the ,constitution1 or humanity1 then why transpose that relative pronoun1 and have an amendment which provides expressly for the right of trial by jury8 ,in order to allay excitement1 he answers1 and remove objections4 ,there are many difficulties1 however1 attending any such provision of a jury trial2 and a main one1 and perhaps the only insuperable one1 has been created by the ,states themselves1 by making it a penal offence in their own officers1 to render any aid in apprehending or securing such fugitives1 and absolutely refusing the use of their jails for keeping them in custody1 till a jury could be impanelled1 witnesses summoned1 and a regular trial be had4 ,think of that6 ,it is ,massachusetts1 ,pennsylvania1 ,ohio1 and ,new ,york1 which prohibit the fugitive from getting a trial for his freedom1 before a jury of twelve good men and true6 ,but ,mr4 ,webster goes on3 ,it is not too much to say1 that to these ,state laws is to be attributed the actual and practical denial of trial by jury in these cases4 ,generally1 the cause is thought to precede the effect1 but here is a case in which1 according to ,mr4 ,webster1 the effect has got the start of the cause1 by more than fifty years4 ,the fugitive slave law of ,congress1 which allowed the master to capture the runaway1 was passed in #agic2 but the ,state laws he refers to1 to which is to be attributed the actual and practical denial of trial by jury in these cases1 were not passed till after #ahdj4 ,to what base uses may we come at last6 ,mr4 ,webster would never have made such a defence of his pro-slavery conduct1 had he not been afraid of the fire in his rear1 and thought his retainers not able to put it out4 ,he seems to think this fire is set in the name of religion3 so1 to help us ,conquer our prejudices1 he cautions us against the use of religion1 and quotes from the private letter of ,one of the most distinguished men in ,england1 dated as late as the #bith of ,january--,religion is an excellent thing in every matter except in politics3 there it seems to make men mad4 ,in this respect1 it seems religion is inferior to money1 for the ,proverbs tell us that money answereth all things2 religion1 it seems1 answereth all things1 except politics4 ,poor ,mr4 ,webster6 ,if religion is not good in politics1 ,i suppose irreligion is good there2 and1 really1 it is often enough introduced there4 ,so1 if religion seems to make men mad in politics1 ,i suppose irreligion makes them sober in politics4 ,but ,mr4 ,webster1 fresh from his transposition of his own relative1 explains this3 ,his friend ascribes the evils not to true and genuine religion1 but to that fantastic notion of religion4 ,so1 making the transposition1 it would read thus3 ,that fantastical notion of religion1 is an excellent thing in any matter except politics4 ,alas6 ,mr4 ,webster does not expound his friend's letter1 nor his own language1 so well as he used to expound the ,constitution4 ,but he says1 ,the religion of the ,new ,testament is as sure a guide to duty in politics1 as in any other concern of life4 ,so1 in the name of ,conscience and the ,constitution1 ,professor ,stuart comes forward to defend ,mr4 ,webster1 by the religion of the ,new ,testament2 that religion which is founded on the teachings of ,jesus and his apostles4 ,how are the mighty fallen6 ,mr4 ,webster makes a great speech1 lending his mighty influence to the support and extension of slavery1 with all its attendant consequences1 which paralyze the hand of industry1 enfeeble the thinking mind1 and brutify the conscience which should discern between right and wrong2 nine hundred and eighty-seven of his retainers in ,boston1 thank him for reminding them of their duty4 ,but still the fire in his rear is so hot1 that he must come on to ,boston1 talk about having discussion suppressed1 and ask ,massachusetts to conquer her prejudices4 ,that is not enough4 ,he must go up to ,andover1 and get a minister to defend him1 in the name of ,conscience and the ,constitution1 supporting slavery out of the ,old ,testament and ,new ,testament4 ,to what mean uses may we not descend6 ,there is a short and easy method with ,professor ,stuart1 and all other men who defend slavery out of the ,bible4 ,if the ,bible defends slavery1 it is not so much the better for slavery1 but so much the worse for the ,bible4 ,if ,mr4 ,stuart and ,mr4 ,webster do not see that1 there are plenty of obscurer men that do4 ,of all the attacks ever made on the ,bible1 by deists and infidels1 none would do so much to bring it into disrepute1 as to show that it sanctioned ,american slavery4 ,it is rather a remarkable fact1 that an orthodox minister should be on ,mr4 ,webster's paper1 endorsing for the ,christianity of slavery4 ,let me say a word respecting the position of the ,representative from ,boston4 ,i speak only of his position1 not of his personal character4 ,let him1 and all men1 have the benefit of the distinction between their personal character1 and official conduct4 ,mr4 ,winthrop is a consistent whig2 a representative of the idea of the whig party ,north1 ,protection and ,slavery4 ,when he first went into ,congress1 it was distinctly understood that he was not going to meddle with the matter of slavery2 the tariff was the thing4 ,all this was consistent4 ,it is to be supposed that a ,northern whig will put the mills of the ,north before the black men of the ,south3 and ,property before persons1 might safely be writ on the banner of the whig party1 ,north or ,south4 ,mr4 ,winthrop seems a little uneasy in his position4 ,some time ago he complained of a ,nest of vipers in ,boston1 who had broken their own teeth in gnawing a file2 meaning the vipers in the free soil party1 ,i suppose1 whose teeth1 however1 have a little edge still left on them4 ,he finds it necessary to define his position1 and show that he has kept up his communication with the base-line of operations from which he started4 ,this circumstance is a little suspicious4 ,unlike ,mr4 ,webster1 ,mr4 ,winthrop seems to think religion is a good thing in politics1 for in his speech of ,may #gth1 he says--,i acknowledge my allegiance to the whole ,constitution of the ,united ,states4444 ,and whenever ,i perceive a plain conflict of jurisdiction and authority between the ,constitution of my country and the laws of my ,god1 my course is clear4 ,i shall resign my office1 whatever it may be1 and renounce all connection with public service of any sort4 ,that is fair and manly4 ,he will not hold a position under the ,constitution of the ,united ,states which is inconsistent with the ,constitution of the ,universe4 ,but he says--,there are provisions in the ,constitution of the ,united ,states1 he means1 not of the universe1 which involve us in painful obligations1 and from which some of us would rejoice to be relieved2 and this the restoration of fugitive slaves1 is one of them4 ,but there is none1 none1 in my judgment1 which involves any conscientious or religious difficulty4 ,so he has no conscientious or religious objection to return a fugitive slave4 ,he thinks the ,constitution of the ,united ,states avoids the idea that there can be property in man1 but recognizes that there may be property in the service or labor of man4 ,but when it is property in the service of man without value received by the servant1 and a claim which continues to attach to a man and his children forever1 it looks very like the idea of property in man4 ,at any rate1 there is only a distinction in the words1 no difference in the things4 ,to claim the sum of the accidents1 all and several of a thing1 is practically to claim the thing4 ,mr4 ,winthrop once voted for the ,wilmot ,proviso1 in its application to the ,oregon ,territory4 ,some persons have honored him for it1 and even contended that he also was a free soiler4 ,he wipes off that calumny by declaring1 that he attached that proviso to the ,oregon bill for the purpose of defeating the bill itself4 ,this proviso was one of the means upon which ,i mainly relied for the purpose4 ,there can be little doubt1 he says1 that this clause had its influence in arresting the bill in the other end of the capitol1 where it was finally lost4 ,that is his apology for appearing to desire to prevent the extension of slavery4 ,it is worth while to remember this4 ,unlike ,mr4 ,webster1 he thinks slavery may go into ,new ,mexico4 ,we may hesitate to admit that nature has everywhere in the new territory settled the question against slavery4 ,still he would not now pass the proviso to exclude slavery4 ,it would 444 unite the ,south as one man1 and if it did not actually rend the ,union asunder1 would create an alienation and irritation in that quarter of the country1 which would render the ,union hardly worth preserving4 ,is there not ample reason for an abatement of the northern tone1 for a forbearance of northern urgency upon this subject1 without the imputation of tergiversation and treachery8 ,here ,i am reminded of a remarkable sentence in ,mr4 ,webster's speech at ,marshfield1 in relation to the northern men who helped to annex ,texas4 ,here it is3-- ,for my part1 ,i think that ,dough-faces is an epithet not sufficiently reproachful4 ,now1 ,i think such persons are dough-faces1 dough-heads1 and dough-souls1 that they are all dough2 that the coarsest potter may mould them at pleasure to vessels of honor or dishonor1 but most readily to vessels of dishonor4 ,the ,representative from ,boston1 in the year #ahej1 has small objection to the extension of slave soil4 ,hearken to his words3-- ,i can never put the question of extending slave soil on the same footing with one of directly increasing slavery and multiplying slaves4 ,if a positive issue could ever again be made up for our decision1 whether human beings1 few or many1 of whatever race1 complexion or condition1 should be freshly subjected to a system of hereditary bondage1 and be changed from free men into slaves1 ,i can conceive that no bonds of union1 no ties of interest1 no cords of sympathy1 no consideration of past glory1 present welfare1 or future grandeur1 should be suffered to interfere1 for an instant1 with our resolute and unceasing resistance to a measure so iniquitous and abominable4 ,there would be a clear1 unquestionable moral element in such an issue1 which would admit of no compromise1 no concession1 no forbearance whatever4444 ,a million of swords would leap from their scabbards to assert it1 and the ,union itself would be shivered like a ,prince ,rupert's dress in the shock4 ,but1 ,sir1 the question whether the institution of slavery1 as it already exists1 shall be permitted to extend itself over a hundred or a hundred thousand more square miles than it now occupies1 is a different question4444 ,it is not1 in my judgment1 such an issue that conscientious and religious men may not be free to acquiesce in whatever decision may be arrived at by the constituted authorities of the country4444 ,it is not with a view of cooping up slavery 444 within limits too narrow for its natural growth2444 it is not for the purpose of girding it round with lines of fire1 till its sting1 like that of the scorpion1 shall be turned upon itself1444 that ,i have ever advocated the principles of the ,ordinance of #aghg4 ,mr4 ,mann1 ,i think1 is still called a whig1 but no member of the free soil party has more readily or more ably stood up against the extension of slavery4 ,his noble words stand in marvellous contrast to the discourse of the representative from ,boston4 ,mr4 ,mann represents the country1 and not the metropolis4 ,his speech last ,february1 and his recent letter to his constituents1 are too well known1 and too justly prized1 to require any commendation here4 ,but ,i cannot fail to make a remark on a passage in the letter4 ,he says1 if we allow ,mr4 ,clay's compromise to be accepted1 ,were it not for the horrible consequences which it would involve1 a roar of laughter1 like a feu de joie1 would run down the course of the ages4 ,he afterwards says--,should the ,south succeed in their present attempt upon the territories1 they will impatiently await the retirement of ,general ,taylor from the executive chair to add the ',state of ,cuba' 444 to this noble triumph4 ,one is a little inclined to start such a laugh himself at the idea of the ,south waiting for that event before they undertake that plan6 ,mr4 ,mann says3 ,if no moral or religious obligation existed against holding slaves1 would not many of those opulent and respectable gentlemen who signed the letter of thanks to ,mr4 ,webster1 and hundreds of others1 indeed1 instead of applying to intelligence offices for domestics1 go at once to the auction room1 and buy a man or a woman with as little hesitancy or compunction as they now send to ,brighton for beeves8 ,this remark has drawn on him some censures not at all merited4 ,there are men enough in ,boston1 who have no objection to slavery4 ,i know such men1 who would have been glad if slavery had been continued here4 ,are ,boston merchants unwilling to take mortgages on plantations and negroes8 ,do northern men not acquire negroes by marrying wealthy women at the ,south1 and keep the negroes as slaves8 ,if the truth could be known1 ,i think it would appear that ,dr4 ,palfrey had lost more reputation in ,boston than he gained1 by emancipating the human beings which fell to his lot4 ,but here is a story which ,i take from the ,boston ,republican4 ,it is worth preserving as a monument of the morals of ,boston in #ahej1 and may be worth preserving at the end of the century3-- ,a year or two since1 a bright-looking mulatto youth1 about twenty years of age1 and whose complexion was not much1 if any1 darker than that of the great ',expounder of the ,constitution1' entered the counting-room1 on some errand for his master1 a ,kentuckian1 who was making a visit here4 ,a merchant on one of our principal wharves1 who came in and spoke to him1 remarked to the writer that he once owned this 'boy' and his mother1 and sold them for several hundred dollars4 ,upon my expressing astonishment to him that he could thus deal in human flesh1 he remarked that ',when you are among the ,romans1 you must do as the ,romans do4' ,i know of others of my northern acquaintances1 and good whigs too1 who have owned slaves at the ,south1 and who1 if public opinion warranted it1 would be as likely1 ,i presume1 to buy and sell them at the ,north4 ,i have yet to learn that the controlling men of this city have any considerable aversion to domestic slavery4#h ,mr4 ,mann's zeal in behalf of freedom1 and against the extension of slavery1 has drawn upon him the indignation of ,mr4 ,webster1 who is grieved to see him so ignorant of ,american law4 ,but ,mr4 ,mann is able to do his own fighting4 99 99 99 99 99 ,so much for the political parties and their relation to the matters at issue at this moment4 ,still1 there is some reason to hope that the attempt to extend slavery1 made in the face of the world1 and supported by such talent1 will yet fail2 that it will bring only shame on the men who aim to extend and perpetuate so foul a blight4 ,the fact that ,mr4 ,webster's retainers must come to the rescue of their attorney2 that himself must write letters to defend himself1 and must even obtain the services of a clergyman to help him--this shows the fear that is felt from the anti-slavery spirit of the ,north4 ,depend upon it1 a politician is pretty far gone when he sends for the minister1 and he thinks his credit failing when he gets a clergyman on his paper to indorse for the ,christian character of ,american slavery4 ,here ,i ought to speak of the party not politicians1 who contend against slavery not only beyond the limits of the ,constitution1 but within those limits2 who are opposed not only to the extension1 but to the continuance of slavery2 who declare that they will keep no compromises which conflict with the eternal laws of ,god1--of the ,anti-slavery party4 ,mr4 ,president1 if ,i were speaking to whigs1 to democrats1 or to free soil men1 perhaps ,i might say what ,i think of this party1 of their conduct1 and their motives2 but1 ,sir1 ,i pass it by1 with the single remark1 that ,i think the future will find this party where they have always been found4 ,i have before now attempted to point out the faults of this party1 and before these men2 that work ,i will not now attempt a second time1 and this is not the audience before which ,i choose to chant its praises4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there are several forces which oppose the anti-slavery movement at this day4 ,here are some of the most important4 ,the ,demagogues of the ,parties are all or nearly all against it4 ,by demagogue ,i mean the man who undertakes to lead the people for his own advantage1 to the harm and loss of the people themselves4 ,all of this class of men1 or most of them1 now support slavery--not1 as ,i suppose1 because they have any special friendship for it1 but because they think it will serve their turn4 ,some noble men in politics are still friends of the slave4 ,the ,demagogues of the ,churches must come next4 ,i am not inclined to attribute so much original power to the churches as some men do4 ,i look on them as indications of public opinion1 and not sources thereof--not the wind1 but only the vane which shows which way it blows4 ,once the clergy were the masters of the people1 and the authors of public opinion to a great degree2 now they are chiefly the servants of the people1 and follow public opinion1 and but seldom aspire to lead it1 except in matters of their own craft1 such as the technicalities of a sect1 or the form of a ritual4 ,they may lead public opinion in regard to the posture in prayer1 to the form of baptism1 and the like4 ,in important matters which concern the welfare of the nation1 the clergy have none or very little weight4 ,still1 as representatives of public opinion1 we really find most of the clergy1 of all denominations1 arrayed against the cause of ,eternal ,justice4 ,i pass over this matter briefly1 because it is hardly necessary for me to give any opinion on the subject4 ,but ,i am glad to add1 that in all denominations here in ,new ,england1 and perhaps in all the ,north1 there are noble men1 who apply the principles of justice to this question of the nation1 and bear a manly testimony in the midst of bad examples4 ,some of the theological newspapers have shown a hostility to slavery and an attachment to the cause of liberty which few men expected2 which were quite unknown in those quarters before4 ,to do full justice to men in the sects who speak against this great and popular sin of the nation1 we ought to remember that it is harder for a minister than for almost any other man to become a reformer4 ,it is very plain that it is not thought to belong to the calling of a minister1 especially in a large town1 to oppose the actual and popular sins of his time4 ,so when ,i see a minister yielding to the public opinion which favors unrighteousness1 and passing by1 in silence and on the other side1 causes which need and deserve his labors and his prayers1 ,i remember what he is hired for1 and paid for1--to represent the popular form of religion2 if that be idolatry1 to represent that4 ,but when ,i see a minister oppose a real sin which is popular1 ,i cannot but feel a great admiration for the man4 ,we have lately seen some examples of this4 ,yet1 on the other side1 there are some very sad examples of the opposite4 ,here comes forward a man of high standing in the ,new ,england churches1 a man who has done real service in promoting a liberal study of matters connected with religion1 and defends slavery out of what he deems the ,infallible word of ,god1--the ,old ,testament and ,new ,testament4 ,well1 if ,christianity supports ,american slavery1 so much the worse for ,christianity1 that is all4 ,perhaps ,i ought not to say1 if ,christianity supports slavery4 ,we all know it does not1 never did1 and never can4 ,but if ,paul was an apologist for slavery1 so much the worse for ,paul4 ,if ,calvinism or ,catholicism supports slavery1 so much the worse for them1 not so much the better for ,slavery6 ,i can easily understand the conduct of the leaders of the ,new ,york mob3 considering the character of the men1 their ignorance and general position1 ,i can easily suppose they may have thought they were doing right in disturbing the meetings there4 ,considering the apathy of the public authorities1 and the attempt1 openly made by some men1--unluckily of influence in that city1--to excite others to violence1 ,i have a good deal of charity for ,rynders and his gang4 ,but it is not so easy to excuse the conspicuous ecclesiastical defenders of slavery4 ,they cannot plead their ignorance4 ,let them alone1 to make the best defence they can4 ,the ,toryism of ,america is also against us4 ,i call that man a ,tory1 who prefers the accidents of man to the substance of manhood4 ,i mean one who prefers the possessions and property of mankind to man himself1 to reason and to justice4 ,of this ,toryism we have much in ,america1 much in ,new ,england1 much in ,boston4 ,in this town1 ,i cannot but think the prevailing influence is still a ,tory influence4 ,it is this which is the support of the demagogues of the ,state and the ,church4 ,toryism exists in all lands4 ,in some1 there is a good deal of excuse to be made for it4 ,i can understand the ,toryism of the ,duke of ,medina ,sidonia1 and of such men4 ,if a man has been born to great wealth and power1 derived from ancestors for many centuries held in admiration and in awe2 if he has been bred to account himself a superior being1 and to be treated accordingly1 ,i can easily understand the ,toryism of such a man1 and find some excuse for it4 ,i can understand the ,tory literature of other nations4 ,the ,toryism of the ,london ,quarterly1 of ,blackwood1 is easily accounted for1 and forgiven4 ,it is1 besides1 sometimes adorned with wit1 and often set off by much learning4 ,it is respectable ,toryism4 ,but the ,toryism of men who only know they had a grandfather by inference1 not by positive testimony2 who inherited nothing but their bare limbs2 who began their career as tradesmen or mechanics1--mechanics in divinity or law as well as in trade1--and get their bread by any of the useful and honorable callings of life--that such men1 getting rich1 or lifting their heads out of the obscurity they were once in1 should become ,tories1 in a land1 too1 where institutions are founded on the idea of freedom and equity and natural justice--that is another thing4 ,the ,toryism of ,american journals1 with little scholarship1 with no wit1 and wisdom in homoeopathic doses2 the ,toryism of a man who started from nothing1 the architect of his own fortune2 the ,toryism of a ,republican1 of a ,yankee1 the ,toryism of a ,snob1--it is ,toryism reduced to its lowest denomination1 made vulgar and contemptible2 it is the little end of the tail of ,toryism4 ,let us loathe the unclean thing in the depth of our soul1 but let us pity the poor ,tory2 for he1 also1 in common with the negro slave1 is ,a man and a brother4 ,then the ,spirit of ,trade is often against us4 ,mr4 ,mann1 in his letter1 speaks of the opposition made to ,wilberforce by the ,guinea merchants of ,liverpool1 in his attempts to put an end to the slave-trade4 ,the ,corporation of ,liverpool spent over ten thousand pounds in defence of a traffic1 the worst the sun ever shone upon4 ,this would seem to be a reflection upon some of the merchants of ,boston4 ,it seems1 from a statement in the ,atlas1 that ,mr4 ,mann did not intend his remarks to apply to ,boston1 but to ,new ,york and ,philadelphia1 where mass meetings of merchants had been held1 to sustain ,mr4 ,clay's compromise resolutions4 ,although ,mr4 ,mann did not apply his remarks to ,boston1 ,i fear they will apply here as well as to our sister cities4 ,i have yet to learn that the letter of ,mr4 ,webster's retainers was any less well adapted to continue and extend slavery1 than the resolutions passed at ,new ,york and ,philadelphia4 ,i wish the insinuations of ,mr4 ,mann did not apply here4 ,one of the signers of the letter to ,mr4 ,webster incautiously betrayed1 ,i think1 the open secret of the retainers when he said--,i don't care a damn how many slave ,states they annex6 ,this is a secret1 because not avowed2 open1 because generally known1 or at least believed1 to be the sentiment of a strong party in ,massachusetts4 ,i am glad to have it also expressed2 now the issue is joined1 and we do not fight in the dark4 ,it has long been suspected that some inhabitants of ,boston were engaged in the slave-trade4 ,not long since1 the brig ,lucy ,anne1 of ,boston1 was captured on the coast of ,africa1 with five hundred and forty-seven slaves on board4 ,this vessel was built at ,thomaston in #ahci2 repaired at ,boston in #ahdh1 and now hails from this port4 ,she was commanded by one ,captain ,otis1 and is owned by one ,salem ,charles4 ,this1 ,i suppose1 is a fictitious name1 for certainly it would not be respectable in ,boston to extend slavery in this way4 ,even ,mr4 ,winthrop is opposed to that1 and thinks a million swords would leap from their scabbards to oppose it4 ,but it may be that there are men in ,boston who do not think it any worse to steal men who were born free1 and have grown up free in ,africa1 and make slaves of them1 than to steal such as are born free in ,america1 before they are grown up4 ,if we have the ,old ,testament decidedly sustaining slavery1 and the ,new ,testament never forbidding it2 if1 as we are often told1 neither ,jesus nor his early followers ever said a word against slavery2 if scarcely a ,christian minister in ,boston ever preaches against this national sin2 if the ,representative from ,boston has no religious scruples against returning a fugitive slave1 or extending slavery over a hundred or a hundred thousand square miles of new territory2 if the great ,senator from ,massachusetts refuses to vote for the ,wilmot ,proviso1 or reaffirm an ordinance of nature1 and reenact the will of ,god2 if he calls on us to return fugitive slaves with alacrity1 and demands of ,massachusetts that she shall conquer her prejudices2 if nine hundred and eighty-seven men in this vicinity1 of lawful age1#i are thankful to him for enlightening them as to their duty1 and a professor of theology comes forward to sanction ,american slavery in the name of religion--why1 ,i think ,mr4 ,salem ,charles1 with his ,captain ,otis1 may not be the worst man in the world1 after all6 ,let us pity him also1 as ,a man and a brother4 99 99 99 99 99 ,such is the crisis in our affairs2 such the special issue in the general question between freedom and slavery2 such the position of parties and of great men in relation to this question2 such the foes to freedom in ,america4 ,on our side1 there are great and powerful allies4 ,the ,american idea is with us2 the spirit of the majority of men in the ,north1 when they are not blindfolded and muzzled by the demagogues of ,state and ,church4 ,the religion of the land1 also1 is on our side2 the irreligion1 the idolatry1 the infidelity thereof1 all of that is opposed to us4 ,religion is love of ,god and love of man3 surely1 all of that1 under any form1 ,catholic or ,quaker1 is in favor of the unalienable rights of man4 ,we know that we are right2 we are sure to prevail4 ,but in times present and future1 as in times past1 we need heroism1 self-denial1 a continual watchfulness1 and an industry which never tires4 ,let us not be deceived about the real question at issue4 ,it is not merely whether we shall return fugitive slaves without trial by jury4 ,we will not return them with trial by jury6 neither with alacrity1 nor with the solemnity of judicial proceedings6 ,it is not merely whether slavery shall be extended or not4 ,by and by there will be a political party with a wider basis than the free soil party1 who will declare that the nation itself must put an end to slavery in the nation2 and if the ,constitution of the ,united ,states will not allow it1 there is another ,constitution that will4 ,then the title1 ,defender and expounder of the ,constitution of the ,united ,states1 will give way to this1--,defender and expounder of the ,constitution of the ,universe1 and we shall reaffirm the ordinance of nature1 and reenact the will of ,god4 ,you may not live to see it1 ,mr4 ,president1 nor ,i live to see it2 but it is written on the iron leaf that it must come2 come1 too1 before long4 ,then the speech of ,mr4 ,webster1 and the defence thereof by ,mr4 ,stuart1 the letter of the retainers and the letters of the retained1 will be a curiosity2 the conduct of the whigs and democrats an amazement1 and the peculiar institution a proverb amongst all the nations of the earth4 ,in the turmoil of party politics1 and of personal controversy1 let us not forget continually to move the previous question1 whether ,freedom or ,slavery is to prevail in ,america4 ,there is no attribute of ,god which is not on our side2 because1 in this matter1 we are on the side of ,god4 ,mr4 ,president3 ,i began by congratulating you on the favorable signs of the times4 ,one of the most favorable is the determination of the ,south to use the powers of government to extend slavery4 ,at this day1 we exhibit a fact worse than ,christendom has elsewhere to disclose2 the fact that one sixth part of our population are mere property2 not men1 but things4 ,england has a proletary population1 the lowest in ,europe2 we have three million of proletaries lower than the pauper laborers of ,england1 which the whig protectionists hold up to us in terror4 ,the ,south wishes to increase the number of slaves1 to spread this blot1 this blight and baneful scourge of civilization over new territory4 ,hot-headed men of the ,south declare that1 unless it is done1 they will divide the ,union2 famous men of the ,north cave in1 and verify their own statements about dough-faces and dough-souls4 ,all this is preaching anti-slavery to the thinking men of the ,north2 to the sober men of all parties1 who prefer ,conscience to cotton4 ,the present session of ,congress has done much to overturn slavery4 ,whom the gods destroy they first make mad4 ,,footnotes3 #d ,mr4 ,silgestroem4 #e ,annal4 ,lib4 ,,xiv4 cap4 #db1 et seq4 #f ,executive ,documents3 ,house of ,representatives1 ,no4 #ag1 p4 #c4 #g ,since the delivery of the above1 ,mr4 ,webster has introduced his bill1 providing a trial by jury for fugitive slaves4 ,if ,i understand it1 ,mr4 ,webster does not offer it as a substitute for the ,judiciary ,bill on the subject1 does not introduce it as an amendment to that or to any thing else4 ,nay1 he does not formally introduce it--only lays it before the ,senate1 with the desire that it may be printed6 ,the effect it is designed to produce1 it is very easy to see4 ,the retainers can now say--,see6 ,mr4 ,webster himself wishes to provide a trial by jury for fugitives6 ,some of the provisions of the bill are remarkable1 but they need not be dwelt on here4 #h ,while this is passing through the press1 ,i learn that several wealthy citizens of ,boston are at this moment owners of several hundreds of slaves4 ,i think they would lose reputation among their fellows if they should set them free4 #i ,it has since appeared that several of those persons were at the time1 and still are1 holders of slaves4 ,their conduct need excite no surprise4 ,,iii4 ,a ,,discourse ,,occasioned ,,by ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,the ,,late ,,president ,,taylor4--,,preached ,,at ,,the ,,melodeon1 ,,july #ad1 #ahej4 ,last ,sunday1 on a day near the national anniversary1 something was said of the relation which the ,american citizen bears to the ,state1 and of the duties and rights which belong to that relation4 ,since then an event has occurred which suggests another topic of a public nature1 and so ,i invite your attention to a discourse of the general position and duties of an ,american ruler1 and in special of the late ,president ,taylor4 ,it is no pleasant task to rise to speak so often on such themes as this1 but let us see what warning or guidance we can gather from this occasion4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in order that a man should be competent to become a complete political ruler and head of the ,american people1 he ought to be distinguished above other men in three particulars4 ,first1 he ought to have just political ideas in advance of the people1 ideas not yet organized into institutions in the ,state4 ,then he will be a leader in ideas4 ,next1 he ought to have a superior power of organizing those ideas1 of putting them into institutions in the ,state4 ,then he will be a leader in the matter of organizing ideas4 ,then he ought to have a superior power of administering the institutions after they are made4 ,then he will be a leader in the matter of administering institutions4 ,an eminent degree of these three qualities constitutes genius for statesmanship1 genius1 too1 of a very high order4 ,a man who really and efficiently leads in politics must possess some or all of these qualities2 without them1 or any of them1 he can only seem to lead4 ,he and the people both may think he is the leader1 and call him so2 but he that shall lead others aright1 must himself be on the right road and in advance of them4 ,to perform the functions of a leader of men1 the man must be eminently just also1 true to the ,everlasting ,right1 the ,law of ,god2 otherwise he can never possess in the highest degree1 or in a competent degree1 the power of ideas1 of organization1 of administration4 ,a man eminently just1 and possessing these three qualities is a leader by nature2 if he is also put into the conventional position of leader1 then he bears the same relation to the people1 which the captain of a ship1 skilful and competent1 would bear to the ship's company who were joint owners with him1 and had elected him to his office1 expecting that he would serve them as captain while he held the office of captain4 ,the complete and perfect leader must be able to originate just political ideas1 to organize them justly1 to administer the organization with justice4 ,but these three powers are seldom united in the same man2 so1 practically1 the business of leading1 and therefore of ruling1 is commonly distributed amongst many persons2 not concentrated in one man's hands4 ,i think we have as yet had no statesman in ,america who has enjoyed each and all of these three talents in an eminent degree4 ,no man is so rich as mankind4 ,any one of them is a great gift1 entitling the man to distinction2 but the talent for administration is not very rare4 ,it is not difficult to find a man of good administrative ability with no power to invent1 none to organize the inventions of other men4 ,how many men can work all day with oxen yoked to a plough2 how few could invent a plough or tame wild cattle4 ,it is not hard to find men capable of managing political machinery1 of holding the national plough and conducting the national team1 when both are in the field1 and there is the old furrow to serve as guide4 ,that is all we commonly look for in an ,american politician4 ,he is to follow the old constitutional furrow1 and hold the old plough1 and scatter a little democratic or whig seed1 furnished by his party1 not forgetting to give them the handsel of the crop4 ,that is all we commonly look for in an ,american politician1 leaving it for some bright but obscure man in the mass of the people to discover a new idea1 and to devise the mode of its organization4 ,then the politician1 perched aloft on his high place and conspicuous1 holds the string of the kite which some unknown men have thought out1 made up1 and hoisted with great labor2 he appears to be the great man because he sits and holds the string1 administering the kite1 and men look up and say1 ,see there1 what a great man he is6 ,is not this the foremost man of the age8 ,in this way the business of ruling the nation is made a matter of mere routine1 not of invention or construction4 ,the ruler is to tend the public mill2 not to make it1 or to mend it2 not to devise new and better mills1 not even to improve the old one4 ,we may be thankful if he does not abuse and leave it worse than he found it4 ,he is not to gather the dam1 only to shut the gate at the right time1 and at the right time open it2 to take sufficient toll of all comers1 and now and then make a report of the grinding1 or of what he sees fit to communicate to the owners of the mill4 ,as it is a part of the written ,constitution of the land that all money bills shall originate with the ,house of ,representatives1 so it is a part of the unwritten custom that political ideas in advance of the people shall not originate with the nominal rulers of the nation1 but elsewhere4 ,one good thing results from this3 we are not much governed1 but much let alone4 ,the ,american form of government has some great merits2 this ,i esteem the greatest2 that it lets the people alone so much4 ,in forming ourselves into a ,state1 we agreed with one another not to meddle and make politically with individuals so much as other nations had done4 ,it is a long time since we have had a man of large genius for politics at the head of affairs in ,america4 ,i think we could not mention more than one who had any genius for just political ideas in advance of the people4 ,skilful administrators we have had in great abundance in politics as in other matters4 ,nature herself seems democratic in her action here1 and all our great movements appear to be brought about by natural power diffused amongst many men of talent1 not by natural power condensed into a single man of genius4 ,so long as this is the case1 the present method of letting alone is the best one4 ,the ,american nation has marched on without much pioneering on the part of its official rulers1 no one of them for a long time being much in advance of the million2 and while it is so it is certainly best that the million are very much left to themselves4 ,but if we could have a man as much in advance of the people in all these three qualities1 and especially in the chief quality--as the skilful projector of a cotton mill is in advance of the girls who tend the looms1 in all that relates to the projection of a cotton mill1--then we should know what it was to have a real leader1 a ruler who could be the schoolmaster of the nation1 not ruling over our bodies by fear1 but in the spirit of love1 setting us lessons which we could not have devised1 nor even understand without his help2 one who preserves all the good of the old1 and adds thereto much new good not seen before1 and so instructs and helps forward the people4 ,but as the good ,god has not sent such a man1 and he is not to be made by men1 only found1 nor in the least helped in any of those three qualities by all the praise we can pour on him2 so it comes to pass that an ordinary ruler is a person of no very great consequence4 ,his importance is official and not personal1 and as only the person dies1 not the office1 the death of such an one is not commonly an affair of much significance4 ,suppose after ,mr4 ,tyler or ,mr4 ,polk had taken the oath of office1 he had appointed a common clerk1 a man of routine and experience1 as his factotum1 with power to affix the presidential name to necessary documents1 and then had quietly and in silence departed from this life1 how much would the nation have lost8 ,a new and just political idea2 an organization thereof8 ,no such thing4 ,if the public press had kept the secret1 we should not have found out their death till this time4 ,the obscure clerk could tend the mill as well as his famous master who would not be missed4 ,louis ,,xiv4 said1 ,the ,state6 ,that is ,i4 ,he was the ,state4 ,so when the ruler dies1 the ,state is in peril4 ,if the ,king of ,prussia1 the ,emperor of ,russia or ,austria1 or the ,pope of ,rome were to die1 there would be a revolution1 and nobody knows what would come of it2 for there the ruler is master of the people1 who are subjects1 not citizens1 and the old master dying1 it is not easy to yoke the people to the chariot of a new one4 ,here the people are the ,state2 and though the power of ,general ,taylor was practically greater than that of any monarch in ,europe1 save ,nicholas1 ,william1 and ,ferdinand1 yet at his death all the power passes into the hands of his successor1 with no noise1 no tumult1 not even the appearance of a street constable4 ,i think that was a sublime sight--the rule over twenty millions of people1 jealous of their rights1 silently1 by due course of law1 passes into the hands of another man at dead of night1 and the next morning the nation is just as safe1 just as quiet and secure as before1 no fear of change perplexing them4 ,that was a sublime sight--one of the fair things which comes of a democracy4 ,here the ruler is servant1 and the people master2 so the death of a ,president1 like ,mr4 ,van ,buren1 or any of his successors1 ,harrison or ,tyler or ,polk1 would really have been a very unimportant event2 not so momentous as the death of one of the ablest doctors in ,boston1 for should the physician die1 your chance of life is diminished by that fact4 ,if ,dr4 ,channing had died at the age of forty1 before he wrote his best works1 his death would have been a greater calamity than that of any or all of the four ,presidents just named1 as soon as their inaugural address was delivered2 for ,dr4 ,channing had some truths to tell1 which there was nobody else to deliver at that time4 ,no ,president since ,jefferson1 ,i think1 has done the nation so much good as the opening of the ,erie ,canal in ,new ,york1 or the chief railroads in ,massachusetts1 or the building up of any one of the half dozen large manufacturing towns in ,new ,england4 ,mr4 ,cunard1 in establishing his line of ,atlantic steamers1 did more for ,america than any ,president for five-and-twenty years4 ,the discovery of the properties of sulphuric ether1 the devising of the magnetic telegraph1 was of more advantage to this nation1 than the service of any ,president for a long time4 ,i think ,i could mention a few men in ,boston1 any one of whom has been of more service than four or five ,presidents2 and1 accordingly1 the death of any one of those would be a greater calamity than the demise of all those ,presidents the day after election4 ,with us the ,president is only one spoke in the wheel1 and if that is broken we always have a spare spoke on hand1 and the wheel is so made that without stopping the mill1 the new spoke drops into the place of the old one and no one knows the change till told thereof4 ,if ,mr4 ,polk had really been the ablest man in the land1 a creator and an organizer1 his death would have been a public calamity1 and the whole nation would have felt it1 as ,boston or ,new ,york would feel the loss of one of its ablest manufacturers or merchants1 lawyers or doctors4 ,that would deprive us of the services of a man which could not be supplied4 ,we have always spare men of routine1 but not spare men of genius4 ,dr4 ,channing has been missed ever since his death1 and the churches of ,boston1 poor enough before1 are the poorer for his absence4 ,so has ,john ,quincy ,adams1 old as he was1 been missed in the ,house of ,representatives4 ,the enemy of freedom may well rejoice that his voice is still4 ,but who misses ,general ,harrison or ,mr4 ,polk8 ,what interest languishes in consequence of their departure8 ,what idea1 what right1 lost thereby a defender8 ,if ,sir ,robert ,peel were to die1 the ,british nation would feel the loss4 ,we attach a false importance to the death of a ,president4 ,great calamities were apprehended at the death of ,general ,harrison4 ,but what came8 ,whigs went out of office and democrats went into office4 ,had ,jefferson died before the ,declaration of ,independence1 or ,washington any time after it1 or before the termination of his official service1 or ,john ,adams before the end of the war1 that would have been a great calamity2 for ,i know not where we should have found another ,jefferson1 to see so distinctly1 and write down so plain the great ,american idea1 or another ,washington to command an army without money1 without provisions1 without hats and shoes1 as that man did4 ,the death of ,samuel ,adams1 in #agfj1 would have been a terrible misfortune to ,america4 ,but the death of ,general ,harrison only made a change in the ,cabinet1 not in the country2 it affected the politicians more than the people4 ,we are surrounded in the world with nations ruled by kings1 who are the masters of the people2 hard masters too6 ,when they die the people mourn1 not always very wisely1 not always sincerely1 but always with ceremony4 ,the mourning for ,george ,,iv4 and ,william ,,iv4 in ,england1 ,i doubt not1 was more splendid and imposing than that for ,edward the ,confessor and ,oliver ,cromwell2 and that for ,louis ,,xv4 outdid that for ,henry ,,iv4 ,in a monarchy1 men always officially mourn their king1 whether it be ,king ,log1 or ,king ,snake1 or ,king ,christian2 we follow the example of those ,states4 ,if some of the men1 whose death would be the greatest calamity1 should die1 the newspapers would not go into mourning2 we should not have a day of fasting set apart2 no minister would think it ,an inscrutable providence2 only a few plain country people would come together and take up the dust1 disenchanted of the genius which gave it power over other and animated clay1 to lay it down in the ground4 ,there would be no ,catafalques in the street2 but the upper mountain-tops would miss that early sun which kissed their foreheads1 while all below the world was wrapped in drowsy mist1 and the whole race of man would be losers by the fading out of so much poetry1 or truth1 or justice1 love and faith4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the office of ,president of the ,united ,states is undeniably one of great importance4 ,if you put in it a great man1 one with ability to invent1 to organize and to administer1 he has a better opportunity to serve mankind than most kings of ,europe4 ,i know of no position in the world more desirable for a really great man1 a man with a genius for statesmanship1 a million-minded man1 than to take this young1 daring1 hopeful nation1 so full of promise1 so ready for work1 and lead them forward in the way of political righteousness1 giving us ideas1 persuading us to build institutions thereof1 and make the high thought of a man of genius the common life of a mighty nation1 young as yet and capable of taking any lesson of national nobility which the most gifted man can devise2 to be the ruler1 not over ,russian serfs1 but ,american freemen1 citizens1 not subjects2 to be the schoolmaster for twenty millions1 and they such promising pupils1 loving hard lessons2 and the men that set them1 the most enterprising race of persons in the world1 who have already learned something of ,christianity and the idea of personal freedom1--why that is a noble ambition4 ,i do not wonder that a man of great powers should covet this great position1 and feel a noble dissatisfaction and unrest until he found himself there1 gravitating towards it as naturally as the ,mississippi to the ocean4 ,put in it such men as ,i point to1 one with the intellect of a ,webster1 the conscience of a ,channing1 the philanthropy of much humbler men2 let him aim at the welfare of the nation and mankind2 let him have just political ideas in advance of the nation1 and1 in virtue thereof1 ability to solve the terrible social and political questions of this age2 careless of his popularity and reputation1 but careful of his conscience and his character1 let him devote himself to the work of leading this people1 and what an office is that of ,president of the ,united ,states in the middle of the nineteenth century6 ,he would make this nation a society for mutual improvement twenty millions strong2 not ,king ,log1 not ,king ,stork1 but ,king ,good-man1 ,king ,christian if you will1 he would do us a service1 dignifying an office which was itself a dignity4 ,but if it be so noble for such a man1 working with such an aim1 for such an end2 when a little man is in that office1 with no ideas in advance of the people1 and incapable of understanding such as have them2 with no ability to organize the political ideas not yet organized1 and applied to life2 a man of routine2 not ruling for the nation1 but the ruler of a party and for a party1 his ambition only to serve the party2 an ordinary man1 surrounding himself with other ordinary men2 with ordinary habits1 ordinary aims1 ordinary means1 and aiming at the ordinary ends of an adventurer2 careless of his conscience and character1 but careful of his party-popularity and temporary reputation1--why the office becomes painful to think of2 and the officer1 his state is not kingly1 it is vulgar and mean1 and low6 ,so the lighthouse on the rocks of ,boston harbor1 is a pleasant thing to see and to imagine1 with its great lamp looking far out to sea1 and shining all night long1 a star of special providence2 seen afar off1 when stormy skies shut other stars from sight1 it assures the mariner of his whereabouts1 guides the whaler and the ,indiaman safe into port and peace1 bringing wealth to the merchant1 and a husband to the lingering wife1 almost a widow in the cheating sea's delay and her own heart-sickness from hope so long deferred4 ,but take away the great lamp1 leaving all else2 put in its place a little tallow candle of twenty to the pound1 whose thin glitter could not be seen a mile off1 spite of the burnished reflectors at its side1 and which requires constant picking and trimming to keep the flame alive1 and at its best estate flickers with every flutter of the summer wind1--what would the lighthouse be to look upon or to imagine8 ,what a candlestick for what a candle6 ,praise it as much as you will2 flatter it in the newspapers2 vote it adequate and the tallest beacon in the world2 call it the ,pharos of ,america2 it is all in vain2 at the best1 it can only attract moths and mosquitoes on a serene night2 and when the storm thunders on that sepulchral rock1 it is no light at all2 and the whaler may be split asunder1 and the ,indiaman go to the grave1 and the wealth of the merchant be scattered as playthings for the sea1 and the bones of the mariner may blanch the bottom of the deep1 for all the aid which that thin dazzle can furnish1 spite of its lofty tower and loftier praise6 ,to rule a bank1 a factory1 or a railroad1 when the officer is chosen for business and not charity1 to command a packet-ship or a steamboat1 you will get a man of real talent in his line of work2 one that has some history1 who has made his proof-shot1 and shown that he has some mettle in him4 ,but to such a pass has the business of ruling a nation arrived1 that1 of all the sovereigns of ,christian ,europe1 it is said not more than two1 ,nicholas of ,russia1 and ,oscar of ,sweden1 would have been distinguished if born in private stations4 ,the most practical and commercial nation in the world1 possessing at this moment a power more eminently great than that of the ,roman empire in its palmy time1 has for a ruler a quite ordinary woman1 who contributes neither ideas nor organizations1 and probably could not administer wisely the affairs of a single shire in the island4 ,in this respect1 the highest stations of political life seem to have become as barren as the ,dead ,sea4 ,in selecting our rulers in ,america1 it is long since we have had a man of large powers1 even of the sort which the majority of men appreciate in a contemporary4 ,i have sometimes thought men were selected who were thought not strong enough to hurt us much1 forgetting that a weak man may sometimes hurt us as much more than a strong one would4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after all this preliminary1 let me now say something of the late ,president ,taylor1 only further premising that ,i am here to tell the truth about him1 so far as ,i know it1 and nothing more or less4 ,i am not responsible for the facts of the case1 only for the correct statement thereof4 ,there have been men who were not disposed to do him justice2 there were men enough to flatter and overpraise him while alive1 and there will probably be enough of such now that he is dead4 ,much official panegyric has there been already1 and much more is in prospect4 ,i think ,i need not be called on for any contribution of that sort4 ,i wish to weigh him in an even balance1 neither praising nor blaming without cause4 ,to eulogize is one thing2 to deal justly1 another and quite different4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,zachary ,,taylor was born on the #bdth of ,november1 #aghd1 in ,orange county1 ,virginia4 ,his father1 ,richard ,taylor1 was a soldier during a part of the ,revolutionary ,war1 had a colonel's commission in #aggi1 and appears to have been a valuable officer and a worthy man4 ,in #aghe he removed to ,kentucky1 where he resided until his death4 ,he was a farmer1 a man of property and influence in ,kentucky1 then a new country4 ,he was one of the framers of the ,constitution of that ,state2 several times in the ,legislature1 and the first collector of the port of ,louisville1 then a port of entry4 ,zachary1 the third son1 followed the business of farming until he was more than twenty-three years of age4 ,during his childhood he received such an education as you can imagine in a new and wild country like ,kentucky sixty years ago4 ,however1 it is said his father took great pains with his education1 and he enjoyed the instruction of a schoolmaster from ,connecticut1 who is still living4 ,hence it is plain the best part of his education must have come1 not from the schoolmaster1 but from the farm1 the woods1 and the connection with his parents and their associates4 ,what a man learns at school1 even in ,boston1 is but a small part of his education4 ,in ,general ,taylor's case1 it is probable that things had much more to do with his culture than words4 ,men nursed on ,greek and ,latin would probably have called him an uneducated man2 with equal justice he might call many a scholar an uneducated man4 ,to speak and write with grammatical accuracy is by no means the best test of education4 ,fondness for a military life is natural in a man born and bred as he was1 living in a country where the vicinity of the ,indians made every man a ,quaker or a soldier4 ,about #ahjh1 volunteers were raised in the ,west to oppose the expected movements of ,aaron ,burr1 a traitor to his country1 a bold1 bad man1 who had been the candidate of the federalists for the ,presidency2 perhaps the worst man we had had in politics up to that time4 ,mr4 ,taylor joined one of the companies of volunteers4 ,in #ahjh he was appointed ,lieutenant in the army of the ,united ,states1 joined the forces1 was soon sent to ,new ,orleans1 was seized with the yellow fever1 and returned home4 ,in #ahaj he was married to ,miss ,margaret ,smith1 of ,maryland4 ,in #ahaa he was employed in expeditions against the ,indians in the ,northwest of the ,united ,states4 ,here he was under the command of ,general ,harrison4 ,in #ahab he was made ,captain1 and had the command of a block-house and stockade called ,fort ,harrison1 on the ,wabash river1 soon after the declaration of war against ,england4 ,this place was attacked by a strong body of ,indians4 ,captain ,taylor with less than fifty men1 defended it with vigor and success4 ,in consequence of his services on that occasion1 he was promoted to the rank of ,brevet ,major4 ,during the rest of the war1 he continued in service on the frontiers1 and seems to have done his duty faithfully as a soldier4 ,after the war was over1 in #ahae1 the army was diminished to a peace establishment1 and ,major ,taylor reduced to the rank of ,captain4 ,in consequence of this1 he withdrew from the army1 but1 after a few months1 returned1 and was then1 or subsequently1 restored to his former rank as ,major4 ,for several years he was employed in such various military services1 in the west and south-west1 as must be performed in a time of peace4 ,in #ahai he was made ,lieutenant-,colonel4 ,in #ahcb he became ,colonel1 and in that year1 with a command of four hundred men1 he served under ,general ,atkinson1 in the expedition against the ,sacs and other ,indians led by the celebrated ,black ,hawk4 ,afterwards he was intrusted with the command of ,fort ,crawford1 where he remained till #ahcf1 when he was ordered to ,florida1 to fight against the ,seminole ,indians4 ,it was here that he made use of the bloodhounds to hunt the poor savages from their hiding-places in the woods4 ,you know what ,mr4 ,pitt once said of the ,spanish use of this weapon in the sixteenth century1 but the animals imported from ,cuba1 where they had been trained to hunt runaway slaves1 were of no value when put upon the track of red men4 ,i do not know who originated the scheme of employing the bloodhounds4 ,it has often been ascribed to ,general ,taylor1 and with good reason1 ,i believe1 has it been denied that he was the author of that plan4 ,it was of no great honor to the nation1 let who would invent it2 and few men will be sorry that it did not turn out well4 ,it was thought ,colonel ,taylor displayed a good deal of skill1 in contending with the ,indians in ,florida1 and1 accordingly1 he was made ,brevet ,brigadier-,general1 in #ahch4 ,after finishing the conquest of the ,indians1 he left ,florida1 in #ahdj4 ,it is said that fighting against the ,indians is a good school for a soldier4 ,general ,taylor served long at this work1 and served faithfully4 ,in the ,florida war1 his conduct as ,general is said to have been noble4 ,in #ahdj1 he was made ,commander of that portion of the ,american army in the south-west of the ,united ,states1 and in #ahda1 removed his family from ,kentucky to ,baton ,rouge1 in ,louisiana1 which has since been his home4 ,in #ahde he was ordered to ,texas1 and had command of the ,army of ,occupation1 and subsequently of the ,army of ,invasion4 ,in the war against ,mexico1 it is thought by competent judges that he displayed a good deal of military skill4 ,he was beloved by his soldiers1 and seems to have won their confidence1 partly by success1 partly by military talent1 but also in part by his character1 which was frank1 honest1 just and unpretending4 ,i have heard of no instance in the whole war1 in which cruelty is chargeable upon him4 ,several anecdotes are related of his kindliness1 generosity1 and openness of heart4 ,no doubt they are true4 ,war is a bloody trade2 it makes one shudder to think of it in its terrible details2 but the soldier is not necessarily a malignant or a cruel man2 that bloody and profane command1 so well known1 uttered in the heat of conflict1 when the battle seemed to waver1 does not imply any peculiar cruelty or ill-will4 ,it is only one of the accidents of war1 which shows more clearly what its substance is4 ,i am no judge of warlike operations and of military skill1 and therefore shall not pretend to pass judgment on matters which ,i know ,i do not understand2 ,i shall not inquire as to the military value of the laurels he won at ,resaca de la ,palma1 at ,monterey1 and at ,buena ,vista4 ,but1 in our judgment1 we ought to remember one circumstance3 that is1 the inferiority of the ,mexicans4 ,they were beaten1 ,i think1 in every considerable battle throughout the whole war2 no matter who commanded4 ,general ,scott landed at ,vera ,cruz1 captured the city1 and the far-famed ,castle of ,st4 ,juan d',ulloa1 garrisoned by four thousand three hundred and ninety soldiers1 and the ,american loss amounted to thirteen men killed1 and sixty-three hurt6 ,general ,scott took possession of the great port of the nation1 with less than twenty thousand soldiers1 with only about fifteen thousand troops2 marched nearly two hundred miles into the interior1 fighting his way1 and garrisoning the road behind him1 sometimes even subsisting his army in the country which he conquered as he went on2 and finally took the capital1 a city with nearly two hundred thousand inhabitants1 with less than six thousand soldiers4 ,suppose an army of that size were to land at ,newburyport1 with the intention of marching to ,worcester1 not two hundred miles1 but only fifty or sixty1 how many do you think would ever reach the spot8 ,why1 suppose the ,american men did nothing1 there are women enough in ,massachusetts to throw every soldier into the ,merrimac6 ,i do not believe that this inferiority of the ,mexican arises so much from the superior bravery of the ,americans2 almost any male animal will fight on small provocation2 your ,mexican male1 as well as your ,american1 on as small provocation1 and as desperately4 ,but the ,american soldier was always well armed1 furnished with every thing that modern science makes terrible in war2 well clad1 well fed1 well paid1 he went voluntarily to the work4 ,the ,mexicans were ill armed1 ill clad1 ill fed1 often not paid at all1 and sometimes brought to fight against their will4 ,the difference does not end here3 the main reliance of the ,mexican government1 the regular soldiers1 the ,presidiales1 were men who seemed to have most of the vices of old garrison soldiers1 with most of the faults of new recruits2 or1 as another has said1 himself a soldier in the war1 ,all the vices engendered in a garrison life2 all the cowardice which their constant defeats by the ,indians had created2 all the laziness contracted in an idle monotonous existence1 and very little military skill4 ,the new levies came unwillingly1 and were often only food for powder4 ,on the ,american side was a small body of veteran soldiers1 low and coarse men--it is the policy of ,america to have the rank and file of our army in peace composed usually of such--but full of brute courage2 accustomed to all sorts of hardships and exposure2 under a discipline rigorous and almost perfect2 wonted to danger1 and weaned from fear2 careless of life almost to desperation2 full of confidence in their commander1 and of contempt for their foe4 ,the volunteers brought with them the characteristic ardor of ,americans1 their confidence of success1 their contempt of toil and of danger2 familiar with fire-arms from their youth1 they soon learned the discipline of the camp4 ,you see what a difference this makes between the two armies2 but the chief superiority of the ,american soldiers was this--they came from a country where there is a complete national unity of action4 ,so the government could trust the army1 and the army the government2 the soldiers had confidence in their commander1 confidence in their country1 confidence in their cause2 while the ,mexicans had no national unity of action1 the people little confidence in the government1 the government as little in the people2 the nation but little trust in the army1 and the army little in the nation2 the soldiers had great fear of the enemy1 little faith in their officers1 and the officers little in their men4 ,did you ever see a swarm of bees when the queen bee was dead1 and moths had invaded the hive8 ,the ,mexicans were much in the same state4 ,the result was what had readily been foreseen3 at the battle of ,buena ,vista1 on the one side1 there were twenty-one thousand five hundred and fifty-three ,mexicans2 on the other1 four thousand seven hundred and fifty-nine ,american soldiers1 of which only four hundred and seventy-six were regulars4 ,yet the ,american loss1 in killed1 wounded and missing1 was but seven hundred and forty-six1 while that of the ,mexican army was nearly two thousand men lost4 ,if the ,mexicans had done the same proportionate execution1 every ,american would have been killed long before night4 ,all these things ought to be taken into account1 in making up our mind about the difficulty of the enterprise4 ,still1 after this allowance is made1 it must be confessed the ,american invasion of ,mexico was a remarkable undertaking1 distinguished for its boldness1 not to say its rashness1 and almost unparalleled in the history of modern wars4 ,it certainly did require great coolness1 courage1 and prudence1 on the part of ,general ,taylor1 to conduct his part of the expedition4 ,he had those qualities1 but it has not yet been proved or shown to be probable1 that he had the nobler qualities which make a great ,general4 ,the kind of warfare he was engaged in1 does not bring to light the high qualities of a man like ,gustavus ,adolphus1 ,frederick the ,great1 or ,napoleon4 ,perhaps ,general ,taylor had them1 but they did not appear4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,mexican war was unfortunate for the administration which carried it on1 for the political party which caused the war4 ,the success of ,general ,taylor attracted the attention of the people1 and the obscure soldier took popular rank before the ,president of the ,united ,states4 ,unconsciously the vicarious suitor1 courting public favor for his master1 won good graces for himself4 ,the political party which began the war1 was eclipsed by the triumph of its own soldier2 and the slave-power which projected the war seems likely to be ruined by the success of the enterprise4 ,it has been said1 that he was averse to the ,mexican war which he fought in2 ,i know not whether this be true or false4 ,but if true1 it deserves to be remembered in his defence1 that the soldier is only an active tool1 as much the instrument of his employer as the spade of the workman whose foot crowds it into the ground4 ,the soldier1 high or low1 must obey the men who have the official right to command him1 his free-will merging in that of his superior4 ,if ,general ,taylor had thought the ,mexican war unjust and wicked1 and in consequence had resigned his commission1 he would have been covered with obloquy and contempt in the eyes of military men1 and the officials of government4 ,most of the newspapers of the land would have attacked him1 called him a coward1 a traitor and a fanatic2 their condemnation would have been worth as much as their praise is now4 ,in estimating his character we ought to remember this fact1 for few men do more than their office demands of them1 or more than public opinion can approve4 ,such was the success of ,general ,taylor in war1 at the head of a few thousand men1 that public attention was turned towards him1 and in a few months the obscure frontier soldier was the most prominent man in the nation4 ,in #ahdh he received the nomination of the ,whig ,convention at ,philadelphia1 for ,president1 and in due time was elected4 ,his election was certainly one of the most remarkable that ever took place in ,america4 ,it is worth while to look at it for a moment4 ,there was nothing very remarkable in the man to entitle him to that eminent distinction2 if there were1 the nation was very slow in finding it out4 ,he was a farmer till about twenty-four years old2 then a common ,lieutenant four years more4 ,in the next twenty years he got no higher than to the rank of a ,frontier ,colonel2 he attained that dignity in fact1 at the age of forty-eight4 ,he was not made ,general till the fifty-fifth year of his age4 ,but for the ,mexican war1 ,i suppose he would1 at this day1 be as obscure as any other ,general in the ,united ,states' army2 nobody would think he was the ,second ,washington1 first in war1 first in peace1 and first in the hearts of his countrymen1 as his creatures have declared4 ,other military men have been chosen to the presidency4 ,but ,washington was much more than a soldier2 in a time that tried men's souls to the utmost1 he had carried the nation through eight years of most perilous warfare1 more by his character than any eminent military skill1 and so had become endeared to the hearts of the people as no ,american had ever been before4 ,general ,jackson1 at first educated as a lawyer1 was a man of large talents1 distinguished as a ,governor1 as a ,senator1 and as a ,judge of the ,supreme ,court of ,tennessee1 before he was elected ,president1 or nominated for that office4 ,general ,harrison1 a man of small abilities1 surely not more than a third-rate politician in ,ohio1 was yet familiar with the routine of political affairs4 ,he had been a member of the ,legislature of ,ohio1 of both branches of the ,congress of the ,united ,states1 and ,minister to ,colombia4 ,general ,taylor1 with an education very imperfect1 had passed his life1 from twenty-four to sixty-four1 on the frontiers and in the army2 had never held any civil office2 had seldom voted1 and though an excellent officer in the sphere of duty he had occupied1 did not appear to be the most promising man in the nation to select for its highest and most difficult office4 ,the defence of a log-house in #ahab against a troop of ,indians1 the conquest of ,black ,hawk1 the rout of the ,seminoles1 the gaining of half-a-dozen battles in ,mexico1 at the head of a few thousand soldiers1 does not seem exactly an adequate schooling to prepare a common man to lead and rule twenty million ,americans with the most complicated government in the world4 ,it certainly was surprising1 that he should be nominated for that office2 and more so1 that the nomination should be confirmed by the people4 ,it is not surprising1 that the distinguished ,senator of ,massachusetts should call this ,a nomination not fit to be made2 the wonder is1 he deemed it fit to be confirmed4 ,in selecting him for our chief1 the nation went hap-hazard1 and made a leap in the dark4 ,no prudent man in ,boston would hire a cook or a coachman with such inadequate recommendations as ,general ,taylor had to prove his fitness for his place4 ,had a sensible man on election day asked the nation1 ,what do you know about the man you vote for8 the people would have been sadly puzzled to seek for an answer4 ,the reasons which led to his selection were partly special1 and partly of a general and popular character4 ,it is instructive for us to look at them1 now that we can do it coolly4 ,i suppose this was the special cause of his nomination3 ,the leaders of the whig party thought they could not elect either of their most prominent men4 ,if they went before the people with nothing but their idea1--,the protection of property by a tariff1 and a ,representative of that idea1 however able and well trained1 they feared defeat2 such as they had met with in the last campaign1 when the democratic party1 with a man almost unknown to the people1 a tricky lawyer from ,tennessee1 had yet carried the day against one of the oldest and ablest politicians in the country4 ,so the whig leaders availed themselves of the temporary popularity of a successful ,general to give an accidental triumph to their party1 and apparently to their idea4 ,that ,i think was the specific reason which led the politicians to nominate him4 ,doubtless there were other private reasons1 weighty to certain individuals1 that need not be touched upon4 ,but the general reasons1 which gave him weight with the mass of the people and secured his election1 ought to be stated for our serious reflection4 #a4 ,there was no one of the great leaders of either party whom the people had much confidence in4 ,i am sorry to say so1 but ,i do not think there is much in any of them to command the respect of a nation1 and make us swear fealty to those men4 ,there were two candidates of the whig party2 from one of them you might expect a compromise2 from the other you were not certain even of that4 ,the democratic candidate had not a name to conjure with4 ,the free soil candidate--was he a man to trust in such times as these8 ,did you see your king and chief in any one of those four men8 ,was any one of them fit to be the political schoolmaster of this nation8 ,what ground and lofty tumbling have we had from all four of them8 #b4 ,general ,taylor was not mixed up with the grand or petty intrigues of the parties1 their quarrels and struggles for office4 ,men knew little about him2 if little good1 certainly little not good2 little evil in comparison with any of the others4 ,sometimes you take a man whom you do not know1 in preference to an old acquaintance whom you have known too long and too well to trust4 #c4 ,then ,general ,taylor had shown himself a rough1 honest1 plain1 straight-forward man1 and withal mild and good-natured4 ,apparently1 there was much in him to attract and deserve the good-will of the nation4 ,his likeness went abroad through the country like a proclamation2 it was the rude1 manly1 firm1 honest1 good-natured1 homely face of a backwoodsman4 ,his plain habits1 plain talk1 and modest demeanor reminded men of the old ,english ballad of ,the ,king and the ,miller and the like1 and won the affections of honest men4 ,i doubt not the fact that ,general ,harrison had once lived in a log cabin1 and1 other things failing1 did drink hard cider1 gave him thousands of votes4 ,the candidate was called ,old ,rough and ,ready1 and there was not a clown in field or city but could understand all that was meant by those terms4 ,even his celebrated horse contributed to his master's election1 and drew votes for the ,president by the thousand4 #d4 ,then he was a successful soldier4 ,the dullest man in the ,alleghany mountains1 or in the low lanes of ,new ,york and ,boston1 or the silliest behind the counters of a city shop1 can understand fighting1 and remember who won a battle4 ,it is wholly needless for such to inquire what the battle was fought for4 ,hence military success is always popular with the multitude1 and will be1 ,i suppose1 for some ages in ,america as everywhere else4 ,our churches know no ,god but the ,lord of hosts1 ,a man of war6 #e4 ,then he was a southern man1 and all our masters must be from the ,south1 or of it1 devoted to its peculiar institution4 ,if he had been born in ,barnstable county1 and owned a little patch of yellow sand at ,cape ,cod1 and had the freeman's hatred of slavery1 even ,churubusco and ,buena ,vista would not have given him the votes of the ,convention1 and his war-horse might have lived till this day1 he would not have carried his master to the presidency4 ,he was a slaveholder1 as seven ,presidents had been before him1 holding office for eight-and-forty years4 ,there are some men at the ,north1 chiefly in the country towns1 who think it is not altogether right for a man to steal his brother2 such men were to be propitiated4 ,so it was diligently rumored abroad in the ,north1 that the candidate was opposed to slavery1 that he would probably emancipate his slaves as soon as he was elected4 ,i am told that some persons who heard such a story1 actually believed it2 ,i think nobody who told it believed any such thing4 ,the fact that he was a slaveholder1 that he had lately purchased one hundred and fourteen men1 women1 and children1 and kept them at hard work for his advantage1 showed the value of such a story2 and the opposite statement1 publicly and industriously circulated at the ,south1 that he loved slavery1 desired its extension1 and hated the ,wilmot ,proviso1 shows the honesty of some of the men at the ,north1 who1 knowing these facts1 sought to keep them secret4 ,these seem to have been the chief reasons which procured his nomination and election4 ,it is easy to see that such a man1 though as honest as ,washington1 must be eminently unfit for the high office of ,president of the ,united ,states4 ,he knew little or nothing of the political history of the country1 or of the political questions then up for solution2 little or nothing of the political men4 ,he had the honesty to confess it4 ,he declared that he was not fit for the office1 not acquainted with the political measures of the day1 and only consented to be brought from his obscurity1 when great men told him he was the only man that could save the ,union4 ,he was no statesman1 and knew nothing of politics1 less than the majority of the more cultivated mechanics1 merchants and farmers4 ,he was a soldier1 and knew something of fighting1 at least of fighting ,indians and ,mexicans4 ,if you should take a man of the common abilities1 intellectual and moral1 the common education1 a farmer from ,northfield1 a skipper from ,provincetown1 a jobber from ,boston1 a bucket-maker from ,hingham1 and appoint him ,chief ,justice of the ,supreme ,court of ,massachusetts1 with the duty of selecting all his associate ,judges1 ,i think he would be about as competent for the office as ,general ,taylor for the post he was elected to4 ,in such a case as ,i have supposed1 the new ,judge must depend on other men1 who will tell him what to do2 his only safety would be in relying on their advice4 ,then they would be the ,chief ,justice1 not he4 ,under such circumstances1 the leaders of one party nominated him4 ,i must confess such an act1 committed by such men1 seems exceedingly rash4 ,it was done by the very men who ought1 above all others1 to have known better4 ,this is one of the many things we have had1 which show thinking men how little we can rely on our political chiefs4 ,the nomination once made1 the election followed4 ,the wise men told the multitude3 ,you must vote for him1 and the multitude voted4 ,you know how angry men were if you did not believe in his fitness for the office2 how it became a test of patriotism to believe in him4 ,now the good man is cold in death1 how base all that seems6 ,when such a man under such circumstances comes into such an office1 you do not know whether the deeds which receive his official sanction1 the papers published under his name1 the speeches he delivers1 and the messages he sends1 are his or not his4 ,it is probable that he has little to do with them2 they are his officially1 not personally2 he writes ,state papers by their signature4 ,some of his speeches were undoubtedly made for him4 ,you know it once happened that a speech1 alleged to have been made by him at a public meeting1 was sent on by telegraph1 and published by the party organ1 in one of our great cities1 and he was taken sick before the meeting was held1 and could not speak at all4 ,that speech betrayed the trick of the administration3 it was a speech he had never heard of4 ,from this one act judge of many more4 ,in his arduous office1 he must choose advisers1 but he wants advisers to advise him to choose advisers4 ,much will depend on his first step2 that must needs be in the dark4 ,since this is so1 ,i shall pass over his brief administration with very few words4 ,i do not know how much it was the administration of ,general ,taylor1 or how far it was that of his ,cabinet4 ,i do not know who made the ,cabinet4 ,the messages1 in his official term1 were as good as usual2 but who made the messages8 ,one thing is clear3 he promised to be the ,president of the country1 not of a party2 to remove no man from office except for reasons not political4 ,neither promise was kept4 ,it was plain that other elements interfered and counteracted the honest intentions of that honest man4 ,general ,jackson rewarded his friends and punished his enemies1 men who voted against him4 ,mr4 ,jefferson had done the same4 ,but ,i doubt if the administration of either of these men was so completely a party administration as that of ,general ,taylor4 ,men were continually removed from office purely for political reasons4 ,the general character of his appointments to office1 you can judge of better than ,i4 ,it seems to me the removal of subordinate officers from their station on account of their vote is one great evil in the management of our institutions4 ,of what consequence is it whether the postmaster at ,eastham or ,west-,newton1 the keeper of the lighthouse at ,cape ,anne1 or the ,clay ,pounds of ,truro1 or the district attorney in ,boston1 or the tide-waiters at ,nantucket are good whigs1 or not good whigs8 99 99 99 99 99 ,what shall ,i say of the character of the man who has left this high office2 of him on the whole8 ,some men can be as eloquent on a ribbon as on a ,raphael4 ,they find no difficulty in calling ,general ,taylor ,the second ,washington4 ,i like the first ,washington too much to call any one by that name lightly4 ,general ,harrison was the ,second ,washington ten years ago4 ,general ,jackson ten years before that4 ,i think there is another ,second ,washington getting ready1 and before the century ends we shall perhaps have five or six of this family4 ,but the world does not breed great men every day4 ,i must confess it1 ,i have not seen any thing very great in ,general ,taylor1 though ,i have diligently put my eye to the magnifying glasses of his political partisans2 neither have ,i seen any thing uncommonly mean and little in him1 though ,i have also looked through the minifying glasses of his foes4 ,to be a frontier soldier for forty years1 to attain the rank of ,colonel at the age of forty-eight1 after twenty-four years of service1 to become a ,brigadier-,general at fifty-four1 is no great thing4 ,to defend a log-house1 to capture ,black ,hawk1 to use bloodhounds in war1 and to extirpate the ,seminole ,indians from the everglades of ,florida1 to conquer the ,mexicans at ,churubusco and ,monterey1 does not require very high qualities of mind and heart4 ,but in all the offices he ever held1 he appears to have done his official duty openly and honestly4 ,he was a good officer1 a plain1 blunt1 frank1 open1 modest man4 ,no doubt he was rough and ready2 his courage was never questioned4 ,his integrity is above suspicion4 ,all this is well known4 ,but is all this enough to make a great man in the middle of this century2 a great man in ,america1 and for such an office8 ,judge for yourselves4 ,i sincerely believe that he was more of a man than his political supporters thought him2 that he had more natural sagacity1 more common sense1 more firmness of purpose1 and very much more honesty than they expected or desired4 ,rumors reach me that he was not found quite so manageable as his friends and admirers had hoped2 that he had some conscience and a will of his own4 ,it seems to me that he honestly intended to be an honest and impartial ruler1 the ,president of his country2 that he took ,washington for his general model2 that he never sought the office1 and at first did not desire it1 but when he came to it endeavored to deserve well of his country and do well by mankind4 ,but with the best intentions1 what could such a man do1 especially with such foes1 and more especially with such friends4 ,it is said he was a religious man3 sometimes that means that a man loves ,god and loves men2 sometimes that he is superstitious1 formal1 hypocritical1 that he does not love men1 and is afraid of ,god1 or of a devil4 ,i do not know in which sense the word is used in reference to him4 ,but it appears to me that he was a man of veracity1 honest1 upright1 and downright too2 a good father1 a good husband1 a good friend1 faithful to his idea of duty2 very plain1 very unpretending1 mild and yet firm1 good-natured1 free and easy4 ,there were many that loved him2 a rare circumstance among politicians4 ,he was a temperate man1 also1 remarkably temperate1 and such temperance as his is not a very common virtue in high political and social stations in ,america1 as we all know too well4 ,these are all the good qualities ,i can make out his title to4 ,i suppose there are some ten thousand men in ,massachusetts that are his equals in all these qualities1 as honest1 as able1 and as patriotic as he4 ,it is hardly worth while to worship those qualities in a ,president which are not rare in farmers1 and traders1 and butchers and mechanics4 ,there are two things which seem to me decidedly wrong in his public career4 ,his partisans at the ,north claimed that he was hostile to slavery4 ,i never could find any reason for that opinion3 at the ,south his friends insisted that he was the decided friend of slavery4 ,when his opinion was asked on this matter1 he remained steadily and pertinaciously silent4 ,to me this does not seem honest or manly4 ,then he was a slaveholder1 not by compulsion1 as some pretend they hold men in bondage1 not by inheritance4 ,he was a slaveholder from choice1 and only three years ago bought one hundred and fourteen human beings and kept them as his slaves4 ,this fact must be considered in estimating the character and value of the man4 ,i know that ,money is the popular god of ,america2 that slaveholding is one of the canonical forms of worshipping that god1 sanctioned by the ,constitution and the laws and the legislature of the land1 by its literature and by its churches4 ,i know men in ,boston1 who would have no more scruple in buying and selling a black man as a slave1 or a white man if they could catch and keep him1 than they would have of buying a cow at ,brighton4 ,there are men in ,massachusetts that have grown rich by the slave-trade4 ,it does not hurt their reputation2 it is no impeachment of their religious character4 ,now ,i do not expect a frontier colonel1 busy in fighting ,indians half his life1 dogging them with ,cuban bloodhounds1 to be more enlightened on such a matter than merchants1 manufacturers1 lawyers1 ministers and professors of theology in ,new ,england4 ,it may be that he had the same opinion as ,professor ,stuart1 that slavery was allowed in the ,new ,testament and sanctioned in the ,old ,testament2 such a good thing that ,paul and ,james said never a word against it4 ,we should not judge such a man as you would judge a ,unitarian ,minister in ,boston or ,doctors of ,divinity at ,andover4 ,born as he was1 bred as he had been1 living in a camp1 sustained by the public opinion of the ,press1 the ,state and the ,church1 it would not be surprising if it had never occurred to him that it was wrong to steal men4 ,but the fact is to be taken into the account in determining the elevation of his character4 ,it is now plain that he found the office of ,president a heavy burden2 that it cost him his life4 ,it seems to me the conduct of some of our public men towards him was ungenerous1 not to say unjust and shameful4 ,an honest man1 he looked for honest foes and honest friends2 but his hardest battles were fought after he had ceased to be a soldier4 ,well1 he has gone to his rest and his recompense4 ,to his family the affliction is sudden1 painful and terrible4 ,what vicissitudes in their life--from the obscurity of their former home to the glaring publicity of that high station2 then in so brief a time the honored and well-beloved head is silent and cold forever6 ,the nation may well drop its tears of sympathy for those whom its election has robbed of a father and a husband2 the ghastly honors of the office are poor recompense for the desolation it has brought into a quiet and once happy home4 ,he has gone to his reward4 ,he leaves the government in the hands of an obscure man1 whom the nation knows very little of1 whom no one would ever have thought of making ,president2 a man selected certainly for no eminence of faculty1 intellectual or moral4 ,there is some cause to fear1 perhaps some little for hope4#aj ,two very important questions are now before the nation3 ,shall we extend over the territory conquered from ,mexico the awful blight which now mildews the material welfare of the ,south1 and curses with a threefold ban the intellect1 the conscience and the religion of the land8 ,shall ,congress pass that infamous fugitive slave measure1 known as ,mr4 ,mason's bill1 with ,mr4 ,webster's indorsement on it8 ,i know not how his death will affect these things4 ,who knows the intentions of the late ,president8 or those of his successor8 ,he has power to bless1 he may use it only to curse the land4 ,let us wait and see4 ,the fact that the ,great ,compromiser now represents the ,administration in the ,senate1 the rumor of the appointment of the ,senator of ,boston to the highest place in the ,cabinet1 are things of ill omen for freedom1 and bid us fear the worst4 ,however1 it may be that this event will affect the politicians more than the people4 ,last ,tuesday night ,general ,taylor ceased to be mortal4 ,his soul went home to ,god4 ,he that fought against the ,mexican and the ,indian has gone to meet the ,god of the red man as well as the white4 ,he who claimed to own the body and the soul of more than a hundred of his fellow creatures1 enriched by the unrequited toil1 which they unwillingly gave him when stung by the lash of his hireling overseers1 has gone home to the ,father of negro slaves1 who is no respecter of persons2 gone where the servant is free from his master4 ,black and white1 conqueror and vanquished1 the bond and the free1 alike come up before the ,infinite ,father1 whose perfect justice is perfect love2 and there the question is1 ,what hast thou done with the talent committed unto thee8 ,the same question is asked of the ,president2 the same of the slave2 yea1 it will one day be asked of you and me6 ,an old man1 wearied with the storms of ,state1 now only asks a little earth for charity4 ,costly heathen pageants there will be in these streets to his memory1 and politicians will1 ,i suppose1 hold their drunken and profane debauch over his grave1 as over the tomb of that far-famed friend of freedom who died two years ago4 ,but he has ceased to be mortal4 ,the memory of his battle-fields faded from before his dying sight4 ,power rests no longer in his hands2 victory perches on another banner4 ,his ear is still1 and his heart is cold4 ,how hollow sounds the voice of former flattery6 ,his riches go to other men2 his slaves will be called by his name no more2 the scourge that goads them to unpaid toil is now owned by another man4 ,his fame goes back to such as gave2 the accident of an accident succeeds him in the presidential chair2 only the man1 not the officer1 goes home to ,god1 with what of goodness and piety he had won4 ,his manhood is all that he can carry out of the world2 elected or rejected1 a conqueror or conquered1 it is now the same to him2 and it may be the humblest female slave who only earned the bread which her master only ate1 and got an enforced concubinage for pay1 takes rank in heaven far before the man whom the nation honored with its highest trust1 and for whom the official ,senate and low-browed ,church send out their hollow groans4 ,the glories of our birth and ,state ,are shadows1 not substantial things4 ,there is no armor against fate3 ,death lays his icy hand on kings4 ,sceptre and crown ,must tumble down1 ,and in the dust be equal made1 ,with the poor crooked scythe and spade4 ,some men with swords may reap the field1 ,and plant fresh laurels where they kill2 ,but their strong arms at last must yield1 ,they tame but one another still4 ,early or late ,they stoop to fate1 ,and must give up their murmuring breath1 ,when they1 pale captives1 creep to death4 ,the garlands wither on his brow3 ,then boast no more his mighty deeds1 ,upon death's purple altar now1 ,see where the victor victim bleeds4 ,all heads must come ,to the cold tomb1 ,only the actions of the just ,smell sweet and blossom in the dust4 ,if he could speak to us from his present position1 methinks he would say3 ,countrymen and friends6 ,you see how little it availed you to agitate the land and put a little man in a great place4 ,it is not the hurrah of parties that will save the ,union1 it is not great men4 ,it is only ,justice4 ,remember that ,atheism is not the first principle of a ,republic2 remember there is a law of ,god1 the higher law of the universe1 the ,everlasting ,right2 ,i thought so once1 and now ,i know it4 ,remember that you are accountable to ,god for all things2 that you owe justice to all men1 the black not less than the white2 that ,god will demand it of you1 proud1 wicked nation1 careful only of your gold1 forgetful of ,god's high law6 ,before long each of you shall also come up before the ,eternal4 ,then and there it will not avail you to have compromised truth1 justice1 love1 but to have kept them4 ,righteousness only is the salvation of a ,state2 that only of a man4 ,,footnotes3 #aj ,the above was written in ,july1 #ahea4 ,since then the ground of hope has wholly vanished2 the ground for fear remains alone4 ,the following statement may suggest a thought the other side of the ocean1 if no shame on this side among politicians and their priests3 ,elisha ,brazealle1 a planter of ,jefferson county in the ,state of ,mississippi1 was taken sick1 and as he lay oppressed with a loathsome disease1 a slave of his1 a bright mulatto or quadroon1 nursed him1 and1 as was believed1 through her nursing1 saved him from death4 ,he was a man of feeling and did not forget her kindness1 but took her to ,ohio and there educated her4 ,she made rapid progress1 and soon became his wife4 ,he made or caused to be made a legal and sound deed of emancipation1 and had it legally and formally recorded in ,ohio and ,mississippi4 ,lawyers1 in both ,states1 said she was free1 safe1 and that no power in the ,south1 or elsewhere1 could legally deprive her or her children of freedom4 ,mr4 ,brazealle returned to ,mississippi with his wife2 they had a son1 and named him ,john ,munroe ,brazealle4 ,after some years ,mr4 ,brazealle sickened and died1 leaving a will in which he recited the deed of emancipation1 declared his intention to ratify it1 and devised all his property to his son1 acknowledging him in the will to be such4 ,some poor and distant relations of his in ,north ,carolina1 whom he did not know1 and for whom he did not care1 hearing of his death1 went on to ,mississippi and claimed the property devised by ,mr4 ,brazealle to his son4 ,they instituted a suit for the recovery of the property4 ,the case came before ,william ,l4 ,sharkey1 ,chief ,justice of the ,high ,court of ,errors and ,appeals for that ,state4 ,it is reported in ,howard's ,mississippi ,reports1 ,vol4 ,,ii4 p4 #hcg1 et seq4 ,judge ,sharkey declared the act of emancipation ,an offence against morality1 pernicious and detestable as an example1 set aside the will1 gave to those distant relations the property which ,mr4 ,brazealle had devised to his son1 and in addition declared that son and his mother to be slaves4 ,here is his own language3-- ,the state of the case shows conclusively that the contract had its origin in an offence against morality1 pernicious and detestable as an example4444 ,the consequence of the decision is1 that the negroes ,john ,munroe and his mother1 are still slaves1 and a part of the estate of ,elisha ,brazealle4 ,john ,munroe being a slave cannot take the property as devised2 and ,i apprehend it is equally clear that it cannot be held in trust for him4 ,while these volumes are in the press1 ,i learn that ,mr4 ,fillmore has appointed ,judge ,sharkey to the honorable and lucrative post of ,consul to ,havana4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,function ,,and ,,place ,,of ,,conscience1 ,,in ,,relation ,,to ,,the ,,laws ,,of ,,men3 ,a ,,sermon ,,for ,,the ,,times4--,,preached ,,at ,,the ,,melodeon1 ,,on ,,sunday1 ,,september #bb1 #ahej4 ,,acts #bd3 #af4 ,herein do ,i exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence toward ,god and toward men4 ,there are some things which are true1 independent of all human opinions4 ,such things we call facts4 ,thus it is true that one and one are equal to two1 that the earth moves round the sun1 that all men have certain natural unalienable rights1 rights which a man can alienate only for himself1 and not for another4 ,no man made these things true2 no man can make them false4 ,if all the men in ,jerusalem and ever so many more1 if all the men in the world1 were to pass a unanimous vote that one and one were not equal to two1 that the earth did not move round the sun1 that all men had not natural and unalienable rights1 the opinion would not alter the fact1 nor make truth false and falsehood true4 ,so there are likewise some things which are right1 independent of all human opinions4 ,thus it is right to love a man and not to hate him1 to do him justice and not injustice1 to allow him the natural rights which he has not alienated4 ,no man made these things right2 no man can make them wrong4 ,if all the men in ,jerusalem and ever so many more1 if all the men in the world1 were to pass a unanimous vote that it was right to hate a man and not love him1 right to do him injustice and not justice1 right to deprive him of his natural rights not alienated by himself1 the opinion would not alter the fact1 nor make right wrong and wrong right4 ,there are certain constant and general facts which occur in the material world1 the world of external perception1 which represent what are called the laws of matter1 in virtue of which things take place so and not otherwise4 ,these laws are the same everywhere and always2 they never change4 ,they are not made by men1 but only discovered by men1 are inherent in the constitution of matter1 and seem designed to secure the welfare of the material world4 ,these natural laws of matter1 inherent in its constitution1 are never violated1 nor can be1 for material nature is passive1 or at least contains no element or will that is adverse to the will of ,god1 the ultimate ,cause of these laws as of matter itself4 ,the observance of these laws is a constant fact of the universe2 the most ancient heavens thereby are fresh and strong4 ,these laws represent the infinity of ,god in the world of matter1 ,his infinite power1 wisdom1 justice1 love and holiness4 ,so there are likewise certain constant and general facts which occur in what may be called the spiritual world1 the world of internal consciousness4 ,they represent the laws of spirit--that is of the human spirit--in virtue of which things are designed to take place so and not otherwise4 ,these laws are the same everywhere and always2 they never change4 ,they are not made by men1 but only discovered by men4 ,they are inherent in the constitution of man1 and as you cannot conceive of a particle of matter without extension1 impenetrability1 figure and so on1 no more can you conceive of man without these laws inhering in him4 ,they seem designed to secure the welfare of the spiritual world4 ,they represent the infinity of ,god in the world of man1 ,his infinite power1 wisdom1 justice1 love and holiness4 ,but while matter is stationary1 bound by necessity1 and man is progressive and partially free1 to the extent of a certain tether1 so it is plain that there may be a will in the world of man adverse to the will of ,god1 and thus the laws of man's spirit may be violated to a certain extent4 ,the laws of matter depend for their execution only on the infinite will of ,god1 and so cannot be violated4 ,the laws of man depend for their execution also on the finite will of man1 and so may be broken4#aa ,let us select a portion of these laws of the human spirit2 such as relate to a man's conduct in dealing with his fellow men1 a portion of what are commonly called moral laws1 and examine them4 ,they partake of the general characteristics mentioned above2 they are universal and unchangeable1 are only discovered and not made by man1 are inherent in man1 designed to secure his welfare1 and represent the infinity of ,god4 ,these laws are absolutely right2 to obey them is to be and do absolutely right4 ,so being and doing1 a man answers the moral purpose of his existence1 and attains moral manhood4 ,if ,i and all men keep all the laws of man's spirit1 ,i have peace in my own heart1 peace with my brother1 peace with my ,god2 ,i have my delight in myself1 in my brother1 in my ,god1 they theirs and ,god ,his in me4 ,what is absolutely right is commonly called justice4 ,it is the point in morals common to me and all mankind1 common to me and ,god1 to mankind and ,god2 the point where all duties unite--to myself1 my brethren1 and my ,god2 the point where all interests meet and balance--my interests1 those of mankind1 and the interests of ,god4 ,when justice is done1 all is harmony and peaceful progress in the world of man2 but when justice is not done1 the reverse follows1 discord and confusion2 for injustice is not the point where all duties and all interests meet and balance1 not the point of morals common to mankind and me1 or to us and ,god4 ,we may observe and study the constant facts of the material world1 thus learn the laws they represent1 and so get at a theory of the world which is founded on the facts thereof4 ,such a theory is true2 it represents the thought of ,god1 the infinity of ,god4 ,then for every point of theory we have a point of fact4 ,instead of pursuing this course we may neglect these constant facts1 with the laws they represent1 and forge a theory which shall not rest on these facts4 ,such a theory will be false and will represent the imperfection of men1 and not the facts of the universe and the infinity of ,god4 ,in like manner we may study the constant facts of the spiritual world1 and1 in special1 of man's moral nature1 and thereby obtain a rule to regulate our conduct4 ,if this rule is founded on the constant facts of man's moral nature1 then it will be absolutely right1 and represent ,justice1 the thought of ,god1 the infinity of ,god1 and for every point of moral theory we shall have a moral fact4 ,instead of pursuing that course1 we may forge a rule for our conduct1 and so get a theory which shall not rest on those facts4 ,such a rule will be wrong1 representing only the imperfection of men4 ,in striving to learn the laws of the universe1 the wisest men often go astray1 propound theories which do not rest upon facts1 and lay down human rules for the conduct of the universe1 which do not agree with its nature4 ,but the universe is not responsible for that2 material nature takes no notice thereof4 ,the opinion of an astronomer1 of the ,american academy1 does not alter a law of the material universe1 or a fact therein4 ,the philosophers once thought that the sun went round the earth1 and framed laws on that assumption2 but that did not make it a fact2 the sun did not go out of his way to verify the theory1 but kept to the law of ,god1 and swung the earth round him once a year1 say the philosophers what they might say1 leaving them to learn the fact and thereby correct their theory4 ,in the same way1 before men attain a knowledge of the absolute right1 they often make theories which do not rest upon the facts of man's moral nature1 and enact human rules for the conduct of men which do not agree with the moral nature of man4 ,these are rules which men make and do not find made4 ,they are not a part of man's moral nature1 writ therein1 and so obligatory thereon1 no more than the false rules for the conduct of matter are writ therein1 and so obligatory thereon4 ,you and ,i are no more morally bound to keep such rules of conduct1 because ,king ,pharaoh or ,king ,people say we shall1 than the sun is materially bound to go round the earth every day1 because ,hipparchus and ,ptolemy say it does4 ,the opinion or command of a king1 or a people1 can no more change a fact and alter a law of man's nature1 than the opinion of a philosopher can do this in material nature4 ,we learn the laws of matter slowly1 by observation1 experiment1 and induction1 and only get an outside knowledge thereof1 as objects of thought4 ,in the same way we might study the facts of man's moral nature1 and arrive at rules of conduct1 and get a merely outside acquaintance with the moral law as something wholly external4 ,the law might appear curious1 useful1 even beautiful1 moral gravitation as wonderful as material attraction4 ,but no sense of duty would attach us to it4 ,in addition to the purely intellectual powers1 we have a faculty whose special function it is to discover the rules for a man's moral conduct4 ,this is ,conscience1 called also by many names4 ,as the mind has for its object absolute truth1 so conscience has for its object absolute justice4 ,conscience enables us not merely to learn the right by experiment and induction1 but intuitively1 and in advance of experiment2 so1 in addition to the experimental way1 whereby we learn justice from the facts of human history1 we have a transcendental way1 and learn it from the facts of human nature1 from immediate consciousness4 ,it is the function of conscience to discover to men the moral law of ,god4 ,it will not do this with infallible certainty1 for1 at its best estate1 neither conscience nor any other faculty of man is absolutely perfect1 so as never to mistake4 ,absolute perfection belongs only to the faculties of ,god4 ,but conscience1 like each other faculty1 is relatively perfect1--is adequate to the purpose ,god meant it for4 ,it is often immature in the young1 who have not had time for the growth and ripening of the faculty1 and in the old1 who have checked and hindered its development4 ,here it is feeble from neglect1 there from abuse4 ,it may give an imperfect answer to the question1 ,what is absolutely right8 ,now1 though the conscience of a man lacks the absolute perfection of that of ,god1 in all that relates to my dealing with men1 it is still the last standard of appeal4 ,i will hear what my friends have to say1 what public opinion has to offer1 what the best men can advise me to1 then ,i am to ask my own conscience1 and follow its decision2 not that of my next friend1 the public1 or the best of men4 ,i will not say that my conscience will always disclose to me the absolutely right1 according to the conscience of ,god1 but it will disclose the relatively right1 what is my conviction of right to-day1 with all the light ,i can get on the matter2 and as all ,i can know of the absolute right1 is my conviction thereof1 so ,i must be true to that conviction4 ,then ,i am faithful to my own conscience1 and faithful to my ,god4 ,if ,i do the best thing ,i can know to-day1 and to-morrow find a better one and do that1 ,i am not to be blamed1 nor to be called a sinner against ,god1 because not so just to-day as ,i shall be to-morrow4 ,i am to do ,god's will soon as ,i know it1 not before1 and to take all possible pains to find it out2 but am not to blame for acting childish when a child1 nor to be ashamed of it when grown up to be a man4 ,such is the function of conscience4 99 99 99 99 99 ,having determined what is absolutely right1 by the conscience of ,god1 or at least relatively right1 according to my conscience to-day1 then it becomes my duty to keep it4 ,i owe it to ,god to obey ,his law1 or what ,i deem his law2 that is my duty4 ,it may be uncomfortable to keep it1 unpopular1 contrary to my present desires1 to my passions1 to my immediate interests2 it may conflict with my plans in life2 that makes no difference4 ,i owe entire allegiance to my ,god4 ,it is a duty to keep ,his law1 a personal duty1 my duty as a man4 ,i owe it to myself1 for ,i am to keep the integrity of my own consciousness2 ,i owe it to my brother1 and to my ,god4 ,nothing can absolve me from this duty1 neither the fact that it is uncomfortable or unpopular1 nor that it conflicts with my desires1 my passions1 my immediate interests1 and my plans in life4 ,such is the place of conscience amongst other faculties of my nature4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i believe all this is perfectly plain1 but now see what it leads to4 ,in the complicated relations of human life1 various rules for the moral conduct of men have been devised1 some of them in the form of statute laws1 some in the form of customs1 and1 in virtue of these rules1 certain artificial demands are made of men1 which have no foundation in the moral nature of man2 these demands are thought to represent duties4 ,we have the same word to describe what ,i ought to do as subject to the law of ,god1 and what is demanded of me by custom1 or the statute4 ,we call each a duty4 ,hence comes no small confusion3 the conventional and official obligation is thought to rest on the same foundation as the natural and personal duty4 ,as the natural duty is at first sight a little vague1 and not written out in the law-book1 or defined by custom1 while the conventional obligation is well understood1 men think that in case of any collision between the two1 the natural duty must give way to the official obligation4 ,for clearness' sake1 the natural and personal obligation to keep the law of ,god as my conscience declares it1 ,i will call ,duty2 the conventional and official obligation to comply with some custom1 keep some statute1 or serve some special interest1 ,i will call ,business4 ,here then are two things--my natural and personal duty1 my conventional and official business4 ,which of the two shall give way to the other1--personal duty or official business8 ,let it be remembered that ,i am a man first of all1 and all else that ,i am is but a modification of my manhood1 which makes me a clergyman1 a fisherman1 or a statesman2 but the clergy1 the fish1 and the ,state1 are not to strip me of my manhood4 ,they are valuable in so far as they serve my manhood1 not as it serves them4 ,my official business as clergyman1 fisherman1 or statesman1 is always beneath my personal duty as man4 ,in case of any conflict between the two1 the natural duty ought to prevail and carry the day before the official business2 for the natural duty represents the permanent law of ,god1 the absolute right1 justice1 the balance-point of all interests2 while the official business represents only the transient conventions of men1 some partial interest2 and besides the man who owes the personal duty1 is immortal1 while the officer who performs the official business1 is but for a time4 ,at death1 the man is to be tried by the justice of ,god1 for the deeds done1 and character attained1 for his natural duty1 but he does not enter the next life as a clergyman1 with his surplice and prayer-book1 or a fisherman1 with his angles and net1 nor yet as a statesman1 with his franking privilege1 and title of honorable and member of ,congress4 ,the officer dies1 of a vote or a fever4 ,the man lives forever4 ,from the relation between a man and his occupation1 it is plain1 in general1 that all conventional and official business is to be overruled by natural personal duty4 ,this is the great circle1 drawn by ,god1 and discovered by conscience1 which girdles my sphere1 including all the smaller circles1 and itself included by none of them4 ,the law of ,god has eminent domain everywhere1 over the private passions of ,oliver and ,charles1 the special interests of ,carthage and of ,rome1 over all customs1 all official business1 all precedents1 all human statutes1 all treaties between ,judas and ,pilate1 or ,england and ,france1 over all the conventional affairs of one man or of mankind4 ,my own conscience is to declare that law for me1 yours for you1 and is before all private passions1 or public interests1 the decision of majorities1 and a world full of precedents4 ,you may resign your office1 and escape its obligations1 forsake your country1 and owe it no allegiance1 but you cannot move out of the dominions of ,god1 nor escape where conscience has not eminent domain4 ,see some examples of a conflict between the personal duty and the official business4 ,a man may be a clergyman1 and it may be his official business to expound and defend the creed which is set up for him by his employers1 his bishop1 his association1 or his parish1 to defend and hold it good against all comers2 it may be1 also1 in a certain solemn sort1 to please the audience1 who come to be soothed1 caressed1 and comforted1--to represent the average of religion in his society1 and so to bless popular virtues and ban unpopular vices1 but never to shake off or even jostle with one of his fingers the load of sin1 beloved and popular1 which crushes his hearers down till they are bowed together and can in nowise lift themselves up2 unpopular excellence he is to call fanaticism1 if not infidelity4 ,but his natural duty as a man1 standing in this position1 overrides his official business1 and commands him to tell men of the false things in their creed1 of great truths not in it2 commands him to inform his audience with new virtue1 to represent all of religion he can attain1 to undo the heavy burdens of popular sin1 private or national1 and let the men oppressed therewith go free4 ,excellence1 popular or odious1 he is to commend by its own name1 to stimulate men to all nobleness of character and life1 whether it please or offend4 ,this is his duty1 however uncomfortable1 unpopular1 against his desires1 and conflicting with his immediate interests and plans of life4 ,which shall he do8 ,his official business1 and pimp and pander to the public lust1 with base compliance serving the popular idols1 which here are ,money and ,respectability1 or shall he serve his ,god8 ,that is the question4 ,if the man considers himself substantially a man1 and accidentally a clergyman1 he will perform his natural duty2 if he counts the priesthood his substance1 and manhood an accident of that1 he will do only his official business4 ,i may be a merchant1 and my official business may be to buy1 and sell1 and get gain2 ,i may see that the traffic in ardent spirits is the readiest way to accomplish this4 ,so it becomes my official business to make rum1 sell rum1 and by all means to induce men to drink it4 ,but presently ,i see that the common use of it makes the thriving unthrifty1 the rich less wealthy1 the poor miserable1 the sound sick1 and the sane mad2 that it brings hundreds to the jail1 thousands to the almshouse1 and millions to poverty and shame1 producing an amount of suffering1 wretchedness1 and sin1 beyond the power of man to picture or conceive4 ,then my natural duty as man is very clear1 very imperative4 ,shall ,i sacrifice my manhood to money8--the integrity of my consciousness to my gains by rum-selling8 ,that is the question4 ,and my answer will depend on the fact1 whether ,i am more a man or more a rum-seller4 ,suppose ,i compromise the matter1 and draw a line somewhere between my natural duty as man1 and my official business as rum-seller1 and for every three cents that ,i make by iniquity1 give one cent to the ,american ,tract ,society1 or the ,board for ,foreign ,missions1 or the ,unitarian ,association1 or the excellent ,society for promoting the ,gospel among the ,indians 7and others7 in ,north ,america4 ,that does not help the matter2 business is not satisfied1 though ,i draw the line never so near to money2 nor conscience1 unless the line comes up to my duty4 ,i am a citizen1 and the ,state says1 ,you must obey all the statutes made by the proper authorities2 that is your official business6 ,suppose there is a statute adverse to the natural law of ,god1 and the convictions of my own conscience1 and ,i plead that fact in abatement of my obligation to keep the statute1 the ,state says1 ,obey it1 none the less1 or we will hang you4 ,religion is an excellent thing in every matter except politics2 there it seems to make men mad4 ,shall ,i keep the commandment of men1 or the law of my ,god8 ,a statute was once enacted by ,king ,pharaoh for the destruction of the ,israelites in ,egypt2 it was made the official business of all citizens to aid in their destruction3 ,pharaoh charged all his people saying1 ,every son that is born ye shall cast into the river1 and every daughter ye shall save alive4 ,it was the official business of every ,egyptian who found a ,hebrew boy to throw him into the ,nile1--if he refused1 he offended against the peace and dignity of the kingdom of ,egypt1 and the form of law in such case made and provided4 ,but if he obeyed1 he murdered a man4 ,which should he obey1 the ,lord ,pharaoh1 or the ,lord ,god8 ,that was the question4 ,i make no doubt that the priests of ,osiris1 ,orus1 ,apis1 ,isis1 and the judges1 and the justices of the peace and quorum1 and the members of ,congress of that time said1 ,keep the king's commandment1 oh ye that worship the crocodile and fear the cat1 or ye shall not sleep in a whole skin any longer6 ,so said every thing that loveth and maketh a lie4 ,king ,charles ,,ii4 made a statute some one hundred and ninety years ago1 to punish with death the remnant of the nine-and-fifty judges who had brought his father's head to the block1 teaching kings that they also had a joint in their necks4 ,he called on all his subjects to aid in the capture of these judges4 ,it was made their official business as citizens to do so2 a reward was offered for the apprehension of some of them alive or dead2 punishment hung over the head of any who should harbor or conceal them4 ,three of these regicides1 who had adjudged a king for his felony1 came to ,new ,england4 ,many ,americans knew where they were1 and thought the condemnation of ,charles ,i4 was the best thing these judges ever did4 ,with that conviction ought they to have delivered up these fugitives1 or afforded them shelter8 ,in time of peril1 when officers of the ,english government were on the lookout for some of these men1 a clergyman in the town where one of them was concealed1 preached1 it is said1 on the text ,bewray not him that wandereth1 an occasional sermon1 and put the duty of a man far before the business of a citizen4 ,when ,sir ,edmund ,andros was at ,new ,haven looking after one of the judges1 and attended public worship in the same meeting-house with the fugitive1 the congregation sung an awful hymn in his very ears4#ab ,would the men of ,connecticut have done right1 bewraying him that wandered1 and exposing the outcast1 to give up the man who had defended the liberties of the world and the rights of mankind against a tyrant1--give him up because a wanton king1 and his loose men and loose women1 made such a commandment8 ,one of the regicides dwelt in peace eight-and-twenty years in ,new ,england1 a monument of the virtue of the people4 ,of old time the ,roman statute commanded the ,christians to sacrifice to ,jupiter2 they deemed it the highest sin to do so1 but it was their official business as ,roman citizens4 ,some of them were true to their natural duty as men1 and took the same cross ,jesus had borne before them2 ,peter and ,john had said at their outset to the authorities--,whether it be right in the sight of ,god to hearken unto you more than unto ,god1 judge ye4 ,the ,emperor once made it the official business of every citizen to deliver up the ,christians4 ,but ,god made it no man's duty4 ,nay1 it was each man's duty to help them4 ,in such cases what shall a man do8 ,you know what we think of men who comply basely1 and save their life with the loss of their soul4 ,you know how the ,christian world honors the saints and martyrs1 who laid down their lives for the sake of truth and right2 a handful of their dust1 which was quieted of its trouble by the headsman's axe seventeen hundred years ago1 and is now gathered from the catacombs of ,saint ,agnes at ,rome--why it is enough to consecrate half of the ,catholic churches in ,new ,england4 ,as ,i have stood among their graves1 have handled the instruments with which they tasted of bitter death1 and crumbled their bones in my hands1--,i keep their relics still with reverend awe--,i have thought there was a little difference between their religion1 and the pale decency that haunts the churches of our time1 and is afraid lest it lose its dividends1 or its respectability1 or hurt its usefulness1 which is in no danger4 ,do ,i speak of martyrs for conscience' sake8 ,to-day is ,st4 ,maurice's day1 consecrated to him and the ,thebaean legion4 ,maurice appears to have been a military tribune in the ,christian legion1 levied in the ,thebais1 a part of ,egypt4 ,in the latter part of the third century this legion was at ,octodurum1 near the little village of ,martigni1 in ,valais1 a ,swiss ,canton1 under the command of ,maximian1 the associate emperor1 just then named ,herculeus1 going to fight the ,bagaudae4 ,the legion was ordered to sacrifice to the ,gods after the heathen fashion4 ,the soldiers refused2 every tenth man was hewn down by ,maximian's command4 ,they would not submit1 and so the whole legion1 as the ,catholic story tells us1 perished there on the #bb;d of ,september1 fifteen hundred and fifty-three years ago this day4 ,perhaps the account is not true2 it is probable that the number of martyrs is much exaggerated1 for six thousand soldiers would not stand still and be slaughtered without striking a blow4 ,but the fact that the ,catholic church sets apart one day in the calendar to honor this alleged heroism1 shows the value men put on fidelity to conscience in such cases4 ,last winter a bill for the capture of fugitive slaves was introduced into the ,senate of the ,united ,states of ,america2 the ,senator who so ably represented the opinions and wishes of the controlling men of this city1 proposed to support that bill1 with all its provisions to the fullest extent2 that bill1 with various alterations1 some for the better1 others for the worse1 has become a law--it received the vote of the ,representative from ,boston1 who was not sent there1 ,i hope1 for the purpose of voting for it4 ,that statute allows the slaveholder1 or his agent1 to come here1 and by summary process seize a fugitive slave1 and1 without the formality of a trial by jury1 to carry him back to eternal bondage4 ,the statute makes it the official business of certain magistrates to aid in enslaving a man2 it empowers them to call out force enough to overcome any resistance which may be offered1 to summon the bystanders to aid in that work4 ,it provides a punishment for any one who shall aid and abet1 directly or indirectly1 and harbor or conceal the man who is seeking to maintain his natural and unalienable right to life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness4 ,he may be fined a thousand dollars1 imprisoned six months1 and be liable to a civil action for a thousand dollars more6 ,this statute is not to be laid to the charge of the slaveholders of the ,south alone2 its most effective supporters are northern men2 ,boston is more to be blamed for it than ,charleston or ,savannah1 for nearly a thousand persons of this city and neighborhood1 most of them men of influence through money if by no other means1 addressed a letter of thanks to the distinguished man who had volunteered to support that infamous bill1 telling him that he had convinced the understanding and touched the conscience of the nation4 ,a man falls low when he consents to be a slave1 and is spurned for his lack of manhood2 to consent to be a catcher of fugitive slaves is to fall lower yet2 but to consent to be the defender of a slave-catcher--it is seldom that human nature is base enough for that4 ,but such examples are found in this city6 ,this is now the law of the land4 ,it is the official business of judges1 commissioners and marshals1 as magistrates1 to execute the statute and deliver a fugitive up to slavery2 it is your official business and mine1 as citizens1 when legally summoned1 to aid in capturing the man4 ,does the command make it any man's duty8 ,the natural duty to keep the law of ,god overrides the obligation to observe any human statute1 and continually commands us to love a man and not hate him1 to do him justice1 and not injustice1 to allow him his natural rights not alienated by himself2 yes1 to defend him in them1 not only by all means legal1 but by all means moral4 ,let us look a little at our duty under this statute4 ,if a man falls into the water and is in danger of drowning1 it is the natural duty of the bystanders to aid in pulling him out1 even at the risk of wetting their garments4 ,we should think a man a coward who could swim1 and would not save a drowning girl for fear of spoiling his coat4 ,he would be indictable at common law4 ,if a troop of wolves or tigers were about to seize a man1 and devour him1 and you and ,i could help him1 it would be our duty to do so1 even to peril our own limbs and life for that purpose4 ,if a man undertakes to murder or steal a man1 it is the duty of the bystanders to help their brother1 who is in peril1 against wrong from the two-legged man1 as much as against the four-legged beast4 ,but suppose the invader who seizes the man is an officer of the ,united ,states1 has a commission in his pocket1 a warrant for his deed in his hand1 and seizes as a slave a man who has done nothing to alienate his natural rights--does that give him any more natural right to enslave a man than he had before8 ,can any piece of parchment make right wrong1 and wrong right8 ,the fugitive has been a slave before3 does the wrong you committed yesterday1 give you a natural right to commit wrong afresh and continually8 ,because you enslaved this man's father1 have you a natural right to enslave his child8 ,the same right you would have to murder a man because you butchered his father first4 ,the right to murder is as much transmissible by inheritance as the right to enslave6 ,it is plain to me that it is the natural duty of citizens to rescue every fugitive slave from the hands of the marshal who essays to return him to bondage2 to do it peaceably if they can1 forcibly if they must1 but by all means to do it4 ,will you stand by and see your countrymen1 your fellow-citizens of ,boston1 sent off to slavery by some commissioner8 ,shall ,i see my own parishioners taken from under my eyes and carried back to bondage1 by a man whose constitutional business it is to work wickedness by statute8 ,shall ,i never lift an arm to protect him8 ,when ,i consent to that1 you may call me a hireling shepherd1 an infidel1 a wolf in sheep's clothing1 even a defender of slave-catching if you will2 and ,i will confess ,i was a poor dumb dog1 barking always at the moon1 but silent as the moon when the murderer came near4 ,i am not a man who loves violence4 ,i respect the sacredness of human life4 ,but this ,i say1 solemnly1 that ,i will do all in my power to rescue any fugitive slave from the hands of any officer who attempts to return him to bondage4 ,i will resist him as gently as ,i know how1 but with such strength as ,i can command2 ,i will ring the bells1 and alarm the town2 ,i will serve as head1 as foot1 or as hand to any body of serious and earnest men1 who will go with me1 with no weapons but their hands1 in this work4 ,i will do it as readily as ,i would lift a man out of the water1 or pluck him from the teeth of a wolf1 or snatch him from the hands of a murderer4 ,what is a fine of a thousand dollars1 and jailing for six months1 to the liberty of a man8 ,my money perish with me1 if it stand between me and the eternal law of ,god4 ,i trust there are manly men enough in this house to secure the freedom of every fugitive slave in ,boston1 without breaking a limb or rending a garment4 ,one thing more ,i think is very plain1 that the fugitive has the same natural right to defend himself against the slave-catcher1 or his constitutional tool1 that he has against a murderer or a wolf4 ,the man who attacks me to reduce me to slavery1 in that moment of attack alienates his right to life1 and if ,i were the fugitive1 and could escape in no other way1 ,i would kill him with as little compunction as ,i would drive a mosquito from my face4 ,it is high time this was said4 ,what grasshoppers we are before the statute of men6 what ,goliaths against the law of ,god6 ,what capitalist heeds your statute of usury when he can get illegal interest8 ,how many banks are content with six per cent4 when money is scarce8 ,did you never hear of a merchant evading the duties of the custom-house8 ,when a man's liberty is concerned1 we must keep the law1 must we8 betray the wanderer1 and expose the outcast8#ac ,in the same manner the natural duty of a man overrides all the special obligations which a man takes on himself as a magistrate by his official oath4 ,our theory of office is this3 ,the man is sunk in the magistrate2 he is un homme couvert2 his individual manhood is covered up and extinguished by his official cap2 he is no longer a man1 but a mere president1 general1 governor1 representative1 sheriff1 juror1 or constable2 he is absolved from all allegiance to ,god's law of the universe when it conflicts with man's law of the land2 his official business as a magistrate supersedes his natural duty as a man4 ,in virtue of this theory1 ,president ,polk1 and his coadjutors in ,congress and out of it1 with malice aforethought and intent to rob and to kill1 did officially invade ,mexico1 and therein slay1 kill1 and murder some thousands of men1 as well ,americans as ,mexicans4 ,this is thought right because he did it officially4 ,but the fact that he and they were magistrates1 doing official business1 did not make the killing any the less a wrong than if he and they had been private men1 with ,general ,lopez and not ,general ,taylor to head or back them4 ,the official killing of a man who has not alienated his right to life1 is just as much a violation of the law of ,god1 and the natural duty of a man1 as the unofficial killing of such a person4 ,because you and ,i and some other foolish people put a man in a high office1 and get him to take an oath1 does that1 all at once1 invest him with a natural right to kill anybody he sees fit2 to kill an innocent ,mexican8 ,all his natural rights he had before1 and it would be difficult to ascertain where the people could find the right to authorize him to do a wrong4 ,a man does not escape from the jurisdiction of natural law and the dominion of ,god by enlisting in the army1 or by taking the oath of the ,president2 for justice1 the law paramount of the universe1 extends over armies and nations4 ,a little while ago a murderer was hanged in ,boston1 by the ,sheriff of ,suffolk county1 at the command of the ,governor and ,council of ,massachusetts1 by the aid of certain persons called grand and petit jurors1 all of them acting in their official capacity1 and doing the official business they had sworn to do4 ,if it be a wrong thing to hang a man1 or to take his life except in self-defence1 and while in imminent peril1 then it is not any less a wrong because men do it in their official character1 in compliance with their oath4 ,i am speaking of absolute wrong1 not merely what is wrong relatively to the man's own judgment1 for ,i doubt not that all those officers were entirely conscientious in what they did1 and therefore no blame rests on them4 ,but if a man believes it wrong to take human life deliberately1 except in the cases named1 then ,i do not see how1 with a good conscience1 he can be partaker in the death of any man1 notwithstanding his official oath4 ,let me suppose a case which may happen here1 and before long4 ,a woman flies from ,south ,carolina to ,massachusetts to escape from bondage4 ,mr4 ,greatheart aids her in her escape1 harbors and conceals her1 and is brought to trial for it4 ,the punishment is a fine of one thousand dollars and imprisonment for six months4 ,i am drawn to serve as a juror1 and pass upon this offence4 ,i may refuse to serve1 and be punished for that1 leaving men with no scruples to take my place1 or ,i may take the juror's oath to give a verdict according to the law and the testimony4 ,the law is plain1 let us suppose1 and the testimony conclusive4 ,greatheart himself confesses that he did the deed alleged1 saving one ready to perish4 ,the judge charges1 that if the jurors are satisfied of that fact1 then they must return that he is guilty4 ,this is a nice matter4 ,here are two questions4 ,the one1 put to me in my official capacity as juror1 is this3 ,did ,greatheart aid the woman8 ,the other1 put to me in my natural character as man1 is this3 ,will you help punish ,greatheart with fine and imprisonment for helping a woman obtain her unalienable rights8 ,i am to answer both4 ,if ,i have extinguished my manhood by my juror's oath1 then ,i shall do my official business and find ,greatheart guilty1 and ,i shall seem to be a true man2 but if ,i value my manhood1 ,i shall answer after my natural duty to love a man and not hate him1 to do him justice1 not injustice1 to allow him the natural rights he has not alienated1 and shall say ,not guilty4 ,then foolish men1 blinded by the dust of courts1 may call me forsworn and a liar2 but ,i think human nature will justify the verdict4#ad ,in cases of this kind1 when justice is on one side and the court on the other1 it seems to me a conscientious man must either refuse to serve as a juror1 or else return a verdict at variance with the facts and what courts declare to be his official business as juror2 but the eyes of some men have been so long blinded by what the court declares is the law1 and by its notion of the juror's function1 that they will help inflict such a punishment on their brother1 and the judge decree the sentence1 in a case where the arrest1 the verdict and the sentence are the only wrong in which the prisoner is concerned4 ,it seems to me it is time this matter should be understood1 and that it should be known that no official oath can take a man out of the jurisdiction of ,god's natural law of the universe4 ,a case may be brought before a commissioner or judge of the ,united ,states1 to determine whether ,daniel is a slave1 and therefore to be surrendered up4 ,his official business1 sanctioned by his oath1 enforced by the law of the land1 demands the surrender2 his natural duty1 sanctioned by his conscience1 enforced by absolute justice1 forbids the surrender4 ,what shall he do8 ,there is no serving of ,god and ,mammon both4 ,he may abandon his commission and refuse to remain thus halting between two opposites4 ,but if he keeps his office1 ,i see not how he can renounce his nature and send back a fugitive slave1 and do as great a wrong as to make a free man a slave6 ,suppose the ,constitution had been altered1 and ,congress had made a law1 making it the business of the ,united ,states' commissioners to enslave and sell at public outcry all the red-haired men in the nation1 and forbid us to aid and abet their escape1 to harbor and conceal them under the same penalties just now mentioned2 do you think any commissioner would be justified before ,god by his oath in kidnapping the red-haired men1 or any person in punishing such as harbored or concealed them1 such as forcibly took the victims out of the hand of officials who would work mischief by statute8 ,will the color of a hair make right wrong1 and wrong right8 ,suppose a man has sworn to keep the ,constitution of the ,united ,states1 and the ,constitution is found to be wrong in certain particulars3 then his oath is not morally binding1 for before his oath1 by his very existence1 he is morally bound to keep the law of ,god as fast as he learns it4 ,no oath can absolve him from his natural allegiance to ,god4 ,yet ,i see not how a man can knowingly1 and with a good conscience1 swear to keep what he deems wrong to keep1 and will not keep1 and does not intend to keep4 ,it seems to me very strange that men so misunderstand the rights of conscience and their obligations to obey their country4 ,not long ago1 an eminent man taunted one of his opponents1 telling him he had better adhere to the higher law4 ,the newspapers echoed the sneer1 as if there were no law higher than the ,constitution4 ,latterly1 the democratic party1 even more completely than the whig party1 seems to have forgotten that there is any law higher than the ,constitution1 any rights above vested rights4#ae ,an eminent theologian of ,new ,england1 who has hitherto done good and great service in his profession1 grinding off the barb of ,calvinism1 wrote a book in defence of slave-catching1 on ,conscience and the ,constitution1 a book which not only sins against the sense of the righteous in being wicked1 but against the worldliness of the world in being weak1--and he puts the official business of keeping a compact far before the natural duty of keeping a conscience void of offence1 and serving ,god4 ,but suppose forty thieves assemble on ,fire ,island1 and make a compact to rob every vessel wrecked on their coast1 and reduce the survivors to bondage4 ,suppose ,i am born amongst that brotherhood of pirates1 am ,i morally bound to keep that compact1 or to perform any function which grows out of it8 ,nay1 ,i am morally bound to violate the compact1 to keep the pirates from their plunder and their prey4 ,instead of forty thieves on ,fire ,island1 suppose twenty millions of men in the ,united ,states make a compact to enslave every sixth man--the dark men--am ,i morally bound to heed that compact1 or to perform any function which grows out of it8 ,nay1 ,i am morally bound to violate the compact1 in every way that is just and wise4 ,the very men who make such a compact are morally discharged from it as soon as they see it is wrong4 ,the forty ,jews who bound themselves by wicked oath to kill ,paul before they broke their fast1--were they morally bound to keep their word8 ,nay1 morally bound to break it4 ,i will tell you a portion of the story of a fugitive slave whom ,i have known4 ,i will call his name ,joseph1 though he was in worse than ,egyptian bondage4 ,he was owned by a notorious gambler1 and once ran away1 but was retaken4 ,his master proceeded to punish him for that crime1 took him to a chamber1 locked the door1 and lighted a fire2 he then beat the slave severely4 ,after that he put the branding-iron in the fire1 took a knife1--,i am not telling of what took place in ,algiers1 but in ,alabama1--and proceeded to cut off the ears of his victim6 ,the owner's wife1 alarmed at the shrieks of the sufferer1 beat down the door with a sledge-hammer1 and prevented that catastrophe4 ,afterwards1 two slaves of this gambler1 for stealing their master's sheep1 were beaten so that they died of the stripes4 ,the ,minister came to the funeral1 told the others that those were wicked slaves1 who deserved their fate2 that they would never rise in the general resurrection1 and were not fit to be buried6 ,accordingly their bodies were thrown into a hole and left there4 ,joseph ran away again2 he came to ,boston2 was sheltered by a man whose charity never fails2 he has been in my house1 and often has worshipped here with us4 ,shall ,i take that man and deliver him up8--do it with alacrity8 ,shall ,i suffer that gambler to carry his prey from this city8 ,will you allow it--though all the laws and constitutions of men give the commandment8 ,god do so unto us if we suffer it4#af ,this we need continually to remember3 that nothing in the world without is so sacred as the ,eternal ,law of ,god2 of the world within nothing is more venerable than our own conscience1 the permanent1 everlasting oracle of ,god4 ,the ,urim and ,thummim were but ,jewish or ,egyptian toys on the breast-plate of the ,hebrew priest2 the ,delphic oracle was only a subtle cheat1 but this is the true ,shekinah and presence of ,god in your heart3 as this ----pronounces lastly on each deed1 ,of so much fame in heaven expect your meed4 ,if ,i am consciously and continually false to this1 it is of no avail that ,i seem loyal to all besides2 ,i make the light that is in me darkness1 and how great is that darkness6 ,the centre of my manhood is gone1 and ,i am rotten at my heart4 ,men may respect me1 honor me1 but ,i am not respectable1 ,i am a base1 dishonorable man1 and like a tree1 broad-branched1 and leafed with green1 but all its heart gnawed out by secret worms1 at some slight touch one day1 my rotten trunk will fall with horrid squelch1 bringing my leafy honors to dishonored dust1 and men will wonder that bark could hide such rottenness and ruin4 ,but if ,i am true to this ,legate of ,god1 holding his court within my soul1 then my power to discover the just and right will enlarge continually2 the axis of my little life will coincide with the life of the infinite ,god1 ,his ,conscience and my own be one4 ,then my character and my work will lie in the plane of his ,almighty action2 no other will in me1 ,his infinite wisdom1 justice1 holiness1 and love1 will flow into me1 a ceaseless tide1 filling with life divine and new the little creeklets of my humble soul4 ,i shall be one with ,god1 feel ,his delight in me and mine in ,him1 and all my mortal life run o'er with life divine and bless mankind4 ,let men abhor me1 yea1 scourge and crucify1 angels are at hand2 yes1 the ,father is with me6 99 99 99 99 99 ,how we mistake4 ,men think if they can but get wickedness dignified into a statute1 enrolled in the capitol1 signed by the magistrates1 and popular with the people1 that all is secure4 ,then they rejoice1 and at their ,thanksgiving dinner1 say with the short-lived tyrant in the play1 after he had slain the rightful heirs of ,england's throne1 and set his murderous hoof on justice at every step to power1-- ,now is the winter of our discontent ,made glorious summer 444 and think that ,sin sits fast and rides secure4#ag ,but no statute of men is ever fixed on man till it be first the absolute1 the right1 the law of ,god4 ,all else lasts but its day1 forever this1 forever still the same4 ,by previous questions1 men may stop debate1 vote down minorities with hideous grin1 but the still small voice of ,justice will whisper in the human heart1 will be trumpet-tongued in history to teach you that you cannot vote down ,god4 ,in your private character1 if you would build securely1 you must build on the natural law of ,god1 inherent in your nature and in his2 if the nation would build securely1 it must build so4 ,out of their caprice1 their selfishness1 and their sin1 may men make statutes1 to last for a day1 built up with joyous huzzas1 and the chiming of a hundred guns1 to come down with the curses of the multitude1 and smitten by the thunder of ,god2 but to build secure1 you must build on the ,justice of the ,almighty4 ,the beatitudes of ,jesus will outlast the codes of all the tyrants of the old world and the new4 ,so ,i have seen gamblers hurry and huddle up their booths at a country muster1 on the unsmoothed surface of a stubble-field1 foundation good enough for such a structure1 not a post plumb1 to endure a single day of riot1 drunkenness1 and sin2 but to build a pyramid which shall outlast empires1 men lay bare the bosom of the primeval rock1 and out of primeval rock they build thereon their well-joined work1 outlasting ,syria1 ,greece1 ,carthage1 ,rome1 venerable to ,time1 and underneath its steadfast foot the earthquakes pass all harmlessly away4 ,all things conspire to overturn a wrong4 ,every advance of man is hostile to it4 ,reason is hostile2 religion is its deadly foe2 the new-born generation will assail it1 and it must fall4 ,of old it was written1 ,though hand join in hand1 the wicked shall not prosper1 and the world's wide walls1 from the remotest bounds of peopled space1 laugh out their loud and long ,amen6 ,let ,iniquity be never so old and respectable1 get all the most eminent votes1 have the newspapers on her side1 guns fired at her success1 it all avails nothing2 for this is ,god's world1 not a devil's1 and ,his eternal word has gone forth that ,right alone shall last forever and forever4 99 99 99 99 99 ,oh1 young man1 now in the period of the passions1 reverence your ,conscience4 ,defer that to no appetite1 to no passion1 to no foolish compliance with other men's ways1 to no ungodly custom1 even if become a law4 ,ask always ,is it right for me8 ,be brave and self-denying for conscience' sake4 ,fear not to differ from men2 keeping your modesty1 keep your integrity also4 ,let not even your discretion consume your valor4 ,fear not to be scrupulously upright and pure2 be afraid neither of men's hate1 nor even of their laugh and haughty scorn1 but shudder at the thought of tampering with your sense of right1 even in the smallest matters4 ,the ,flesh will come up with deceitful counsels--the ,spirit teaching the commandments of ,god2 give both their due4 ,be not the senses' slave1 but the soul's free man4 ,oh brother man1 who once wert young1 in the period of ambition1 or beyond it1 if such a time there be1 can you trust the selfishness1 the caprice1 the passions1 and the sin of men1 before your own conscience1 renounce the law of ,god for the customs of men8 ,when your volcanic mountain has been capped with snow1 ,interest1 subtler than all the passions of the flesh1 comes up to give her insidious counsel4 ,on our side1 says she1 is the applause of men2 feasting is with us2 the wise and prudent are here also1 yea1 the ancient and honorable1 men much older than thy father2 and with gray hairs mottling thy once auburn head1 wilt thou forsake official business1 its solid praise1 and certain gain1 for the phantom of natural duty1 renounce allegiance to warm human lies for the cold truth of ,god remote and far6 ,say1 ,get thee behind me1 to such counsellors2 ,i will not stain my age by listening to your subterranean talk4 ,oh1 brother man1 or old or young1 how will you dare come up before your ,god and say3 ,oh ,lord1 ,i heard1 ,i heard thy voice in my soul1 at times still and small1 at times a trumpet talking with me of the ,right1 the ,eternal ,right1 but ,i preferred the low counsels of the flesh2 the commands of ,interest ,i kept2 ,i feared the rich man's decorous rage2 ,i trembled at the public roar1 and ,i scorned alike my native duty and thy natural law4 ,lo1 here is the talent ,thou gavest me1 my sense of right4 ,i have used each other sense1 this only have ,i hid2 it is eaten up with rust1 but thus ,i bring it back to ,thee4 ,take what is thine6 ,who would dare thus to sin against infinite ,justice8 ,who would wish to sin against it when it is also infinite ,love1 and the law of right is but the highway on which the ,almightiness of the ,father comes out to meet his prodigal1 a great way off1 penitent and returning home1 or unrepentant still1 refusing to be comforted1 and famishing on draff and husks1 while there is bread of heavenly life enough and yet to spare1 comes out to meet us1 to take us home1 and to bless us forever and forever8 ,,footnotes3 #aa ,the terms laws of the human spirit1 spiritual laws1 c41 are sometimes used to denote exclusively those laws which man must keep1 not merely what he ought to keep1 laws in relation to which man has no more freedom than a mass of marble4 ,the words are used above in a different sense4 #ab ,why dost thou1 ,tyrant1 boast abroad thy wicked works to praise8 ,dost thou not know there is a ,god1 whose mercies last alwaies8 99 99 99 99 ,on mischiefe why sett'st thou thy minde1 and wilt not walke upright8 ,thou hast more lust false tales to find1 than bring the truth to light4 ,thou dost delight in fraud and guile1 in mischiefe1 bloud and wrong4 ,thy lips have learned the flattering stile1 oh false deceitful tongue4 ,therefore shall ,god for aye confound1 and pluck thee from thy place2 ,thy seed root out from off the ground1 and so shall thee deface4 ,the just1 when they behold thy fall1 with feare shall praise the ,lord2 ,and in reproach of thee withall1 crie out with one accord3-- ,behold the man that woulde not take the ,lord for his defence2 ,but of his goods his ,god did make1 and trust his corrupt sense4 ,but ,i1 as olive1 fresh and green1 shall spring and spread abroad2 ,for why8 my trust all times hath been1 upon the living ,god6 ,for this therefore will ,i give praise to ,thee with heart and voyce2 ,i will set forth ,thy name alwayes1 wherein ,thy saints rejoyce4 ,psalm lii4 in ,sternhold and ,hopkins4 #ac ,it has been said that the fugitive slave law cannot be executed in ,boston4 ,let us not be deceived4 ,who would have thought a year ago1 that the ,senator of ,boston would make such a speech as that of last ,march1 that so many of the leading citizens of ,boston would write such a letter of approval1 that such a bill could pass ,congress1 and a man be found in this city 7,mr4 ,samuel ,a4 ,eliot7 to vote for it and get no rebuke from the people6 ,yet a single man should not endure the shame alone1 which belongs in general to the leading men of the city4 ,the member for ,boston faithfully represented the public opinion of his most eminent constituents1 lay and clerical4 ,here is an account of what took place in ,new ,york since the delivery of the sermon4 ,from the ,new ,york ,tribune4 ,,slave ,,catching ,,in ,,new ,,york--,,first ,,case ,,under ,,the ,,law4 ,the following case1 which occurred yesterday1 is one of peculiar interest1 from the fact of its being the first case under the new ,fugitive ,slave ,law4 ,it will be noticed that there is very little of the 'law's delay' here2 the proceedings were as summary as an ,arkansas court audience could desire4 ,u4 ,s4 ,,commissioner',s ,,office--,before ,commissioner ,gardiner4--,examination as to ,james ,hamlet1 charged to be a fugitive slave1 the property of ,mary ,brown1 of ,baltimore4--,no person was present as counsel for accused1 and only one colored man4 ,he is a light mulatto4 ,the marshal said ,mr4 ,wood had been there4 ,the commissioner said they would go on1 and if counsel came in1 he would read proceedings4 ,thomas ,j4 ,clare 7a man with dark eyes and hair71 sworn4--,am thirty years of age2 clerk for ,merchant's ,shot ,manufacturing ,company in ,baltimore2 know ,james ,hamlet2 he is slave of ,mary ,brown1 a mother-in-law of mine1 residing in ,baltimore2 have known ,hamlet about twenty years2 he left my mother-in-law about two years ago this season1 by absenting himself from the premises1 the dwelling where he resided in ,baltimore2 she is entitled to his services2 he is a slave for life2 she never parted with him voluntarily2 she came into possession of him by will from ,john ,g4 ,brown1 her deceased husband2 the written paper shown is an extract from his will2 she held him under that from the time she inherited him till he escaped1 as ,i have testified2 this is the man 7pointing to ,hamlet1 a light mulatto man1 about twenty-four or twenty-five years of age1 looking exceedingly pensive74 ,gustavus ,brown1 sworn4--,am twenty-five years of age2 reside in ,new ,york2 clerk with ,a4 ,m4 ,fenday1 #be ,front street2 resided before coming here in ,baltimore2 ,i know ,james ,hamlet2 ,i have known him since a boy2 he is a slave to my mother2 he is a slave for life2 my mother inherited him under the will of my father2 he left her service by running away1 ,i suppose2 absenting himself from the house in the city of ,baltimore1 about two years since2 ,i have seen him several times1 within the last six months1 in the city2 first time ,i saw him was in ,april last2 my mother is still entitled to possession of him2 she never has parted with him2 the man sitting here 7,hamlet7 is the man4 ,mr4 ,asa ,child1 ,counsellor at ,law1 here came into the room1 and took his seat2 he said he had been sent to this morning1 through another1 by a gentleman with whom ,hamlet had lived in this city 7,mr4 ,s4 ,n4 ,wood71 but he had no directions in the matter2 he merely came to see that the law is properly administered1 and supposed it would be without him4 ,mr4 ,child was then shown the law1 the power of attorney to ,mr4 ,clare1 the affidavit of ,mr4 ,clare on which ,hamlet was arrested--and the testimony thus far4 ,mr4 ,clare1 cross-examined by ,mr4 ,child4--,i married ,mrs4 ,brown's daughter about seventeen years ago2 ,hamlet has always lived with us in the family3 ,i am in her family now1 and was at the time he went away2 think he is about twenty-eight years of age 7he looks much younger than that--his features are very even1 as those of a white person of the kind72 he occasionally worked at the shot tower where ,i worked2 he was hired there as a laborer1 and ,mrs4 ,brown got the benefit of him--that is1 when ,i had no other use for him2 he had formerly been employed as a drayman2 after ,i married into the family some year or two1 we lived together1 ,i furnishing the house2 such wages as ,i got for the man it was returned to ,mrs4 ,brown1 to be used as she saw fit2 ,i was her agent to get employment for him as ,i could2 ,i had him in various occupations2 ,i have a power of attorney2 ,i have no further interest in him than he is her property1 and we wish to get him back to ,maryland again1 where he left4 ,mr4 ,brown1 cross-examined4--,left home #bgth ,march last4 ,was home when ,hamlet went away4 ,at the time he was engaged at the shot tower business4 ,mr4 ,child said he had no further questions to ask4 ,he supposed the rules of the law had been complied with4 ,mr4 ,gardiner1 the commissioner1 then said1 ,i will deliver the fugitive over to the marshal1 to be delivered over to the claimant4 ,mr4 ,child suggested if that was the law4 ,the commissioner then said he would hand him1 as the law said1 to the claimant1 and if there should be any danger of rescue1 he would deliver him to the ,united ,states ,marshal4 ,the ,united ,states ,marshal said he had performed his duty in bringing him in4 ,mr4 ,clare said he would demand such aid from the ,united ,states ,marshal1 as would secure the delivery of the man to his owner in ,baltimore4 ,mr4 ,child suggested that it must be an affidavit that he apprehends a rescue4 ,mr4 ,clare said that he did so apprehend4 ,mr4 ,talmadge1 the marshal1 said he would have to perform his duty1 if called upon4 ,mr4 ,child replied he supposed he would1 but there were doubts as to the form4 ,the necessary papers were made out by the commissioner1 ,mr4 ,clare swearing he feared a rescue1 and ,hamlet was delivered to him1 thence to the ,united ,states ,marshal1 and probably was conveyed with all possible despatch to ,baltimore1 a coach being in waiting at the door2 and he was taken off in irons1 an officer accompanying the party4 ,here is the charge of ,judge ,mc,lean in a similar case4 ,no earthly power has a right to interpose between a man's conscience and his ,maker4 ,he has a right1 an inalienable and absolute right1 to worship ,god according to the dictates of his own conscience4 ,for this he alone must answer1 and he is entirely free from all human restraint to think and act for himself4 ,but this is not the case when his acts affect the rights of others4 ,society has a claim upon all its citizens4 ,general rules have been adopted in the form of laws1 for the protection of the rights of persons and things4 ,these laws lie at the foundation of the social compact1 and their observance is essential to the maintenance of civilization4 ,in these matters the law1 and not conscience1 constitutes the rule of action ,you are sworn to decide this case according to the law and testimony2 and you become unfaithful to the solemn injunctions you have taken upon yourselves1 when you yield to an influence which you call conscience1 that places you above the law and the testimony4 ,such a rule can only apply to individuals2 and when assumed as a basis of action on the rights of others1 it is utterly destructive of all law4 ,what may be deemed a conscientious act by one individual1 may be held criminal by another4 ,in view of one1 the act is meritorious2 in the view of the other1 it should be punished as a crime4 ,and each has the same right1 acting under the dictates of his conscience1 to carry out his own view4 ,this would overturn the basis of society4 ,we must stand by the law4 ,we have sworn to maintain it4 ,it is expected that the citizens of the free ,states should be opposed to slavery4 ,but with the abstract principles of slavery we have nothing to do4 ,as a political question there could be no difference of opinion among us on the subject4 ,but our duty is found in the ,constitution of the ,union1 as construed by the ,supreme ,court4 ,the fugitives from labor we are bound1 by the highest obligations1 to deliver up on claim of the master being made2 and there is no ,state power which can release the slave from the legal custody of his master4 ,in regard to the arrest of fugitives from labor1 the law does not impose active duties on our citizens generally4 ,they are not prohibited from exercising the ordinary charities of life towards the fugitive4 ,to secrete him or convey him from the reach of his master1 or to rescue him when in legal custody1 is forbidden2 and for doing this a liability is incurred4 ,this gives to no one a just ground of complaint4 ,he has only to refrain from an express violation of the law1 which operates to the injury of his neighbor4 ,he seems to think the right to hold slaves as much a natural right as the absolute right to worship ,god according to the dictates of conscience4 ,one man has an unalienable right to liberty1 other men an unalienable right to alienate and take it from him6 ,here is something in a different spirit from a ,boston newspaper4 ,,the ,,fugitive ,,slave ,,bill4 ,this infamous bill has finally passed both branches of ,congress4,a ,my opinion on this subject may have little weight with those who voted for it1 but may help sustain the sinking spirit of some poor disconsolate one1 who1 having fled from the land of oppressors1 is anxiously looking to see if there is any one who will give him a cheering look1 or a kind reception1 or who dares to give him a crust of bread1 or a cup of water1 and help him on his way4 ,allow me to say to such an one1 that if pursued by the merciless slaveholder1 and every other door in ,boston is shut against him1 there is a door that will be open at ,no4 #b ,beach street1 and that the fear of fines and imprisonment will be ineffectual when the pursuer shall demand his victim4 ,if he enters before the fleeing captive is safe1 it will be at his peril4 ,i am opposed to war1 and all the spirit of war2 even to all preparations for what is called self-defence in times of peace2 yet ,i should resist the pursuer1 and not allow him to enter my dwelling until he was able to tread me under his feet4 ,i will not trample upon any law1 either of my own ,state1 or of the nation1 that does not conflict with my conscientious duty to my ,god2 but ,jesus has commanded1 saying1 ',all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you1 do ye even so to them4' ,if1 for no crime1 ,i had been taken and sold1 and deprived of all the rights of my manhood1 and degraded to the rank of a beast of burden2 not only deprived of the opportunity to labor for the support of my wife and children1 but even deprived of their kind sympathy and companionship1 whenever the interest or will of my oppressors should require it2 and ,i should1 at the peril of my life1 flee from my oppressors1 and they should pursue me to the dwelling of some poor disciple of ,jesus1 it may be that of a colored man1 and ,i should beg of him to protect me1 and help me to escape from the pursuer's grasp1 should ,i not hope1 if he was a ,christian1 he would give me bread and water1 and help me on my way1 regardless of the fines and imprisonment that such a kind act might render him liable to8 ,could ,i expect to meet the approbation of my ,lord1 if ,i did not do as much for the fleeing slave8 ,can there be a ,christian1 in this land of the ,pilgrims1 who will not do it1 and besides1 do all in his power to prevent any one of those ,senators or ,representatives in ,congress who voted for that infamous bill from ever again misrepresenting any portion of the friends of freedom1 in ,boston or elsewhere8 ,it is said1 this is a law of the land1 and must be obeyed3 to such ,i would say1 ',whether it be right in the sight of ,god to hearken unto men more than unto ,god1 judge ye1' ,i prefer to obey ,god1 if in so doing ,i must break the laws of men and be punished1 rather than violate the laws of ,god and obey the laws of men1 to escape fines and imprisonments1 or even death4 ,boston1 ,sept4 #bc1 #ahej4 ,t4 ,,gilbert4 ,here is yet more3 ,,the ,,fugitive ,,slave ,,bill4 ,,messrs4 ,,editors3--,the bold and manly avowal of your correspondent1 ,mr4 ,t4 ,gilbert1 in last evening's ,traveller1 in commenting upon what he very justly denominates the 'infamous fugitive slave bill1' is but the very echoing of thousands of hearts equally true to the cause of freedom1 and who seek the elevation of the down-trodden sons and daughters of ,american slavery4 ,that gentleman1 acting upon the dictates of an enlightened patriotism1 and in deep sympathy with the fleeing captive1 has the courage to avow his determination to throw wide open his door1 and offers to make his house--even though he should stand alone among his fellow-citizens--an asylum to the fugitive slave1 in his retreat from the prison-house of bondage4 ,the paramount claims which he awards to the ,divine law over that which is but human1 and therefore necessarily imperfect1 commend his spirited letter to the consideration of all those that have in any way aided in the passage of a bill at variance with the first principles of civil freedom1 and in direct hostility to the instruction of that great ,teacher who hath commanded us to ',do unto others as we would that they should do unto us4' ,that the determination of your correspondent may be true and unfaltering1 is the hearty prayer of one1 at least1 of his fellow-citizens1 who is ready at all times to cooperate in making an asylum for the fugitive slave1 even though bonds and imprisonments should prove the penalty4 ,,george ,w4 ,,carnes4 ,boston1 ,sept4 #bf1 #ahej4 ,here follow some characteristic remarks on the terror which the fugitives here in ,boston feel in apprehension of being torn from their families and their freedom4 ,,the ,,fugitive ,,slave ,,law4 ,the colored people had a grand time last evening1 at ,zion's ,chapel in ,church street4 ,their object was to denounce the fugitive slave law2 and this was done with hearty good-will1 or1 we should say1 malediction4 ,the steam would have been well up1 without any extraneous elements of excitement2 but what added a special interest to the occasion1 and raised the temperament to blood-heat1 was the announcement1 made by ,mr4 ,downing1 that the wife of ,james ,hamlet 7the fugitive slave who was returned to his owner in ,baltimore1 a few days since1 under a process of law71 had died yesterday1 of grief and convulsions4 ,this filled the measure of indignation which burned in the bosoms of all present1 against a law which1 besides its other abominations1 could produce such fatal effects4 ,in the fever of the moment1 a contribution was called for1 to defray the expense of her funeral1 and about twenty dollars was collected4 ,shortly after1 information was received that it was all a mistake about her dying of convulsions1 or in any other way2 and that she was as well as ever4 ,this was a damper upon the enthusiasm of the occasion1 but the money was already collected1 and seeing it could not be applied just now to defray her funeral expenses1 it was very properly decided to apply it to her living expenses4 ,the meeting adjourned4 ,mrs4 ,hamlet was in our office yesterday1 accompanied by her mother and a colored man4 ,she appeared to be in good health 7though of course distressed at the misfortune of her husband71 and we hope she will live a thousand years4 ,she certainly shall1 if his return will have that effect4--,n4 ,y4 ,journal of ,commerce4 ,i print these passages1 hoping that some hundred years hence they may be found in some old library1 and valued as monuments of the state of ,christianity in the free ,states in the year #ahej4 ,a ,i call this bill infamous1 because by it the man or woman who is charged with being a slave is deprived of all the means of self-defence allowed to those who are charged with crimes1 and to be delivered up summarily1 without the right of trial by jury1 or any other proper means of proving the charge groundless4 ,is it a worse crime to be a slave than a thief or a murderer8 #ad ,,the ,,function ,,of ,,the ,,jury4 ,there are two theories of the function of the jury in criminal trials4 ,one ,i will call the theory of the ,government2 the other the theory of the ,people4 ,the first has of late been insisted on in certain courts1 and laid down by some judges in their charges to the jury4 ,the second lies1 perhaps dimly1 in the consciousness of the people1 and may be gathered from the conduct of juries in trials where the judges' law would do obvious injustice to the prisoner4 ,i4 ,according to the theory of the ,government4 ,the judge is to settle the law for the jury4 ,this involves two things3 #a4 ,he is to declare the law denouncing punishment on the alleged crime4 #b4 ,to declare what constitutes the crime4 ,then the jury are only to determine whether the prisoner did the deed which the judge says constitutes the crime4 ,he1 exclusively1 is to decide what is the law1 and what deed constitutes the crime2 they only to decide if the prisoner did the deed4 ,for example1 to take a case which has not happened yet1 to my knowledge3 ,john ,doe is accused of having eaten a ,medford cracker2 and thereupon1 by direction of the ,government1 has been indicted by a grand jury for the capital offence of treason1 and is brought before a traverse jury for trial4 ,the judge tells the jury1 #a4 ,that eating a ,medford cracker constitutes the crime of treason4 #b4 ,that there is a law denouncing death on that crime4 ,then the jury are to hearken to the evidence1 and if it is proved to their satisfaction that ,john ,doe ate the ,medford cracker1 they are to return a verdict of guilty4 ,they are only to judge of the matter of fact1 and take the law on the judge's authority4 ,,ii4 ,according to the theory of the ,people1 in order to render their verdict1 the jury are to determine three things3 #a4 ,did the man do the deed alleged8 #b4 ,if so1 ,is there a legal and constitutional statute denouncing punishment upon the crime8 ,here the question is twofold3 7a7 as to the deed which constitutes the crime1 and 7b7 as to the statute which denounces the crime4 #c4 ,if all this is settled affirmatively1 then1 ,shall this man suffer the punishment thus legally and constitutionally denounced8 ,for example3 ,john ,doe is accused of having eaten a ,medford cracker1 is indicted for treason1 and brought to trial2 the judge charges as above4 ,then the jury are to determine3 #a4 ,did ,john ,doe eat the ,medford cracker in the manner alleged8 #b4 ,if so3 7a7 ,does that deed constitute the crime of treason8 and 7b7 ,is there a legal and constitutional statute denouncing the punishment of death on that crime8 #c4 ,if so likewise1 ,shall ,john ,doe suffer the punishment of death8 ,the first question1 as to the fact1 they are to settle by the evidence presented in open court1 according to the usual forms1 and before the face of the prisoner2 the testimony of each witness forms one element of that evidence4 ,the jury alone are to determine whether the testimony of the witnesses proves the fact4 ,the second question1 7a7 as to the deed which constitutes the crime1 and 7b7 as to the law which denounces the crime1 they are to settle by evidence2 the testimony of the ,judge1 of the ,states' ,attorney1 of the ,prisoner's counsel1 each forms an element of that evidence4 ,the jury alone are to determine whether that testimony proves that the deed constitutes the crime1 and that there is a law denouncing death against it2 and the jury are to remember that the judge and the attorney who are the creatures of the ,government1 and often paid to serve its passions1 may be1 and often have been1 quite as partial1 quite as unjust1 as the prisoner's counsel4 ,the third question1 as to punishing the prisoner1 after the other questions are decided against him1 is to be settled solely by the mind and conscience of the jury4 ,if they know that ,john ,doe did eat the ,medford cracker2 that the deed legally constitutes the crime of treason1 and that there is a legal and constitutional statute denouncing death on that crime1 they are still to determine1 on their oath as jurors1 on their manhood as men1 ,whether ,john ,doe shall suffer the punishment of death4 ,they are jurors to do justice1 not injustice2 what they think is justice1 not what they think injustice4 ,the ,government theory1 though often laid down in the charge1 is seldom if ever practically carried out by a judge in its full extent4 ,for he does not declare on his own authority what is the law and what constitutes the crime1 but gives the statutes1 precedents1 decisions and the like2 clearly implying by this very course that the jury are not to take his authority barely1 but his reasons if reasonable4 ,in the majority of cases1 the statute and the ruling of the court come as near to real justice as the opinion of the jury does2 then if they are satisfied that the prisoner did the deed alleged1 they return a verdict of guilty with a clear conscience1 and subject the man to what they deem a just punishment for an unjust act4 ,their conduct then seems to confirm the ,government theory of the jurors' function4 ,lawyers and others sometimes reason exclusively from such cases1 and conclude such is the true and actual theory thereof4 ,but when a case occurs1 wherein the ruling of the judge appears wrong to the jury2 when he declares legal and constitutional what they think is not so2 when he declares that a trifling offence constitutes a great crime2 when the statute is manifestly unjust1 forbidding what is not wrong1 or when the punishment denounced for a real wrong is excessive1 or any punishment is provided for a deed not wrong1 though there is no doubt of the facts1 the jury will not convict4 ,sometimes they will acquit the prisoner2 sometimes fail to agree4 ,the history of criminal trials in ,england and ,america proves this4 ,in such cases the jury are not false to their function and jurors' oath1 but faithful to both1 for the jurors are the country--the justice and humanity of men4 ,suppose some one should invent a machine to be used in criminal trials for determining the testimony given in court4 ,let me call it a ,martyrion4 ,this instrument receives the evidence and determines and reports the fact that the prisoner did1 or did not1 do the deed alleged4 ,according to the government theory1 the ,martyrion would perfectly perform all the functions of the jury in a criminal case2 but would any community substitute the machine for the jury of twelve good men and true8 ,if the jury is to be merely the judge's machine1 it had better be of iron and gutta-percha than of human beings4 ,in ,philadelphia1 some years ago1 a man went deliberately and shot a person who had seduced his sister under circumstances of great atrocity4 ,he was indicted for wilful murder4 ,there was no doubt as to the fact1 none as to the law1 none as to the deed which constituted that crime4 ,the jury returned1 ,not guilty--and were justified in their verdict4 ,in #ahej1 in ,new ,jersey1 a man seduced the wife of another1 under circumstances even more atrocious4 ,the husband1 in open day1 coolly and deliberately shot the seducer2 was tried for wilful murder4 ,here1 too1 there was no doubt of the fact1 of the law1 or the deed which constituted the crime of murder2 but the jury1 perfectly in accordance with their official function1 returned ,not guilty4 ,the case of ,william ,penn in #afgj1 who was tried under the ,conventicle ,act1 is well known4 ,the conduct of many ,english juries who would not condemn a fellow-creature to death for stealing a few pounds of money1 is also well known1 and shows the value of this form of trial to protect a man from a wicked law4 ,i think most men will declare the verdict of ,not guilty in the case of ,j4 ,p4 ,zenger1 tried for high treason in ,new ,york in #agce1 a righteous judgment1 made in strict accordance with the official function of the jurors2 but it was plainly contrary to the evidence as well as to the ruling of the court4 ,see ,mr4 ,parker's ,defence1 p4 #gf1 et seq4 for further remarks on the ,function of the ,jury 7,boston1 #ahee74 #ae ,so it appeared in ,september1 #ahea2 but since then the whig party has vindicated its claim to the same bad eminence as the democratic party4 #af ,the person referred to fled away from ,boston1 and in one of the ,british provinces found the protection for his unalienable rights1 which could not be allowed him in ,new ,england4 #ag ,this refers to a speech of ,mr4 ,webster1 occasioned by the passage of the fugitive slave law4 ,v4 ,,the ,,state ,,of ,,the ,,nation1 ,,considered ,,in ,a ,,sermon ,,for ,,thanksgiving ,,day4--,,preached ,,at ,,the ,,melodeon1 ,,november #bh1 #ahej4 ,,proverbs ,,xiv4 #cd4 ,righteousness exalteth a nation1 but sin is a reproach to any people4 ,we come together to-day1 by the ,governor's proclamation1 to give thanks to ,god for our welfare1 not merely for our happiness as individuals or as families1 but for our welfare as a people4 ,how can we better improve this opportunity1 than by looking a little into the condition of the people8 ,and accordingly ,i invite your attention to a ,sermon of the ,state of this ,nation4 ,i shall try to speak of the ,condition of the nation itself1 then of the ,causes of that condition1 and1 in the third place1 of the ,dangers that threaten1 or are alleged to threaten1 the nation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,first1 of our ,condition4 ,look about you in ,boston4 ,here are a hundred and forty thousand souls1 living in peace and in comparative prosperity4 ,i think1 without doing injustice to the other side of the water1 there is no city in the old world1 of this population1 with so much intelligence1 activity1 morality1 order1 comfort1 and general welfare1 and1 at the same time1 with so little of the opposite of all these4 ,i know the faults of ,boston1 and ,i think ,i would not disguise them2 the poverty1 unnatural poverty1 which shivers in the cellar2 the unnatural wealth which bloats in the parlor2 the sin which is hid in the corners of the jail2 and the more dangerous sin which sets up ,christianity for a pretence2 the sophistry which lightens in the newspapers1 and thunders in the pulpit3--,i know all these things1 and do not pretend to disguise them2 and still ,i think no city of the old world1 of the same population1 has so much which good men prize1 and so little which good men deplore4 ,see the increase of material wealth2 the buildings for trade and for homes2 the shops and ships4 ,this year ,boston will add to her possessions some ten or twenty millions of dollars1 honestly and earnestly got4 ,observe the neatness of the streets1 the industry of the inhabitants1 their activity of mind1 the orderliness of the people1 the signs of comfort4 ,then consider the charities of ,boston2 those limited to our own border1 and those which extend further1 those beautiful charities which encompass the earth with their sweet influence4 ,look at the schools1 a monument of which the city may well be proud1 in spite of their defects4 ,but ,boston1 though we proudly call it the ,athens of ,america1 is not the pleasantest thing in ,new ,england to look at2 it is the part of ,massachusetts which ,i like the least to look at1 spite of its excellence4 ,look further1 at the whole of ,massachusetts1 and you see a fairer spectacle4 ,there is less wealth at ,provincetown1 in proportion to the numbers1 but there is less want2 there is more comfort2 property is more evenly and equally distributed there than here1 and the welfare of a country never so much depends upon the amount of its wealth1 as on the mode in which its wealth is distributed4 ,in the ,state1 there are about one hundred and fifty thousand families--some nine hundred and seventy-five thousand persons1 living with a degree of comfort1 which1 ,i think1 is not anywhere enjoyed by such a population in the old world4 ,they are mainly industrious1 sober1 intelligent1 and moral4 ,every thing thrives2 agriculture1 manufactures1 commerce4 ,the carpenter encourages the goldsmith2 he that smites the anvil1 him that smootheth with the hammer4 ,look at the farms1 where intelligent labor wins bread and beauty both1 out of the sterile soil and climate not over-indulgent4 ,behold the shops all over the ,state2 the small shops where the shoemaker holds his work in his lap1 and draws his thread by his own strong muscles2 and the large shops where machines1 animate with human intelligence1 hold1 with iron grasp1 their costlier work in their lap1 and spin out the delicate staple of ,sea ,island cotton4 ,look at all this2 it is a pleasant sight4 ,look at our hundreds of villages1 by river1 mountain1 and sea2 behold the comfortable homes1 the people well fed1 well clad1 well instructed4 ,look at the school-houses1 the colleges of the people2 at the higher seminaries of learning2 at the poor man's real college further back in the interior1 where the mechanic's and farmer's son gets his education1 often a poor one1 still something to be proud of4 ,look at the churches1 where1 every ,sunday1 the best words of ,hebrew and of ,christian saints are read out of this ,book1 and all men are asked1 once in the week1 to remember they have a ,father in heaven1 a faith to swear by1 and a heaven to live for1 and a conscience to keep4 ,i know the faults of these churches4 ,i am not in the habit of excusing them2 still ,i know their excellence1 and ,i will not be the last man to acknowledge that4 ,look at the roads of earth and iron which join villages together1 and make the ,state a whole4 ,follow the fisherman from his rocky harbor at ,cape ,ann2 follow the mariner in his voyage round the world of waters2 see the industry1 the intelligence1 and the comfort of the people4 ,i think ,massachusetts is a ,state to be thankful for4 ,there are faults in her institutions and in her laws1 that need change very much4 ,in her form of society1 in her schools1 in her colleges1 there is much which clamors loudly for alteration1--very much in her churches to be christianized4 ,these changes are going quietly forward1 and will in time be brought about4 ,i love to look on this ,state1 its material prosperity1 its increase in riches1 its intelligence and industry1 and the beautiful results that are seen all about us to-day4 ,i love to look on the face of the people1 in halls and churches1 in markets and factories2 to think of our great ideas2 of the institutions which have come of them2 of our schools and colleges1 and all the institutions for making men wiser and better2 to think of the noble men we have in the midst of us1 in every walk of life1 who eat an honest bread1 who love mankind1 and love ,god1 who have consciences they mean to keep1 and souls which they intend to save4 ,the great business of society is not merely to have farms1 and ships1 and shops1--the greater shops and the less1--but to have men2 men that are conscious of their manhood1 self-respectful1 earnest men1 that have a faith in the living ,god4 ,i do not think we have many men of genius4 ,we have very few that ,i call great men2 ,i wish there were more2 but ,i think we have an intelligent1 an industrious1 and noble people here in ,massachusetts1 which we may be proud of4 ,let us go a step further4 ,new ,england is like ,massachusetts in the main1 with local differences only4 ,all the ,north is like ,new ,england in the main2 this portion is better in one thing2 that portion worse in another thing4 ,our ideas are their ideas2 our institutions are the same4 ,some of the northern ,states have institutions better than we4 ,they have added to our experience4 ,in revising their constitutions and laws1 or in making new ones1 they go beyond us1 they introduce new improvements1 and those new improvements will give those ,states the same advantage over us1 which a new mill1 with new and superior machinery1 has over an old mill1 with old and inferior machinery4 ,by and by we shall see the result1 and take counsel from it1 ,i trust4 ,all over the ,north we find the same industry and thrift1 and similar intelligence4 ,here attention is turned to agriculture1 there to mining2 but there is a similar progress and zeal for improvement4 ,attention is bestowed on schools and colleges1 on academies and churches4 ,there is the same abundance of material comfort4 ,population advances rapidly1 prosperity in a greater ratio4 ,everywhere new swarms pour forth from the old hive1 and settle in some convenient nook1 far off in the ,west4 ,so the frontier of civilization every year goes forward1 further from the ocean4 ,fifty years ago it was on the ,ohio2 then on the ,mississippi2 then on the upper ,missouri3 presently its barrier will be the ,rocky ,mountains1 and soon it will pass beyond that bar1 and the tide of the ,atlantic will sweep over to the ,pacific--yea1 it is already there6 ,the universal ,yankee freights his schooner at ,bangor1 at ,new ,bedford1 and at ,boston1 with bricks1 timber1 frame-houses1 and other notions1 and by and by drops his anchor in the smooth ,pacific1 in the ,bay of ,st4 ,francis4 ,we shall see there1 ere long1 the sentiments of ,new ,england1 the ideas of ,new ,england1 the institutions of ,new ,england2 the school-house1 the meeting-house1 the court-house1 the town-house4 ,there will be the same industry1 thrift1 intelligence1 morality1 and religion1 and the idle ground that has hitherto borne nothing but gold1 will bear upon its breast a republic of men more precious than the gold of ,ophir1 or the rubies of the ,east4 ,here ,i wish ,i could stop4 ,but this is not all4 ,the ,north is not the whole nation2 ,new ,england is not the only type of the people4 ,there are other ,states differing widely from this4 ,in the southern ,states you find a soil more fertile under skies more genial4 ,through what beautiful rivers the ,alleghanies pour their tribute to the sea6 ,what streams beautify the land in ,georgia1 ,alabama1 ,louisiana1 and ,mississippi6 ,there genial skies rain beauty on the soil4 ,nature is wanton of her gifts4 ,there rice1 cotton1 and sugar grow2 there the olive1 the orange1 the fig1 all find a home4 ,the soil teems with luxuriance4 ,but there is not the same wealth1 nor the same comfort4 ,only the ground is rich4 ,you witness not a similar thrift4 ,strange is it1 but in #ahdj1 the single ,state of ,new ,york alone earned over four million dollars more than the six ,states of ,north and ,south ,carolina1 ,georgia1 ,alabama1 ,louisiana1 and ,mississippi6 ,the annual earnings of little ,massachusetts1 with her seven thousand and five hundred square miles1 are nine million dollars more than the earnings of all ,florida1 ,georgia1 and ,south ,carolina6 ,the little county of ,essex1 with ninety-five thousand souls in #ahdj1 earned more than the large ,state of ,south ,carolina1 with five hundred and ninety-five thousand4 ,in those ,states we miss the activity1 intelligence1 and enterprise of the ,north4 ,you do not find the little humble school-house at every corner2 the frequent meeting-house does not point its taper finger to the sky4 ,villages do not adorn the margin of the mountain1 stream and sea2 shops do not ring with industry2 roads of earth and iron are poorer and less common4 ,temperance1 morality1 comfort are not there as here4 ,in the slave ,states1 in #ahdj1 there were not quite three hundred and two thousand youths and maidens in all the schools1 academies1 and colleges of the ,south2 but in #ahdj1 in the free ,states of the ,north there were more than two million two hundred and twelve thousand in such institutions6 ,little ,rhode ,island has five thousand more girls and boys at school than large ,south ,carolina4 ,the ,state of ,ohio alone has more than seventeen thousand children at school beyond what the whole fifteen slave ,states can boast4 ,the permanent literature of the nation all comes from the ,north2 your historians are from that quarter--your ,sparkses1 your ,bancrofts1 your ,hildreths1 and ,prescotts1 and ,ticknors2 the poets are from the same quarter--your ,whittiers1 and ,longfellows1 and ,lowells1 and ,bryants2 the men of literature and religion--your ,channings1 and ,irvings1 and ,emersons--are from the same quarter6 ,preaching--it is everywhere1 and sermons are as thick almost as autumnal leaves2 but who ever heard of a great or famous clergyman in a ,southern ,state8 of a great and famous sermon that rang through the nation from that quarter8 ,no man4 ,your ,edwards of old time1 and your ,beechers1 old and young1 your ,channing and ,buckminster1 and the rest1 which throng to every man's lips--all are from the ,north4 ,nature has done enough for the ,south2 ,god's cup of blessing runs over--and yet you see the result6 ,but there has been no pestilence at the ,south more than at the ,north2 no earthquake has torn the ground beneath their feet2 no war has come to disturb them more than us4 ,the government has never laid a withering hand on their commerce1 their agriculture1 their schools and colleges1 their literature and their church4 ,still1 letting alone the ,south and the ,north as such1 not considering either exclusively1 we are one nation4 ,what is a nation8 ,it is one of the great parties in the world4 ,it is a sectional party1 having geographical limits2 with a party organization1 party opinions1 party mottoes1 party machinery1 party leaders1 and party followers2 with some capital city for its party head-quarters4 ,there has been an ,assyrian party1 a ,british1 a ,persian1 an ,egyptian1 and a ,roman party2 there is now a ,chinese party1 and a ,russian1 a ,turkish1 a ,french1 and an ,english party2 these are also called nations4 ,we belong to the ,american party1 and that includes the ,north as well as the ,south2 and so all are brothers of the same party1 differing amongst ourselves--but from other nations in this1 that we are the ,american party1 and not the ,russian nor the ,english4 ,we ought to look at the whole ,american party1 the ,north and ,south1 to see the total condition of the people4 ,now at this moment there is no lack of cattle and corn and cloth in the ,united ,states1 ,north or ,south1 only they are differently distributed in the different parts of the land4 ,but still there is a great excitement4 ,men think the nation is in danger1 and for many years there has not been so great an outcry and alarm amongst the politicians4 ,the cry is raised1 ,the ,union is in danger6 and if the ,union falls1 we are led to suppose that every thing falls4 ,there will be no more ,thanksgiving days2 there will be anarchy and civil war1 and the ruin of the ,american people6 ,it is curious to see this material plenty1 on the one side1 and this political alarm and confusion on the other4 ,this condition of alarm is so well known1 that nothing more need be said about it at this moment4 99 99 99 99 99 ,let me now come to the next point1 and consider the ,causes of our present condition4 ,this will involve a consideration of the cause of our prosperity and of our alarm4 #a4 ,first1 there are some causes which depend on ,god entirely2 such as the nature of the country1 soil1 climate1 and the like2 its minerals1 and natural productions2 its seas and harbors1 mountains and rivers4 ,in respect to these natural advantages1 the country is abundantly favored1 but the ,north less so than the ,south4 ,tennessee1 ,virginia and ,alabama1 certainly have the advantage over ,maine1 ,new ,hampshire and ,ohio4 ,that ,i pass by2 a cause which depends wholly on ,god4 #b4 ,then again1 this is a wide and new country4 ,we have room to spread4 ,we have not to contend against old institutions1 established a thousand years ago1 and that is one very great advantage4 ,i make no doubt that in crossing the ocean1 our fathers helped forward the civilization of the world at least a thousand years2 ,i mean to say1 it would have taken mankind a thousand years longer to reach the condition we have attained in ,new ,england1 if the attempt had of necessity been made on the soil of the old world and in the face of its institutions4 #c4 ,then1 as a third thing1 much depends on the peculiar national character4 ,well1 the freemen in the ,north and ,south are chiefly from the same race1 this indomitable ,caucasian stock2 mainly from the same composite stock1 the tribe produced by the mingling of ,saxon1 ,danish and ,norman blood4 ,that makes the present ,english nation1 and the ,american also4 ,this is a very powerful tribe of men1 possessing some very noble traits of character2 active and creative in all the arts of peace2 industrious as a nation never was before2 enterprising1 practical2 fond of liberty1 fond also of law1 capable of organizing themselves into great masses1 and acting with a complete concert and unity of action4 ,in these respects1 ,i think this tribe1 which ,i will call the ,english tribe1 is equal to any race of men in the world that has been or is2 perhaps superior to any race that has been developed hitherto4 ,but in what relates to the higher reason and imagination1 to the affections and to the soul1 ,i think this tribe is not so eminent as some others have been4 ,north and ,south1 the people are alike of ,anglo-,norman descent4 #d4 ,another cause of our prosperity1 which depends a great deal on ourselves1 is this--the absence of war and of armies4 ,in ,france1 with a population of less than forty millions1 half a million are constantly under arms4 ,the same state of things prevails substantially in ,austria1 ,prussia1 and in all the ,german ,states4 ,here in ,america1 with a population of twenty millions1 there is not one in a thousand that is a soldier or marine4 ,in time of peace1 ,i think we waste vast sums in military preparations1 as we did in actual war not long since4 ,still1 when ,i compare this nation with others1 ,i think we have cause to felicitate ourselves on the absence of military power4 #e4 ,again1 much depends on the past history of the race2 and here there is a wide difference between the different parts of the country4 ,new ,england was settled by a religious colony4 ,i will not say that all the men who came here from #afbj to #afej were moved by religious motives2 but the controlling men were brought here by these motives1 and no other4 ,many who cared less for religious ideas1 came for the sake of a great moral idea1 for the sake of obtaining a greater degree of civil freedom than they had at home4 ,now the ,pilgrims and the ,puritans are only a little ways behind us4 ,the stiff ruff1 the peaked beard1 the ,prophesying book are only six or seven generations behind the youngest of us4 ,the character of the ,puritans has given to ,new ,england much of its present character and condition4 ,they founded schools and colleges2 they trained up their children in a stern discipline which we shall not forget for two centuries to come4 ,the remembrance of their trials1 their heroism1 and their piety affects our preaching to-day1 and our politics also4 ,the difference between ,new ,england and ,new ,york1 from #agej to #agij1 is the difference between the sons of the religious colony and the sons of the worldly colony4 ,you know something of ,new ,york politics before the ,revolution1 and also since the ,revolution2 the difference between ,new ,york and ,new ,england politics at that time1 is the difference between the sons of religious men and the sons of men who cared very much less for religion4 ,just now1 when ,i said that all the ,north is like ,new ,england1 ,i meant substantially so4 ,the ,west is our own daughter4 ,new ,england has helped people the western part of the ,state of ,new ,york2 and the best elements of ,new ,england character mingling with others1 its good qualities will appear in the politics of that mighty ,state4 ,the ,south1 in the main1 had a very different origin from the ,north4 ,i think few if any persons settled there for religion's sake2 or for the sake of freedom in the ,state4 ,it was not a moral idea which sent men to ,virginia1 ,georgia and ,carolina4 ,men do not gather grapes of thorns4 ,the difference of the seed will appear in the difference of the crop4 ,in the character of the people of the ,north and ,south1 it appears at this day4 ,the ,north is not to be praised1 nor the ,south to be blamed for this2 they could not help it3 but certainly it is an advantage to be descended from a race of industrious1 moral and religious men2 to have been brought up under their training1 to have inherited their ideas and institutions1--and this is a circumstance which we make quite too little account of4 ,i pass by that4 #f4 ,there are other causes which depend on ourselves entirely4 ,much depends on the political and social organization of the people4 ,there is no denying that government has a great influence on the character of the people2 on the character of every man4 ,the difference between the development of ,england and the development of ,spain at this day1 is mainly the result of different forms of government2 for three centuries ago the ,spaniards were as noble a race as the ,english4 ,a government is carried on by two agencies3 the first is public opinion1 and the next is public law1--the fundamental law which is the ,constitution1 and the subsidiary laws which carry out the ideas of the ,constitution4 ,in a government like this1 public opinion always precedes the laws1 overrides them1 takes the place of laws when there are none1 and hinders their execution when they do not correspond to public opinion4 ,thus the public opinion of ,south ,carolina demands that a free colored seaman from the ,north shall be shut up in jail1 at his employer's cost4 ,the public opinion of ,charleston is stronger than the public law of the ,united ,states on that point1 stronger than the ,constitution1 and nobody dares execute the laws of the ,united ,states in that matter4 ,these two things should always be looked at1 to understand the causes of a nation's condition--the public opinion1 as well as the public law4 ,let me know the opinions of the men between twenty-five and thirty-five years of age1 and ,i know what the laws will be4 ,now in public opinion and in the laws of the ,united ,states1 there are two distinct political ideas4 ,i shall call one the ,democratic1 and the other the ,despotic idea4 ,neither is wholly sectional2 both chiefly so4 ,each is composed of several simpler ideas4 ,each has enacted laws and established institutions4 ,this is the democratic idea3 ,that all men are endowed by their ,creator with certain natural rights1 which only the possessor can alienate2 that all men are equal in these rights2 that amongst them is the right to life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness2 that the business of the government is to preserve for every man all of these rights until he alienates them4 ,this democratic idea is founded in human nature1 and comes from the nature of ,god who made human nature4 ,to carry it out politically is to execute justice1 which is the will of ,god4 ,this idea1 in its realization1 leads to a democracy1 a government of all1 for all1 by all4 ,such a government aims to give every man all his natural rights2 it desires to have political power in all hands1 property in all hands1 wisdom in all heads1 goodness in all hearts1 religion in all souls4 ,i mean the religion that makes a man self-respectful1 earnest1 and faithful to the infinite ,god1 that disposes him to give all men their rights1 and to claim his own rights at all times2 the religion which is piety within you1 and goodness in the manifestation4 ,such a government has laws1 and the aim thereof is to give justice to all men2 it has officers to execute these laws1 for the sake of justice4 ,such a government founds schools for all2 looks after those most who are most in need2 defends and protects the feeblest as well as the richest and most powerful4 ,the ,state is for the individual1 and for all the individuals1 and so it reverences justice1 where the rights of all1 and the interests of all1 exactly balance4 ,it demands free speech2 every thing is open to examination1 discussion1 agitation1 if you will4 ,thought is to be free1 speech to be free1 work to be free1 and worship to be free4 ,such is the democratic idea1 and such the ,state which it attempts to found4 ,the despotic idea is just the opposite3--,that all men are not endowed by their ,creator with certain natural rights which only the possessor can alienate1 but that one man has a natural right to overcome and make use of some other men for his advantage and their hurt2 that all men are not equal in their rights2 that all men have not a natural right to life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness2 that government is not instituted to preserve these natural rights for all4 ,this idea is founded on the excess of human passions1 and it represents the compromise between a man's idleness and his appetite4 ,it is not based on facts eternal in human nature1 but on facts transient in human nature4 ,it does not aim to do justice to all1 but injustice to some2 to take from one man what he ought not to lose1 and give to another what he ought not to get4 ,this leads to aristocracy in various forms1 to the government of all by means of a part and for the sake of a part4 ,in this state of things political power must be in few hands2 property in few hands2 wisdom in few heads2 goodness in few hearts1 and religion in few souls4 ,i mean the religion which leads a man to respect himself and his fellow men2 to be earnest1 and to trust in the infinite ,god2 to demand his rights of other men and to give their rights to them4 ,neither the democratic nor the despotic idea is fully made real anywhere in the world4 ,there is no perfect democracy1 nor perfect aristocracy4 ,there are democrats in every actual aristocracy2 despots in every actual democracy4 ,but in the ,northern ,states the democratic idea prevails extensively and chiefly1 and we have made attempts at establishing a democratic government4 ,in the ,southern ,states the despotic idea prevails extensively and chiefly1 and they have made attempts to establish an aristocratic government4 ,in an aristocracy there are two classes3 the people to be governed1 and the governing class1 the nobility which is to govern4 ,this nobility may be movable1 and depend on wealth2 or immovable1 and depend on birth4 ,in the ,southern ,states the nobility is immovable1 and depends on color4 ,in #ahdj1 in the ,north there were ten million free men1 and in the ,south five million free men and three million slaves4 ,three eighths of the population have no human rights at all--privileges as cattle1 not rights as men4 ,there the slave is protected by law1 as your horse and your ox1 but has no more human rights4 ,here1 now1 is the great cause of the difference in the condition of the ,north and ,south2 of the difference in the material results1 represented by towns and villages1 by farms and factories1 ships and shops4 ,here is the cause of the difference in schools1 colleges1 churches1 and in the literature2 the cause of the difference in men4 ,the ,south1 with its despotic idea1 dishonors labor1 but wishes to compromise between its idleness and its appetite1 and so kidnaps men to do its work4 ,the ,north1 with its democratic idea1 honors labor2 does not compromise between its idleness and its appetite1 but lays its bones to the work to satisfy its appetite2 instead of kidnapping a man who can run away1 it kidnaps the elements1 subdues them to its command1 and makes them do its work4 ,it does not kidnap a freeman1 but catches the winds1 and chains them to its will4 ,it lays hands on fire and water1 and breeds a new giant1 which courses land and ocean without rest1 or serves while it stands and waits1 driving the mills of the land4 ,it kidnaps the ,connecticut and the ,merrimac2 does not send slave-ships to ,africa1 but engineers to ,new ,hampshire2 and it requires no fugitive slave law to keep the earth and sea from escaping1 or the rivers of ,new ,england from running up hill4 ,this is not quite all6 ,i have just now tried to hint at the causes of the difference in the condition of the people1 ,north and ,south4 ,now let me show the cause of the agitation and alarm4 ,we begin with a sentiment2 that spreads to an idea2 the idea grows to an act1 to an institution2 then it has done its work4 ,men seek to spread their sentiments and ideas4 ,the democratic idea tries to spread2 the despotic idea tries to spread4 ,for a long time the nation held these two ideas in its bosom1 not fully conscious of either of them4 ,both came here in a state of infancy1 so to say1 with our fathers2 the democratic idea very dimly understood2 the despotic idea not fully carried out1 yet it did a great mischief in the ,state and church4 ,in the ,declaration of ,independence1 writ by a young man1 only the democratic idea appears1 and that idea never got so distinctly stated before4 ,but mark you1 and see the confusion in men's minds4 ,that democratic idea was thus distinctly stated by a man who was a slaveholder almost all his life2 and unless public rumor has been unusually false1 he has left some of his own offspring under the influence of the despotic and not the democratic idea2 slaves and not free men4 ,in the ,constitution of the ,united ,states these two ideas appear4 ,it was thought for a long time they were not incompatible2 it was thought the great ,american party might recognize both1 and a compromise was made between the two4 ,it was thought each might go about its own work and let the other alone2 that the hawk and the hen might dwell happily together in the same coop1 each lay her own eggs and rear her own brood1 and neither put a claw upon the other4 ,in the mean time each founded institutions after its kind2 in the ,northern ,states1 democratic institutions2 in the ,southern1 aristocratic4 ,what once lay latent in the mind of the nation has now become patent4 ,the thinking part of the nation sees the difference between the two4 ,some men are beginning to see that the two are completely incompatible1 and cannot be good friends4 ,others are asking us to shut our eyes and not see it1 and they think that so long as our eyes are shut1 all things will go on peacefully4 ,such is the wisdom of the ostrich4 ,at first the trouble coming from this source was a very little cloud1 far away on the horizon1 not bigger than a man's hand4 ,it seemed so in #ahjd1 when the brave senator from ,massachusetts1 a ,hartford ,convention ,federalist1 a name that calls the blood to some rather pale cheeks now-a-days1 proposed to alter the ,constitution of the ,united ,states1 and cut off the ,north from all responsibility for slavery4 ,it was a little cloud not bigger than a man's hand2 now it is a great cloud which covers the whole hemisphere of heaven1 and threatens to shut out the day4 ,in the last session of ,congress1 ten months long1 the great matter was the contest between the two ideas4 ,all the newspapers rung with the battle4 ,even the pulpits now and then alluded to it2 forgetting their decency1 that they must preach only religion1 which has not the least to do with politics and the welfare of the ,state4 ,each idea has its allies1 and it is worth while to run our eye over the armies and see what they amount to4 ,the idea of despotism has for its allies3 #a4 ,the slaveholders of the ,south with their dependents2 and the servile class who take their ideas from the prominent men about them4 ,this servile class is more numerous at the ,south than even at the ,north4 #b4 ,it has almost all the distinguished politicians of the ,north and ,south2 the distinguished great politicians in the ,congress of the nation1 and the distinguished little politicians in the ,congresses of the several ,states4 #c4 ,it has likewise the greater portion of the wealthy and educated men in many large towns of the ,north2 with their dependents and the servile men who take their opinions from the prominent class about them4 ,and here1 ,i am sorry to say1 ,i must reckon the greater portion of the prominent and wealthy clergy1 the clergy in the large cities4 ,once this class of men were masters of the rich and educated2 and very terrible masters they were in ,madrid and in ,rome4 ,now their successors are doing penance for those old sins4 ,it is a long lane1 they say1 which has no turn1 and the clerical has had a very short and complete turn4 ,when ,i say the majority of the clergy in prominent situations in the large cities1 are to be numbered among the allies of the despotic idea1 and are a part of the great pro-slavery army1 ,i know there are some noble and honorable exceptions1 men who do not fear the face of gold1 but reverence the face of ,god4 ,then on the side of the democratic idea there are3 #a4 ,the great mass of the people at the ,north2 farmers1 mechanics1 and the humbler clergy4 ,this does not appear so at first sight1 because these men have not much confidence in themselves1 and require to be shaken many times before they are thoroughly waked up4 #b4 ,beside that there are a few politicians at the ,north who are on this side2 some distinguished ones in ,congress1 some less distinguished ones in the various legislatures of the ,north4 #c4 ,next there are men1 ,north and ,south1 who look at the great causes of the welfare of nations1 and make up their minds historically1 from the facts of human history1 against despotism4 ,then there are such as study the great principles of justice and truth1 and judge from human nature1 and decide against despotism4 ,and then such as look at the law of ,god1 and believe ,christianity is sense and not nonsense2 that ,christianity is the ideal for earnest men1 not a pretence for a frivolous hypocrite4 ,some of these men are at the ,south2 the greater number are in the ,north2 and here again you see the difference between the son of the ,planter and the son of the ,puritan4 ,here are the allies1 the threefold armies of ,despotism on the one side1 and of ,democracy on the other4 99 99 99 99 99 ,now it is not possible for these two ideas to continue to live in peace4 ,for a long time each knew not the other1 and they were quiet4 ,the men who clearly knew the despotic idea1 thought1 in #aghg1 it would die of a rapid consumption3 they said so2 but the culture of cotton has healed its deadly wound1 at least for the present4 ,after the brief state of quiet1 there came a state of armed neutrality4 ,they were hostile1 but under bonds to keep the peace4 ,each bit his thumb1 but neither dared say he bit it at the other4 ,now the neutrality is over2 attempts are made to compromise1 to compose the difficulty4 ,various peace measures were introduced to the ,senate last summer2 but they all turned out war measures1 every one of them4 ,now there is a trial of strength between the two4 ,which shall recede8 which be extended8 ,freedom or ,slavery8 ,that is the question2 refuse to look at it as we will1--refrain or refrain not from political agitation1 that is the question4 ,in the last ,congress it is plain the democratic idea was beaten4 ,congress said to ,california1 ,you may come in1 and you need not keep slaves unless you please4 ,it said1 ,you shall not bring slaves to ,washington for sale1 you may do that at ,norfolk1 ,alexandria1 and ,georgetown1 it is just as well1 and this 'will pacify the ,north4' ,utah and ,new ,mexico were left open to slavery1 and fifty thousand or seventy thousand square miles and ten million dollars were given to ,texas lest she should dissolve the ,union1--without money or men6 ,to crown all1 the ,fugitive ,slave ,bill became a law4 ,i think it is very plain that the democratic idea was defeated1 and it is easy to see why4 ,the three powers which are the allies of the despotic idea1 were ready1 and could act in concert--the ,southern slaveholders1 the leading politicians1 the rich and educated men of the ,northern cities1 with their appendages and servile adherents4 ,but since then1 the conduct of the people in the ,north1 and especially in this ,state1 shows that the nation has not gone that way yet4 ,i think the nation never will2 that the idea of freedom will never be turned back in this blessed ,north4 ,i feel sure it will at last overcome the idea of slavery4 ,i come to this conclusion1 firstly1 from the character of the tribe3 this ,anglo-,norman-,saxon tribe loves law1 deliberation1 order1 method2 it is the most methodical race that ever lived4 ,but it loves liberty1 and while it loves law1 it loves law chiefly because it keeps liberty2 and without that it would trample law under foot4 ,see the conduct of ,england4 ,she spent one hundred millions of dollars in the attempt to wipe slavery from the ,west ,indies4 ,she keeps a fleet on the coast of ,africa to put down the slave-trade there--where we also have1 ,i think1 a sloop-of-war4 ,she has just concluded a treaty with ,brazil for the suppression of the slave-trade in that country1 one of her greatest achievements in that work for many years4 ,see how the sons of the ,puritans1 as soon as they came to a consciousness of what the despotic idea was1 took their charters and wiped slavery clean out1 first from ,massachusetts1 and then from the other ,states1 one after another4 ,see how every ,northern ,state1 in revising its ,constitution1 or in making a new one1 declares all men are created equal1 that all have the right to life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness4 ,then the religion of the ,north demands the same thing4 ,professors may try to prove that the ,old ,testament establishes slavery2 that the ,new ,testament justifies the existence of slavery2 that ,paul's epistle to ,philemon was nothing more than another fugitive slave law1 that ,paul himself sent back a runaway2 but it does not touch the religion of the ,north4 ,we know better4 ,we say if the ,old ,testament does that and the ,new ,testament1 so much the worse for them both4 ,we say1 ,let us look and see if ,paul was so benighted1 and we can judge for ourselves that the professor was mistaken more than the apostle4 ,again1 the spirit of the age1 which is the public opinion of the nations1 is against slavery4 ,it was broken down in ,england1 ,france1 ,italy1 and ,spain2 it cannot stand long against civilization and good sense2 against the political economy and the religious economy of the civilized world4 ,the genius of freedom stands there1 year out1 year in1 and hurls firebrands into the owl's nest of the prince of darkness1 continually1--and is all this with no effect8 ,besides that1 it is against the law of ,god4 ,that guides this universe1 treating with even-handed justice the great geographical parties1 ,austrian1 ,roman1 ,british1 or ,american1 with the same justice wherewith it dispenses its blessings to the little local factions that divide the village for a day1 marshalling mankind forward in its mighty progress towards wisdom1 freedom1 goodness towards men1 and piety towards ,god4 ,of the final issue ,i have no doubt2 but no man can tell what shall come to pass in the mean time4 ,we see that political parties in the ,state are snapped asunder3 whether the national party shall not be broken up1 no man can say4 ,in #agej1 on the #bhth day of ,november1 no man in ,old ,england or ,new ,england could tell what #aghj would bring forth4 ,no man1 ,north or ,south1 can tell to-day what #ahhj will bring to pass4 ,he must be a bold man who declares to the nation that no new political machinery shall be introduced1 in the next thirty years1 to our national mill4 ,we know not what a day shall bring forth1 but we know that ,god is on the side of right and justice1 and that they will prevail so long as ,god is ,god4 99 99 99 99 99 ,now1 then1 to let alone details1 and generalize into one all the causes of our condition1 this is the result3 ,we have found welfare just so far as we have followed the democratic idea1 and enacted justice into law4 ,we have lost welfare just so far as we have followed the despotic idea1 and made iniquity into a statute4 ,so far as we have reaffirmed the ordinance of nature and reenacted the will of ,god1 we have succeeded4 ,so far as we have refused to do that1 we have failed4 ,of old it was written1 ,righteousness exalteth a nation1 but sin is a reproach to any people4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and now a word of our dangers4 ,there seems no danger from abroad2 from any foreign ,state1 unless we begin the quarrel2 none from famine4 ,the real danger1 in one word1 is this--,that we shall try to enact injustice into a law1 and with the force of the nation to make iniquity obeyed4 ,see some of the special forms of injustice which threaten us1 or are already here4 ,i shall put them into the form of ideas4 #a4 ,one1 common among politicians is1 that the ,state is for a portion of the people1 not the whole4 ,thus it has been declared that the ,constitution of the ,united ,states did not recognize the three million slaves as citizens1 or extend to them any right which it guarantees to other men4 ,it would be a sad thing for the ,state to declare there was a single child in the whole land to whom it owed no protection4 ,what1 then1 if it attempts to take three millions from under its shield8 ,in obedience to this false idea1 the counsel has been given1 that we must abstain from all ,political agitation of the most important matter before the people4 ,we must leave that to our masters1 for the ,state is for them1 it is not for you and me4 ,they must say whether we shall agitate and discuss these things or not4 ,the politicians are our masters1 and may lay their fingers on our lips when they will4 #b4 ,the next false idea is1--,that government is chiefly for the protection of property4 ,this has long been the idea on which some men legislated1 but on the #aith day of this month1 the distinguished ,secretary of ,state1 in a speech at ,new ,york1 used these words3 ,the great object of government is the protection of property at home and respect and renown abroad4 ,you see what the policy must be where the government is for the protection of the hat1 and only takes care of the head so far as it serves to wear a hat4 ,here the man is the accident1 and the dollar is the substance for which the man is to be protected4 ,i think a notion very much like this prevails extensively in the great cities of ,america1 ,north and ,south4 ,i think the chief politicians of the two parties are agreed in this--,that government is for the protection of property1 and every thing else is subsidiary4 ,with many persons politics are a part of their business2 the state-house and the custom-house are only valued for their relation to trade4 ,this idea is fatal to a good government4 ,think of this1 that ,the great object of government is the protection of property4 ,tell that to ,samuel ,adams1 and ,john ,hancock1 and ,washington1 and the older ,winthrops1 and the ,bradfords and ,carvers6 ,why6 it seems as if the buried majesty of ,massachusetts would start out of the ground1 and with its ,bible in its hand say--,this is false6 #c4 ,the third false idea is this--,that you are morally bound to obey the statute1 let it be never so plainly wrong and opposed to your conscience4 ,this is the most dangerous of all the false ideas yet named4 ,ambitious men1 in an act of passion1 make iniquity into a law1 and then demand that you and ,i1 in our act of prayer1 shall submit to it and make it our daily life2 that we shall not try to repeal and discuss and agitate it6 ,this false idea lies at the basis of every despot's throne1 the idea that men can make right wrong1 and wrong right4 ,it has come to be taught in ,new ,england1 to be taught in our churches--though seldom there1 to their honor be it spoken1 except in the churches of commerce in large towns--that if wrong is law1 you and ,i must do what it demands1 though conscience declares it is treason against man and treason against ,god4 ,the worst doctrines of ,hobbes and ,filmer are thus revived4 ,i have sometimes been amazed at the talk of men who call on us to keep the fugitive slave law1 one of the most odious laws in a world of odious laws--a law not fit to be made or kept4 ,i have been amazed that they should dare to tell us the law of ,god1 writ on the heavens and our hearts1 never demanded we should disobey the laws of men6 ,well1 suppose it were so4 ,then it was old ,daniel's duty at ,darius's command to give up his prayer2 but he prayed three times a day1 with his windows up4 ,then it was ,john's and ,peter's duty to forbear to preach of ,christianity2 but they said1 ,whether it be right in the sight of ,god to hearken unto you more than unto ,god1 judge ye4 ,then it was the duty of ,amram and ,jochebed to take up their new-born ,moses and cast him into the ,nile1 for the law of king ,pharaoh1 commanding it1 was constitutional1 and political agitation was discountenanced as much in ,goshen as in ,boston4 ,but ,daniel did not obey2 ,john and ,peter did not fail to preach ,christianity2 and ,amram and ,jochebed refused passive obedience to the king's decree6 ,i think it will take a strong man all this winter to reverse the judgment which the world has passed on these three cases4 ,but it is innocent to try4 ,however1 there is another ancient case1 mentioned in the ,bible1 in which the laws commanded one thing and conscience just the opposite4 ,here is the record of the law3--,now both the chief priests and the ,pharisees had given a commandment1 that if any one knew where he ,jesus were1 he should show it1 that they might take him4 ,of course1 it became the official and legal business of each disciple who knew where ,christ was1 to make it known to the authorities4 ,no doubt ,james and ,john could leave all and follow him1 with others of the people who knew not the law of ,moses1 and were accursed2 nay the women1 ,martha and ,mary1 could minister unto him of their substance1 could wash his feet with tears1 and wipe them with the hairs of their head4 ,they did it gladly1 of their own free will1 and took pleasure therein1 ,i make no doubt4 ,there was no merit in that--,any man can perform an agreeable duty4 ,but there was found one disciple who could perform a disagreeable duty4 ,he went1 perhaps with alacrity1 and betrayed his ,saviour to the marshal of the district of ,jerusalem1 who was called a centurion4 ,had he no affection for ,jesus8 ,no doubt2 but he could conquer his prejudices1 while ,mary and ,john could not4 ,judas ,iscariot has rather a bad name in the ,christian world3 he is called ,the son of perdition1 in the ,new ,testament1 and his conduct is reckoned a transgression2 nay1 it is said the devil entered into him1 to cause this hideous sin4 ,but all this it seems was a mistake2 certainly1 if we are to believe our republican lawyers and statesmen1 ,iscariot only fulfilled his constitutional obligations4 ,it was only on that point1 of betraying his ,saviour1 that the constitutional law required him to have any thing to do with ,jesus4 ,he took his thirty pieces of silver--about fifteen dollars2 a yankee is to do it for ten1 having fewer prejudices to conquer--it was his legal fee1 for value received4 ,true1 the ,christians thought it was the wages of iniquity1 and even the ,pharisees--who commonly made the commandment of ,god of none effect by their traditions--dared not defile the temple with this price of blood2 but it was honest money4 ,it was as honest a fee as any ,american commissioner or deputy will ever get for a similar service4 ,how mistaken we are6 ,judas ,iscariot is not a traitor2 he was a great patriot2 he conquered his prejudices1 performed a disagreeable duty as an office of high morals and high principle2 he kept the law and the ,constitution1 and did all he could to save the ,union2 nay1 he was a saint1 not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles4 ,the law of ,god never commands us to disobey the law of man4 ,sancte ,iscariote ora pro nobis4 ,it is a little strange to hear this talk in ,boston1 and hear the doctrine of passive obedience to a law which sets ,christianity at defiance1 taught here in the face of the ,adamses1 and ,hancock1 and ,washington6 ,it is amazing to hear this talk1 respecting such a law1 amongst merchants4 ,do they keep the usury laws8 ,i never heard of but one money-lender who kept them1#ah and he has been a long time dead1 and ,i think he left no kith nor kin6 ,the temperance law1--is that kept8 ,the fifteen gallon law1--were men so very passive in their obedience to that1 that they could not even agitate8 yet it violated no law of ,god--was not unchristian4 ,when the government interferes with the rumsellers' property1 the law must be trod under foot2 but when the law insists that a man shall be made a slave1 ,i must give up conscience in my act of prayer1 and stoop to the vile law men have made in their act of passion6 ,it is curious to hear men talk of law and order in ,boston1 when the other day one or two hundred smooth-faced boys1 and youths beardless as girls1 could disturb a meeting of three or four thousand men1 for two hours long2 and the chief of the police1 and the mayor of the city stood and looked on1 when a single word from their lips might have stilled the tumult and given honest men a hearing4#ai ,talk of keeping the fugitive slave law6 ,come1 come1 we know better4 ,men in ,new ,england know better than this4 ,we know that we ought not to keep a wicked law1 and that it must not be kept when the law of ,god forbids6 ,but the effect of a law which men cannot keep without violating conscience1 is always demoralizing4 ,there are men who know no higher law than the statute of the ,state4 ,when good men cannot keep a law that is base1 some bad ones will say1 ,let us keep no law at all1--then where does the blame lie8 ,on him that enacts the outrageous law4 ,the idea that a statute of man frees us from obligation to the law of ,god1 is a dreadful thing4 ,when that becomes the deliberate conviction of the great mass of the people1 ,north or ,south1 then ,i shall despair of human nature2 then ,i shall despair of justice1 and despair of ,god4 ,but this time will never come4 ,one of the most awful spectacles ,i ever saw1 was this3 ,a vast multitude attempting1 at an orator's suggestion1 to howl down the ,higher law1 and when he said1 ,will you have this to rule over you8 they answered1 ,never6 and treated the ,higher law to a laugh and a howl6 ,it was done in ,faneuil ,hall2#bj under the eyes of the three ,adamses1 ,hancock1 and ,washington2 and the howl rung round the venerable arches of that hall6 ,i could not but ask1 ,why do the heathen rage1 and the people imagine a vain thing8 the rulers of the earth set themselves1 and kings take counsel against the ,lord and say1 ',let us break his bands asunder1 and cast off his yoke from us4' ,then ,i could not but remember that it was written1 ,he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh2 the ,lord shall have them in derision4 ,he taketh up the isles as a very little thing1 and the inhabitants of the earth are as grasshoppers before ,him4 ,howl down the law of ,god at a magistrate's command6 ,do this in ,boston6 ,let us remember this--but with charity4 ,men say there is danger of disunion1 of our losing fealty for the ,constitution4 ,i do not believe it yet6 ,suppose it be so4 ,the ,constitution is the machinery of the national mill2 and suppose we agree to take it out and put in new2 we might get worse1 very true1 but we might get better4 ,there have been some modern improvements2 we might introduce them to the ,state as well as the mill4 ,but ,i do not believe there is this danger4 ,i do not believe the people of ,massachusetts think so4 ,i think they are strongly attached to the ,union yet1 and if they thought the ,union was in peril--this day1 and every thing the nation prizes was likely to be destroyed1 we should not have had a meeting of a few thousands in ,faneuil ,hall1 but the people would have filled up the city of ,worcester with a hundred thousand men1 if need be2 and they would have come with the cartridge-box at their side1 and the firelock on their shoulder4 ,that is the way the people of ,massachusetts would assemble if they thought there was real danger4 ,i do not believe the ,south will withdraw from the ,union1 with five million free men1 and three million slaves4 ,i think ,massachusetts would be no loser1 ,i think the ,north would be no loser2 but ,i doubt if the ,north will yet allow them to go if so disposed4 ,do you think the ,south is so mad as to wish it8 ,but ,i think ,i know of one cause which may dissolve the ,union--one which ought to dissolve it1 if put in action3 that is1 a serious attempt to execute the fugitive slave law1 here and in all the ,north4 ,i mean an attempt to recover and take back all the fugitive slaves in the ,north1 and to punish1 with fine and imprisonment1 all who aid or conceal them4 ,the ,south has browbeat us again and again4 ,she has smitten us on the one cheek with ,protection1 and we have turned the other1 kissing the rod2 she has smitten that with ,free trade4 ,she has imprisoned our citizens2 driven off1 with scorn and loathing1 our officers sent to ask constitutional justice4 ,she has spit upon us4 ,let her come to take back the fugitives--and1 trust me1 she will wake up the lion4 ,in my humble opinion1 this law is a wedge--sharp at one end1 but wide at the other--put in between the lower planks of our ,ship of ,state4 ,if it be driven home1 we go to pieces4 ,but ,i have no thought that that will be done quite yet4 ,i believe the great politicians1 who threatened to drive it through the gaping seams of our argosy1 will think twice before they strike again4 ,nay1 that they will soon be very glad to bury the wedge ,where the tide ebbs and flows four times a day4 ,i do not expect this of their courage1 but of their fears2 not of their justice--,i am too old for that--but of their concern for property1 which it is the great object of government to protect4 ,i know how some men talk in public1 and how they act at home4 ,i heard a man the other day1 at ,faneuil ,hall1 declare the law must be kept1 and denounce1 not very gently1 all who preached or prayed against it1 as enemies of all law4 ,but that was all talk1 for this very man1 on that very day1 had violated the law2 had furnished the golden wheels on which fugitives rode out of the reach of the arms which the marshal would have been sorry to lift4 ,i could tell things more surprising--but it is not wise just now6#ba ,i do not believe there is more than one of the ,new ,england men who publicly helped the law into being1 but would violate its provisions2 conceal a fugitive2 share his loaf with a runaway2 furnish him golden wings to fly with4 ,nay1 ,i think it would be difficult to find a magistrate in ,new ,england1 willing to take the public odium of doing the official duty4#bb ,i believe it is not possible to find a regular jury1 who will punish a man for harboring a slave1 for helping his escape1 or fine a marshal or commissioner for being a little slow to catch a slave4#bc ,men will talk loud in public meetings1 but they have some conscience after all1 at home4 ,and though they howl down the ,higher law in a crowd1 yet conscience will make cowards of them all1 when they come to lay hands on a ,christian man1 more innocent than they1 and send him into slavery forever6 ,one of the commissioners of ,boston talked loud and long1 last ,tuesday1 in favor of keeping the law4 ,when he read his litany against the law of ,god1 and asked if men would keep the ,higher law1 and got ,never as the welcome1 and amen for response--it seemed as if the law might be kept1 at least by that commissioner1 and such as gave the responses to his creed4 ,but slave-hunting ,mr4 ,hughes1 who came here for two of our fellow-worshippers1#bd in his ,georgia newspaper1 tells a different story4 ,here it is1 from the ,georgia ,telegraph1 of last ,friday4 ,i called at eleven o'clock at night1 at his the commissioner's residence1 and stated to him my business1 and asked him for a warrant1 saying that if ,i could get a warrant1 ,i could have the negroes ,william and ,ellen ,craft arrested4 ,he said the law did not authorize a warrant to be issued3 that it was my duty to go and arrest the negro without a warrant1 and bring him before him6 ,this is more than ,i expected4 ,is ,saul among the prophets8 ,the men who tell us that the law must be kept1 ,god willing1 or against ,his will--there are ,puritan fathers behind them also2 ,bibles in their houses2 a ,christ crucified1 whom they think of2 and a ,god even in their world1 who slumbers not1 neither is weary1 and is as little a respecter of parchments as of persons6 ,they know there is a people1 as well as politicians1 a posterity not yet assembled1 and they would not like to have certain words writ on their tombstone4 ,traitor to the rights of mankind1 is no pleasant epitaph4 ,they1 too1 remember there is a day after to-day2 aye1 a forever2 and1 ,inasmuch as ye have not done it unto one of the least of these my brethren1 ye have not done it unto me1 is a sentence they would not like to hear at the day of judgment4#be ,much danger is feared from the political agitation of this matter4 ,great principles have never been discussed without great passions1 and will not be1 for some time1 ,i suppose4 ,but men fear to have this despotic idea become a subject of discussion4 ,last spring1 ,mr4 ,webster said here in ,boston1 ,we shall not see the legislation of the country proceed in the old harmonious way1 until the discussion in ,congress and out of ,congress1 upon the subject of slavery shall be in some manner suppressed4 ,take that truth home with you6 ,we have lately been told that political agitation on the subject must be stopped4 ,so it seems this law1 like that which ,daniel would not keep1 is one that may not be changed1 and must not be talked of4 ,now there are three modes in which attempts may be made to stop the agitation4 #a4 ,by sending ----troops1 with guns and banners1 ,cut short our speeches and our necks1 ,and break our heads to mend our manners4 ,that is the ,austrian way1 which has not yet been tried here1 and will not be4 #b4 ,by sending lecturers throughout the land1 to stir up the people to be quiet1 and agitate them till they are still2 to make them sign the pledge of total abstinence from the discussion of this subject4 ,that is not likely to effect the object4 #c4 ,for the friends of silence to keep their own counsel--and this seems as little likely to be tried1 as the others to succeed4 ,strange is it to ask us to forbear to talk on a subject which involves the welfare of twenty million men6 ,as well ask a man in a fever not to be heated1 and a consumptive person not to cough1 to pine away and turn pale4 ,miserable counsellors are ye all1 who give such advice4 ,but we have seen lately the lion of the democrats1 and the lamb of the whigs1 lie down together1 joined by this opinion1 so gentle and so loving1 all at once1 that a little child could lead them1 and so fulfil the sure prophetic word4 ,yes1 we have seen the ,herod of one party1 and the ,pilate of the other1 made friends for the sake of crucifying the freedom of mankind4 ,but there is one way in which1 ,i would modestly hint1 that we might stop all this talk in ,congress and out of ,congress1 that is1 to discuss the matter till we had got at the truth1 and the whole truth2 then to agitate politically1 till we had enacted justice into law1 and carried it out all over the ,north1 and all over the ,south4 ,after that there would be no more discussion about the fugitive slave bill1 than about the ,boston port bill2 no more agitation about ,american slavery1 than there is about the condition of the people of ,babylon before the flood4 ,i think there is no other way in which we are likely to get rid of this discussion4 99 99 99 99 99 ,such is our condition1 such its causes1 such our dangers4 ,now1 for the lesson1 look a moment elsewhere4 ,look at continental ,europe1 at ,rome1 ,austria1 ,prussia1 and the ,german ,states--at ,france4 ,how uncertain is every government6 ,france--the stablest of them all6 ,remember the revolution which two years ago shook those ,states so terribly1 when all the royalty of ,france was wheeled out of ,paris in a street cab4 ,why are those ,states so tottering8 ,whence those revolutions8 ,they tried to make iniquity their law1 and would not give over the attempt6 ,why are the armies of ,france five hundred thousand strong1 though the nation is at peace with all the world8 ,because they tried to make injustice law6 ,why do the ,austrian and ,german monarchs fear an earthquake of the people8 ,because they tread the people down with wicked laws6 ,whence came the crushing debts of ,france1 ,austria1 ,england8 ,from the same cause3 from the injustice of men who made mischief by law6 ,it is not for men long to hinder the march of human freedom4 ,i have no fear for that1 ultimately1--none at all1 simply for this reason1 that ,i believe in the ,infinite ,god4 ,you may make your statutes2 an appeal always lies to the higher law1 and decisions adverse to that get set aside in the ages4 ,your statutes cannot hold ,him4 ,you may gather all the dried grass and all the straw in both continents2 you may braid it into ropes to bind down the sea2 while it is calm1 you may laugh1 and say1 ,lo1 ,i have chained the ocean6 and howl down the law of ,him who holds the universe as a rosebud in his hand--its every ocean but a drop of dew4 ,how the waters suppress their agitation1 you may say4 ,but when the winds blow their trumpets1 the sea rises in its strength1 snaps asunder the bonds that had confined his mighty limbs1 and the world is littered with the idle hay6 ,stop the human race in its development and march to freedom8 ,as well might the boys of ,boston1 some lustrous night1 mounting the steeples of this town1 call on the stars to stay their course6 ,gently1 but irresistibly1 the ,greater and the ,lesser ,bear move round the pole2 ,orion1 in his mighty mail1 comes up the sky2 the ,bull1 the ,ram1 the ,heavenly ,twins1 the ,crab1 the ,lion1 the ,maid1 the ,scales1 and all that shining company1 pursue their march all night1 and the new day discovers the idle urchins in their lofty places1 all tired1 and sleepy1 and ashamed4 ,it is not possible to suppress the idea of freedom1 or forever hold down its institutions4 ,but it is possible to destroy a ,state2 a political party with geographical bounds may easily be rent asunder4 ,it is not impossible to shiver this ,american ,union4 ,but how8 ,what clove asunder the great ,british party1 one nation once in ,america and ,england8 ,did not our fathers love their father-land8 ,aye4 ,they called it home1 and were loyal with abundant fealty2 there was no lack of piety for home4 ,it was the attempt to make old ,english injustice ,new ,england law6 ,who did it1--the ,british people8 ,never4 ,their hand did no such sacrilege6 ,it was the merchants of ,london1 with the ,navigation ,act2 the politicians of ,westminster with the ,stamp ,act2 the tories of ,america1 who did not die without issue1 that for office and its gold would keep a king's unjust commands4 ,it was they1 who drove our fathers into disunion against their will4 ,is here no lesson8 ,we love law1 all of us love it2 but a true man loves it only as the ,safeguard of the ,rights of ,man4 ,if it destroy these rights1 he spurns it with his feet4 ,is here no lesson8 ,look further then4 ,do you know how empires find their end8 ,yes1 the great ,states eat up the little4 ,as with fish1 so with nations4 ,aye1 but how do the great ,states come to an end8 ,by their own injustice1 and no other cause4 ,they would make unrighteousness their law1 and ,god wills not that it be so4 ,thus they fall2 thus they die4 ,look at these ancient ,states1 the queenliest queens of earth4 ,there is ,rome1 the widow of two civilizations1--the ,pagan and the ,catholic4 ,they both had her1 and unto both she bore daughters and fair sons4 ,but1 the ,niobe of ,nations1 she boasted that her children were holier and more fair than all the pure ideas of justice1 truth1 and love1 the offspring of the eternal ,god4 ,and now she sits there1 transformed into stone1 amid the ruins of her children's bones4 ,at midnight ,i have heard the owl hoot in the coliseum and the forum1 giving voice to desolation2 and at midday ,i have seen the fox in the palace where ,augustus gathered the wealth1 the wit1 the beauty and the wisdom of a conquered world2 and the fox and the owl interpreted to me the voice of many ages1 which came to tell this age1 that though hand join in hand1 the wicked shall not prosper4 ,come with me1 my friends1 a moment more1 pass over this ,golgotha of human history1 treading reverent as you go1 for our feet are on our mothers' grave1 and our shoes defile our fathers' hallowed bones4 ,let us not talk of them2 go further on1 look and pass by4 ,come with me into the ,inferno of the nations1 with such poor guidance as my lamp can lend4 ,let us disquiet and bring up the awful shadows of empires buried long ago1 and learn a lesson from the tomb4 ,come1 old ,assyria1 with the ,ninevitish dove upon thy emerald crown6 ,what laid thee low8 ,i fell by my own injustice4 ,thereby ,nineveh and ,babylon came1 with me1 also1 to the ground4 ,oh queenly ,persia1 flame of the nations1 wherefore art thou so fallen1 who troddest the people under thee1 bridgedst the ,hellespont with ships1 and pouredst thy temple-wasting millions on the western world8 ,because ,i trod the people under me1 and bridged the ,hellespont with ships1 and poured my temple-wasting millions on the western world4 ,i fell by my own misdeeds6 ,thou muselike1 ,grecian queen1 fairest of all thy classic sisterhood of ,states1 enchanting yet the world with thy sweet witchery1 speaking in art1 and most seductive song1 why liest thou there with beauteous yet dishonored brow1 reposing on thy broken harp8 ,i scorned the law of ,god2 banished and poisoned wisest1 justest men2 ,i loved the loveliness of flesh1 embalmed it in the ,parian stone2 ,i loved the loveliness of thought1 and treasured that in more than ,parian speech4 ,but the beauty of justice1 the loveliness of love1 ,i trod them down to earth6 ,lo1 therefore have ,i become as those ,barbarian ,states--as one of them6 ,oh manly and majestic ,rome1 thy sevenfold mural crown1 all broken at thy feet1 why art thou here8 ,it was not injustice brought thee low2 for thy great book of law is prefaced with these words1 justice is the unchanging1 everlasting will to give each man his right6 ,it was not the saint's ideal3 it was the hypocrite's pretence6 ,i made iniquity my law4 ,i trod the nations under me4 ,their wealth gilded my palaces1--where thou mayst see the fox and hear the owl1--it fed my courtiers and my courtezans4 ,wicked men were my cabinet counsellors1 the flatterer breathed his poison in my ear4 ,millions of bondmen wet the soil with tears and blood4 ,do you not hear it crying yet to ,god8 ,lo here have ,i my recompense1 tormented with such downfall as you see6 ,go back and tell the new-born child1 who sitteth on the ,alleghanies1 laying his either hand upon a tributary sea1 a crown of thirty stars about his youthful brow--tell him that there are rights which ,states must keep1 or they shall suffer wrongs6 ,tell him there is a ,god who keeps the black man and the white1 and hurls to earth the loftiest realm that breaks ,his just1 eternal law6 ,warn the young ,empire that he come not down dim and dishonored to my shameful tomb6 ,tell him that justice is the unchanging1 everlasting will to give each man his right4 ,i knew it1 broke it1 and am lost4 ,bid him to know it1 keep it1 and be safe6 99 99 99 99 99 ,god save the ,commonwealth6 proclaims the ,governor4 ,god will do his part1--doubt not of that4 ,but you and ,i must help ,him save the ,state4 ,what can we do8 ,next ,sunday ,i will ask you for your charity2 to-day ,i ask a greater gift1 more than the abundance of the rich1 or the poor widow's long remembered mite4 ,i ask you for your justice4 ,give that to your native land4 ,do you not love your country8 ,i know you do4 ,here are our homes and the graves of our fathers2 the bones of our mothers are under the sod4 ,the memory of past deeds is fresh with us2 many a farmer's and mechanic's son inherits from his sires some cup of manna gathered in the wilderness1 and kept in memory of our exodus2 some stones from the ,jordan1 which our fathers passed over sorely bested and hunted after2 some ,aaron's rod1 green and blossoming with fragrant memories of the day of small things when the ,lord led us--and all these attach us to our land1 our native land4 ,we love the great ideas of the ,north1 the institutions which they founded1 the righteous laws1 the schools1 the churches too--do we not love all these8 ,aye4 ,i know well you do4 ,then by all these1 and more than all1 by the dear love of ,god1 let us swear that we will keep the justice of the ,eternal ,law4 ,then are we all safe4 ,we know not what a day may bring forth1 but we know that ,eternity will bring everlasting peace4 ,high in the heavens1 the pole-star of the world1 shines ,justice2 placed within us1 as our guide thereto1 is ,conscience4 ,let us be faithful to that ,which though it trembles as it lowly lies1 ,points to the light that changes not in heaven4 ,,footnotes3 #ah ,the late ,mr4 ,john ,parker4 #ai ,this took place at a meeting in ,faneuil ,hall to welcome ,mr4 ,george ,thompson4 #bj ,at the ,union meeting two days before the delivery of this sermon4 #ba ,nor even yet4 ,november #bd1 #ahea4 #bb ,subsequent events have shown the folly of this statement4 ,clergymen1 it is said1 are wont to err1 by overrating the moral principle of men4 ,see the next sermon4 #bc ,recent experiments fortunately confirm this1 and1 spite of all the unjust efforts to pack a jury1 none has yet been found to punish a man for such a ,crime4 #bd ,mr4 ,william ,craft1 and ,mrs4 ,ellen ,craft4 #be ,this also appears to have been a mistake4 ,still ,i let the passage stand1 though it is apparently not at all true4 ,,vi4 ,,the ,,chief ,,sins ,,of ,,the ,,people4--,a ,,sermon ,,delivered ,,at ,,the ,,melodeon1 ,,boston1 ,,on ,,fast ,,day1 ,,april #aj1 #ahea4 ,my ,friends1--,this is a day of ,public ,humiliation and ,prayer4 ,we have one every year4 ,it is commonly in the city churches only a farce1 because there is no special occasion for it1 and the general need is not felt4 ,but such is the state of things in the ,union at this moment1 and particularly in ,boston1 that1 if it were not a custom1 it would be a good thing1 even if it were for the first time in the history of our country1 to have such a day for ,humiliation and ,prayer1 that we consider the state of the nation1 and look at our conduct in reference to the great principles of religion1 and see how we stand before ,god2 for these are times that try men's souls4 ,last ,sunday1 ,i purposely disappointed you1 and turned off from what was nearest to your heart and was nearest to mine1--a subject that would have been easy to preach on without any preparation4 ,then ,i asked you to go to the ,fountain of all strength1 and there prepare yourselves for the evils that we know not of4 ,to-day1 the ,governor has asked us to come together1 and consider1 in the spirit of ,christianity1 the public sins of the community1 to contemplate the value of our institutions1 and to ask the blessing of ,god on the poor1 the afflicted1 and the oppressed4 ,i am glad of this occasion2 and ,i will improve it1 and ask your attention to a sermon of ,the ,chief ,sins of this ,people4 ,i have said that these are times that try men's souls4 ,this is such an occasion as never came before1 and1 ,i trust1 never will again4 ,i have much to say to you1 much more than ,i intend to say to-day1 much more than there are hours enough in this day to speak4 ,many things ,i shall pass by4 ,i shall detain you to-day somewhat longer than is my wont2 but do not fear1 ,i will look out for your attention4 ,i simply ask you to be calm1 to be composed1 and to hear with silence what ,i have to say4 ,to understand these things1 we must begin somewhat far off4 ,the purpose of human life is to form a manly character1 to get the best development of body and of spirit1--of mind1 conscience1 heart1 soul4 ,this is the end3 all else is the means4 ,accordingly1 that is not the most successful life in which a man gets the most pleasure1 the most money or ease1 the most power of place1 honor1 and fame2 but that in which a man gets the most manhood1 performs the greatest amount of human duty1 enjoys the greatest amount of human right1 and acquires the greatest amount of manly character4 ,it is of no importance whether he win this by wearing a hod upon his shoulders1 or a crown upon his head4 ,it is the character1 and not the crown1 ,i value4 ,the crown perishes with the head that wore it2 but the character lives with the immortal man who achieved it2 and it is of no consequence whether that immortal man goes up to ,god from a throne or from a gallows4 ,every man has some one preponderating object in life1--an object that he aims at and holds supreme4 ,perhaps he does not know it4 ,but he thinks of this in his day-dreams1 and his dreams by night4 ,it colors his waking hours1 and is with him in his sleep4 ,sometimes it is sensual pleasure that he wants2 sometimes money2 sometimes office1 fame1 social distinction2 sometimes it is the quiet of a happy home1 with wife and children1 all comfortable and blessed2 sometimes it is excellence in a special science or art1 or department of literature2 sometimes it is a special form of philanthropy2 and sometimes it is the attainment of great1 manly character4 ,this supreme object of desire is sometimes different at different times in a man's life1 but in general is mainly the same all through4 ,for ,the child is father of the man1 and his days bound each to each1 if not by natural piety1 then by unnatural profaneness4 ,this desire may act with different intensity in the active and passive periods1 in manhood and in age4 ,it is somewhat modified by the season of passion1 and by the season of ambition4 ,if this object of special desire be worthy1 so is the character in general2 if base1 so is the man4 ,for this special desire becomes the master-motive in the man2 and1 if strong1 establishes a unity in his consciousness1 and calls out certain passions1 appetites1 powers of mind and conscience1 heart and soul2 and1 in a long life1 the man creates himself anew in the image of his ideal desire4 ,this desire1 good or bad1 which sways the man1 is writ on his character1 and thence copied into the countenance2 and lust or love1 frivolity or science1 interest or principle1 mammon or ,god1 is writ on the man4 ,still this unity is seldom whole and complete4 ,with most men there are exceptional times1 when they turn off a little from their great general pursuit4 ,simeon the ,stylite comes down from his pillar-top1 and chaffers in the market-place with common folks4 ,jeffries is even just once or twice in his life1 and ,wilkes is honorable two or three times4 ,even when the chief desire is a high and holy one1 ,i should not expect a man to go through life without ever committing an error or a sin4 ,when ,i was a youngster1 just let loose from the theological school1 ,i thought differently2 but at this day1 when ,i have felt the passions of life1 and been stirred by the ambitions of life1 ,i know it must be expected that a man will stumble now and then4 ,i make allowances for that in myself1 as ,i do in others4 ,these are the exceptional periods in a man's life1--the eddies in the stream4 ,the stream runs down hill all the time1 though the eddy may for a time apparently run up4 ,now1 as with men1 so it is with nations4 ,the purpose of national life is to bring forth and bring up manly men1 who do the most of human duty1 have the most of human rights1 and enjoy the most of human welfare4 ,so that is not the most successful nation which fills the largest space1 which occupies the longest time1 which produces the most cattle1 corn1 cotton1 or cloth1 but that which produces the most men4 ,and1 in reference to men1 you must count not numbers barely1 but character quite as much4 ,that is not the most successful nation which has an exceptional class of men1 highly cultured1 well-bodied1 well-minded1 well-born1 well-bred1 at the one end of society2 and at the other a mighty multitude1 an instantial class1 poor1 ill-born1 ill-bred1 ill-bodied1 and ill-minded too1 as in ,england2 but that is the most successful nation which has the whole body of its people well-born1 well-bred1 well-bodied1 and well-minded too2 and those are the best institutions which accomplish this best2 those worst1 which accomplish it least4 ,the government1 the society1 the school1 or the church1 which does this work1 is a good government1 society1 school1 or church2 that which does it not1 is good for nothing4 ,as with men1 so with nations4 ,each has a certain object of chief desire1 which object prevails over others4 ,the nation is not conscious of it1--less so1 indeed1 than the individual2 but1 silently1 it governs the nation's life4 ,sometimes this chief desire is the aggrandizement of the central power1--the monarchy3 it was so once in ,france2 but1 ,god be praised6 is not so now4 ,then devotion to the king's person was held as the greatest national excellence1 and disrespect for the king was treason1 the greatest national crime4 ,the people must not dare to whisper against their king4 ,sometimes it is the desire to build up an aristocracy4 ,it was once so in ,venice4 ,it may be an aristocracy of priests1 of soldiers1 of nobles1 or an aristocracy of merchants4 ,sometimes it is to build up a middle class of gentry1 as in ,basel and ,berne4 ,it may be a military desire1 as in ancient ,rome2 it may be ecclesiastical ambition1 as in modern ,rome2 or commercial ambition1 as in ,london and many other places4 ,the chief object of desire is not always the same in the course of a nation's history4 ,a nation now greatens the centripetal power1 strengthening the king and weakening the people2 now it greatens the centrifugal power1 weakening the king and strengthening the people4 ,but1 commonly1 you see some one desire runs through all the nation's history1 only modified by its youth1 or manhood1 or old age1 and by circumstances which react upon the nation as the nation acts upon them4 ,this chief object of desire may be permanent1 and so govern the whole nation for all its history4 ,or it may be1 on the other hand1 a transient desire1 which is to govern it for a time4 ,in either case1 it will appear prominently in the controlling classes2 either in the classes which control all through1 or in such as last only for a time4 ,thus the military desire appeared chiefly in the patricians of old ,rome1 and not much in the plebeians2 the commercial ambition appeared in the nobles of ,venice2 the ecclesiastical in the priests of modern ,rome1 where the people care little for the church1 though quite as much perhaps as it deserves4 ,as the chief desire of the individual calls out appetites and passions1 which are the machinery of that desire1 and reconstructs the man in its image2 so the desire of a nation1 transient or permanent1 becoming the master-motive of the people1 calls out certain classes of men1 who become its exponents1 its machinery1 and they make the constitution1 institutions1 and laws to correspond thereto4 ,as with one man1 so with the millions1 there may be fluctuations of purpose for a time4 ,i cannot expect that one man1 or many men1 will always pursue an object without at some time violating fundamental principles4 ,i might have thought so once4 ,but as ,i live longer1 and see the passion and the ambition of men1 see the force of circumstances1 ,i know better4 ,no ship sails across the ocean with a straight course1 without changing a sail3 it frequently leaves its direct line1 now standing this way1 now that2 and the course is a very crooked one1 although1 as a whole1 it is towards the mark4 ,america is a young nation1 composite1 not yet unified2 and it is1 therefore1 not quite so easy to say what is the chief desire of the people2 but1 if ,i understand ,american history1 this desire is the ,love of ,individual ,liberty4 ,nothing has been so marked in our history as this4 ,we are consciously1 in part1 yet still more unconsciously1 aiming at democracy1--at a government of all the people1 by all the people1 and for the sake of all the people4 ,of course that must be a government by the higher law of ,god1 by the ,eternal ,justice to which you and ,i and all of us owe reverence4 ,we all love freedom for ourselves2 one day we shall love it for every man1--for the tawny ,indian and the sable ,negro1 as much as for you and me4 ,this love of freedom has appeared in the ideas of ,new ,england1--and ,new ,england was once ,america2 it was once the soul1 although not the body of ,america4 ,it appeared in its political action and its ecclesiastical action1 in the ,state and in the church1 and in all the little towns4 ,in general1 every change in the constitution of a free ,state makes it more democratic2 every change in local law is for democracy1 not against it4 ,we have broken with the old feudal tradition1--broken forever with that4 ,i think this love of individual liberty is the specific desire of the people4 ,if we are proud of any thing1 it is of our free institutions4 ,i know there are men who are prouder of wealth than of any thing else3 by and by ,i shall have a word to say of them4 ,but in ,massachusetts1 ,new ,england1 in the ,north1 if we should appeal to the great body of the people1 and poll the house1 and ask of all what they were proudest of1 they would not say1 of our cattle1 or cotton1 or corn1 or cloth2 but it is of our freedom1 of our men and women4 ,leaving out of the calculation the abounding class1 which is corrupt everywhere1 and the perishing class1 which is the vassal as it is the creature of the abounding class1 and as corrupt and selfish here as everywhere1 we shall find that seven-eighths of the people of ,new ,england are eminently desirous of this one thing4 ,this desire will carry the day in any fifty years to come1 as it has done in two hundred and fifty years past4 ,the great political names of our history are all on its side3 ,washington1 the ,adamses--both of them1 ,god bless them6--,jefferson1 ,madison1 ,jackson1 these were all friends of liberty4 ,i know the exceptions in the history of some of these men1 and do not deny them4 ,other ,american names1 dear to the people1 are of the same stamp4 ,the national literature1 so far as we have any national literature1 is democratic4 ,i know there is what passes for ,american literature1 because it grows on ,american soil1 but which is just as far from being indigenous to ,america as the orange is from being indigenous to ,cape ,cod4 ,this literature is a poor1 miserable imitation of the feudal literature of old ,europe4 ,perhaps it is now the prominent literature of the time4 ,one day ,america will take it and cast it out from her4 ,the true ,american literature is very poor1 is very weak1 is almost miserable now2 but it has one redeeming quality1--it is true to freedom1 it is true to democracy4 ,in the ,revolution this desire of the nation was prominent1 and came to consciousness4 ,it was the desire of the most eminent champions of liberty4 ,at one time in the history of the nation1 the platform of speakers was in advance of the floor that was covered by the people at large1 because at that time the speakers became conscious of the idea which possessed the hearts of the people4 ,that is the reason why ,john ,hancock1 the two ,adamses1 and ,jefferson1 came into great prominence before the people4 ,they were more the people than the people themselves2 more democratic than the democrats4 ,i know1 and ,i think it must be quite plain in our history1 that this has been the chief desire of the people4 ,if so1 it determines our political destination4 ,however1 with nations as with men1 there are exceptional desires2 one of which1 with the ,american nation at present1 is the desire for wealth4 ,just now1 that is the most obvious and preponderate desire in the consciousness of the people4 ,it has increased surprisingly in fifty years4 ,it is the special1 the chief desire of the controlling class4 ,by the controlling class1 ,i mean what are commonly called our first men4 ,i admit exceptions1 and state the general rule4 ,with them every thing gives way to money1 and money gives way to nothing1 neither to man nor to ,god4 ,see some proofs of this4 ,there are two ways of getting money2 one is by trade1 the other is by political office4 ,the pursuit of money1 in one or the other of these ways1 is the only business reckoned entirely commendable and respectable4 ,there are other callings which are very noble in themselves1 and deemed so by mankind2 but here they are not thought commendable and respectable1 and accordingly you very seldom see young men1 born in what is called the most respectable class of society1 engaged in any thing except the pursuit of money by trade or by office4 ,there are exceptions2 but the sons of respectable men1 so called1 seldom engage in the pursuit of any thing but money by trade or office4 ,this is the chief desire of a majority of the young men of talent1 ambition1 and education4 ,even in colleges more respect is paid to money than to genius4 ,the purse is put before the pen4 ,in the churches1 wealth is deemed better than goodness or piety4 ,it names towns and colleges2 and he is thought the greatest benefactor of a university who endows it with money1 not with mind4 ,in giving name to a street in ,boston1 you call the wealthy end after a rich man1 and only the poor end after a man that was good and famous4 ,money controls the churches4 ,it draws veils of cotton over the pulpit window1 to color the light that cometh from above4 ,as yet the churches are not named after men whose only virtue is metallic1 but the recognized pillars of the churches are all pillars of gold4 ,festus does not tremble before ,paul1 but ,paul before ,festus4 ,the pulpit looks down to the pews for its gospel1 not up to the eternal ,god4 ,is there a rich pro-slavery man in the parish8 ,the minister does not dare read a petition from an oppressed slave asking ,god that his unalienable rights be given him4 ,he does not dare to ask alms for a fugitive4 ,st4 ,peter is the old patron saint of the ,holy ,catholic ,church4 ,st4 ,hunker is the new patron saint of the churches of commerce1 ,catholic and ,protestant4 ,money controls the law as well as the gospel4 ,the son of a great man and noble is forgotten if the father dies poor2 but the mantle of the rich man falls on the son's shoulders4 ,if the son be only half so manly as his sire1 and twice as rich1 he is sure to be doubly honored4 ,money supplies defects of character1 defects of culture4 ,it is deemed better than education1 talent1 genius1 and character1 all put together4 ,was it not written two thousand years ago in the ,proverbs1 it answereth all things8 ,look round and see4 ,it does not matter how you get or keep it4 ,the end justifies the means4 ,edmund ,burke1 or somebody else1 said ,something must be pardoned to the spirit of liberty4 ,now it is ,something must be pardoned to the love of money1 nothing to the spirit of liberty4 ,we find that rich men will move out of town on the last day of ,april1 to avoid taxation on the first day of ,may4 ,that is nothing4 ,it is very respectable1 very honorable1 indeed6 ,i do not believe that there is any master-carpenter or master-blacksmith in ,boston who would not be ashamed to do so4 ,but men of the controlling classes do not hesitate6 ,no matter how you get money4 ,you may rent houses for rum-shops and for brothels2 you may make rum1 import rum1 sell rum1 to the ruin of the thousands whom you thereby bring down to the kennel and the almshouse and the jail4 ,if you get money by that1 no matter3 it is clean money1 however dirtily got4 ,a merchant can send his ships to sea1 and in the slave-trade acquire gold1 and live here in ,boston1 ,new ,york1 or ,philadelphia2 and his gold will be good sterling gold1 no matter how he got it6 ,in political office1 if you are a ,senator from ,california or ,oregon1 you may draw constructive mileage1 and pay yourself two or three thousand dollars for a journey never made from home1 and two or three thousand more back to your home4 ,so you filch thousands of dollars out of the public purse1 and you are the ,honorable ,senator just as before4 ,you have got the money1 no matter how4 ,you may be a ,senator from ,massachusetts1 and you may take the trust fund1 offered you by the manufacturers of cotton1 and be bound as their retained attorney1 by your retaining fee1 and you are still the ,honorable ,senator from ,massachusetts1 not hurt one jot in the eyes of the controlling classes4 ,if you are ,secretary of ,state1 you may take forty or fifty thousand dollars from ,state ,street and ,wall ,street1 and suffer no discredit at all4 ,at one end of the ,union they will deny the fact as too atrocious to be believed at this end they admit it1 and say it was honorable in the people to give it1 and honorable in the ,secretary to take it4 ,alas6 the small discredit of a bribe ,scarce hurts the master1 but undoes the scribe4 ,it would sound a little strange to some people1 if we should find that the judges of a court had received forty or fifty thousand dollars from men who were plaintiffs in that ,court4 ,you and ,i would remember that a gift blindeth the eyes of the prudent1 how much more of the profligate6 ,but it would be honorable in the plaintiffs to give it2 honorable in the judges to take it6 ,hitherto ,i have called your attention to the proofs of the preponderance of money4 ,i will now point you to signs1 which are not exactly proofs1 of this immediate worship of money4 ,see these signs in ,boston4 ,when the ,old ,south ,church was built1 when ,christ's ,church in ,salem ,street1 when ,king's ,chapel1 when ,brattle ,square ,church1 they were respectively the costliest buildings in town4 ,they were symbols of religion1 as churches always are2 symbols of the popular esteem for religion4 ,out of the poverty of the people1 great sums of money were given for these ,houses of ,god4 ,they said1 like ,david of old1 ,it is a shame that we dwell in a palace of cedars1 and the ,ark of the ,most ,high remains under the curtains of a tent4 ,how is it now8 ,a crockery shop overlooks the roof-tree of the church where once the eloquence of a ,channing enchanted to heaven the worldly hearts of worldly men4 ,now a hotel looks down on the church which was once all radiant with the sweet piety of a ,buckminster4 ,a haberdasher's warehouse overtops the church of the ,blessed ,trinity2 the roof of the shop is almost as tall as the very tower of the church4 ,these things are only symbols4 ,let us compare ,boston1 in this respect1 with any ,european city that you can name2 let us compare it with gay and frivolous ,vienna1 the gayest and most frivolous city of all ,europe1 not setting ,paris aside4 ,for though the surface of life in ,paris sparkles and glitters all over with radiant and iridescent and dazzling bubbles1 empty and ephemeral1 yet underneath there flows a stream which comes from the great fountain of nature1 and tends on to the ocean of human welfare4 ,no city is more full of deep thought and earnest life4 ,but in ,vienna it is not so4 ,yet even there1 above the magnificence of the ,herrengasse1 above the proud mansions of the ,esterhazys and the ,schwartzenbergs and the ,lichtensteins1 above the costly elegance of the imperial palace1 ,st4 ,stephen's ,church lifts its tall spire1 and points to ,god all day long and all the night1 a still and silent emblem of a power higher than any mandate of the ,kings of earth2 ay1 to the ,infinite ,god4 ,men look up to its cross overtowering the frivolous city1 and take a lesson6 ,here1 ,trade looks down to find the church4 ,i am glad that the churches are lower than the shops4 ,i have said it many times1 and ,i say it now4 ,i am glad they are less magnificent than our banks and hotels4 ,i am glad that haberdashers' shops look down on them4 ,let the outward show correspond to the inward fact4 ,if ,i am pinched and withered by disease1 ,i will not disguise it from you by wrappages of cloth2 but ,i will let you see that ,i am shrunken and shrivelled to the bone4 ,if the pulpit is no nearer heaven than the tavern-bar1 let that fact appear4 ,if the desk in the counting-room is to give law to the desk in the church1 do not commit the hypocrisy of putting the pulpit-desk above the counting-room4 ,let us see where we are4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the consequence of such causes as are symbolized by these facts must needs appear in our civilization4 ,men tell us there is no law higher than mercantile6 ,do you wonder at it8 ,it was said in deeds before words2 the architecture of ,boston told it before the politicians4 ,money is the god of our idolatry4 ,let the fact appear in his temples4 ,money is master now1 all must give way to it1--that to nothing3 the church1 the ,state1 the law1 is not for man1 but money4 ,let the son of a distinguished man beat a watchman1 knowing him to be such1 and be brought before a ,justice 7it would be levying war if a mulatto had done so to the marshal72 he is bailed off for two hundred dollars4 ,but let a black man have in his pockets a weapon1 which the ,constitution and laws of ,massachusetts provide that any man may have if he please1 he is brought to trial and bound over for--two hundred dollars1 think you8 ,no6 but for six hundred dollars6 three times as much as is required of the son of the ,secretary of ,state for assaulting a magistrate6#bf ,the ,secretary of ,state publicly declared1 a short time since1 that ,the great object of government is the protection of property at home1 and respect and renown abroad4 ,i thank him for teaching us that word6 ,that is the actual principle of the ,american government4 ,in all countries of the world1 struggles take place for human rights4 ,but in all countries there is a class who desire a privilege for themselves adverse to the rights of mankind3 they are commonly richer and abler-minded than the majority of men2 they can act in concert4 ,between them and mankind there is a struggle4 ,the quarrel takes various forms4 ,the contest has been going on for a long time in ,europe4 ,there1 it is between the aristocracy of birth1 and the aristocracy of wealth2 for there it is not money1 but birth1 that makes noble4 ,in this struggle the aristocracy of birth is gradually giving way to the aristocracy of gold4 ,a long and brilliant rent-roll makes up for a short and obscure pedigree4 ,in that great movement for human freedom which has lasted a thousand years1 the city has generally represented ,right in its conflict with ,might4 ,so1 in the middle ages1 the city1 the home of the trader1 of the mechanic1 of the intelligent man1 was democratic4 ,there freedom got organized in guilds of craftsmen4 ,but the country was the home of the noble and his vassals1 the haughty1 the ignorant1 and the servile4 ,then the country was aristocratic4 ,it was so in the great struggles between the king and the people in ,england and ,france1 in ,italy and ,holland4 ,in ,america there is no nobility of birth--it was the people that came over1 not monarchy1 not aristocracy2 they did not emigrate4 ,the son of ,guy ,fawkes and the son of ,charlemagne are on the same level4 ,i know in ,boston some of the descendants of ,henri ,quatre1 the greatest king of ,france4 ,i know also descendants of ,thomas ,wentworth1 the great ,earl of ,strafford2 and yet they are now obscure and humble men1 although of famous birth4 ,i do not say it should not be so2 but such is the fact4 ,here the controversy is not between distinguished birth and money2 it is between money on the one hand1 and men on the other2 between capital and labor2 between usurped privilege and natural right4 ,here1 the cities1 as the seat of wealth1 are aristocratic2 the country1 as the seat of labor1 is democratic4 ,we may see this in ,boston4 ,almost all the journals in the city are opposed to a government of all the people1 by all the people1 for all the people4 ,take an example from the free soil movement1 which1 so far as it goes1 is democratic4 ,i am told that of the twenty-one journals in ,massachusetts that call themselves democratic1 eighteen favor the free soil movement1 more or less2 and that the three which do not are all in the cities4 ,the country favors the temperance movement1 one of the most democratic of all2 for rum is to the aristocracy of gold1 what the sword once was to the aristocracy of blood2 the castles of the baron1 and the rum-shops of the capitalist1 are alike fortresses adverse to the welfare of mankind4 ,the temperance movement finds little favor in the cities4 ,in the country he who works with manly hands is held in esteem2 in the city1 in contempt4 ,here laboring men have no political influence1 and little confidence in themselves4 ,they have been accustomed to do as they were told1--to do as their masters bid4 ,i call a man a ,tory who1 for himself or for others1 seeks a privilege adverse to the rights of mankind2 who puts the accidents of men before the substance of manhood4 ,i may safely say the cities1 in the main1 are ,tory towns2 that ,boston1 in this sense1 is a ,tory town4 ,they are so1 just as in the middle ages the cities were on the other side4 ,this is unavoidable in our form of civilization just now4 ,accordingly1 in all the great cities of the ,north1 slavery is in the ascendant3 but1 as soon as we get off the pavement1 we come upon different ideas2 freedom culminates and rises to the meridian4 ,in ,america the controlling class in general are superior to the majority in money1 in consequent social standing1 in energy1 in practical political skill1 and in intellectual development2 in virtue of these qualities1 they are the controlling class4 ,but in general they are inferior to the majority of men in justice1 in general humanity1 and in religion1--in piety and goodness4 ,respectability is put before ,right2 ,law before ,justice2 ,money before ,god4 ,with them religion is compliance with a public hearsay and public custom2 it is all of religion1 but piety and goodness2 its chief sacrament is bodily presence in a meeting-house2 its only sacrifice1 a pew-tax4 ,i know there are exceptions1 and honor them all the more for being so very exceptional3 they are only enough to show the rule4 ,in the main1 this controlling class governs the land by two instruments3 the first is the ,public ,law2 the next is ,public ,opinion4 ,the law is what was once public opinion1 or thought to be2 is fixed1 written1 and supposed to be understood by somebody4 ,public opinion is not written1 and not fixed2 but the opinion of the controlling class overrides and interprets the law1--bids or forbids its execution4 ,public opinion can make or unmake a law2 interpret as it chooses1 and enforce or forbid its execution as it pleases4 99 99 99 99 99 ,such being the case1 and such being the chief transient national desire just now1 the controlling class consider the ,state as a machine to help them make money4 ,a great politician1 it is said1 once laid down this rule1--,take care of the rich1 and the rich will take care of the poor4 ,perhaps he did not say that1 though he did say that ,the great object of government is the protection of property at home1 and respect and renown abroad4 ,such being the case1 laws are made accordingly1 and institutions are modified accordingly4 ,let me give an example4 ,in all the towns of ,new ,england1 town-money is raised by taxes on all the people1 and on all the property4 ,the rich man is taxed according to his riches1 and the poor man according to his poverty4 ,but the national money is raised by taxation not in proportion to a man's wealth4 ,a bachelor in ,new ,england1 with a million dollars1 pays a much smaller national tax than a carpenter who has no money at all1 but only ten children1 the poor man's blessing4 ,the mechanic1 with a family of twelve1 pays more taxes than the ,southern planter owning a tract of land as wide as the town of ,worcester1 with fifteen hundred slaves to till it4 ,this1 ,i say1 is not an accident4 ,it is the work of politicians1 who know what they are about1 and think a blunder is worse than a sin2 and1 sin as they may1 they do not commit such blunders as that4 ,this controlling class1 with their dependents1 their vassals1 lay and clerical--and they have lay as well as clerical vassals1 and more numerous1 if less subservient--keep up the institution of slavery4 ,two hundred years ago1 that was the worst institution of ,europe4 ,our fathers1 breaking with feudal institutions in general1 did not break with this3 they brought it over here4 ,but when the nation1 aroused for its hour of trial1 rose up to its great ,act of ,prayer1 and prayed the ,declaration of ,independence1 all the nation said ,amen to the great ,american idea therein set forth4 ,every ,northern ,state reaffirms the doctrine that ,all men are created equal1 and endowed by their ,creator with unalienable rights1 the right to life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness4 ,but in spite of this1 and of the consciousness that it is true1 while the ,northern ,states have cast out this institution1 the ,southern ,states have kept it4 ,the nation has adopted1 extended1 and fostered it4 ,this has been done1 notwithstanding the expectation of the people in #aghg that it would soon end4 ,it has been done against the design of the ,constitution1 which was to form a more perfect ,union1 establish justice1 insure domestic tranquillity1 provide for the common defence1 promote the general welfare1 and secure the blessings of liberty2 against the idea of ,america1 that ,all men have an equal and unalienable right to life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness2 against all religion1 all humanity1 all right1 ay1 and against the conscience of a majority of the people4 ,well1 a law was passed last ,september1 that would have been atrocious two hundred years ago3 you all know it4 ,i have no words to describe it by4 ,for the last two hundred years1 the ,english race has not invented an adjective adequate to describe it4 ,the ,english language is used up and broken down by any attempt to describe it4 ,that law was not the desire of the people2 and1 could the nation have been polled ,north and ,south1 three fourths would have said ,no6 to the passage of that law4 ,it was not passed to obtain the value of the slaves escaped1 for in seven months twenty slaves have not been returned6 ,it was not a measure looking to legal results1 but it was a political measure1 looking to political results3 what those results will be we shall see in due time4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in ,america the controlling class is divided into two great parties3 one is the ,slave ,power in the ,states of the ,south2 the other is the ,money ,power in the cities of the ,north4 ,there are exceptional men in both divisions--men that own slaves1 and yet love freedom and hate slavery4 ,there are rich men in ,northern cities who do the same2 all honor to them4 ,but in general it is not so2 nay1 it is quite otherwise4 ,they are hostile to the great idea of ,america4 ,let me speak with the nicety of theological speech4 ,these two divisions are two ,persons in one ,power2 there is only one ,nature in both1 one ,will4 ,if not the same nature1 it is a like nature3 ,homoi-ousia1 if not ,homo-ousia6 ,the ,fugitive ,slave ,law was the act of the two ,persons1 representing the same ,nature1 and the same ,will4 ,it was the result of a union of the ,slave ,power of the ,south with the ,money ,power of the ,north3 the ,philistines and the ,hebrews ploughed with the same heifer4 ,there is sometimes an excuse or a palliation for a wicked deed4 ,there was something like one for the ,gag ,law1 the ,alien and ,sedition ,law1 although there is no valid excuse for either of these laws1 none to screen their author from deserved reproach4 ,there is no excuse for the ,fugitive ,slave ,law2 there was no occasion for it4 ,you all know how it was brought about2 you remember the speech of ,mr4 ,webster on the #gth of ,march1 #ahej1 a day set apart for the blessed ,martyrs1 ,saints ,perpetua and ,felicitas4 ,we all know who was the author of that law4 ,it is ,mr4 ,webster's ,fugitive ,slave ,law6 ,it was his thunder1 unquestioned and unquestionable4 ,you know what a rapid change was wrought in the public opinion of the controlling classes1 soon after its passage4 ,first the leading whigs went over4 ,i will not say they changed their principles1 ,god knows1 not ,i1 what principles they have1 ,i will only say they altered their resolutions1 and ate their own words4 ,true1 the whigs have not all gone over4 ,there are a few who still cling to the old ,whig-tree1 after it has been shaken and shaken1 and thrashed and thrashed1 and brushed and brushed1 by politicians1 as apple-trees in autumn4 ,there are still a few little apples left1 small and withered no doubt1 and not daring to show their dishonored heads just now1 but still containing some precious seeds that may do service by and by4 ,whig journal after journal went over2 politician after politician caved in and collapsed4 ,at the sounding of the rams' horns of slavery1 how quick the ,whig ,jericho went down6 ,its fortresses of paper resolutions rolled up and blew away4 ,of course1 men changed only after logical conviction4 ,of course1 nobody expected a reward for the change1 at least only in the world to come4 ,were they not all ,christians8 ,true1 on the #agth of ,june last1 seventy-five years after the battle of ,bunker ,hill1 ,mr4 ,webster said in the ,senate1 that if the ,north should vote for the ,fugitive ,slave ,bill1 a ,tariff was expected4 ,but that was of no moment1 no more than worldly riches to the elect4 ,of course1 a man has a right to change his opinions every ten minutes1 if he has a good and sufficient reason4 ,of course1 these men expected no offices under this or any future ,president6 ,but presently the ,fugitive ,slave ,law became a ,whig doctrine1 a test of party fidelity and fitness for office6 ,you all remember the ,union meeting in ,boston4 ,on that occasion1 democrats of the worst kind suddenly became respectable4 ,the very democratic prince of devils was thought to be as good a gentleman as any in the city4 ,it was curious to see the effect of the ,fugitive ,slave ,law on the democratic party4 ,democrat after democrat caved in2 journal after journal went over2 horse1 foot1 and dragoons1 they went over4 ,the ,democratic party ,north1 and ,american ,slavery ,south1 have long been accustomed to accommodate themselves with the same nag after the old fashion of ride and tye4 ,in the cities1 democrats went over in tribes2 entire ,democratic ,zabulons and ,nephthalims1 whole ,galilees of ,democratic ,gentiles1 all at once saw great ,whig light2 and to them that sat in the shadow of ,freedom1 ,slavery sprung up4 ,that portion of the ,whig party which did not submit1 became as meek1 ay1 became meeker even than the beast which the old prophet in the fable is alleged to have ridden2 for1 though beaten again and again1--because alarmed at seeing the angel of ,freedom that bars the way before the great ,whig ,balaam1 who has been bidden by his master to go forth and curse the people of the ,lord1--it dares not open its mouth and say1 ,what have ,i done unto thee1 that thou hast smitten me these three times8 99 99 99 99 99 ,but when such a law is hostile to the feelings of a majority of the people1 to their conscience and their religion1 how shall we get the law executed8 ,that is a hard matter4 ,in ,russia and in ,austria it would be very easy4 ,russia has an army five hundred or eight hundred thousand strong2 and that army is ready4 ,but here there is no such army4 ,true1 the ,president asked ,congress to give him greater power1 and the answer came from the ,slave party ,south1 not from the ,money party ,north1 ,no6 you have more now than you know how to use4 ,failing in this attempt1 what was to be done that the law might be executed8 ,two things must be done3 ,a false idea must persuade the people to allow it to be done2 ,base men must be found to do it4 ,a word upon each point4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i4 ,the false idea is set on foot1 that the people are morally bound to obey any law which is made until it is repealed4 ,general ,haynau wrote a letter1 not long ago1 to the subalterns in the ,austrian army1 and thus quoth he3 ,you are bound to obey the law4 ,it is none of your business whether the law is constitutional or not2 that is our affair4 ,so went it with our officers here4 ,we are told that there is no such thing as a higher law1 no rule of conduct better than that enacted by the law of the land4 ,conscience is only to tell you to keep the statutes4 ,religion consists in fearing ,god and serving the king4 ,you are told that religion bids you to fear ,god and keep the commandments1 no matter what these commandments may be4 ,no matter whether it be ,king ,ahab1 or ,king ,peter the ,cruel3 you are told1--,mr4 ,republican1 what right have you to question the constitutionality or justice of any thing8 ,your business is to keep the law4 ,religion is a very excellent thing1 quotes ,mr4 ,webster1 except when it interferes in politics2 then it makes men mad4 ,it is instructive to see the different relations which religion has sustained to law1 at different periods of the world's history4 ,at some other time ,i may dwell more at length upon this2 now ,i will say but one word4 ,at the beginning1 religion takes precedence of law4 ,before there is any human government1 man bows himself to the ,source of law1 and accepts his rule of conduct from his ,god4 ,by and by1 some more definite rule is needed1 and wise men make human laws2 but they pretend to derive these from a divine source4 ,all the primitive lawgivers1 ,moses1 ,minos1 ,zaleucus1 ,numa1 and the rest1 speak in the name of ,god4 ,for a long time1 law comes up to religion for aid and counsel4 ,at length law and religion1 both imperfect1 are well established in society1 religion being the elder sister2 both act as guardians of mankind4 ,institution after institution rises up1 all of them baptized by religion and confirmed by law1 taking the sacrament from the hands of each4 ,at length it comes to pass that law seeks to turn religion out of doors4 ,politicians1 intoxicated with ambition1 giddy with power1 and sometimes also drunk with strong drink1 make a statute which outrages all the dictates of humanity1 and then insist that it is the duty of sober men to renounce religion for the sake of keeping the wicked statute of the politicians4 ,all tyrants have done so6 ,in the ,north1 the majority of men think that the law of man is subordinate to religion--the statutes of man beneath the law of ,god2 that as ethics1 personal morals1 are amenable to conscience1 so politics1 national morals1 are amenable to the same conscience2 and that religion has much to do with national as with individual life4 ,depend upon it1 that idea is the safeguard of the ,state and of the law4 ,it will preserve it1 purify it1 and keep it2 but it will scourge every wicked law out of the temple of justice with iron whips1 if need be4 ,depend upon it1 when we lose our hold of that idea1 all hope of order is gone4 ,but there is no danger2 we are pretty well persuaded1 that the law of ,god is a little greater than the statute of an accidental president unintentionally chosen for four years4 ,when we think otherwise1 we may count our case hopeless1 and give up all4 ,but with the controlling class of men it is not so4 ,they tell us that we must keep any law1 constitutional or not1 legal or not1 just or unjust3 first1 that we must submit passively1 and let the government execute it2 next1 we must actively obey it1 and with alacrity when called upon to execute it ourselves4 ,this doctrine is the theory advanced in most of the newspapers of ,boston4 ,it is preached in some of the pulpits1 though1 thank ,god6 not in all4 ,this doctrine appears in the charge of the ,judge of the ,circuit ,court to the grand jury4#bg ,i believe that judge to be a good and excellent and honorable man2 ,i never heard a word to the contrary1 and ,i am glad to think that it is so4#bh ,i have to deal only with his opinions2 not with his theoretic doctrines of law1 of which latter ,i profess to know nothing2 but with the theoretic doctrines of morality he lays down4 ,of morality ,i do profess to know something4 ,he says some excellent things in his charge1 which ,i am glad were said4 ,he is modest in some places1 and moderate in others4 ,he does not think that a dozen black men taking a fugitive out of court are guilty of levying war1 and therefore should be hanged1 drawn1 and quartered1 if you can catch them4 ,all honor to his justice4 ,he does not say1 as the ,secretary of ,state1 that we must suppress discussion and stop agitation4 ,he says we may agitate as much as we have a mind to2 may not only speak against a law1 but may declaim against it1 which is to speak strongly4 ,i thank the judge for this respect for the ,constitution4 ,but with regard to the higher and lower law1 he has some peculiar opinions4 ,he supposes a case3 that the people ask him1 ,which shall we obey1 the law of man or the law of ,god8 ,he says1 ,i answer1 obey both4 ,the incompatibility which the question assumes does not exist4 ,so1 then1 here is a great general rule1 that between the law of man and the will of ,god there is no incompatibility1 and we must obey both4 ,now let us see how this rule will work4 ,if ,i am rightly informed1 ,king ,ahab made a law that all the ,hebrews should serve ,baal1 and it was the will of ,god that they should serve the ,lord4--,according to this rule of the judge1 they must obey both4 ,but if they served ,baal1 they could not serve the ,lord4 ,in such a case1 what is to be done8--,we are told that ,elijah gathered the prophets together2 and he came unto all the people1 and said1 ,how long halt ye8 ,if the ,lord be ,god1 follow him2 but if ,baal1 then follow him4 ,our modern prophet says1 ,obey both4 ,the incompatibility which the question assumes does not exist4 ,such is the difference between ,judge ,elijah and ,judge ,peleg4 ,let us see how this rule will work in other cases2 how you can make a compromise between two opposite doctrines4 ,the king of ,egypt commanded the ,hebrew nurses1 ,when you do the office of a midwife to the ,hebrew women1 if it be a son ye shall kill him4 ,i suppose it is plain to the ,judge of the ,circuit ,court that this kind of murder1 killing the new-born infants1 is against the will of ,god2 but it is a matter of record that it was according to the law of man4 ,suppose the ,hebrew nurses had come to ask ,judge ,sprague for his advice4 ,he must have said1 ,obey both6 ,his rule is a universal one4 ,another decree was once made as it is said1 in the ,old ,testament1 that no man should ask any petition of any ,god for thirty days1 save of the king1 on penalty of being cast into the den of lions4 ,suppose ,daniel--,i mean the old ,daniel1 the prophet--should have asked him1 ,what is to be done8 ,should he pray to ,darius or pray to ,god8 ,obey both6 would be the answer4 ,but he cannot1 for he is forbid to pray to ,god4 ,we know what ,daniel did do4 ,the elders and scribes of ,jerusalem commanded the ,christians not to speak or to teach at all in the name of ,jesus2 but ,peter and ,john asked those functionaries1 ,whether it be right in the sight of ,god to hearken unto you more than unto ,god1 judge ye4 ,our judge must have said1 ,there is no incompatibility2 obey both6 ,what a comfortable ,scripture this would have been to poor ,john ,bunyan6 ,what a great ethical doctrine to ,st4 ,paul6 ,he did not know such ,christianity as that4 ,before this time a certain man had said1 ,no man can serve two masters4 ,but there was one person who made the attempt1 and he also is eminent in history4 ,here was the will of ,god1 to do to others as you would have others do to you3 ,love thy neighbor as thyself4 ,here is the record of the law of man3 ,now both the chief priests and the ,pharisees had given a commandment1 that1 if any man knew where he ,jesus were1 he should show it that they might take him4 ,judas1 it seems1 determined to obey both1--the law of man and the will of ,god4--,so he sat with ,jesus at the ,last ,supper1 dipped his hand in the same dish1 and took a morsel from the hand of ,christ1 given him in token of love4 ,all this he did to obey the will of ,god4 ,then he went and informed the ,commissioner or ,marshal where ,jesus was4 ,this he did to obey the law of man4 ,then he came back1 and found ,christ1--the agony all over1 the bloody sweat wiped off from his brow1 presently to bleed again1--the ,angel of ,strength there with him to comfort him4 ,he was arousing his sleeping disciples for the last time1 and was telling them1 ,pray1 lest ye enter into temptation4--,judas came and gave him a kiss4 ,to the eleven it seemed the friendly kiss1 obeying the will of ,god4 ,to the ,marshal it also seemed a friendly kiss1--obeying the law of man4 ,so1 in the same act1 he obeys the law of ,god and the will of man1 and there is no incompatibility6 ,of old it was said1 ,thou canst not serve ,god and mammon4 ,he that said it1 has been thought to know something of morals1--something of religion4 ,till the fugitive slave law was passed1 we did not know what a great saint ,iscariot was4 ,i think there ought to be a chapel for him1 and a day set apart in the calendar4 ,let him have his chapel in the navy-yard at ,washington4 ,he has got a priest there already4 ,and for a day in the calendar--set apart for all time the seventh of ,march6 ,let us look at some other things in that ,judge's address to the grand jury4 ,unjust and oppressive laws may indeed be passed by human government4 ,but if infinite and inscrutable ,wisdom permits political society 444 to establish such laws1 may not the same ,wisdom permit and require individuals 444 to obey them8 ,ask the prophets in such a case1 if they would have felt themselves permitted and required to obey them6 ,ask the men who were tortured1 not accepting deliverance1 that they might obtain a better resurrection2 who had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings1 yea1 moreover of bonds and imprisonment2 who were stoned and sawn asunder2 who were slain with the sword2 who wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins1 destitute1 afflicted1 and tormented1 of whom the world was not worthy6 ,ask the apostles1 who thanked ,god they were counted worthy to suffer shame in the name of ,christ6 ,ask ,paul1 who was eight times publicly beaten1 thrice shipwrecked2 and in perils of waters1 of robbers1 of the heathen1 of false brethren--that worst of all peril6 ,nay1 ask ,christ2 let the ,crucified reply1--whether1 when a wicked law is made1 and we are commanded to keep it1 ,god means we should6 ,ask the men who1 with their ocean-wearied feet1 consecrated the rock of ,plymouth forever6 ,ask the patriots of the ,revolution6 ,what do they say8 ,i will not give the answer4 ,even the martyred ,jesuits say ,no4 ,who is it that says ,yes8 ,judas and the ,judge4 ,let them go--each to his own place4 ,let me say no more of them4 ,this attempt to keep the people down by false doctrine1 is no new thing4 ,but to say that there is no law higher than what the ,state can make1 is practical atheism4 ,it is not a denial of ,god in his person2 that is only speculative atheism4 ,it is a denial of the functions and attributes of ,god2 that is real atheism4 ,if there is no ,god to make a law for me1 then there is no ,god for me4 ,the law of the land is so sacred1 it must override the law of ,god1 must it8 ,let us see if all the laws of the ,united ,states are kept everywhere4 ,let a black man go to ,south ,carolina in a ship1 and we shall see4 ,let the ,british minister complain that ,south ,carolina puts ,british subjects in jail1 for the color of their skin4 ,mr4 ,secretary ,clayton tells him1 ,we cannot execute the laws of the ,united ,states in ,south ,carolina4 ,why not8 ,because the people of ,south ,carolina will not allow it6 ,are the laws of ,massachusetts kept in ,boston1 then8 ,the usury law says1 ,thou shalt not take more than six per cent4 on thy money4 ,is that kept8 ,there are thirty-four millions of banking capital in ,massachusetts1 and ,i think that every dollar of this capital has broken this law within the past twelve months2 and yet no complaint has been made4 ,there are three or four hundred brothels in this city of ,boston1 and ten or twelve hundred shops for the sale of rum4 ,all of them are illegal3 some are as well known to the police as is this house2 indeed1 a great deal more frequented by some of them1 than any house of ,god4 ,does anybody disturb them8 ,no6 ,i have a letter from an alderman who furnishes me with facts of this nature1 who says1 that ,some of the low places are prosecuted1 some broken up4 ,last ,saturday night1 the very men who guarded ,mr4 ,sims1 ,i am told1 were playing cards in his prison-house1 contrary to the laws of ,massachusetts4 ,in ,court ,square1 in front of the court-house1 is a rum-shop1 one of the most frequented in the city1 open at all hours of the day1 and1 for aught ,i know1 of the night too4 ,i never passed when its fire was quenched1 and its worm dead4 ,is its owner prosecuted8 ,how many laws of ,massachusetts have been violated this very week1 in this very city1 by the slave-hunters here1 by the very officers of the ,state8 ,what is the meaning of this8 ,every law which favors the accumulation of money1 must be kept2 but those which prohibit the unjust accumulation of money by certain classes--they need not be kept4#bi ,no doubt it would be a great pity to have the city government careful to keep the laws of the city1--to suppress rum-shops1 and save the citizens from the almshouse1 the jail1 and the gallows4 ,such laws may be executed at ,truro and ,wellfleet2 but it is quite needless for the officers of ,the ,athens of ,america1 to attend to the temperance laws4#cj--,what a pity for the magistrates of ,boston to heed the laws of the ,state6 ,no2 it is the fugitive slave law that they must keep4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ii4 ,a great deal of pains has been taken to impress the people with their moral duty to obey the fugitive slave law4 ,to carry it out1 government needs base men2 and that1 my brothers1 is a crop which never fails4 ,rye and wheat may get blasted many times in the course of years2 the potato may rot2 apples and peaches fail4 ,but base men never fail4 ,put up your black pirate-flag in the market-place1 offer money and office1 and they will come as other carrion-vultures to their prey4 ,the olive1 the fig1 and the orange are limited in their range2 even ,indian corn and oats will not grow everywhere2 but base men are indigenous all the world over1 between the tropics1 and under a polar sky4 ,no bad scheme ever failed for lack of bad men to carry it out4 ,do you want to kill ,baptists and ,quakers in ,boston8 ,there are the men for you4 ,to hang witches at ,salem8 ,there are hangmen in plenty on ,gallows ,hill4 ,would ,james the ,second butcher his subjects8 ,he found his human tools ready4 ,would ,elizabeth murder the ,puritans and ,catholics8 ,there was no lack of ruffians4 ,would bloody ,mary burn the ,protestants8 ,there were more executioners than victims4 ,would the ,spanish ,inquisition torture and put to death the men for whom ,christ died8 ,she found priests and gentlemen1 ready for their office4 ,would ,nero murder the ,christians1 and make a spectacle of their sufferings8 ,rome is full of scoundrels to do the deed1 and teems with spectators rushing to the amphitheatre at the cry of ,christians to the ,lions6 all finding a holiday in their brothers' agony4 ,would the high-priests crucify the ,son of man8 ,they found a commissioner to issue the mandate1 a marshal to enforce it1 a commissioner to try him by illegal process1--for the process against ,christ was almost as unconstitutional as that against ,sims1--they found a commissioner ready to condemn ,christ1 against his own conscience1 soldiers ready to crucify him4 ,ay6 and there was a ,peter to deny him1 and a ,judas to betray1 and now there is a judge with his legal ethics1 to justify the betrayal6 ,i promised not to speak of ,judas or the judge again1 but they will come up before me6 ,it is true1 that1 if in ,boston1 some judicial monster should wish to seethe a man in a pot of scalding water1 he would find another ,john ,boilman in ,boston1 as ,judge ,jeffries found one in ,england1 in #afhf4 ,the churches of ,new ,england1 and the ,north1 have had their trials4 ,in my time they have been tried in various ways4 ,the temperance reformation tried them4 ,they have had perils on account of slavery4 ,the ,mexican war tried them2 the fugitive slave law has put them to the rack4 ,but1 never in my day1 have the churches been so sorely tried1 nor done so well as now4 ,the very letter of the ,new ,testament on the one side1 and of the ,old ,testament on the other1 both condemned the law2 the spirit of them both was against all slavery4 ,there are two great sects in ,christendom1--the churches of ,christianity1 and the churches of commerce4 ,the churches of ,christianity always do well3 they think that religion is love to ,god1 and love to man4 ,but the churches of commerce1 which know no higher law1 what should they do8 ,some of the ministers of the churches of commerce were wholly silent4 ,why so8 ,the poor ministers were very modest all at once4 ,now1 modesty is a commendable virtue2 but see how it works4 ,here is a man who has given his mind ten1 twenty1 or thirty years to the study of theology1 and knows every ,hebrew particle of the ,old ,testament1 and every ,greek particle of the ,new ,testament1 as well as he knows the ,lord's ,prayer2 every great work on the subject of ,christianity1 from ,nicodemus down to ,norton4 ,let him come out and say that the ,old ,testament was written like other books2 let him say that the miracles of the ,old and ,new ,testament are like the miracles of the ,popish legends2 then1 ministers in their pulpits1 who never studied theology or philosophy1 or pretended to study1 only to know1 the historical development of religion in the world1--they will come down instantly upon our poor man1 call his doctrines false1 and call him an infidel1 an atheist4 ,but let a rich parishioner1 or a majority of the rich parishioners1 be in favor of the fugitive slave law1 and all at once the minister is very modest indeed4 ,he says to his people1 by silence or by speech1 ,i do not understand these things2 but you1 my people1 who all your lives are engaged in making money and nothing else1 and worship mammon and nothing else1 you understand them a great deal better than ,i do4 ,my modesty forbids me to speak4 ,let us pray6#ca ,some ministers have been silent2 others have spoken out in favor of the lower law1 and in derision of the higher law4 ,here is a famous minister1 the very chief of his denomination1 reported in the newspapers to have said that he would surrender his own mother to slavery rather than have the ,union dissolved6 ,i believe him this time4 ,a few years ago1 that minister printed1 in the organ of his sect1 that the existence of ,god was not a certainty6 ,he did not mean to say that he doubted or disbelieved it1 only that it was not a certainty6 ,i should suppose that he had gone further in that direction1 and thought the non-existence of ,god was a certainty4 ,but he is not quite original in this proposed sacrifice4 ,he has been preceded and outbid by a ,spanish ,catholic4 ,here is the story in ,senor de ,castro's ,history of the ,spanish ,protestants1 written this very year4 ,i can tell the story shorter than it is there related4 ,in #aeha1 there lived a man in ,valladolid1 who had two ,protestant daughters1 being himself a ,catholic4 ,the ,inquisition was in full blast1 and its fiery furnace heated seven times hotter than before4 ,this man1 according to the commandment of the priests and ,pope1 complained to the inquisitors against his daughters1 who were summoned to appear before them4 ,they were tried1 and condemned to be burned alive1 at his suggestion4 ,he furnished the accusation1 brought forward the evidence1 and was the only witness in the case4 ,that was not all4 ,after this condemnation1 he went round his own estates1 and from selected trees cut down morsels of wood1 and carried them to the city to use in burning his own daughters4 ,he was allowed to do this1 and of course the priest commended him for his piety and love of ,god6 ,thus1 in #aeha1 in ,valladolid1 a father at noon-day1 with wood from his own estate1 on his own complaint and evidence1 with his own hands1 burned his two daughters alive2 and the ,catholic ,church said1 ,well done6 ,now1 in my opinion1 the ,hidalgo of ,valladolid a little surpasses the ,unitarian ,doctor of ,divinity4 ,i do not know what recompense of reward the ,spanish ,hidalgo got for his deed2 but the ,american divine1 for his offer1 has been put into one of the priests' offices1 that he might eat a piece of bread4 ,he has been appointed1 as the newspapers say1 a ,chaplain of the ,navy at ,washington4 ,verily he has his reward4 ,but there have been found men in ,boston to go a little further4 ,last ,thanksgiving ,day1 ,i said it would be difficult to find a magistrate in ,boston to take the odium of sending a fugitive back to slavery4 ,i believed1 after all1 men had some conscience1 although they talked about its being a duty to deliver up a man to bondage4 ,pardon me1 my country1 that ,i rated you too high6 ,pardon me1 town of ,boston1 that ,i thought your citizens all men6 ,pardon me1 lawyers1 that ,i thought you had been all born of mothers6 ,pardon me1 ruffians1 who kill for hire6 ,i thought you had some animal mercy left1 even in your bosom6 ,pardon me1 ,united ,states' commissioners1 marshals1 and the like1 ,i thought you all had some shame6 ,pardon me1 my hearers1 for such mistakes4 ,one commissioner was found to furnish the warrant6 ,pardon me1 ,i did not know he was a commissioner2 if ,i had1 ,i never would have said it6 ,spirits of tyrants1 ,i look down to you6 ,shade of ,cain1 you great first murderer1 forgive me that ,i forgot your power1 and did not remember that you were parent of so long a line6 ,and you1 my brethren1 if hereafter ,i tell you that there is any limit of meanness or wickedness which a ,yankee will not jump over1 distrust me1 and remind me of this day1 and ,i will take it back6 ,let us look at the public conduct of any commissioner who will send an innocent man from ,boston into slavery4 ,i would speak of all men charitably2 for ,i know how easy it is to err1 yea1 to sin4 ,i can look charitably on thieves1 prowling about in darkness2 on rumsellers1 whom poverty compels to crime2 on harlots1 who do the deed of shame that holy woman's soul abhors and revolts at2 ,i can pity the pirate1 who scours the seas doing his fiendish crimes--he is tempted1 made desperate by a gradual training in wickedness4 ,the man1 born at the ,south1 owning slaves1 who goes to ,africa and sells adulterated rum in exchange for men to retail at ,cuba1--,i cannot understand the consciousness of such a man2 yet ,i can admit that by birth and by breeding he has become so imbruted1 he knows no better4 ,nay1 even that he may perhaps justify his conduct to himself4 ,i say ,i think his sin is not so dreadful as that of a commissioner in ,boston who sends a man into slavery4 ,a man commits a murder1 inflamed by jealousy1 goaded by desire of great gain1 excited by fear1 stung by malice1 or poisoned by revenge1 and it is a horrid thing4 ,but to send a man into slavery is worse than to murder him4 ,i should rather be slain than enslaved4 ,to do this1 inflamed by no jealousy1 goaded by no desire of great gain1--only ten dollars6--excited by no fear1 stung by no special malice1 poisoned by no revenge1--,i cannot comprehend that in any man1 not even in a hyena4 ,beasts that raven for blood do not kill for killing's sake1 but to feed their flesh4 ,forgive me1 ,o ye wolves and hyenas6 that ,i bring you into such company4 ,i can only understand it in a devil6 ,when a man bred in ,massachusetts1 whose ,constitution declares that ,all men are born free and equal2 within sight of ,faneuil ,hall1 with all its sacred memories2 within two hours of ,plymouth ,rock2 within a single hour of ,concord and ,lexington2 in sight of ,bunker ,hill1--when he will do such a deed1 it seems to me that there is no life of crime long enough to prepare a man for such a pitch of depravity2 ,i should think he must have been begotten in sin1 and conceived in iniquity1 and been born with a dog's head on his shoulders2 that the concentration of the villany of whole generations of scoundrels would hardly be enough to fit a man for a deed like this6 ,you know the story of ,thomas ,sims4 ,he crept on board a ,boston vessel at ,savannah4 ,perhaps he had heard of ,boston1 nay1 even of ,faneuil ,hall1 of the old ,cradle of ,liberty1 and thought this was a ,christian town1 at least human1 and hoped here to enjoy the liberty of a man4 ,when the ship arrived here1 the first words he spoke were1 ,are we up there8 ,he was seized by a man who at the court-house boasted of his cruelty towards him1 who held him by the hair1 and kept him down1 seeking to kidnap and carry him back into slavery4 ,he escaped6 ,but a few weeks pass by3 the man-stealers are here2 the commissioner issues his warrant2 the marshals serve it in the night4 ,last ,thursday night1--when odious beasts of prey1 that dare not face the light of heaven1 prowl through the woods1--those ruffians of the law seized on their brother-man4 ,they lie to the bystanders1 and seize him on a false pretence4 ,there is their victim--they hold him fast4 ,his faithless knife breaks in his hand2 his coat is rent to pieces4 ,he is the slave of ,boston4#cb ,can you understand his feelings8 ,let us pass by that4 ,his trial6 ,shall ,i speak of that8 ,he has been five days on trial for more than life1 and has not seen a judge6 ,a jury8 ,no1--only a commissioner6 ,o justice6 ,o republican ,america6 ,is this the liberty of ,massachusetts8 ,where shall ,i find a parallel with men who will do such a deed1--do it in ,boston8 ,i will open the tombs1 and bring up most hideous tyrants from the dead4 ,come1 brood of monsters1 let me bring you up from the deep damnation of the graves wherein your hated memories continue for all time their never-ending rot4 ,come1 birds of evil omen6 come1 ravens1 vultures1 carrion-crows1 and see the spectacle6 come1 see the meeting of congenial souls6 ,i will disturb1 disquiet1 and bring up the greatest monsters of the human race6 ,tremble not1 women2 tremble not1 children2 tremble not1 men6 ,they are all dead6 ,they cannot harm you now6 ,fear the living1 not the dead4 ,come hither1 ,herod the wicked4 ,thou that didst seek after that young child's life1 and destroyedst the ,innocents6 ,let me look on thy face6 ,no2 go6 ,thou wert a heathen6 ,go1 lie with the ,innocents thou hast massacred4 ,thou art too good for this company6 ,come1 ,nero6 ,thou awful ,roman ,emperor6 ,come up6 ,no2 thou wast drunk with power6 schooled in ,roman depravity4 ,thou hadst1 besides1 the example of thy fancied gods6 ,go1 wait another day4 ,i will seek a worser man4 ,come hither1 ,st4 ,dominic6 come1 ,torquemada6--,fathers of the ,inquisition6 ,merciless monsters1 seek your equal here6 ,no2 pass by6 ,you are no companions for such men as these6 ,you were the servants of atheistic popes1 of cruel kings4 ,go to1 and get you gone4 ,another time ,i may have work for you1--not now2 lie there and persevere to rot4 ,you are not yet quite wicked and corrupt enough for this comparison4 ,go1 get ye gone1 lest the sun turn back at sight of ye6 ,come up1 thou heap of wickedness1 ,george ,jeffries6--thy hands deep purple with the blood of thy murdered fellow men6 ,ah1 ,i know thee6 awful and accursed shade6 ,two hundred years after thy death1 men hate thee still1 not without cause6 ,let me look upon thee6 ,i know thy history4 ,pause and be still1 while ,i tell it to these men4 ,brothers1 ,george ,jeffries began in the sedition line4 ,there was no act1 however bad1 that he would not resort to to get on4 ,he was of a bold aspect1 and cared not for the countenance of any man4 ,he became the avowed1 unblushing slave of the court1 and the bitter persecutor and unappeasable enemy of the principles he had before supported4 ,he was universally insolent and over-bearing4 ,as a judge1 he did not consider the decencies of his post1 nor did he so much as affect to be impartial1 as became a judge4 ,his face and voice were always unamiable4 ,all tenderness for the feelings of others1 all self-respect were obliterated from his mind4 ,he had a delight in misery1 merely as misery1 and that temper which tyrants require in their worst instruments4 ,he made haste to sell his forehead of brass and his tongue of venom to the court4 ,he had more impudence than ten carted street-walkers2 and was appropriately set to a work which could be trusted to no man who reverenced law1 or who was sensible of shame4 ,he was a ,commissioner in #afhe4 ,you know of the ,bloody assizes which he held1 and how he sent to execution three hundred and twenty persons in a single circuit4 ,the whole country was strewed with the heads and limbs of his victims4 ,yet a man wrote that ,a little more hemp might have been usefully employed4 ,he was the worst of the ,english judges4 ,there was no measure1 however illegal1 to the execution of which he did not devotedly and recklessly abandon himself4 ,during the ,stuart reigns1 ,england was cursed by a succession of ruffians in ermine1 who1 for the sake of court favor1 wrested the principles of law1 the precepts of religion1 and the duties of humanity2 but they were all greatly outstripped by ,jeffries4 ,such is his history4 ,come1 shade of a judicial butcher6 ,two hundred years thy name has been pilloried in face of the world1 and thy memory gibbeted before mankind6 ,let us see how thou wilt compare with those who kidnap men in ,boston6 ,go seek companionship with them6 ,go claim thy kindred1 if such they be6 ,go tell them that the memory of the wicked shall rot1--that there is a ,god2 an ,eternity2 ay6 and a ,judgment too6 where the slave may appeal against him that made him a slave1 to ,him that made him a man4 ,what6 ,dost thou shudder8 ,thou turn back8 ,these not thy kindred6 ,why dost thou turn pale1 as when the crowd clutched at thy life in ,london ,street8 ,it is true1 ,george ,jeffries1 and these are not thy kin4 ,forgive me that ,i should send thee on such an errand1 or bid thee seek companionship with such--with ,boston hunters of the slave6 ,thou wert not base enough6 ,it was a great bribe that tempted thee6 ,again ,i say1 pardon me for sending thee to keep company with such men6 ,thou only struckst at men accused of crime2 not at men accused only of their birth6 ,thou wouldst not send a man into bondage for two pounds6 ,i will not rank thee with men who1 in ,boston1 for ten dollars1 would enslave a negro now6 ,rest still1 ,herod6 ,be quiet1 ,nero6 ,sleep1 ,st4 ,dominic1 and sleep1 ,o ,torquemada6 in your fiery jail6 ,sleep1 ,jeffries1 underneath the altar of the church which seeks with ,christian charity to hide your hated bones4 ,but1 asks a looker-on1 ,what is all this for8 ,oh6 to save the ,union4 ,a precious ,union which needs a saving such as this6 ,and who are to rend the ,union asunder8 ,why1 men that hate slavery and love freedom for all mankind4 ,is this the way to make them love the ,union and slavery1 and hate freedom for all mankind8 ,we know none better4 ,what sort of a measure is this fugitive slave law8 ,oh6 it is a peace measure4 ,don't you see how well it works8 how quiet the city8 in the country not a mouse stirring8 ,there will not be a word against the peace measure in all ,new ,england on this ,fast ,day4 ,blessed are the peace-makers1 saith ,lord6 ,but you have great warrant for such deeds8 ,oh yes1 the best in the world1--the example of ,washington4 ,he also saved the ,union4 ,so men blaspheme4 ,let me tell you a little of that great man4 ,shortly after the passage of the law of #agic1 a favorite female slave of ,washington's wife ran away from the ,president of the new republic1 and went into ,new ,hampshire4 ,she lived at ,portsmouth4 ,washington wrote to ,mr4 ,whipple1 a ,united ,states' marshal1 ,i think1 or1 at any rate1 an officer of the ,united ,states1 saying that he should like to have the woman sent back to him1 if it could be done without tumult1 and without shocking the principles and the feelings of the people4 ,he added that the slave was a favorite of his wife4 ,mr4 ,whipple wrote back1 and said1--,it cannot be done without tumult1 nor without shocking the principles and feelings of the people4 ,washington said no more6 ,the woman died at a great age1 a few years ago1 at ,portsmouth4 ,that was the example of ,washington1--the man who at his death freed his slaves6 ,would to ,god he had done it before6 ,but they that come at the eleventh hour shall never be cast out from my charity4 99 99 99 99 99 ,see what is the consequence of this measure6 ,see what has been the condition of ,boston for the past week6 ,read the mingled truth and lies in the newspapers2 look at men's faces in the street2 listen to their talk2 see the court-house in chains2 see one hundred policemen on guard1 and three companies of military picketed in ,faneuil ,hall2 behold the people shut out from the courts--,i will not say of justice6 ,see the officers of ,massachusetts made slave-hunters--against the law2 constitutional rights struck down--against the law2 sheriffs refusing to serve writs--against the law2 see the great civil rights our fathers gained five hundred years ago1 the trial by jury1 by our peers1 by the law of the land1 all cloven down2 the writ of personal replevin made null--no sheriff daring to execute a law made to suit such a case as this1 made but eight years ago6 ,where is your high ,sheriff8 ,where is your ,governor8 ,see the judges of ,massachusetts bend beneath that chain2 see them bow down1 one by one1 and kneel1 and creep1 and cringe1 and crouch1 and crawl1 under the chain6 ,note the symbol6 ,that was the chain on the neck of the ,commonwealth1 visible on the necks of the judges as they entered the ,bastile of ,boston1--the ,barracoon of ,boston6 ,a few years ago1 they used to tell us1 ,slavery is an abstraction2 we at the ,north have nothing to do with it1 ,now liberty is only an abstraction6 ,here is a note just handed me in the pulpit3-- ,marshal ,tukey told me this morning1 that his orders were not merely to keep the peace1 but to assist the ,united ,states' marshal in detaining and transporting the slave2 that he knew he was violating the ,state law1 as well as ,i did2 but it was not his responsibility1 but that of the ,mayor and ,aldermen4 ,i thought you might like to know this4 ,well1 my brethren1 ,i know ,boston has seen sad days before now4 ,when the stamp act came here in our fathers' time1 it was a sad day2 they tolled the bells all over town1 and ,mayhew wished they were cut off that trouble you4 ,it was a sad day when the tea came here1 although1 when it went down the stream1 all the hills of ,new ,england laughed4 ,and it was a sadder day still1 the #agth of ,june1 #agge1 when our fathers fought and bled on yonder hill1 all red from battle at ,concord and ,lexington1 and poured sheeted death into the ranks of their enemies1 while the inhabitants of this town lifted up their hands1 but could not go to assist their brethren in the field2 and when1 to crown all their sadness1 they saw four hundred of the houses of their sister town go up in flames to heaven1 and could not lend a helping hand6 ,a sadder day when they fired one hundred guns in ,boston for the passage of the fugitive slave law4 ,it was the saddest day of all1 when a man was kidnapped in ,boston by the men of ,boston1 and your court-house hung with chains4 ,it was not from the tyrants of the other side of the world that this trouble came6 ,if you could have seen what ,i have this morning1 at sunrise1 one hundred of the police of this city1 contrary to the laws of the ,state1 drilling with drawn swords1 to learn to guard a man whilst he should be carried into bondage6 ,and who do you suppose was at their head8 ,a man bearing an honorable name--,samuel ,adams6 ,tell it not in ,massachusetts2 let not your children hear of this1 lest they curse the mothers that bore them4 ,it is well that we should have a day of fasting and humiliation and prayer1 when such things are done here4 ,well1 my brethren1 these are only the beginning of sorrows4 ,there will be other victims yet2 this will not settle the question4 ,what shall we do8 ,i think ,i am a calm man and a cool man1 and ,i have a word or two to say as to what we shall do4 ,never obey the law4 ,keep the law of ,god4 ,next ,i say1 resist not evil with evil2 resist not now with violence4 ,why do ,i say this8 ,will you tell me that ,i am a coward8 ,perhaps ,i am2 at least ,i am not afraid to be called one4 ,why do ,i say1 then1 do not now resist with violence8 ,because it is not time just yet2 it would not succeed4 ,if ,i had the eloquence that ,i sometimes dream of1 which goes into a crowd of men1 and gathers it in its mighty arm1 and sways them as the pendent boughs of yonder elm shall be shaken by the summer breeze next ,june1 ,i would not give that counsel4 ,i would call on men1 and lift up my voice like a trumpet through the whole land1 until ,i had gathered millions out of the ,north and the ,south1 and they should crush slavery forever1 as the ox crushes the spider underneath his feet4 ,but such eloquence is given to no man4 ,it was not given to the ancient ,greek who shook the arsenal and fulmined over ,greece4 ,he that so often held the nobles and the mob of ,rome within his hand1 had it not4 ,he that spoke as never man spake1 and who has since gathered two hundred millions to his name1 had it not4 ,no man has it4 ,the ablest must wait for time6 ,it is idle to resist here and now4 ,it is not the hour4 ,if in #agfe they had attempted to carry out the ,revolution by force1 they would have failed4 ,had it failed1 we had not been here to-day4 ,there would have been no little monument at ,lexington sacred to liberty and the rights of mankind1 honoring the men who fell in the cause of ,god and their country4 ,no little monument at ,concord2 nor that tall pile of eloquent stone at ,bunker ,hill1 to proclaim that ,resistance to tyrants is obedience to ,god4 ,success is due to the discretion1 heroism1 calmness1 and forbearance of our fathers3 let us wait our time4 ,it will come--perhaps will need no sacrifice of blood4 ,resist1 then1 by peaceful means2 not with evil1 but with good4 ,hold the men infamous that execute this law2 give them your pity1 but never give them your trust1 not till they repent4 ,then swiftly forgive4 ,agitate1 discuss1 petition1 and elect to office men whom you can trust2 not men who never show their face in the day of darkness and of peril4 ,choose men that are men4 ,i suppose that this man will be carried back to slavery4 ,the law of the ,united ,states has been cloven down2 the law of ,massachusetts cloven down4 ,if we have done all that we can we must leave the result to ,god4 ,it is something that a man can only be kidnapped in ,boston by riding over the law1 and can only be tried in a court-house surrounded by chains1 when the crouching judges crawl under the iron of slavery to enter their house of bondage2 that even on ,fast ,day it is guarded by one hundred police1 and three companies of military are picketed in ,faneuil ,hall--the ,sims ,brigade6#cc ,the ,christians saw ,christ crucified1 and looked on from afar2 sad1 but impotent4 ,the ,christians at ,rome saw their brethren martyred1 and could not help them3 they were too weak4 ,but the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church4 ,to-day is ,st4 ,bademus' ,day3 three hundred and seventy-six years after ,christ1 that precious saint was slain because he would not keep the commandment of the king4 ,by crucified redeemers shall mankind be saved4 ,if we cannot prevent crucifixion1 let us wait for the redemption4 ,shall ,i ask you to despair of human liberty and rights8 ,i believe that money is to triumph for the present4 ,we see it does in ,boston1 ,philadelphia1 ,new ,york1 and ,washington3 see this in the defence of bribery2 in the chains of the court-house2 in the judges' pliant necks2 in the swords of the police to-day2 see it in the threats of the press to withdraw the trade of ,boston from towns that favor the unalienable rights of man6 ,will the ,union hold out8 ,i know not that4 ,but1 if men continue to enforce the fugitive slave law1 ,i do not know how soon it will end2 ,i do not care how soon the ,union goes to pieces4 ,i believe in ,justice and the ,law of ,god2 that ultimately the right will prevail4 ,wrong will prevail for a time1 and attract admiration4 ,i have seen in a haberdasher's shop-window the figure of a wooden woman showily arrayed1 turning round on a pivot1 and attracting the gaze of all the passers-by2 but ere long it is forgotten4 ,so it will be with this transient love of slavery in ,boston2 but the love of right will last as long as the granite in ,new ,hampshire hills4 ,i will not tell you to despair of freedom because politicians are false2 they are often so4 ,despair of freedom for the black man6 ,no1 never4 ,not till heaven shakes down its stars2 nay1 not till the heart of man ceases to yearn for liberty2 not till the eternal ,god is hurled from his throne1 and a devil takes his place6 ,all the arts of wicked men shall not prevail against the ,father2 nay1 at last1 not against the ,son4 ,the very scenes we have witnessed here1--the ,court-,house in chains1--the ,laws of ,massachusetts despised1--the ,commonwealth disgraced1--these speak to the people with an eloquence beyond all power of human speech4 ,here is great argument for our cause4 ,this work begets new foes to every form of wrong4 ,there is a day after to-day1--an eternity after to-morrow4 ,let us be courageous and active1 but cool and tranquil1 and full of hope4 ,these are the beginning of sorrows2 we shall have others1 and trials4 ,continued material prosperity is commonly bad for a man1 always for a nation4 ,i think the time is coming when there will be a terrible contest between liberty and slavery4 ,now is the time to spread ideas1 not to bear arms4 ,i know which will triumph3 the present love of thraldom is only an eddy in the great river of the nation's life2 by and by it will pass down the stream and be forgot4 ,liberty will spread with us1 as the spring over the ,new ,england hills4 ,one spot will blossom1 and then another1 until at last the spring has covered the whole land1 and every mountain rejoices in its verdant splendor4 ,o ,boston6 thou wert once the prayer and pride of all ,new ,england men1 and holy hands were laid in baptism on thy baby brow6 ,thou art dishonored now2 thou hast taken to thy arms the enemies of men4 ,thou hast betrayed the slave2 thy brother's blood cries out against thee from the ground4 ,thou art a stealer of mankind4 ,in thy borders1 for long years1 the ,cradle of ,liberty has been placed4 ,the golden serpent of commerce has twined its snaky folds about it all1 and fascinated into sleep the child4 ,tread lightly1 soldiers3 he yet may wake4 ,yes1 in his time this child shall wake1 and ,boston shall scourge out the memory of the men who have trodden her laws under foot1 violated the dearest instincts of her heart1 and profaned her religion4 ,i appeal from ,boston1 swollen with wealth1 drunk with passion1 and mad against freedom--to ,boston in her calm and sober hour4 ,o ,massachusetts1 noble ,state1 the mother that bore us all2 parent of goodly institutions and of noble men1 whose great ideas have blessed the land6--how art thou denied1 dishonored1 and brought low6 ,one of thine own hired servants has wrought this deed of shame1 and rent the bosom which took him as an adopted son4 ,shall it be always thus8 ,i conjure thee by all thy battle-fields1--by the remembrance of the great men born of thee1 who battled for the right1 thy ,franklin1 ,hancock1 the ,adamses--three in a single name1--by thine ideas and thy love of ,god1--to forbid forever all such deeds as this1 and wipe away thy deep disgrace4 ,america1 thou youngest born of all ,god's family of ,states6 thou art a giant in thy youth1 laying thine either hand upon thine either sea2 the lakes behind thee1 and the ,mexique bay before4 ,hast thou too forgot thy mission here1 proud only of thy wide-spread soil1 thy cattle1 corn1 thy cotton1 and thy cloth8 ,wilt thou welcome the ,hungarian hero1 and yet hold slaves1 and hunt poor negroes through thy land8 ,thou art the ally of the despot1 thyself out-heathening the heathen ,turk4 ,yea1 every ,christian king may taunt thee with thy slaves4 ,dost thou forget thine own great men1--thy ,washington1 thy ,jefferson8 forget thine own proud words prayed forth to ,god in thy great act of prayer8 ,is it to protect thy wealth alone that thou hast formed a ,state8 and shall thy wealth be slaves8 ,no1 thou art mad4 ,it shall not be4 ,one day thou wilt heed the lessons of the past1 practise thy prayer1 wilt turn to ,god1 and rend out of thy book the hated page where ,slavery is writ4 ,thy sons who led thee astray in thy madness1 where shall they appear8 ,and thou our ,god1 the ,father of us all1 ,father and ,mother too1 ,parent of freemen1 ,parent also of the slave1 look down upon us in our sad estate4 ,look down upon thy saints1 and bless them2 yea1 bless thy sinners too2 save from the wicked heart4 ,bless this town by thy chastisement2 this ,state by thine afflictions2 this nation by thy rod4 ,teach us to resist evil and with good1 till we break the fetters from every foot1 the chains from every hand1 and let the oppressed go free4 ,so let thy kingdom come2 so may thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven4 ,,footnotes3 #bf ,the above paragraph refers to cases which had then recently occurred1 and were known to everybody4 #bg ,mr4 ,peleg ,sprague4 #bh ,the above paragraph was written in ,april1 #ahea1 and was only historical1 not also prophetic4 #bi ,it was well known that the laws of ,massachusetts were violated1 but no prosecution of the offenders was ever begun4 ,the committee to whom the matter was referred1 thought that the ,supreme ,court of ,massachusetts was not to be trusted to vindicate the laws of the ,state1 against kidnappers in ,boston4 #cj ,in ,november1 #ahea1 the ,city ,marshal reports to the ,board of ,aldermen1 the following facts3--,there are fifteen hundred places in ,boston1 where intoxicating drinks are sold1 in violation of the laws of ,massachusetts4 ,kept by ,americans1 #dij ,kept by foreigners1 #ajaj ,open on ,sunday1 #igi ,groceries that keep intoxicating drink1 #dfi ,other places1 #ajca ,all the ,first class hotels1 except four1 have open bars1 for the sale of intoxicating drink4 ,the government of ,boston1 which violated the laws of ,massachusetts1 to kidnap a man1 and deliver him to his tormentors1 asks the city marshal to give such information as is calculated to check the progress of crime and intemperance4 ,he reports--,execute the laws6 ,in #ahea1 ,boston has the honor of kidnapping one of her inhabitants1 and sending him to slavery1 and of supporting fifteen hundred rum-shops1 in continual violation of the laws of ,massachusetts4 #ca ,while these volumes are getting printed1 one of the sectarian newspapers of ,boston publishes the following paragraph3-- ,the ,english railways are all in use on the ,sabbath1 and all evidently under a curse4 ,their stock is ruinously low4 ,three hundred and fifty millions of dollars have been embarked in these enterprises1 and the average dividends which they pay is but three per cent4 ,and more than this1 a large number of fatal accidents have occurred of late4 ,while we regret that the business men of ,england1 who control these lines1 have not wisdom enough to see the folly of making haste to be rich1 in defiance of the ordinances of ,god1 we rejoice that so many of the railroad operators in this country1 rest on the ,sabbath day1 according to the commandment4 ,see note ,b9999 on p4 #bfg4 #cb ,the tattered garment is still kept as a melancholy monument of the civilization of ,boston in the middle of the nineteenth century4 #cc ,mr4 ,sims was sent off to bondage in the barque ,acorn by the city authorities of ,boston4 ,i believe he is the first man ever returned as a fugitive slave from ,massachusetts by the form of law since the adoption of the ,constitution4 ,arrived at ,savannah1 he was immediately conducted to prison4 ,his mother and other relatives were not allowed to see him4 ,he was cruelly and repeatedly scourged4 ,meantime the citizens of ,boston1 who had aided in kidnapping him1 and had accompanied him to ,savannah1 were publicly feasted by the inhabitants of ,georgia4 ,the present fate of ,mr4 ,sims is unknown to me4 ,nov4 #bgth1 #ahea4 ,,vii4 ,,the ,,three ,,chief ,,safeguards ,,of ,,society4--,,considered ,,in ,a ,,sermon ,,at ,,the ,,melodeon1 ,,on ,,sunday1 ,,july #f1 #ahea4 ,,proverbs ,,xiv4 #cd4 ,righteousness exalteth a ,nation4 ,this is the first ,sunday after the anniversary of the national birth-day4 ,it seems proper1 on this occasion1 to go beyond matters merely personal1 and affecting us only as individuals4 ,i will speak of the duties of man in a wider sphere2 of political affairs4 ,so ,i ask your attention to a ,sermon of the ,safeguards of ,society4 ,i choose this subject1 because some men profess a fear that ,american society is in danger1 and because some persons are busily teaching doctrines which seem hostile to the very design of society itself4 ,i shall not speak of politics as economy1 but as morality1 and look at the affairs of ,state from a religious point of view4 ,we are often told1 that human society is of divine appointment1--society meaning the mass of men living together in a certain fellowship4 ,if this means that man is by nature a social being1 and in their progressive development men must unite and form societies1 then1 it is true1 society is of divine appointment4 ,but so is a farm2 for man is by nature and position an agricultural being1 and in their progressive development men make farms and practise agriculture4 ,agriculture is as necessary as society4--,but it does not follow from this1 that the ,egyptian1 the ,flemish1 or the ,american mode of agriculture is of divine appointment1 and men bound by ,god to practise that1 or to limit themselves thereto2 and it no more follows that the ,egyptian1 the ,flemish1 or the ,american mode of society is of divine appointment1 and men bound by ,god to limit themselves to it4 ,it would be thought ridiculous to claim divinity for ,dutch farming1 or any other special mode of farming2 but it is just as ridiculous to claim divinity for ,dutch society1 or any other society4 ,the farm and the society are alike and equally the work of men4 ,then we are often told1 that human government is of divine appointment1 and men morally bound to submit to it1--government being used as a collective term to include the political1 ecclesiastical1 and social establishments of a people1 and the officers who administer them4 ,if this means1 that1 at a certain stage of man's progressive political development1 it is necessary to have certain political1 ecclesiastical1 and social establishments1 such as a monarchy or an aristocracy1 with persons to administer them1 then it is true1 and government is of divine appointment4--,but the fence of a farm is just as necessary to agriculture1 at a certain stage of agricultural development1 as government to society4 ,however1 it does not follow from this1 that a stone-wall or a rail-fence is of divine appointment2 and it no more follows that a monarchy or an aristocracy is of divine appointment4 ,it would be thought ridiculous for a farmer to claim divinity for his fence2 it is just as absurd for a politician to claim it for his government4 ,both are alike and equally the work of men4 ,again it is said that human statutes are of divine appointment1 and therefore binding on the conscience of men4 ,if this means1 that1 at a certain stage of social and political development1 men must form certain rules for social and political conduct1 then it is true1 and human statutes are of divine appointment4 ,but rules for agricultural conduct are just as necessary for the farm and the garden as political rules for society and the ,state1 and so equally divine4--,but it does not follow from this1 that the agricultural rules for the farm and the garden laid down by ,columella the ,roman1 or ,cobbett the ,briton1 are of divine appointment2 and it no more follows that the political rules for society and the ,state laid down by the men of ,new ,england or the men of ,new ,holland1--by men fore-ordained at birth to be lawgivers1 or by men elected in manhood to make laws1--are of divine appointment4 ,it would be thought ridiculous for a ,british farmer to claim divinity for ,tusser's ,five ,hundred ,points of ,good ,husbandry2 but it is just as absurd for a ,british politician to claim divinity for the ,british ,constitution1 or the statutes of the realm4 ,rules for farming the land and rules for farming the people are alike and equally the work of men4 ,still further1 it is said that human officers to execute the statutes1 administer the government1 and sustain society1 are also of divine appointment2 and hence we are morally bound to employ1 honor1 and obey them4 ,if this means1 that at a certain stage of man's social1 political1 and legal development1 it is necessary to have certain persons whose official business it shall be to execute those statutes1 then it is true1 and human officers are of divine appointment4 ,but it is just as necessary to have certain persons1 whose official business it shall be to execute the rules for farming the land2 and so the agricultural officers are just as much of divine appointment as the political4 ,but it does not follow that ploughman ,keith and reaper ,gibson are such by the grace of ,god1 and therefore we are morally bound to employ1 honor1 and obey them2 and it no more follows that ,king ,ferdinand or ,president ,fillmore are such by the grace of ,god1 and we morally bound to employ1 honor1 and obey them4 ,it would be thought ridiculous for ,keith and ,gibson to claim divinity for their function of ploughman or reaper2 but it is equally absurd for ,fillmore and ,ferdinand to claim divinity for their function of president or king4 ,the farm-office and the state-office are alike and equally the work of men4 ,yet it is often taught that society1 government1 statutes1 and officers are peculiarly and especially of divine appointment1 in a very different sense from that mentioned just now2 and therefore you and ,i are morally bound to respect all the four4 ,we are told this by men who would be astonished if any one should claim divine appointment for farm-fences1 rules of husbandry1 for ploughmen and reapers4--,this is sometimes done by persons who know no better4 ,in conformity with that fourfold claim of divinity for things of human appointment1 we are told that the great safeguard of man's social welfare is this1--,entire subordination of the individual to the community1 subordination in mind and conscience1 heart and soul2 entire submission to the government2 entire obedience to the statute2 entire respect for the officer2 in short1 the surrender of the individual to the ,state1 of his mind to the public opinion1 of his conscience to the public statute1 of his religion to some bench of attorneys1 and his will to the magistrate4 ,this fourfold subordination of the individual is demanded1 no matter what the community1 the government1 the statutes1 or the officers may be4--,let us look a little more narrowly into this matter1 and see what is the purpose1 the end1 and aim of individual human life1 and of social human life2 then we may be the better able to determine what are the safeguards thereof4 99 99 99 99 99 ,what is man here on earth to accomplish8 ,he is to unfold and perfect himself1 as far as possible1 in body and spirit2 to attain the full measure of his corporeal and spiritual powders1 his intellectual1 moral1 affectional1 and religious powers2 to develop the individual into a complete man4 ,that1 ,i take it1 is the purpose1 the end1 the scope1 and final cause of individual life on earth4 ,accordingly1 that is the best form of individual life which does this most completely2 that worst which does it least4 ,he is the most fortunate man who gets the greatest development of his body and his spirit in all their several and appropriate functions3 all else is means thereto1 and this the end thereof4 ,ease1 wealth1 honor1 fame1 power1 and all the outward things men wish for1 and all such things as are valuable1 are means to this end1 no more4 ,wise men do not account him lucky who comes into the world born to riches1 distinction1 thrones of power2 but him who goes out of it wise1 just1 good1 and holy4 ,accordingly1 all else is to be subordinated to the attainment of this purpose2 this to nothing4 ,but what faculties of the individual are to rule and take precedence8 ,the highest over the lowest2 the lasting over the transient2 the eternal over the perishing4 ,i will wound my hand to save my head1 subordinating the less to the greater4 ,not barely to live1 but to live nobly1 is my purpose4 ,i will wound or sacrifice my body to save the integrity of my spirit1 to defend the rights of my mind1 of my conscience1 of my affections1 of my religious faculty--my soul4 ,conscience1 when awakened1 commands this4 ,prophets of the ,old ,testament1 and apostles of the ,new ,testament1 martyrs of all the churches under heaven1 are historical witnesses to this instinct of human nature4 ,millions of soldiers have been found ready to sacrifice the life of their body to the integrity of their spirit3 they would die1 but not run4 ,man is social by nature3 gregarious by instinct1 he is social with self-conscious will4 ,to develop the individual into the perfect man1 men must mix and mingle4 ,society is the condition of individual development4 ,moses or ,newton1 living all alone1 would not have attained the human dignity of a clown or a savage2 they would never have mastered articulate speech3 the gregarious elephant1 the lonely eagle1 would surpass these men1 born to the mightiest genius4 ,society1 companionship of men1 is both a necessity and a comfort1 a good in itself1 a means to other good4 ,as the great purpose of human life is to develop the individual into the complete and perfect man in body and spirit1 so the purpose of society is to help furnish the means thereto2 to defend each1 and furnish him an opportunity and all possible help to become a complete and perfect man4 ,individuals are the monads1 the primitive atoms1 of which society is composed3 its power1 its perfection1 depend primarily on the power and perfection of the individuals1 as much so as the weight of a pendulum or of ,mount ,sheehallin depends on the primitive atoms thereof4 ,destroy the individuality of those atoms1 human or material1--all is gone4 ,to mar the atom is to mar the mass4 ,to preserve itself1 therefore1 society is to preserve the individuality of the individual4 ,such is its general purpose3 this involves several particulars4 ,one is purely negative in its form1--,to prevent men from hurting one another4 ,in early ages1 that was the chief business of society which men had become conscious of4 ,society was recognized as an instrument to help accomplish two things3 first1 to defend itself against other societies or collections of men1 and so preserve the integrity of the mass4 ,this was done by means of armies1 forts1 fleets1 and all the artillery of war4 ,the next thing was1 within itself1 to defend the many feeble from the few that are strong1 or the few strong from the many weak2 to preserve the integrity of the individuals1 the atoms which compose the mass4 ,this was done by statutes of prohibition1 declaring1 ,thou shalt not4 ,this defence from foreign or domestic harm involves two things3 first1 the protection of the person1 the substance of the community or the individual2 and1 next1 the protection of the property1 the accident of the social or individual person4 ,all this may be comprised in one term as the negative function of society1 appearing in two modes1 as it protects from foreign or domestic hurt4 ,this function is performed consciously3 one community says to other communities1 ,you shall not hurt me1 and to its own members1 ,you must not hurt one another1 and knows what it is about in so doing4 ,some of the nations of ,europe have scarcely got beyond this2 their government seems to acknowledge no function but this negative one4 ,then comes the positive function of society4 ,that is1 ,to furnish opportunities for the mass1 as such1 to develop itself2 and the individual1 as such1 to develop himself1 individually and socially1 and exercise all his faculties in his own way2 subject only to this rule1 that he hurts nobody else4 ,see how this is done abroad between society and society4 ,this community agrees with others1 that they1 mutually1 shall not only not injure each other1 but positively help one another4 ,protect my citizens by your statutes1 whilst in your land2 and ,i will do the same with yours1 says ,belgium to ,france4 ,that is agreed upon4 ,let my ships into your harbors1 says ,england1 come whence they may1 and with what they may bring2 and ,i will do the same by yours4 ,america says1 ,agreed2 and it is so to the good of both4 ,thus each ,christian nation secures for itself opportunities for development in all other ,christian countries1 and so helps the person1 and also his property4 ,this is done by treaties2 and each nation has its ministers and consuls to lie abroad1 and help accomplish this work4 ,this is the foreign part of the positive function of society1 and is destined to a great expansion in times to come4 ,see how it is done at home1 and the whole furnishes positive helps to the special parts4 ,society establishes almshouses1 hospitals1 schools1 colleges1 churches1 and post-offices2 coins money as a standard measure of all values2 builds roads of earth1 of water1 or of iron2 carries letters2 surveys the land2 prints books telling of its minerals1 plants1 and living things that swim or creep or fly or walk2 puts light-houses along the coast1 and breakwaters to protect a port4 ,thus society furnishes its members a positive help for the mind1 body1 and estate2 helps the individual become a complete and perfect man1 by affording him facilities for the development of his substance1 and the possession of his accidents4 ,this is the domestic part of the positive function of society4 ,some men1 as the socialists in ,france1 wish to extend it much further1 making the government patriarchal to bless1--not1 as of old1 despotic to curse4 ,this also is done with a distinct self-consciousness of the immediate end and the means thereto4 ,but the greater part of this positive work is done with no such distinct consciousness thereof3 it is brought about by the men living together2 is done1 not by government1 but by society4 ,the presence of numbers increases the intellectual temperature1 so to say1 and quickens the social pulse4 ,machines are invented1 science extended1 new truths in morals and religion are found out1 literature and art create new loveliness1 and men become greater and more noble1 while society takes no heed2 and so all are helped4 ,the government often only checks this work4 ,by most subtle contrivances1 though not of you and me1 a provision is made for the great4 ,without willing it1 we prepare a cradle for every giant1 ready to receive him soon as he is born4 ,a young woman has a rare genius for music2 no legal and constitutional provision has been made for her1 society having no instinctive and prophetic consciousness of such an advent2 but men with music in their souls1 and spell-bound by their ears1 are drawn together1 and encourage her sweet soul into all the wildest1 sweetest1 and most bewildering witchery of song4 ,if some lad of marvellous genius is born in the woods1 men seek him out1 and train him up with the accumulated wisdom of ten thousand years1 that this newest diamond from the mine of ,god may be appropriately set4 ,so it is with a thousand other things2 and thus society calls out the dainties of the cook1 the machine of the inventor1 the orator's persuasive power1 the profound thought of the thinker1 the poet's vision and his faculty divine1 the piety of the highest saint ,god sends4 ,thus1 spite of all the ,herods in ,jerusalem1 a crown is got ready for him that is born ,king of the world2 wise men are always waiting for the star which goes before the new-born ,son of ,god2 and1 though that star stand still over a stable1 they are ready on the spot with their myrrh1 their frankincense1 and their gold4 ,society has its shepherds watching their flock1 and its angels to proclaim the glad tidings of great joy to all mankind4 ,while society1 in its positive function1 thus helps the strong1 it provides also for the weak1 and gives them the benefit of the strong man's protection3 thus the individuality of the ablest and the most feeble is defended at the same time4 ,this is done in part by private charity2 in part also by the organized public charity4 ,the sick1 the poor1 the crazy1 the lame1 the blind1 the deaf1 are sacredly cared for4 ,even the fool is not left in his folly1 but the wisdom of society watches over his impotent and wretched brain4 ,thus the two extremes of the human race are provided for3 the man of vast genius and a tough body gets his culture and his place2 and from his station in the senate1 the pulpit1 or the closet1 sends out his thunder1 his lightning1 or his sunshine over all the land1 to save the people and to bless2 while the lame man1 the lunatic woman1 the blind boy1 the poor and sickly little girl1 born with the scrofulous worm feeding on her cheek1--all have the benefit of the manifold power of society4 ,the talent of a ,webster1 the genius of an ,emerson1 the frailty of an unacknowledged child left on the doorstone at night1 to die next month in the almshouse1 all have their place in the large cradle of society1 whose coverlet wraps them all1--the senator1 the poet1 and the fool4 ,attend a meeting of the alumni of ,harvard ,college1 of the heads of the railroads or factories of ,new ,england1 a convention of merchants1 naturalists1 metaphysicians1 of the senate of the nation1 you see how society gives place and protection to the best heads in the ,state4 ,then go to some house of industry1 and see the defence afforded for the worst2 you see what a wonderful contrivance society itself is4 ,i say a contrivance1 yet it is not the contrivance chiefly of ,solon or ,charlemagne1 but of ,almighty ,god2 a contrivance for three things1--,to prevent men from hurting one another in person or property2 to give the strong and the weak the advantage of living together2 and thus to enable each to have a fair chance for the development of his person and the acquisition of property4 ,the mechanism of society1 with its statical and dynamical laws1 is the most marvellous phenomenon in the universe4 ,thereby we are continually building wiser than we know1 or rather the providence of the ,father builds by us1 as by the coral insect of ,pacific ,seas1 foundations for continents which we dream not of4 99 99 99 99 99 ,these three things are the general end of society1 and indispensable to the purpose of life4 ,to attain them1 there must be a certain amount of individual variety of action1 a certain amount of social unity of action2 and the two must be to a certain degree balanced into equilibrium4 ,the larger the amount of individual variety and social unity of action1 the more complete the equilibrium of the two1 the more completely is the purpose of individual and social life accomplished and attained3 the atom is not sacrificed to the mass1 nor the mass to the atom2 the individual gains from being a citizen1 the citizen from his individuality2 all are the better for each1 and each for all4 ,to accomplish this purpose1 men devise certain establishments1--institutions1 constitutions1 statutes--human machinery for attaining the divine end in the individual and the social form4 ,but here is the condition of existence which all these establishments must conform to4 ,every thing in nature has a certain constant mode of action3 this1 we call a law of nature4 ,the laws of nature are universal1 unchangeable1 and perfect as ,god1 whose mind they in part express4 ,to succeed in any thing1 we must find out and keep the natural laws relating thereto4 ,there are such laws for the individual1--constant modes of action which belong to human nature1 writ therein by ,god4 ,my mind and conscience are the faculties by which ,i learn these laws4 ,conscience perceives by instinct2 mind sees afterwards by experiment4 ,there are also such laws for society1 constant modes of action1 which belong to human nature in its social form4 ,they are also written in the nature of man4 ,the mind and conscience of the individuals who make up the society are the faculties by which these laws likewise are found out4 ,these laws1 constant modes of individual or social action1 are the sole and exclusive basis of human establishments which help attain the end of individual and social life4 ,what conforms to these natural rights is called right2 what conforms not1 is wrong4 ,a mill-dam or a monument must conform to the statical laws of matter1 or not serve the purpose it was meant for2 a mill or a steam-engine must conform to the dynamical laws of matter1 or it is also useless4 ,so all the social establishments of mankind1 designed to further the positive or negative functions of society1 must conform to the laws of human nature1 or they will fail to achieve the purposes of individual and social life4 ,as ,i come to individual self-consciousness1 ,i give utterance to these natural laws1 or my notion of them1 in certain rules of conduct which ,i make for myself4 ,i say1 ,this will ,i do1 for it is right2 that will ,i not do1 for it is wrong4 ,these are my personal resolutions1 personal statutes4 ,i make them in my high act of prayer1 and in my common life seek to conform thereto4 ,when ,i rise higher1 in another act of prayer which has a greater experience for its basis and so represents more life1 ,i shall revise the old rules of conduct1 and make new ones that are better4 ,the rules of conduct derive all their objective and real value from their conformity with the law of ,god writ in my nature2 all their subjective and apparent value1 from their conformity to my notions of the law of ,god4 ,the only thing which makes it right1 and an individual moral duty for me to keep my resolutions1 is1 that they themselves are right1 or ,i believe them so4 ,now1 as ,i see they are wrong1 or think ,i see it1 ,i shall revise or change them for better4 ,accordingly1 ,i revise them many times in my life3 now by a gradual change1 the process of peaceful development2 now by a sudden change1 under conviction of sin1 in penitence for the past1 and great concern of mind for the future1 by the process of personal revolution4 ,but these rules of conduct are always provisional1--my ladder for climbing up to the purposes of individual life4 ,i will throw them away as soon as ,i can get better4 ,they are amenable subjectively to my notion of right1 and objectively to right itself1--to conscience and to ,god4 ,as the individuals1 all1 the majority1 or some controlling men1 come to social self-consciousness1 they express these natural laws1 or their notion thereof1 in certain rules of social conduct4 ,they say1 ,this shall all men do1 for it is right2 that shall no man do1 for it is wrong4 ,the nation makes its social resolutions1 social statutes1 in its act of prayer2 for legislation is to the ,state what prayer is to the man1--often an act of penitence1 of sorrow1 of fear1 and yet of faith1 hope1 and love4 ,when it rises higher1 it revises and makes better rules of conduct3 they derive all their objective and real value from their conformity with the law of ,god2 all their subjective and apparent value1 from their conformity with the nation's notion thereof4 ,the only thing which makes it right1 and a social moral duty for society1 or any of its members1 to keep these social statutes1 is that they are right1 or thought so4 ,in the progress of society1 its rules of conduct get revised a good many times3 now it is done by gradual1 peaceful development2 now by sudden and stormy revolutions1 when society is penitent for the sin of the past1 and in great anxiety and concern of mind through fear of the future4 ,these social statutes are only provisional1 to help men climb up to the purpose of social life4 ,they are all amenable subjectively to the notion of right2 objectively to right itself1--to the conscience of the individuals and to ,god4 ,then society appoints officers whose special conventional function is to see to the execution of these social rules of conduct4 ,they are legally amenable to the rules of conduct they are to carry out2 socially amenable to the community that appoints them2 individually amenable to their own conscience and to ,god4 ,to sum up all this in one formula3 ,officers are conventionally amenable to society2 society1 with its officers and its rules of conduct1 amenable to the purpose of society2 the design of individual life1 to the individuals that compose it2 individuals1 with their rules of conduct1 amenable each to his own conscience2 and all to the law of the universe1 to the ,eternal ,right1 which represents the conscience of ,god4 ,so far as society is right1 government right1 statutes right1 officers right1 all may justly demand obedience from each3 for though society1 government1 statutes1 and officers are mere human affairs1 as much so as farms1 fences1 top-dressing1 and reapers1 and are as provisional as they2 yet ,right is divine1 is of ,god1 not merely provisional and for to-day1 but absolute and for eternity4 ,so1 then1 the moral duty to respect the government1 to keep the statutes1 to obey the officers1 is all resolvable into the moral duty of respecting the integrity of my own nature1 of keeping the eternal law of nature1 of obeying ,god4 ,if government1 statutes1 officers1 command me to do right1 ,i must do it1 not because commanded1 but because it is right2 if they command me to do wrong1 ,i must refuse1 not because commanded1 but because it is wrong4 ,there is a constitution of the universe3 to keep that is to preserve the union between man and man1 between man and ,god4 ,to do right is to keep this constitution3 that is loyalty to ,god4 ,to keep my notion of it is loyalty to my own soul4 ,to be false to my notion thereof is treason against my own nature2 to be false to that constitution is treason against ,god4 ,the constitution of the universe is not amenable to men3 that is the law of ,god1 the higher law1 the constant mode of action of the infinite ,father of all4 ,in that ,he lives and moves1 and has ,his being4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is now easy to see what are the ,safeguards of society1 the things which promote the end and aim of society1--the development of the body and spirit of all men after their law1--and thus help attain the purpose of individual life4 ,i will mention three of these safeguards1 in the order of their importance4 ,first of all1 is ,righteousness in the ,people3 a religious determination to keep the law of ,god at all hazards2 a sacred and inflexible reverence for right2 a determined habit of fidelity each to his own conscience4 ,this1 of course1 implies a hatred of wrong2 a religious and determined habit of disobeying and resisting every thing which contradicts the law of ,god1 of disobeying what is false to this and our conscience4 ,there is no safeguard for society without this4 ,it is to man what impenetrability1 with the other primary qualities1 is to matter4 ,all must begin with the integral atoms1 with the individual mind and conscience2 all be tried by that test1 personal integrity1 at last4 ,what is false to myself ,i must never do1--at no time1 for no consideration1 in nowise4 ,this is the doctrine of the higher law2 the doctrine of allegiance to ,god2 a doctrine which appears in every form of religion ever taught in the world2 a doctrine admitted by the greatest writers on the foundation of human law1 from ,cicero to ,lord ,brougham4 ,even ,bentham comes back to this4 ,i know it is now-a-days taught in the ,united ,states1 that1 if any statute is made after the customary legal form1 it is morally binding on all men1 no matter what the statute may be2 that a command to kidnap a black man and sell him into slavery1 is as much morally binding as a command for a man to protect his own wife and child4 ,a people that will practically submit to such a doctrine is not worthy of liberty1 and deserves nothing but law1 oppressive law1 tyrannical law2 and will soon get what it deserves4 ,if a people has this notion1 that they are morally bound to obey any statute legally made1 though it conflict with public morals1 with private conscience1 and with the law of ,god1 then there is no hope of such a people2 and the sooner a tyrant whips them into their shameful grave1 the better for the world4 ,trust me1 to such a people the tyrant will soon come4 ,where the carcass is thither will the vultures be gathered together4 ,let no man put asunder the carrion and the crow4 ,so much for the first and indispensable safeguard4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the next is derivative therefrom1 ,righteousness in the ,establishments of the ,people4 ,under this name ,i include three things1 namely1 institutions1 constitutions1 and statutes4 ,institutions are certain modes of operation1 certain social1 ecclesiastical1 or political contrivances for doing certain things4 ,thus an agricultural club is a social institution to help farming2 a private school is a social institution for educating its pupils2 a church is an ecclesiastical institution for the promotion of religion2 an aristocracy is a political institution for governing all the people by means of a few1 and for the sake of a few2 a congress of senators and representatives is a legislative institution for making statutes2 a jury of twelve men is a judicial institution to help execute the statutes2 universal suffrage is a democratic institution for ruling the ,state4 ,constitutions are fundamental rules of conduct for the nation1 made by the highest human authority in the land1 and only changeable thereby1 determining what institutions shall be allowed1 how administered1 by whom and in what manner statutes shall be made4 ,statutes are particular rules of conduct to regulate the action of man with man1 of individuals with the ,state1 and of the ,state with individuals4 ,statutes are amenable to the constitutions2 the constitutions to the institutions2 they to the people2 all subjectively to the conscience of the individual1 and objectively to the conscience of ,god4 ,establishments are the machinery which a people contrives wherewith to carry out its ideas of the right or the expedient4 ,in the present state of mankind1 they are indispensable to accomplish the purpose of individual life4 ,there are indeed a few men who for their good conduct1 after they are mature1 require no human laws whatever4 ,they regulate themselves by their idea of right1 by their love of truth1 of justice1 of man and ,god4 ,they see the law of ,god so clear that they need no prohibitive statutes to restrain them from wrong4 ,they will not lie nor steal1 though no statutes forbid1 and all other men both lie and steal2 not if the statutes command falsehood and theft4 ,these men are saints4 ,the wealth of ,athens could not make ,aristides unjust4 ,were all men like ,jesus of ,nazareth1 statutes forbidding wrong would be as needless as sails to a shark1 a balloon to a swallow1 or a railroad to the lightning of heaven4 ,this is always a small class of men1 but one that continually increases4 ,we all look to the time when this will include all men4 ,no man expects to find law books and courts in the kingdom of heaven4 ,then there is a class1 who need these statutes as a well-known rule of conduct to encourage them to do right1 by the assurance that all other men will likewise be made to do so1 even if not willing4 ,they see the law of ,god less clear and strong1 and need human helps to keep it4 ,this class comprises the majority of mankind4 ,the court-house helps them1 though they never use it2 the jail helps them1 though never in it4 ,these are common men4 ,they are very sober in ,connecticut2 not very sober in ,california4 ,then there is a third class who will do wrong1 unless they are kept from it by punishment or the fear thereof4 ,they do not see the law of ,god1 or will not keep it if they do4 ,the court-house helps them2 so does the jail1 keeping them from actual crime while there1 deterring while out of it4 ,take away the outward restraints1 their seeming virtue falls to pieces like a barrel without its hoops4 ,these are knaves4 ,i think this class of men will continually diminish with the advance of mankind2 that the saints will grow common1 and the knaves get scarce4 ,good establishments promote this end2 those of ,new ,england1 especially the schools1 help forward this good work1 to convert the knaves to common men1 to transfigure the common men to saints4 ,bad establishments1 like many in ,austria1 ,ireland1 and ,south ,carolina1 produce the opposite effect3 they hinder the development of what is high and noble in man1 and call out what is mean and low2 for human laws are often instruments to debauch a nation4 ,if a nation desires to keep the law of ,god1 good establishments will help the work2 if it have none such1 it must make them before it can be at peace4 ,they are as needful as coats and gowns for the body4 ,sometimes the consciousness of the people is far in advance of its establishments1 and there must be a revolution to restore the equilibrium4 ,it is so at ,rome1 in ,austria and ,prussia4 ,all these countries are on the brink of revolution1 and are only kept down by the bayonet4 ,it was so here seventy-five years ago1 and our fathers went through fire and blood to get the establishments they desired4 ,they took of the righteousness in the people1 and made therefrom institutions1 constitutions1 and statutes4 ,so much for the second and derivative safeguard4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the third is ,righteousness in the ,public ,officers1 good men to administer the establishments1 manage the institutions1 expound and enforce the constitutions and execute the statutes1 and so represent the righteousness of the people4 ,in the hands of such men as see the purpose of social and individual life1 and feel their duty to keep the integrity of their conscience and obey the law of ,god1 even bad establishments are made to work well1 and serve the purpose of human life2 because the man puts out the evil of the institution1 constitution1 or statute1 and puts his own righteousness in its place4 ,there was once a judge in ,new ,england who sometimes had to administer bad laws4 ,in these cases1 he told the jury1 ,such is the law1 common or enacted2 such are the precedents2 such the opinions of ,judge ,this and ,judge ,that2 but justice demands another thing4 ,i am bound by my oath as judge to expound to you the law as it is2 you are bound by oath as jurors to do justice under it2 that is your official business here to-day4 ,such a man works well with poor tools2 with good ones he would work much better4 ,by the action of such men1 aided by public opinion which they now follow and now direct1 without any change of legislation1 there is a continual progress of justice in the establishments of a nation4 ,bad statutes are dropped or corrected1 constitutions silently ameliorated1 all institutions made better4 ,thus wicked laws become obsolete4 ,there is a law in ,england compelling all men to attend church4 ,nobody enforces it4 ,put a bad man to administer the establishments1 one who does not aim at the purpose of society1 nor feel bound to keep the higher law of ,god1 the best institutions1 constitutions1 statutes1 become ineffectual1 because the man puts out the good thereof1 and puts in his own evil4 ,the best establishments will be perverted to the worst of purposes4 ,rome had all the machinery of a commonwealth2 with ,caesar at the head it became a despotism4 ,in #agih1 ,france had the establishments of a republic2 with ,napoleon for first consul1 you know what it became3 it soon was made an empire1 and the ,constitution was trodden under foot4 ,in #ahea1 ,france has the institutions of a democracy2 with ,louis ,napoleon as chief1 you see what is the worth of the provisions for public justice4 ,what was the ,constitution of ,england good for under the thumb of ,charles ,i4 and ,james ,,ii48 ,what was the value of the common law1 of the trial by jury1 of ,magna ,charta1 such a fellow as will have no sovereign1 with a ,george ,jeffries for ,judge1 a ,james ,,ii4 for king1 and such juries as corrupt sheriffs brought together8 ,they were only a mockery4 ,what were the charters of ,new ,england against a wicked king and a corrupt cabinet8 ,connecticut went out of the court and into the ,charter ,oak for self-preservation4 ,what were all the institutions of ,christianity when ,alexander ,,vi4 dishonored the seat even of the ,pope8 ,put a saint1 who feels his duty to keep the law of ,god1 in office1 even bad rules will work well4 ,but put a man who recognizes no law of ,god1 not into a jail1 but in a great office2 give him courts and courtiers1 fleets and armies1 nay1 only newspapers and union committees to serve him1 you see what will be done4 ,the resolute determination of the people to obey the law of ,god1 the righteousness of their establishments1 will be of small avail1 frustrated by the wickedness of the men in power4 ,the ,english ,parliament once sent a fleet to aid the ,huguenots at ,rochelle4 ,king ,charles ,i4 gave the admiral secret orders to surrender his ships to the enemy he was sent to oppose6 ,the purpose of all human life may be as foully betrayed by wicked men in a high place4 ,in a monarchy1 the king is answerable for it with his neck2 in a republic there is the same danger2 but1 where all seems to proceed from the people1 it may be more difficult to do justice to a wicked officer4 ,so much for the third safeguard1 also derivative from the first4 ,to make a good house1 you want good materials1--solid stone1 sound bricks1 sound timber2 a good plan1 and also good builders4 ,so1 as safeguards of society1 to achieve its purpose1 you want good material1--a righteous people who will be faithful to their own conscience1 and obey ,god and reverence the law of nature2 a good plan1--righteous establishments1 institutions1 constitutions1 statutes conformable to the laws of ,god2 and you want good builders1--righteous officers to represent the eternal justice of the ,father4 ,you want this threefold righteousness4 99 99 99 99 99 ,how are we provided with these three safeguards just now8 ,have we this ,righteousness in the ,people8--which is the first thing4 ,perhaps there is no nation with a higher reverence for justice1 and more desire to keep the law of ,god2 at least we have been told so1 often enough4 ,i think the nation never had more of it than now2 never so much4 ,but here are whole classes of men who practically seem to have no reverence for ,god's law2 who declare there is no such thing2 whose conduct is most shamefully unrighteous in all political matters4 ,they seek to make us believe there is no law above the caprice of man4 ,of such ,i will speak by and by4 ,it is plain there is not righteousness enough in the people to hinder us from doing what we know is contrary to the law of ,god4 ,thus1 we keep one sixth part of the people in a state of slavery4 ,this we do in violation of our own axiom1 declared to be self-evident1 that all men are created equal1 endowed by their ,creator with the unalienable right to life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness4 ,we have here three millions of slaves3 if things go on as now1 there will be twelve millions before the century ends4 ,we need not say we cannot help it4 ,slavery in ,america is as much our work as democracy1 as free schools1 as the ,protestant form of religion4 ,at the ,declaration1 we might have made the slaves free2 at the time of the ,confederation2 at the formation of the ,constitution4 ,but no6 there was not righteousness enough in the people to resist the temptation of eating the bread which others earn4 ,american slavery has always been completely in the power of the ,american people4 ,we may abolish it any time we will4 ,we might have restricted it to the old ,states1 which had it before1 and so have kept it out of ,kentucky1 ,tennessee1 ,louisiana1 ,mississippi1 ,alabama1 ,florida1 and all that mighty realm west of the great river4 ,no6 we took pains to extend it there4 ,we fought with ,mexico to carry slavery into the ,halls of the ,montezumas1 whence a half-barbarous people drove it away4 ,we long to seize on ,cuba1 and yet other lands1 to plant there our ,american institution4 ,we are indignant when ,austria unjustly seizes an ,american in ,hungary1 and hales him to prison2 but have nothing to say when slave ,states systematically confine the colored freemen of the ,north1 or when ,georgia offers a large reward for the head of a citizen of ,boston4 ,we talk of the pauper labor of ,europe4 ,it is pauper labor1 very much of it4 ,i burn with indignation at the men who keep it so4 ,but it is not slave labor4 ,paupers spin cotton at ,manchester1 and at ,glasgow1 say the whigs4 ,who raises cotton at ,south ,carolina and ,mississippi8 ,the spoil of the slave is in our houses4 ,we are a republic1 but the only nation of the ,christian world whose fields are tilled by chattel slaves4 ,to such a degree has covetousness blinded the eyes of the whole nation4 ,in saying all this1 ,i will not say that we are less righteous than other nations4 ,no other people has had the same temptation4 ,it has been too great for ,america4 ,slavery is loved as well in ,boston as in ,new ,orleans4 ,the love of liberty is strong with us2 but it is liberty for ourselves we love1 not for our brother man whom we can oppress and enthrall4 ,this vice is not confined to the ,south4 ,i look on some of the clergymen of the ,north as only chaplains of the slave-driver4 ,look at the next safeguard of society4 ,setting aside the institution of slavery1 and the statutes relating thereto1 ,i think we have the most righteous ,establishments in the world4 ,by no means perfect1 they produce the greatest variety of action in the individuals1 the greatest unity of action in society1 and afford an opportunity to achieve the purpose of social and individual life4 ,here is the great institution of democracy1 the government of all1 by all1 and for all1 resting on the ,american idea1 that all men have natural rights which only the possessor can alienate2 that all are equal in their rights2 that it is the business of government to preserve them all for each man4 ,under this great institution of a free ,state1 there naturally come the church1 the school1 the press1--all free4 ,in politics1 and all depending thereon1 we are coming to recognize this principle1 that restraint is only to be exercised for the good of all1 the restrainer and the restrained4 ,let me single out two excellent institutions1 not wholly ,american1--,the contrivance for making laws1 and that for executing them4 ,to make laws1 the people choose the best men they can find and confide in1 and set them to this work4 ,they aim to take all the good of past times1 of the present times1 and add to it their private contribution of justice4 ,each ,state ,legislature is a little political academy for the advancement of jural science and art4 ,they get the wisest and most humane men to aid them4 ,then after much elaboration the law is made4 ,if it works well in one ,state it is soon tried in others2 if not1 it is repealed and ceases to be4 ,the experience of mankind has discovered no better way than this of popular legislation1 for organizing the ideal justice of the people into permanent forms4 ,if there is a man of moral and political genius in the community1 he can easily be made available to the public4 ,the experiment of popular legislation has been eminently successful in ,america4 ,then1 still further1 we have ,officers chosen by the people for a limited time1 to enforce the laws when made1--the ,executive2 others to expound them1--the ,judiciary4 ,it is the official business of certain officers to punish the man who violates the laws4 ,in due and prescribed form1 they arrest the man charged with the offence4 ,now1 two things are desirable3 one to protect society1 in all its members1 from injury by any one acting against its just laws2 the other is1 to protect the man complained of from being hurt by government when there is no law against him1 or when he has not done the deed alleged1 or from an unjust punishment1 even if it be legal4 ,in despotic countries1 little is thought of this latter2 and it goes hard with a man whom the government complains of1 even if there is no positive statute against the crime charged on him1 or when he is innocent of the deed alleged4 ,nothing can screen him from the lawful punishment1 though that be never so unjust4 ,the statute and its administration are a rule without mercy4 ,but in liberal governments a contrivance has been devised to accomplish both these purposes1--the just desire of society to execute its laws2 the just desire of the individual to have justice done4 ,that is the trial by a jury of twelve men1 not officers of the government1 but men taken for this purpose alone from the bosom of the community1 with all their human sympathies and sense of responsibility to ,god about them4 ,the jury are to answer in one word ,guilty or ,not guilty4 ,but it is plain they are to determine three things3 first1 ,did the prisoner do the deed alleged1 and as alleged8 next1 if so1 ,is there a legal and constitutional statute forbidding it1 and decreeing punishment therefor8 and then1 if so1 ,shall the prisoner for that deed suffer the punishment denounced by that law8#cd ,human statutes partake of human imperfections4 ,see the checks against sudden1 passionate1 or unjust legislation4 ,we choose legislators1 and divide them into two branches1 a ,senate and a ,house of ,representatives1 each to aid and check the other4 ,if a bill pass one house1 and seem unjust to the other1 it is set aside4 ,if both approve of it1 a third person has still a qualified negative2 and1 if it seems unjust to him1 he sets it aside4 ,if it passes this threefold ordeal1 it becomes a statute of the land4 ,see the checks in the execution of the laws which relate to offences4 ,before they can be brought against any man1 in any matter beyond a trifle1 a jury of his peers indict him for the offence4 ,then1 before he can be punished1 twelve men of his peers must say with one accord1 ,you shall inflict the penalties of the statute upon this man4 ,this trial by jury has long been regarded as one of the most important of the secondary safeguards of society4 ,it has served to defend the community against bad citizens1 and the citizens against an evil establishment1--bad institutions1 bad constitutions1 bad statutes2 against evil officers1 bad rulers1 bad judges1 bad sheriffs4 ,if the community has much to fear from bad citizens1 here is the offensive armor1 and the jury do not bear the sword in vain4 ,if its citizens have much to fear from a wicked government1 oppressive1 grasping1 tyrannical1 desirous of pretending law where there is none1 declaring ship-money and other enormities constitutional1 or pressing a legal statute beyond justice1 making it treason to tell of the wickedness of officers1--here is the defensive armor1 and the jury do not bear in vain the shield of the citizen4 ,sometimes the citizens have more to fear from the government than from all other foes4 ,louis ,,xiv4 was a great robber1 and plundered and murdered more of his subjects than all the other alleged felons in the sixteen millions of ,frenchmen4 ,the honest burghers of ,paris had more to fear from the monarch in the ,tuileries than from the murderer in the ,faubourg ,st4 ,antoine1 or the cut-purse in the ,rue ,st4 ,jacob4 ,charles ,i4 was a more dangerous enemy to our fathers in ,england and ,america than all the other thieves and murderers in the realm4 ,what were all the ,indians in ,new ,england1 for peril to its ,christian citizens1 compared to ,charles ,,ii4 and his wicked brother8 ,what was a foot-pad to ,henry ,,viii48 ,he plundered a province1 while the robber only picked a pocket4 ,the trial by jury has done manly service4 ,it was one of the first bulwarks of human society1 then barbarous and feeble1 thrown up by the ,germanic tribe which loved order1 but loved justice too4 ,it is a line of circumvallation against the loose1 unorganized wickedness of the private ruffian2 a line of contravallation also against the organized wickedness of the public government4 ,it began before there were any regular courts or written laws2 and1 ever since1 it has done great service when corrupt men in high places called a little offence treason2 when corrupt judges sought to crush down the people underneath oppressive laws to advance themselves2 and when corrupt witnesses were ready to enlarge their testimony so as to dispatch the men accused2 yea1 to swear black was black1 and then1 when the case seemed to require it1 swear white was black4 ,any man who reads the history of ,england under the worst of kings1 the worst of ministers1 the worst of judges1 and with the worst of witnesses1 and compares it with other nations1 will see the value of the trial by jury as a safeguard of the people4 ,the bloody ,mary had to punish the jurors for their verdict of acquittal1 before she could accomplish her purposes of shame4 ,george ,,iii41 wishing to collect a revenue in the ,american colonies1 without their consent or any constitutional law1 found the jury an obstacle he could not pass over4 ,attorneys might try ,john ,hancock for smuggling in his sloop ,liberty3 no jury would convict4 ,the tea1 a vehicle of unjust taxation1 went floating out of ,boston ,bay in a most illegal style4 ,no attempt was made to try the offenders2 the magistrates knew there was a jury who would not convict men for resisting a wicked law4 ,men must be taken over seas for trial by a jury of their enemies1 before the wicked laws of a wicked ministry could be brought upon the heads of the resolute men of ,america4 ,it is of great importance to keep this institution pure2 to preserve its spirit1 with such expansion as the advance of mankind requires4 ,otherwise1 the laws may be good1 the constitutions good1 institutions good1 the disposition of the people good2 but1 with a wicked minister in the cabinet1 a wicked judge on the bench1 a wicked attorney at the bar1 and a wicked witness to forswear himself on the stand1--and all these can easily be had2 you can purchase your wicked witnesses2 nay1 sometimes one will volunteer and enlarge his testimony1--a man's life and liberty are not safe for a moment4 ,the administration may grasp any man at will4 ,the minister represents the government2 the judge1 the attorney1 all represent the government4 ,it has often happened that all these had something to gain by punishing unjustly some noble man who opposed their tyranny1 and they used their official power to pervert justice and ruin the ,state1 that they might exalt themselves4 ,the jury does not represent the government1 but the country2 that is1 the justice1 the humanity1 the mercy of mankind4 ,this is its great value4 ,have we the third safeguard1 ,righteous ,officers8 ,i believe no nation ever started with nobler officers than we chose at first4 ,but ,i think there has been some little change from ,washington down through the ,tylers and the ,polks to the present administration4 ,john ,adams1 in coming to the presidency1 found his son in a high office1 and asked his predecessor if it were fit for the ,president to retain his own son in office4 ,washington replied1 ,it would be wrong for you to appoint him2 but ,i hope he will not be discharged from office1 and so the country be deprived of his valuable services1 merely because he is your son6 ,what a satire is this on the conduct of men in power at this day6 ,we have had three second ,general ,washingtons in the presidential chair since #ahbi2 two new ones are now getting ready1 standing like greyhounds in the slips1 straining upon the start1 for that bad eminence4 ,these three past and two future ,washingtons have never displayed any very remarkable family likeness to the original--who left no descendant--in this particular4#ce ,i pass over the general conduct of our executive and judicial officers1 which does not seem to differ much from that of similar functionaries in ,england1 in ,france1 in ,italy1 ,austria1 ,turkey1 and ,spain4 ,but ,i must speak of some special things in the conduct of some of these persons1--things which ought to be looked at on such a day as this1 and in the light of religion4 ,attempts have lately been made in this city to destroy the juror's power to protect the citizen from the injustice of government1--attempts to break down this safeguard of individual liberty4 ,we have seen a judge charge the grand jury1 that1 in case of conflict between the law of ,god and the statutes made by men1 the people must obey both4 ,then we have seen an attempt made by the government to get a partial jury1 who should not represent the country1 but should have prejudices against the prisoner at the bar4 ,we have seen a man selected as foreman of the jury who had previously1 and before witnesses1 declared that all the persons engaged in the case which was to come before him1 ought to be hung4 ,we have seen a man expelled from the jury1 after he had taken the juror's oath1 because he declared that he had a general sympathy with the down-trodden and oppressed here and everywhere1 and so did not seem likely to dispatch the prisoner1 as the government desired4 ,this is not all3 the judge questions the jurors before their oath1 and refuses to allow any one to be impanelled who doubts the constitutionality of the fugitive slave law4 ,even this is not the end3 he charges the jury thus selected1 packed1 picked1 and winnowed1 that they are to take the law as he lays it down2 that they are only judges of the fact1 he exclusively of the law2 and1 if they find that the prisoner did the deed alleged1 then they must return him ,guilty of the offence charged4 ,i am no lawyer3 ,i shall not speak here with reference to usages and precedents of the past1 only with an eye to the consequences for the future4 ,if the court can thus select a jury to suit itself1 mere creatures of its own1 what is the use of a jury to try the fact8 ,see the consequences of this decision1 that no man shall serve as juror who doubts the constitutionality of a law1 and that the jurors are not judges of the law itself1 as well as the fact4 ,let me suppose some cases which may happen4 ,the ,constitution of the ,united ,states provides that ,congress shall not prohibit the free exercise of religion4 ,suppose that ,congress should pass a law to punish any man with death who should pray to the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost4 ,the government wishes to punish an obnoxious orthodox minister for violating this form of law4 ,it is clearly unjust2 but the judge charges the grand jury they are to obey both the laws of ,god and the statutes of men4 ,the grand jury indict the man4 ,he is brought for trial4 ,the law is obviously unconstitutional2 but the judge expels from the jury all who think the law is unconstitutional4 ,he selects the personal enemies of the accused1 and finds twelve men foolish enough or wicked enough to believe it is constitutional to do what the ,constitution declares must not be done2 and then proceeds to trial1 selecting for foreman the man who has said1 ,all men that thus pray ought to be hung6 ,what is the value of your ,constitution8 ,the jury might convict1 the judge sentence1 the ,president issue his warrant1 and the man be hanged in twenty-four hours1 for doing a deed which the ,constitution itself allows1 and ,christendom daily practises1 and the convictions of two hundred million men require6 ,it is alleged the jury must not judge of the law1 but only of the fact4 ,see the consequences of this principle in several cases4 ,the ,secretary of ,state has declared the rescuing of ,shadrach was treason1 and1 of course1 punishable with death4 ,suppose the court had charged the jury1 that to rescue a man out of the hands of an incompetent officer--an offence which in ,boston has sometimes been punished with a fine of five dollars--was levying war against the ,united ,states1 and they were only to find if the prisoner did the deed2 and1 if so1 return a verdict of guilty4 ,suppose the jury are wicked enough to accept his charge1 where is the protection of the citizen8 ,the government may say1 to smuggle goods into ,boston harbor is levying war and hang a man for treason who brings on shore an ounce of camphor in his pocket without paying duties6 ,is not the jury1 in such a case1 to judge what the law makes treason8--to decide for itself8 ,there was once a law making it felony without benefit of clergy to read the ,bible in the ,english language4 ,suppose the government1 wishing to make away with an obnoxious man1 should get him indicted next term for this offence1 and the judge should declare that the old law is still in force4 ,is the jury not to judge whether we live under the bloody ,mary1 or the constitution of ,massachusetts8--whether what was once law is so now8 ,if not1 then the laws of ,king ,darius or ,king ,pharaoh may be revived whenever ,judge ,hategood sees fit1 and ,faithful must hang for it4#cf ,suppose the judge makes a law himself1 declaring that1 if any one speaks against the justice of the court1 he shall be whipped with forty stripes save one1 and gets a man indicted under it and brought to trial--is the jury not to judge if there be such a law8 ,then we might as well give up all legislation1 and leave all to the discretion of the court4 ,a judge of the ,united ,states ,court was once displaced on account of mental imbecility4 ,was ,judge ,simpleton to determine what was law1 what not1 for a jury of intelligent men8 ,another judge1 not long ago1 in ,boston1 in his place in court1 gave an opinion in a most important affair1 and was drunk when he gave it4 ,i do not mean he was horizontally drunk1 but only so that his friends feared he would break down in court1 and expose himself4 ,was the opinion of a drunken judge to be taken for law by sober men8 ,suppose the judge is not a simpleton nor a drunkard1 but is only an ordinary lawyer and a political partisan1 and appointed to his office because he is a fawning sycophant1 and will interpret the law to suit the ambition of the government--a thing that has happened in this city4 ,is he to lay down the law for the jurors who aim only to live in honorable morality1 to hurt no one1 and give every man his due8 ,suppose the attorneys at the bar know the law better than the attorney on the bench1--a thing that daily happens1--are not the jurors to decide for themselves8 ,i have chosen fictitious cases to try the principle4 ,extreme cases make shipwreck of a wicked law1 but are favoring winds to bring every just statute into its happy harbor at the last4 ,will you say we are not likely to suffer from such usurpation8 ,you know what we have suffered within three months past4 ,god only knows what is to come4 ,but no man is ever to seek for a stick if he wishes to beat a dog1 or for a cross if he would murder his ,saviour4 ,the only way to preserve liberty is by eternal vigilance3 we must be jealous of every president1 every minister1 every judge1 every officer1 from a king to the meanest commissioner he appoints to kidnap men4 ,you have seen the attempts made to sap and undermine one of the most valuable safeguards of our social welfare1--seen that it excited very little attention2 and ,i wish to warn you of the danger of a false principle4 ,i have waited for this day to speak on this theme4 ,executive tyranny1 with soldiers at its command1 must needs be open in its deeds of shame4 ,it may waste the money of the public which cleaves to the suspected hands of its officers3 it is not so easy to get the necks of those it hates2 for we have no star-chamber of democracy1 and here the executive has not many soldiers at command1 must ask before it can get them4 ,it did ask1 and got ,no for answer4 ,legislative tyranny must needs be public1 and is easily seen4 ,but judicial tyranny is secret1 subtle1 unseen in its action2 and all experience shows it is one of the most dangerous forms of tyranny4 ,a corrupt judge poisons the wells of human society4#cg ,scroggs and ,jeffries are names deservedly hated by mankind1 and there are some ,american names likely to be added to them4 ,the traditionary respect entertained here for an office which has been graced by some of the noblest men in the land1 doubles our danger4 ,but an attack is made on another safeguard of society1 yet more important4 ,we have been told that there is no law higher than a human statute1 no law of ,god above an act of the ,american ,congress4 ,you know how this doctrine of the supremacy of the lower law has been taught in the high places of the ,state1 in the high places of the church1 and in the low places of the public press4 ,you know with what sneers men have been assailed who appealed to conscience1 to religion1 and said1 ,the law of ,god is supreme2 above all the enactments of mortal men4 ,you have been witness to attempts to howl down the justice of the ,almighty4 ,we have had declamation and preaching against the law of ,god4 ,it is said the ,french ,assembly1 some fifty or sixty years ago1 voted that there should be no public worship of ,god2 that there was no ,god to worship2 but it was left for politicians and preachers of ,america1 in our time1 to declare that there is no law above the caprice of mortal men4 ,did the ,french philosophers decree speculative atheism8 the ,american wise men put it in practice4 ,they deny the function of ,god4 ,he has nothing to do with mankind4 ,this doctrine is one of the foulest ever taught1 and tends directly to debauch the conscience of the people4 ,what if there were no law higher than an act of ,parliament8 what would become of the ,parliament itself8 ,there is such a thing conceivable as personal1 speculative atheism4 ,i think it is a very rare thing4 ,i have never known an atheist3 for1 with all about us speaking of ,god2 all within us speaking of him2 every telescope revealing the infinite ,mind in nebulae resolved to groups of systems of suns2 every microscope revealing the infinite ,father1 yea1 ,mother of the world1 in a drop of water1 a grain of perishing wood1 or an atom of stone2 every little pendulum revealing his unchanging law on a small scale2 and this whole group of solar systems1 in its slow and solemn swing through heavenly space1 disclosing the same law on a scale which only genius at first can comprehend1--it is not easy to arrive at personal1 speculative atheism4 ,it would be a dreadful thing1 the stark denial of a ,god4 ,to say there is no infinite ,mind in finite matter1 no order in the universe1 in providence only a fate1 no ,god for all1 no ,father for any1 only an inextinguishable nothing that fills the desert and illimitable ether of space and time1 the whence and whither of all that are1--such a belief is conceivable2 but ,i do not believe that there is a single atheist living on the whole round world4 ,there is no general danger of personal1 speculative atheism4 ,when ,m4 ,lalande declared that he saw no ,god through his telescope1 though he meant not to deny the real ,god of nature1 the world rang with indignation at an astronomer undevout and mad4 ,but practical1 political atheism has become a common thing in ,america1 in ,new ,england4 ,this is not a denial of the essence of ,god and his being1 but of his function as ,supreme ,ruler of the church1 of the ,state1 of the people1 of the universe4 ,of that there is danger4 ,the devil of ambition tempts the great man to it2 the devil of covetousness1 the little man4 ,both strike hands1 and say1 ,there is no higher law2 and low men lift up their mean foreheads in the pulpits of ,america and say1 ,it is the voice of a ,god1 and not of a man4 ,there is no higher law4 ,the greatest understanding of this land1 with haughty scorn1 has lately said1 ,the ,north ,mountain is very high2 the ,blue ,ridge1 higher still2 the ,alleghanies higher than either2 and yet this 'higher law' ranges further than an eagle's flight above the highest peaks of the ,alleghanies4#ch ,the impious taunt was received with laughter by men who have long acted on the maxim that there is no law of ,god1 and whose ,state is impoverished by the attempt to tread ,his law under foot4 ,i know men in ,america have looked so long at political economy that they have forgotten political morality1 and seem to think politics only national housekeeping1 and he the best ruler who buys cheapest and sells dearest4 ,but ,i confess ,i am amazed when statesmen forget the lessons of those great men that have gone before us1 and built up the social state1 whose deep foundations have been laid with prayer4 ,what6 is there no law above the ,north ,mountain2 above the ,blue ,ridge2 higher than the ,alleghanies8 ,why1 the old ,hebrew poet told us of ,one which removeth the mountains1 and they know not2 which overturneth them in his anger2 which alone spreadeth out the heavens1 and treadeth upon the waves of the sea4 ,lo6 he goeth by me1 and ,i see him not2 he passeth on also1 but ,i perceive him not4 ,yes1 there is ,one--his law an eagle's flight above the ,alleghanies--who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven1 whose strong hand setteth fast the mountains2 yea1 ,one who hath weighed the mountains in scales2 before whom all nations are as a very little thing4 ,yes1 ,father in heaven6 before the mountains were brought forth1 or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world1 even from everlasting to everlasting1 thou art ,god4 ,yea1 thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations4 ,thy name alone is excellent2 thy glory above the earth and heaven6 ,no higher law for ,states than the poor statutes they enact6 ,among the assemblies of the great ,a greater ,ruler takes his seat2 ,the ,god of heaven as ,judge surveys ,these 'gods of earth' and all their ways3-- ',why will you frame oppressive laws8 ,or why support the unrighteous cause8 ,when will you once defend the poor1 ,that foes may vex the saints no more8' ,they know not1 ,lord1 nor will they know2 ,dark are the ways in which they go2 ,their name of 'earthly gods' is vain1 ,for they shall fall and die like men4 ,it would be a great calamity for this nation to lose all of its mighty riches1 and have nothing left but the soil we stand on4 ,but1 in seven or eight generations1 it would all be restored again2 for all the wealth of ,america has been won in less time4 ,we are not two hundred and fifty years from ,jamestown and ,plymouth4 ,it would be a great misfortune to lose all the foremost families of the nation4 ,but ,england lost hers in the ,war of the ,roses2 ,france1 in her ,revolution4 ,nature bore great men anew1 and fresh families sprung up as noble as the old4 ,but1 if this generation in ,america could believe that there was no law of ,god for you and me to keep1--say the acts of ,congress what they might say1--no law to tame the ambition of men of mountain greatness1 and curb the eagle's flight of human tyranny1 that would be a calamity which the nation would never recover from4 ,no6 then religion would die out2 affection fall dead2 conscience would perish2 intellect give up the ghost1 and be no more4 ,no law higher than human will6 ,no watchmaker can make a long pendulum vibrate so quick as a short4 ,in this very body there is that law4 ,i wake and watch and will2 my private caprice turns my hand1 now here1 now there4 ,but who controls my breath8 ,who bids this heart beat all day long1 and all the night1 sleep ,i or wake8 ,whose subtle law holds together these particles of flesh1 of blood1 and bone in marvellous vitality8 ,who gives this eye its power to see1 and opens wide the portal of the ear8 and who enchants1 with most mysterious life1 this wondrous commonwealth of dust ,i call myself8 ,it is the same ,hand whose law is higher than the ,blue ,ridge1 an eagle's flight above the ,alleghanies4 ,who rules the ,state1 and1 out of a few stragglers that fled here to ,new ,england for conscience sake1 built up this mighty1 wealthy ,state8 ,was it ,carver and ,winthrop who did all this2 ,standish and ,saltonstall8 ,was it the cunning craftiness of mightiest men that consciously1 well knowing what they did1 laid the foundations of our ,new ,england ,state and our ,new ,england ,church8 ,why1 the boys at school know better4 ,it was the eternal ,god whose higher law the ,pilgrim and the ,puritan essayed to keep1 not knowing whereunto the thing would grow4 ,shall the fool say in his heart there is no ,god8 ,he cannot make a hair grow on his head but by the eternal law of his ,father in heaven4 ,will the politician say there is no law of ,god for ,states8 ,ask the sorrowing world2 let ,austria and ,hungary make reply4 ,nay1 ask the ,southern ,states of ,america to show us their rapid increase in riches1 in civilization2 to show us their schools and their scholars1 their literature1 their science1 and their art6 ,no law of ,god for ,states6 ,it is writ on the iron leaf of destiny1 ,righteousness exalteth a nation1 but sin is a curse to any people4 ,let the wicked hand of the ,south join with the ,northern wicked hand1 iniquity shall not prosper4 ,but the eye of the wicked shall fail2 they shall not escape2 their hope shall be as giving up the ghost1 because their tongue and their doings are against the ,lord1 to provoke the eyes of his glory4 ,their root shall be as rottenness1 and their blossom shall go up as dust1 if they cast away the law of the ,lord1 and despise the word of the ,holy ,one4 ,in ,america the people are strongly attached to the institutions1 constitutions1 and statutes of the land4 ,on the whole1 they are just establishments4 ,if not1 we made them ourselves1 and can make them better when we will4 ,the execution of laws is also popular4 ,nowhere in the world is there a people so orderly1 so much attached to law1 as the people of these ,northern ,states4 ,but one law is an exception4 ,the people of the ,north hate the fugitive slave law1 as they have never hated any law since the stamp act4 ,i know there are men in the ,northern ,states who like it1--who would have invented slavery1 had it not existed long before4 ,but the mass of the ,northern people hate this law1 because it is hostile to the purpose of all just human law1 hostile to the purpose of society1 hostile to the purpose of individual life2 because it is hostile to the law of ,god1--bids the wrong1 forbids the right4 ,we disobey that1 for the same reason that we keep other laws3 because we reverence the law of ,god4 ,why should we keep that odious law which makes us hated wherever justice is loved8 ,because we must sometimes do a disagreeable deed to accomplish an agreeable purpose8 ,the purpose of that law is to enable three hundred thousand slaveholders to retake on our soil the men they once stole on other soil6 ,most of the city churches of the ,north seem to think that is a good thing4 ,very well3 is it worth while for fifteen million freemen to transgress the plainest of natural laws1 the most obvious instincts of the human heart1 and the plainest duties of ,christianity1 for that purpose8 ,the price to pay is the religious integrity of fifteen million men2 the thing to buy is a privilege for three hundred thousand slaveholders to use the ,north as a hunting-field whereon to kidnap men at our cost4 ,judge you of that bargain4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but ,i must end this long discourse4 ,the other day ,i spoke of the vices of passion3 great and terrible evils they wrought4 ,they were as nothing to the vices of calculation4 ,passion was the flesh1 ambition the devil4 ,there are vices of democracy1 vices of radicalism2 very great vices they are too4 ,you may read of them in ,hume and ,alison4 ,they are painted black as night and bloody as battle in tory journals of ,england1 and the more vulgar tory journals of ,america4 ,democracy wrought terrible evils in ,britain in ,cromwell's time2 in ,france at her ,revolution4 ,but to the vices1 the crimes1 the sins of aristocracy1 of conservatism1--they are what the fleeting lust of the youth is to the cool1 hard1 calculating1 and indomitable ambition of the grown man4 ,radicalism pillaged ,governor ,hutchinson's house1 threw some tea into the ocean2 conservatism set up its stamp act1 and drove ,america into revolution4 ,radicalism helped ,shadrach out of court2 conservatism enacted the fugitive slave bill4 ,radicalism sets up a republic that is red for six months2 conservatism sets up a red monarchy covered with blood for hundreds of years4 ,judge you from which we have the most to fear4 99 99 99 99 99 ,such are the safeguards of society2 such our condition4 ,what shall we do8 ,nobody would dare pretend to build a church except on righteousness2 that is1 the rock of ages4 ,can you build a state on any other foundation--that house upon the sand8 ,what should you think of a minister of the church who got his deacons together1 and made a creed1 and said1 ,there is no higher law2 no law of ,god4 ,you1 laymen1 must take our word for your guidance1 and do just as we bid you1 and violate the plainest commands of conscience8 ,what would be atheism in a minister of the church1--is that patriotism in a minister of the state8 ,a bad law is a most powerful instrument to demoralize and debauch the people4 ,if it is a law of their own making1 it is all the worse4 ,there is no real and manly welfare for a man1 without a sense of religious obligation to ,god2 none in a family1 none in a church1 none in a state4 ,we want righteousness in the people1 in their establishments1 in their officers4 ,i adjure you to reverence a government that is right1 statutes that are right1 officers that are right2 but to disobey every thing that is wrong4 ,i entreat you by your love for your country1 by the memory of your fathers1 by your reverence for ,jesus ,christ1 yea1 by the deep and holy love of ,god which ,jesus taught1 and you now feel4 ,,footnotes3 #cd ,see note on ,function of the ,jury1 above1 p4 #afe4 #ce ,in these times of political corruption1 when a postmaster in a country village is turned out of office for voting for a representative to ,congress who exposed the wickedness of a prominent member of the cabinet1 it is pleasant to read such letters as those of ,washington to ,benjamin ,lincoln1 ,march #aa1 #aghi1 and to ,bushrod ,washington1 ,july #bg1 #aghi1 in ,sparks's ,writings of ,washington1 vol4 ix4 p4 #dgg1 et seq41 and x4 p4 #gc1 et seq4 #cf ,in the ,pilgrim's ,progress1 ,bunyan gives a case which it is probable was fictitious only in the names of the parties4 ,faithful was indicted before ,lord ,hategood for a capital offence4 ,mr4 ,envy testified4 ,then the judge asked him1 ,hast thou any more to say8 ,envy replied3 ,my ,lord1 ,i could say much more1 only ,i would not be tedious to the court4 ,yet1 if need be1 when the other gentlemen have given in their evidence1 rather than any thing should be wanting that will dispatch him1 ,i will enlarge my testimony against him4 ,lord ,hategood stated the law--there were three statutes against the prisoner3 #a4 ,the act of ,king ,pharaoh1 in #a ,exodus #bb2 #b4 ,that of ,king ,nebuchadnezzar in #c ,daniel #f2 and #c4 ,that of ,king ,darius in #f ,daniel #g4 ,the jury took the law from the ruling of the court1 and1 having been carefully packed1 to judge from the names1 and all just men expelled from their number1 they readily found such a verdict as the government had previously determined upon4 ,the same thing1 mutatis mutandis1 has been attempted in ,america1 in ,boston1 and we may fear that in some instances it will succeed4 #cg ,since the first publication of this sermon we have seen eight-and-thirty men indicted for treason under the fugitive slave law1 because they resisted the attempt to kidnap one of their number1 and killed one of the kidnappers4 ,this indictment was found at the instigation of an officer of the government1 who adds new infamy to the name of the great first murderer4 #ch ,speech at ,capon ,springs4 ,,viii4 ,,the ,,position ,,and ,,duties ,,of ,,the ,,american ,,scholar4--,,an ,,address ,,delivered ,,at ,,waterville1 ,,august #h1 #ahdi4 ,men of a superior culture get it at the cost of the whole community1 and therefore1 at first owe for their education4 ,they must pay back an equivalent1 or else remain debtors to mankind1 debtors forever2 that is1 beggars or thieves1 such being the only class that are thus perpetually in debt and a burden to the race4 ,it is true that every man1 the rudest ,prussian boor1 as well as ,von ,humboldt1 is indebted to mankind for his culture1 to their past history and their existing institutions1 to their daily toil4 ,taking the whole culture into the account1 the debt bears about the same ratio to the receipt in all men4 ,i speak not of genius1 the inborn faculty which costs mankind nothing1 only of the education thereof1 which the man obtains4 ,the ,irishman who can only handle his spade1 wear his garments1 talk his wild brogue1 and bid his beads1 has four or five hundred generations of ancestors behind him1 and is as long descended1 and from as old a stock1 as the accomplished patrician scholar at ,oxford and ,berlin4 ,the ,irishman depends on them all1 and on the present generation for his culture4 ,but he has obtained his development with no special outlay and cost of the human race4 ,in getting that rude culture1 he has appropriated nothing to himself which is taken from another man's share4 ,he has paid as he went along1 so he owes nothing in particular for his education2 and mankind has no claim on him as for value received4 ,but the ,oxford graduate has been a long time at school and college2 not earning1 but learning2 living therefore at the cost of mankind1 with an obligation and an implied promise to pay back when he comes of age and takes possession of his educated faculties4 ,he therefore has not only the general debt which he shares with all men1 but an obligation quite special and peculiar for his support while at study4 ,this rule is general1 and applies to the class of educated men with some apparent exceptions1 and a very few real ones4 ,some men are born of poor but strong-bodied parents1 and endowed with great abilities2 they inherit nothing except their share of the general civilization of mankind1 and the onward impulse which that has given4 ,these men devote themselves to study2 and having behind them an ancestry of broad-shouldered1 hard-handed1 stalwart1 temperate men1 and deep-bosomed1 red-armed and industrious mothers1 they are able to do the work of two or three men at the time4 ,such men work while they study2 they teach while they learn2 they hew their own way through the wood by superior strength and skill born in their bones1 with an axe themselves have chipped out from the stone1 or forged of metal1 or paid for with the result of their first hewings4 ,they are specially indebted to nobody for their culture4 ,they pay as they go1 owing the academic ferryman nothing for setting them over into the elysium of the scholar4 ,only few men ever make this heroic and crucial experiment4 ,none but poor men's sons essay the trial4 ,nothing but poverty has whips sharp enough to sting indolent men1 even of genius1 to such exertion of the manly part4 ,but even this proud race often runs into another debt3 they run up long scores with the body1 which must one day be paid with aching head and squeamish heart-burnings4 ,the credit on account of the hardy fathers1 is not without limit4 ,it is soon exhausted2 especially in a land where the atmosphere1 the institutions1 and the youth of the people all excite to premature and excessive prodigality of effort4 ,the body takes a mortgage on the spendthrift spirit1 demands certain regular periodic payments1 and will one day foreclose for breach of condition1 impede the spirit's action in the premises1 putting a very disagreeable keeper there1 and finally expel the prodigal mortgagor4 ,so it often happens1 that a man1 who in his youth scorned a pecuniary debt to mankind1 and would receive no favor even to buy culture with1 has yet1 unconsciously and against his will1 contracted debts which trouble him in manhood1 and impede his action all his life2 with swollen feet and blear eyes famous ,griesbach pays for the austere heroism of his penurious and needy youth4 ,the rosy bud of genius1 on the poor man's tree1 too often opens into a lean and ghastly flower4 ,could not ,burns tell us this8 ,with the rare exceptions just hinted at1 any man of a superior culture owes for it when obtained4 ,sometimes the debt is obvious3 a farmer with small means and a large family sends the most hopeful of his sons to college4 ,look at the cost of the boy's culture4 ,his hands are kept from work that his mind may be free4 ,he fares on daintier food1 wears more and more costly garments4 ,other members of the family must feed and clothe him1 earn his tuition-fees1 buy his books1 pay for his fuel and room-rent4 ,for this the father rises earlier than of old1 yoking the oxen a great while before day of a winter's morning1 and toils till long after dark of a winter's night1 enduring cold and hardship4 ,for this the mother stints her frugal fare1 her humble dress2 for this the brothers must forego sleep and pastime1 must toil harder1 late and early both2 for this the sisters must seek new modes of profitable work1 must wear their old finery long after it is finery no more4 ,the spare wealth of the family1 stinted to spare it1 is spent on this one youth4 ,from the father to the daughters1 all lay their bones to extraordinary work for him2 the whole family is pinched in body that this one youth may go brave and full4 ,even the family horse pays his tax to raise the education fee4 ,men see the hopeful scholar1 graceful and accomplished1 receiving his academic honors1 but they see not the hard-featured father standing unheeded in the aisle1 nor the older sister in an obscure corner of the gallery1 who had toiled in the factory for the favored brother1 tending his vineyard1 her own not kept1 who had perhaps learned the letters of ,greek to hear him recite the grammar at home4 ,father and sister know not a word of the language in which his diploma is writ and delivered4 ,at what cost of the family tree is this one flower produced8 ,how many leaves1 possible blossoms1 yea1 possible branches have been absorbed to create this one flower1 which shall perpetuate the kind1 after being beautiful and fragrant in its own season8 ,yet1 while these leaves are growing for the blossom's sake1 and the life of the tree is directed thither with special and urgent emphasis1 the difference between branch and blossom1 leaf and petal1 is getting more and more4 ,by and by the two cannot comprehend each other2 the acorn has forgotten the leaf which reared it1 and thinks itself of another kin4 ,grotius1 who speaks a host of languages1 talking with the learned of all countries1 and of every age1 has forgot his mother tongue1 and speech is at an end with her that bore him4 ,the son1 accomplished with many a science1 many an art1 ceases to understand the simple consciousness of his father and mother4 ,they are proud of him--that he has outgrown them2 he ashamed of them when they visit him amid his scholarly company4 ,to them he is a philosopher2 they only clowns in his eyes4 ,he learns to neglect1 perhaps to despise them1 and forgets his obligation and his debt4 ,yet by their rudeness is it that he is refined4 ,his science and literary skill are purchased by their ignorance and uncouthness of manner and of speech4 ,had the educational cost been equally divided1 all had still continued on a level2 he had known no ,latin1 but the whole family might have spoken good ,english4 ,for all the difference which education has made betwixt him and his kinsfolk he is a debtor4 ,in ,new ,england you sometimes see extremes of social condition brought together4 ,the blue-frocked father1 well advanced1 but hale as an ,october morning1 jostles into ,boston in a milk-cart1 his red-cheeked grand-daughter beside him1 also coming for some useful daily work1 while the youngest son1 cultured at the cost of that grand-daughter's sire and by that father's toil1 is already a famous man2 perhaps also a proud one1 eloquent at the bar1 or powerful in the pulpit1 or mighty in the senate4 ,the family was not rich enough to educate all the children after this costly sort2 one becomes famous1 the rest are neglected1 obscure1 and perhaps ignorant2 the cultivated son has little sympathy with them4 ,so the men that built up the cathedrals of ,strasbourg and ,milan slept in mean hutches of mud and straw1 dirty1 cold1 and wet2 the finished tower looks proudly down upon the lowly thatch1 all heedless of the cost at which itself arose4 ,it is plain that this man owes for his education2 it is plain whom he owes4 ,but all men of a superior culture1 though born to wealth1 get their education in the same way1 only there is this additional mischief to complicate the matter3 the burden of self-denial is not borne by the man's own family1 but by other fathers and mothers1 other brothers and sisters4 ,they also pay the cost of his culture1 bear the burden for no special end1 and have no personal or family joy in the success2 they do not even know the scholar they help to train4 ,they who hewed the topstone of society are far away when it is hoisted up with shouting4 ,most of the youths now-a-days trained at ,harvard ,college are the sons of rich men1 yet they also1 not less1 are educated at the public charge2 beneficiaries not of the ,hopkins' ,fund1 but of the whole community4 ,society is not yet rich enough to afford so generous a culture to all who ask1 who deserve1 or who would pay for it a hundred-fold4 ,the accomplished man who sits in his well-endowed scholarship at ,oxford1 or rejoices to be ,master of ,trinity1 though he have the estate of the ,westminsters and ,sutherlands behind him1 is still the beneficiary of the public1 and owes for his schooling4 ,in the general way among the industrious classes of ,new ,england1 a boy earns his living after he is twelve years old4 ,if he gets the superior education of the scholar solely by the pecuniary aid of his father or others1 when he is twenty-five and enters on his profession1 law1 medicine1 or divinity1 politics1 school-keeping1 or trade1 he has not earned his ,latin grammar2 has rendered no appreciable service to mankind2 others have worked that he might study1 and taught that he might learn4 ,he has not paid the first cent towards his own schooling2 he is indebted for it to the whole community4 ,the ox-driver in the fields1 the pavior in the city streets1 the laborer on the railroad1 the lumberer in the woods1 the girl in the factory1 each has a claim on him4 ,if he despises these persons1 or cuts himself off from sympathy with them2 if he refuses to perform his function for them after they have done their possible to fit him for it2 he is not only the perpetual and ungrateful debtor1 but is more guilty than the poor man's son who forgets the family that sent him to college3 for that family consciously and willingly made the sacrifice1 and got some satisfaction for it in the visible success of their scheme1 nay1 are sometimes proud of the pride which scorns them1 while with the mass of men thus slighted there is no return for their sacrifice4 ,they did their part1 faithfully did it2 their beneficiary forgets his function4 ,the democratic party in ,new ,england does not much favor the higher seminaries of education4 ,there has long been a suspicion against them in the mass of the community1 and among the friends of the public education of the people a serious distrust4 ,this is the philosophy of that discontent3 public money spent on the higher seminaries is so much taken from the humbler schools1 so much taken from the colleges of all for the college of the few2 men educated at such cost have not adequately repaid the public for the sacrifice made on their account2 men of superior education have not been eminently the friends of mankind1 they do not eminently represent ,truth1 ,justice1 ,philanthropy1 and ,piety2 they do not point men to lofty human life1 and go thitherward in advance of mankind2 their superior education has narrowed their sympathies1 instead of widening2 they use their opportunities against mankind1 and not in its behalf2 think1 write1 legislate1 and live not for the interest of mankind1 but only for a class2 instead of eminent wisdom1 justice1 piety1 they have eminent cunning1 selfishness1 and want of faith4 ,these charges are matters of allegation2 judge you if they be not also matters of fact4 ,now there is a common feeling amongst men that the scholar is their debtor1 and1 in virtue of this1 that they have a right to various services from him4 ,no honest man asks the aid of a farmer or a blacksmith without intending to repay him in money2 no assembly of mechanics would ask another to come two hundred miles and give them a month's work1 or a day's work4 ,yet they will ask a scholar to do so4 ,what gratuitous services are demanded of the physician1 of the minister1 of the man of science and letters in general6 ,no poor man in ,boston but thinks he has a good claim on any doctor2 no culprit in danger of liberty or life but will ask the services of a lawyer1 wholly without recompense1 to plead his cause4 ,the poorest and most neglected class of men look on every good clergyman as their missionary and minister and friend2 the better educated and more powerful he is1 the juster and greater do they feel their claim on him4 ,a pirate in jail may command the services of any ,christian minister in the land4 ,most of the high achievements in science1 letters and art1 have had no apparent pay4 ,the pay came beforehand3 in general and from ,god1 in the greater ability1 the vision and the faculty divine1 but in particular also and from men1 in the opportunity afforded them by others for the use and culture thereof4 ,divinely and humanly they are well paid4 ,men feel that they have this right to the services of the scholar1 in part because they dimly know that his superior education is purchased at the general cost4 ,hence1 too1 they are proud of the few able and accomplished men1 feeling that all have a certain property therein1 as having contributed their mite to the accumulation1 by their divine nature related to the men of genius1 by their human toil partners in the acquirements of the scholar4 ,this feeling is not confined to men who intellectually can appreciate intellectual excellence4 ,the little parish in the mountains1 and the great parish in the city1 are alike proud of the able-headed and accomplished scholar1 who ministers to them2 though neither the poor clowns of the village nor the wealthy clowns of the metropolis could enter into his consciousness and understand his favorite pursuits or loftiest thought4 ,both would think it insulting to pay such a man in full proportion to his work or their receipt4 ,nobody offers a salary to the ,house of ,lords3 their lordship is their pay1 and they must give back1 in the form of justice and sound government1 an equivalent for all they take in high social rank4 ,they must pay for their nobility by being noble lords4 99 99 99 99 99 ,how shall the scholar pay for his education8 ,he is to give a service for the service received4 ,thus the miller and the farmer pay one another1 each paying with service in his own kind4 ,the scholar cannot pay back bread for bread1 and cloth for cloth4 ,he must pay in the scholar's kind1 not the woodman's or the weaver's4 ,he is to represent the higher modes of human consciousness2 his culture and opportunities of position fit him for that4 ,so he is not merely to go through the routine of his profession1 as minister1 doctor1 lawyer1 merchant1 schoolmaster1 politician1 or maker of almanacs1 and for his own advantage2 he is also to represent truth1 justice1 beauty1 philanthropy1 and religion--the highest facts of human experience2 he must be common1 but not vulgar1 and1 as a star1 must dwell apart from the vulgarity of the selfish and the low4 ,he may win money without doing this1 get fame and power1 and thereby seem to pay mankind for their advance to him1 while he rides upon their neck2 but as he has not paid back the scholar's cost and in the scholar's way1 he is a debtor still1 and owes for his past culture and present position4 99 99 99 99 99 ,such is the position of the scholar everywhere1 and such his consequent obligation4 ,but in ,america there are some circumstances which make the position and the duty still more important4 ,beside the natural aristocracy of genius1 talent1 and educated skill1 in most countries there is also a conventional and permanent nobility based on royal or patrician descent and immovable aristocracy4 ,its members monopolize the high places of society1 and if not strong by nature are so by position4 ,those men check the natural power of the class of scholars4 ,the descendant of some famous chief of old time1 takes rank before the ,bacons1 the ,shakspeares1 and the ,miltons of new families1 born yesterday1 to-day gladdened and gladdening with the joy of their genius1 usurps their place1 and for a time shoves away the worthy bidden guest from the honors of the public board4 ,here there is no such class3 a man born at all is well born2 with a great nature1 nobly born2 the career opens to all that can run1 to all men that wish to try2 our aristocracy is movable1 and the scholar has scope and verge enough4 ,germany has the largest class of scholars2 men of talent1 sometimes of genius1 of great working power1 exceedingly well furnished for their work1 with a knowledge of the past and the present4 ,on the whole1 they seem to have a greater power of thought than the scholars of any other land4 ,they live in a country where intellectual worth is rated at its highest value4 ,as ,england is the paradise of the patrician and the millionnaire1 so is ,germany for the man of thought2 ,goethe and ,schiller1 and the ,humboldts took precedence of the mere conventional aristocracy4 ,the empire of money is for ,england2 that of mind is for ,germany4 ,but there the scholar is positively hindered in his function by the power of the government1 which allows freedom of thought1 and by education tends to promote it1 yet not its correlative freedom of speech1 and still less the consequent of that--freedom of act4 ,revelations of new thought are indeed looked for1 and encouraged in certain forms1 but the corresponding revolution of old things is forbidden4 ,an idea must remain an idea2 the government will not allow it to become a deed1 an institution1 an idea organized in men4 ,the children of the mind must be exposed to die1 or1 if left alive1 their feet are cramped1 so that they cannot go alone2 useless1 joyless1 and unwed1 they remain in their father's house4 ,the government seeks to establish national unity of action1 by the sacrifice of individual variety of action1 personal freedom2 every man must be a soldier and a ,christian1 wearing the livery of the government on the body and in the soul1 and going through the spiritual exercises of the church1 as through the manual exercise of the camp4 ,in a nation so enlightened1 personal freedom cannot be wholly sacrificed1 so thought is left free1 but speech restricted by censorship--speech with the human mouth or the iron lips of the press4 ,now1 as of old1 is there a controversy between the temporal and the spiritual powers1 about the investiture of the children of the soul4 ,then1 on the other side1 the scholar is negatively impeded by the comparative ignorance of the people1 by their consequent lack of administrative power and self-help1 and their distrust of themselves4 ,there a great illumination has gone on in the upper heavens of the learned1 meteors coruscating into extraordinary glory2 it has hardly dawned on the low valleys of the common people4 ,if it shines there at all1 it is but as the ,northern ,aurora with a little crackling noise1 lending a feeble and uncertain light1 not enough to walk with1 and no warmth at all2 a light which disturbs the dip and alters the variation of the old historical compass1 bewilders the eye1 hides the stars1 and yet is not bright enough to walk by without stumbling4 ,there is a learned class1 very learned and very large1 with whom the scholar thinks1 and for whom he writes1 most uncouthly1 in the language only of the schools1 and1 if not kept in awe by the government1 they are contented that a thought should remain always a thought2 while in their own heart they disdain all authority but that of truth1 justice1 and love1 they leave the people subject to no rule but the priest1 the magistrate1 and old custom1 which usurp the place of reason1 conscience1 and the affections4 ,there is a very enlightened pulpit1 and a very dull audience4 ,in ,america1 it is said1 for every dough-faced representative there is a dough-faced constituency1 but in ,germany there is not an intelligent people for each intelligent scholar4 ,so on condition a great thought be true and revolutionary1 it is hard to get it made a thing4 ,ideas go into a nunnery1 not a family4 ,phidias must keep his awful ,jove only in his head2 there is no marble to carve it on4 ,eichhorn and ,strauss1 and ,kant and ,hegel1 with all their pother among the learned1 have kept no boor from the communion-table1 nor made him discontented with the despotism of the ,state4 ,they wrote for scholars1 perhaps for gentlemen1 for the enlightened1 not for the great mass of the people1 in whom they had no confidence4 ,there is no class of hucksters of thought1 who retail philosophy to the million4 ,the million have as yet no appetite for it4 ,so the ,german scholar is hindered from his function on either hand by the power of the government1 or the ignorance of the people4 ,he talks to scholars and not men2 his great ideas are often as idle as shells in a lady's cabinet4 ,in ,america all is quite different4 ,there are no royal or patrician patrons1 no plebeian clients in literature1 no immovable aristocracy to withstand or even retard the new genius1 talent1 or skill of the scholar4 ,there is no class organized1 accredited and confided in1 to resist a new idea2 only the unorganized inertia of mankind retards the circulation of thought and the march of men4 ,our historical men do not found historical families2 our famous names of to-day are all new names in the ,state4 ,american aristocracy is bottomed on money which no unnatural laws make steadfast and immovable4 ,to exclude a scholar from the company of rich men1 is not to exclude him from an audience that will welcome and appreciate4 ,then the government does not interfere to prohibit the free exercise of thought4 ,speaking is free1 preaching free1 printing free4 ,no administration in ,america could put down a newspaper or suppress the discussion of an unwelcome theme4 ,the attempt would be folly and madness4 ,there is no tonnage and poundage on thought4 ,it is seldom that lawless violence usurps the place of despotic government4 ,the chief opponent of the new philosophy is the old philosophy4 ,the old has only the advantage of a few years2 the advantage of possession of the ground4 ,it has no weapons of defence which the new has not for attack4 ,what hinders the growth of the new democracy of to-day8--only the old democracy of yesterday1 once green1 and then full blown1 but now going to seed4 ,everywhere else walled gardens have been built for it to go quietly to seed in1 and men appointed1 in ,god's name or the ,states'1 to exterminate as a weed every new plant of democratic thought which may spring up and suck the soil or keep off the sun1 so that the old may quietly occupy the ground1 and undisturbed continue to decay and contaminate the air4 ,here it has nothing but its own stalk to hold up its head1 and is armed with only such spines as it has grown out of its own substance4 ,here the only power which continually impedes the progress of mankind1 and is conservative in the bad sense1 is ,wealth1 which represents life lived1 not now a-living1 and labor accumulated1 not now a-doing4 ,thus the obstacle to free trade is not the notion that our meat must be home-grown and our coat home-spun1 but the money invested in manufactures4 ,slavery is sustained by no prestige of antiquity1 no abstract fondness for a patriarchal institution1 no special zeal for ,christianity which the churches often tell us demands it1 but solely because the ,americans have invested some twelve hundred millions of dollars in the bodies and souls of their countrymen1 and fear they shall lose their capital4 ,whitney's gin for separating the cotton from its blue seed1 making its culture and the labor of the slave profitable1 did more to perpetuate slavery than all the ,compromises of the ,constitution4 ,the last argument in its favor is always this3 ,it brings money1 and we would not lose our investment4 ,weapon a man with iron he will stand and fight2 with gold1 he will shrink and run4 ,the class of capitalists are always cowardly2 here they are the only cowardly class that has much political or social influence4 ,here gold is the imperial metal2 nothing but wealth is consecrated for life3 the tonsure gets covered up or grown over2 vows of celibacy are no more binding than dicers' oaths2 allegiance to the ,state is as transferable as a cent1 and may be alienated by going over the border2 church-communion may be changed or neglected2 as men will1 they sign off from ,church and ,state2 only the dollar holds its own continually1 and is the same under all administrations1 safe from the bar1 the pulpit and the throne4 ,obstinate money continues in office spite of the proscriptive policy of ,polk and ,taylor2 the laws may change1 ,south ,carolina move out of the nation1 the ,constitution be broken1 the ,union dissolved1 still money holds its own4 ,that is the only peculiar weapon which the old has wherewith to repel the new4 ,here1 too1 the scholar has as much freedom as he will take2 himself alone stands in his own light1 nothing else between him and the infinite majesty of ,truth4 ,he is free to think1 to speak1 to print his word and organize his thought4 ,no class of men monopolize public attention or high place4 ,he comes up to the ,genius of ,america1 and she asks3 ,what would you have1 my little man8 ,more liberty1 lisps he4 ,just as much as you can carry1 is the answer4 ,pay for it and take it1 as much as you like1 there it is4 ,but it is guarded6 ,only by gilded flies in the daytime2 they look like hornets1 but can only buzz1 not bite with their beak1 nor sting with their tail4 ,at night it is defended by daws and beetles1 noisy but harmless4 ,here is marble1 my son1 not classic and famous as yet1 but good as the ,parian stone2 quarry as much as you will1 enough for a nymph or a temple4 ,say your wisest and do your best thing2 nobody will hurt you6 ,not much more is the scholar impeded by the ignorance of the people1 not at all in respect to the substance of his thought4 ,there is no danger that he will shoot over the heads of the people by thinking too high for the multitude4 ,we have many authors below the market2 scarce one above it4 ,the people are continually looking for something better than our authors give4 ,no ,american author has yet been too high for the comprehension of the people1 and compelled to leave his writings to posterity after some centuries shall have passed by4 ,if he has thought with the thinkers and has something to say1 and can speak it in plain speech1 he is sure to be widely understood4 ,there is no learned class to whom he may talk ,latin or ,sanscrit1 and who will understand him if he write as ill as ,immanuel ,kant2 there is not a large class to buy costly editions of ancient classics1 however beautiful1 or magnificent works on ,india1 ,egypt1 ,mexico--the class of scholars is too poor for that1 the rich men have not the taste for such beauty--but there is an intelligent class of men who will hear a man if he has what is worth listening to and says it plain4 ,it will be understood and appreciated1 and soon reduced to practice4 ,let him think as much in advance of men as he will1 as far removed from the popular opinion as he may1 if he arrives at a great truth he is sure of an audience1 not an audience of fellow-scholars1 as in ,germany1 but of fellow-men2 not of the children of distinguished or rich men--rather of the young parents of such1 an audience of earnest1 practical people1 who1 if his thought be a truth1 will soon make it a thing4 ,they will appreciate the substance of his thought1 though not the artistic form which clothes it4 ,this peculiar relation of the man of genius to the people comes from ,american institutions4 ,here the greatest man stands nearest to the people1 and without a mediator speaks to them face to face4 ,this is a new thing3 in the classic nations oratory was for the people1 so was the drama1 and the ballad2 that was all their literature4 ,but this came to the people only in cities3 the tongue travels slow and addresses only the ear1 while swiftly hurries on the printed word and speaks at once to a million eyes4 ,thucydides and ,tacitus wrote for a few2 ,virgil sang the labors of the shepherd in old ,ascraean verse1 but only to the wealthy wits of ,rome4 ,i hate the impious crowd and stave them off1 was the scholar's maxim then4 ,all writing was for the few4 ,the best ,english literature of the sixteenth and seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is amenable to the same criticism1 except the dramatic and the religious4 ,it is so with all the permanent literature of ,europe of that time4 ,the same must be said even of much of the religious literature of the scholars then4 ,the writings of ,taylor1 of ,barrow1 and ,south1 of ,bossuet1 ,massillon and ,bourdaloue1 clergymen though they were1 speaking with a religious and therefore a universal aim1 always presuppose a narrow audience of men of nice culture4 ,so they drew their figures from the schoolmen1 from the ,greek anthology1 from heathen classics and the ,christian ,fathers4 ,their illustrations were embellishments to the scholar1 but only palpable darkness to the people4 ,this fact of writing for a few nice judges was of great advantage to the form of the literature thus produced1 but a disadvantage to the substance thereof1 a misfortune to the scholar himself1 for it belittled his sympathies and kept him within a narrow range4 ,even the religious literature of the men just named betrays a lack of freedom1 a thinking for the learned and not for mankind2 it has breathed the air of the cloister1 not the sky1 and is tainted with academic and monastic diseases4 ,so the best of it is over-sentimental1 timid1 and does not point to hardy1 manly life4 ,only ,luther and ,latimer preached to the million hearts of their contemporaries4 ,the dramatic literature1 on the other hand1 was for box1 pit and gallery2 hence the width of poetry in its great masters2 hence many of its faults of form2 and hence the wild and wanton luxuriance of beauty which flowers out all over the marvellous field of art where ,shakspeare walked and sung4 ,in the pulpit1 excellence was painted as a priest1 or monk1 or nun1 loving nothing but ,god2 on the stage1 as a soldier1 magistrate1 a gentleman or simpleman1 a wife and mother1 loving also child and friend4 ,only the literature of the player and the singer of ballads was for the people4 ,here all is changed1 every thing that is written is for the hands of the million4 ,in three months ,mr4 ,macaulay has more readers in ,america than ,thucydides and ,tacitus in twelve centuries4 ,literature1 which was once the sacrament of the few1 only a shew-bread to the people1 is now the daily meat of the multitude4 ,the best works get reprinted with great speed2 the highest poetry is soon in all the newspapers4 ,authors know this1 and write accordingly4 ,it is only scientific works which ask for a special public4 ,but even science1 the proudest of the day1 must come down from the clouds of the academy1 lay off its scholastic garb1 and appear before the eyes of the multitude in common work-day clothes4 ,to large and mainly unlearned audiences ,agassiz and ,walker set forth the highest teachings of physics and metaphysics1 not sparing difficult things1 but putting them in plain speech4 ,emerson takes his majestic intuitions of truth and justice1 which transcend the experience of the ages1 and expounds them to the mechanics' apprentices1 to the factory girls at ,lowell and ,chicopee1 and to the merchants' clerks at ,boston4 ,the more original the speaker1 and the more profound1 the better is he relished2 the beauty of the form is not appreciated1 but the original substance welcomed into new life over the bench1 the loom1 and even the desk of the counting-house4 ,of a deep man the people ask clearness also1 thinking he does not see a thing wholly till he sees it plain4 ,from this new relation of the scholar to the people1 and the direct intimacy of his intercourse with men1 there comes a new modification of his duty3 he is to represent the higher facts of human consciousness to the people1 and express them in the speech of the people2 to think with the sage and saint1 but talk with common men4 ,it is easy to discourse with scholars1 and in the old academic carriage drive through the broad gateway of the cultivated class2 but here the man of genius is to take the new thought on his shoulders and climb up the stiff1 steep hill1 and find his way where the wild asses quench their thirst1 and the untamed eagle builds his nest4 ,hence our ,american scholar must cultivate the dialectics of speech as well as thought4 ,power of speech without thought1 a long tongue in an empty head1 calls the people together once or twice1 but soon its only echo is from an audience of empty pews4 ,thought without power of speech finds little welcome here2 there are not scholars enough to keep it in countenance4 ,this popularity of intelligence gives a great advantage to the man of letters1 who is also a man4 ,he can occupy the whole space between the extremes of mankind2 can be at once philosopher in his thought and people in his speech1 deliver his word without an interpreter to mediate1 and1 like ,king ,mithridates in the story1 talk with the fourscore nations of his camp each in his own tongue4 ,further still1 there are some peculiarities of the ,american mind1 in which we differ from our ,english brothers4 ,they are more inclined to the matter of fact1 and appeal to history2 we1 to the matter of ideas1 and having no national history but of a revolution1 may appeal at once to human nature4 ,so while they are more historical1 fond of names and precedents1 enamoured of limited facts and coy towards abstract and universal ideas1 with the maxim1 ,stand by the fixed1 we are more metaphysical1 ideal1 do not think a thing right because actual1 nor impossible because it has never been4 ,the ,americans are more metaphysical than the ,english2 have departed more from the old sensational philosophy1 have welcomed more warmly the transcendental philosophy of ,germany and ,france4 ,the ,declaration of ,independence and all the ,state ,constitutions of the ,north begin with a universal and abstract idea4 ,even preaching is abstract and of ideas4 ,calvinism bears metaphysical fruit in ,new ,england4 ,this fact modifies still more the function of the duty of the scholar4 ,it determines him to ideas1 to facts for the ideas they cover1 not so much to the past as the future1 to the past only that he may guide the present and construct the future4 ,he is to take his run in the past to acquire the momentum of history1 his stand in the present and leap into the future4 ,in this manner the position and duty of the scholar in ,america are modified and made peculiar2 and thus is the mode determined for him1 in which to pay for his education in the manner most profitable to the public that has been at the cost of his training4 ,there is a test by which we measure the force of a horse or a steam-engine3 the raising of so many pounds through so many feet in a given time4 ,the test of the scholar's power is his ability to raise men in their development4 ,in ,america there are three chief modes of acting upon the public1 omitting others of small account4 ,the first is the power which comes of ,national ,wealth2 the next1 that of ,political ,station2 the third1 power of ,spiritual ,wealth1 so to say1 eminent wisdom1 justice1 love1 piety1 the power of sentiments and ideas1 and the faculty of communicating them to other men1 and organizing them therein4 ,for the sake of shortness1 let each mode of power be symbolized by its instrument1 and we have the power of the ,purse1 of the ,office1 and the ,pen4 ,the ,purse represents the favorite mode of power with us4 ,this is natural in our present stage of national existence and human development2 it is likely to continue for a long time4 ,in all civilized countries which have outgrown the period when the sword was the favorite emblem1 the ,purse represents the favorite mode of power with the mass of men2 but here it is so with the men of superior education4 ,this power is not wholly personal1 but extra-personal1 and the man's centre of gravity lies out of himself1 less or more2 somewhere between the man and his last cent1 the distance being greater or less as the man is less or greater than the estate4 ,this is wielded chiefly by men of little education1 except the practical culture which they have gained in the process of accumulation4 ,their riches they get purposely1 their training by the way and accidentally4 ,it is a singular misfortune of the country1 that1 while the majority of the people are better cultivated and more enlightened than any other population in the world1 the greater part of the wealth of the nation is owned by men of less education and consequently of less enlightenment than the rich men of any leading nation in ,europe4 ,in ,england and ,france the wealth of this generation is chiefly inherited1 and has generally fallen to men carefully trained1 with minds disciplined by academic culture4 ,here wealth is new1 and mainly in the hands of men who have scrambled for it adroitly and with vigor4 ,they have energy1 vigor1 forecast1 and a certain generosity1 but as a class1 are narrow1 vulgar1 and conceited4 ,nine tenths of the property of the people is owned by one tenth of the persons1 and these capitalists are men of little culture1 little moral elevation4 ,this is an accident of our position unavoidable1 perhaps transient2 but it is certainly a misfortune that the great estates of the country1 and the social and political power of such wealth1 should be mainly in the hands of such men4 ,the melancholy result appears in many a disastrous shape3 in the tone of the pulpit1 of the press1 and of the national politics2 much of the vulgarity of the nation is to be ascribed to this fact1 that wealth belongs to men who know nothing better4 ,the ,office represents the next most popular mode of power4 ,this also is extra-personal1 the man's centre of gravity is out of himself1 somewhere between him and the lowest man in the ,state2 the distance depending on the proportion of manhood in him and the multitude1 if the office is much greater than the man1 then the officer's centre of gravity is further removed from his person4 ,this is sought for by the ablest and best educated men in the land4 ,but there is a large class of educated persons who do not aspire to it from lack of ability1 for in our form of government it commonly takes some saliency of character to win the high places of office and use respectably this mode of power1 while it demands no great or lofty talents to accumulate the largest fortune in ,america4 ,it is true the whirlwind of an election1 by the pressure of votes1 may1 now and then1 take a very heavy body up to a great height4 ,yet it does not keep him from growing giddy and ridiculous while there1 and after a few years lets him fall again into complete insignificance1 whence no ,hercules can ever lift him up4 ,a corrupt administration may do the same1 but with the same result4 ,this consideration keeps many educated men from the political arena2 others are unwilling to endure the unsavory atmosphere of politics1 and take part in a scramble so vulgar2 but still a large portion of the educated and scholarly talent of the nation goes to that work4 ,the power of the ,pen is wholly personal4 ,it is the appropriate instrument of the scholar1 but it is least of all desired and sought for4 ,the rich man sends his sons to trade1 to make too much of inheritance yet more by fresh acquisitions of superfluity4 ,he does not send them to literature1 art or science4 ,you find the scholar slipping in to other modes of action1 not the merchants and politicians migrating into this4 ,he longs to act by the gravity of his money or station1 not draw merely by his head4 ,the ,office carries the day before the ,pen2 the ,purse takes precedence of both4 ,educated men do not so much seek places that demand great powers1 as those which bring much gold4 ,self-denial for money or office is common1 for scholarship rare and unpopular4 ,to act by money1 not mind1 is the ill-concealed ambition of many a well-bred man2 the desire of this colors his day-dream1 which is less of wisdom and more of wealth1 or of political station2 so a first-rate clergyman desires to be razed to a second-rate politician1 and some tall admiral of a politician consents to be cut down and turned into a mere sloop of trade4 ,the representative in ,congress becomes a president of an insurance office or a bank1 or the agent of a cotton mill2 the judge deserts his station on the bench and presides over a railroad2 the governor or senator wants a place in the post-office2 the historian longs for a chance in the custom-house4 ,the ,pen stoops to the ,office1 that to the ,purse4 ,the scholar would rather make a fortune by a balsam of wild cherry than write ,hamlet or ,paradise ,lost for nothing2 rather than help mankind by making a ,paradise ,regained4 ,the well-endowed minister thinks how much more money he might have made had he speculated in stocks and not theology1 and mourns that the kingdom of heaven does not pay in this present life fourfold4 ,the professor of ,greek is sorry he was not a surveyor and superintendent of a railroad1 he should have so much more money2 that is what he has learned from ,plato and ,diogenes4 ,we estimate the skill of an artist like that of a peddler1 not by the pictures he has made1 but by the money4 ,there is a mercantile way of determining literary merit not by the author's books1 but by his balance with the publisher4 ,no church is yet called after a man who is merely rich1 something in the ,new ,testament might hinder that2 but the ministers estimate their brother minister by the greatness of his position1 not of his character2 not by his piety and goodness1 not even by his reason and understanding1 the culture he has attained thereby1 and the use he makes thereof1 but by the wealth of his church and the largeness of his salary2 so that he is not thought the fortunate and great minister who has a large outgo of spiritual riches1 rebukes the sins of the nation and turns many to righteousness1 but he who has a large material income1 ministers1 though poorly1 to rich men1 and is richly paid for that function4 ,the well-paid clergymen of a city tell the professor of theology that he must teach such doctrines as the merchants approve1 or they will not give money to the college1 and he1 it1 and the cause of the ,lord will all come to the ground at the same time and in kindred confusion4 ,so blind ,money would put out the heavenly eyes of ,science1 and lead her also to his own ditch4 ,it must not be forgotten that there are men in the midst of us1 rich1 respectable and highly honored with social rank and political power1 who practically and in strict conformity with their theory1 honor ,judas1 who made money by his treachery1 far more than ,jesus who laid down his life for men1 whose money is deemed better than manhood4 ,it must indeed be so4 ,any outrage that is profitable to the controlling portion of society is sure to be welcome to the leaders of the ,state1 and is soon pronounced divine by the leaders of the church4 ,it would seem as if the ,pen ought to represent the favorite mode of power at a college2 but even there the waters of ,pactolus are thought fairer than the ,castalian1 ,heliconian spring1 or ,siloa's brook that flowed fast by the oracle of ,god4 ,the college is named after the men of wealth1 not genius4 ,how few professorships in ,america bear the names of men of science or letters1 and not of mere rich men6 ,which is thought the greatest benefactor of a college1 he who endows it with money or with mind8 ,even there it is the ,purse1 not the ,pen that is the symbol of honor1 and the ,university is up for ,california1 not ,parnassus4 ,even in politics the ,purse turns the scale4 ,let a party wrestle never so hard it cannot throw the dollar4 ,money controls and commands talent1 not talent money4 ,the successful shopkeeper frowns on and browbeats the accomplished politician1 who has too much justice for the wharf and the board of brokers2 he notices that the rich men avert their eye1 or keep their beaver down1 trembles and is sad1 fearing that his daughter will never find a fitting spouse4 ,the ,purse buys up able men of superior education1 corrupts and keeps them as its retained attorneys1 in congress or the church1 not as counsel but advocate1 bribed to make the worse appear the better reason1 and so help money to control the ,state and wield its power against the interest of mankind4 ,this is perfectly well known2 but no politician or minister1 bribed to silence or to speech1 ever loses his respectability because he is bought by respectable men1--if he get his pay4 ,in all countries but this the ,office is before the ,purse2 here the ,state is chiefly an accessory of the ,exchange1 and our politics only mercantile4 ,this appears sometimes against our will1 in symbols not meant to tell the tale4 ,thus in the ,house of ,representatives in ,massachusetts1 a codfish stares the speaker in the face--not a very intellectual looking fish4 ,when it was put there it was a symbol of the riches of the ,state1 and so of the ,commonwealth4 ,with singular and unconscious satire it tells the legislature to have an eye to the main chance1 and1 but for its fidelity to its highest instincts and its obstinate silence1 might be a symbol good enough for the place4 ,now after the ,office and the ,purse have taken their votaries from the educated class1 the ablest men are certainly not left behind4 ,three roads open before our young ,hercules as he leaves college1 having respectively as finger-post1 the ,pen1 the ,office1 and the ,purse4 ,few follow the road of ,letters4 ,this need not be much complained of2 nay it might be rejoiced in1 if the ,purse and the ,office in their modes of power did represent the higher consciousness of mankind4 ,but no one contends it is so4 ,still there are men who devote themselves to some literary callings which have no connection with political office1 and which are not pursued for the sake of great wealth4 ,such men produce the greater part of the permanent literature of the country4 ,they are eminently scholars2 permanent scholars who act by their scholar-craft1 not by the state-craft of the politician1 or the purse-craft of the capitalist4 ,how are these men paying their debt and performing their function8 ,the answer must be found in the science and the literature of the land4 ,american ,science is something of which we may well be proud4 ,mr4 ,liebig in ,germany has found it necessary to defend himself from the charge of following science for the loaves and fishes thereof1 and he declares that he espoused ,chemistry not for her wealthy dower1 not even for the services her possible children might render to mankind1 but solely for her own sweet sake4 ,amongst the ,english race1 on both sides of the ocean1 science is loved rather for the fruit than the blossom2 its service to the body is thought of more value than its service to the mind4 ,a man's respectability would be in danger1 in ,america1 if he loved any science better than the money or fame it might bring4 ,it is characteristic of us that a scholar should write for reputation and gold4 ,here1 as elsewhere1 the unprofitable parts of science fall to the lot of poor men4 ,when the rich man's son has the natural calling that way1 public opinion would dissuade him from the study of nature4 ,the greatest scientific attainments do not give a man so high social consideration as a political office or a successful speculation--unless it be the science which makes money4 ,scientific schools we call after merely rich men1 not men of wealthy minds4 ,it is true we name streets and squares1 towns and counties after ,franklin1 but it is because he keeps the lightning from factories1 churches1 and barns2 tells us not to give too much for the whistle1 and teaches the way to make money plenty in every man's pocket4 ,we should not name them after ,cuvier and ,la ,place4 ,notwithstanding this1 the scientific scholars of ,america1 both the home-born and the adopted sons1 have manfully paid for their culture1 and done honor to the land4 ,this is true of men in all departments of science1--from that which searches the deeps of the sky to that which explores the shallows of the sea4 ,individuals1 ,states1 and the nation have all done themselves honor by the scientific researches and discoveries that have been made4 ,the outlay of money and of genius for things which only pay the head and not the mouth of man1 is beautiful and a little surprising in such a utilitarian land as this4 ,time would fail me to attend to particular cases4 ,look at the ,literature of ,america4 ,reserving the exceptional portion thereof to be examined in a moment1 let us study the instantial portion of it1 ,american ,literature as a whole4 ,this may be distributed into two main divisions3 ,first comes the ,permanent ,literature1 consisting of works not designed merely for a single and transient occasion1 but elaborately wrought for a general purpose4 ,this is literature proper4 ,next follows the ,transient ,literature1 which is brought out for a particular occasion1 and designed to serve a special purpose4 ,let us look at each4 ,the ,permanent ,literature of ,america is poor and meagre2 it does not bear the mark of manly hands1 of original1 creative minds4 ,most of it is rather milk for babes than meat for men1 though much of it is neither fresh meat nor new milk1 but the old dish often served up before4 ,in respect to its form1 this portion of our literature is an imitation4 ,that is natural enough1 considering the youth of the country4 ,every nation1 like every man1 even one born to genius1 begins by imitation4 ,raphael1 with servile pencil1 followed his masters in his youth1 but at length his artistic eye attracted new-born angels from the calm stillness of their upper heaven1 and with liberal1 free hand1 with masterly and original touch1 the painter of the newness amazed the world4 ,the early ,christian literature is an imitation of the ,hebrew or the classic type3 even after centuries had passed by1 ,sidonius1 though a bishop of the church1 and destined to become a saint1 uses the old heathen imagery1 referring to ,triptolemus as a model for ,christian work1 and talks about ,triton and ,galatea1 to the ,christian ,queen of the ,goths4 ,saint ,ambrose is a notorious imitator of pagan ,cicero4 ,the ,christians were all anointed with ,jewish nard2 and the sour grapes they ate in sacrament have set on edge their children's teeth till now4 ,the modern nations of ,europe began their literature by the driest copies of ,livy and ,virgil4 ,the ,germans have the most original literature of the last hundred years4 ,but till the middle of the past century their permanent literature was chiefly in ,latin and ,french1 with as little originality as our own4 ,the real poetic life of the nation found vent in other forms4 ,it is natural therefore1 and according to the course of history1 that we should begin in this way4 ,the best political institutions of ,england are cherished here1 so her best literature1 and it is not surprising that we are content with this rich inheritance of artistic toil4 ,in many things we are independent1 but in much that relates to the higher works of man1 we are still colonies of ,england4 ,this appears not only in the vulgar fondness for ,english fashions1 manners and the like1 which is chiefly an affectation1 but in the servile style with which we copy the great or little models of ,english literature4 ,sometimes this is done consciously1 oftener without knowing it4 ,but the substance of our permanent literature is as faulty as its form4 ,it does not bear marks of a new1 free1 vigorous mind at work1 looking at things from the ,american point of view1 and though it put its thought in antique forms1 yet thinking originally and for itself4 ,it represents the average thought of respectable men1 directed to some particular subject1 and their average morality4 ,it represents nothing more2 how could it while the ablest men have gone off to politics or trade8 ,it is such literature as almost anybody might get up if you would give him a little time to make the preliminary studies4 ,there is little in it that is national2 little individual and of the writer's own mind2 it is ground out in the public literary mill4 ,it has no noble sentiments1 no great ideas1 nothing which makes you burn2 nothing which makes you much worse or much better4 ,you may feed on this literature all your days1 and whatsoever you may gain in girth1 you shall not take in thought enough to add half an inch to your stature4 ,out of every hundred ,american literary works printed since the century began1 about eighty will be of this character4 ,compare the four most conspicuous periodicals of ,america with the four great quarterlies of ,england1 and you see how inferior our literature is to theirs--in all things1 in form and in substance too4 ,the ,european has the freedom of a well-bred man--it appears in the movement of his thought1 his use of words1 in the easy grace of his sentences1 and the general manner of his work2 the ,american has the stiffness and limitations of a big1 raw boy in the presence of his schoolmaster4 ,they are proud of being ,english1 and so have a certain lofty nationality which appears in their thought and the form thereof1 even in the freedom to use and invent new words4 ,our authors of this class seem ashamed that they are ,americans1 and accordingly are timid1 ungraceful and weak4 ,they dare not be original when they could4 ,hence this sort of literature is dull4 ,a man of the average mind and conscience1 heart and soul1 studies a particular subject a short time--for this is the land of brief processes--and writes a book thereof1 or thereon2 a critic of the same average makes his special study of the book1 not its theme1 reviews the work2 is as ready1 and able to pass judgment on ,bowditch's translation of ,la ,place in ten days after its appearance as ten years1 and distributes praise and blame1 not according to the author's knowledge1 but the critic's ignorant caprice1 and then average men read the book and the critique with no immoderate joy or unmeasured grief4 ,they learn some new facts1 no new ideas1 and get no lofty impulse4 ,the book was written without inspiration1 without philosophy1 and is read with small profit4 ,yet it is curious to observe the praise which such men receive1 how soon they are raised to the ,house of ,lords in ,english literature4 ,i have known three ,american ,sir ,walter ,scotts1 half a dozen ,addisons1 one or two ,macaulays1 a historian that was ,hume and ,gibbon both in one2 several ,burnses1 and ,miltons by the quantity1 not mute1 the more is the pity1 but inglorious enough2 nay1 even vain-glorious at the praise which some penny-a-liner1 or dollar-a-pager foolishly gave their cheap extemporary stuff4 ,in sacred literature it is the same3 in a single winter at ,boston we had two ,american ,saint ,johns1 in full blast for several months4 ,though no ,felix trembles1 there are now extant in the ,united ,states not less than six ,american ,saint ,pauls1 in no manner of peril except the most dangerous--of idle praise4 ,a living1 natural1 and full-grown literature contains two elements4 ,one is of mankind in general2 that is human and universal4 ,the other is of the tribe in special1 and of the writer in particular4 ,this is national and even personal3 you see the idiosyncracy of the nation and the individual author in the work4 ,the universal human substance accepts the author's form1 and the public wine of mankind runs into the private bottle of the author4 ,thus the ,hebrew literature of the ,old ,testament is fresh and original in substance and in form2 the two elements are plain enough1 the universal and the particular4 ,the staple of the ,psalms of ,david is human1 of mankind1 it is trust in ,god2 but the twist1 the die1 the texture1 the pattern1 all that is ,hebrew--of the tribe1 and personal--of ,david1 shepherd1 warrior1 poet1 king4 ,you see the pastoral hill-sides of ,judea in his holy hymns2 nay1 ,uriah's beauteous wife now and then sidles in to his sweetest psalm4 ,the ,old ,testament books smell of ,palestine1 of its air and its soil4 ,the ,rose of ,sharon has ,hebrew earth about its roots4 ,the geography of the ,holy ,land1 its fauna and its flora both1 even its wind and sky1 its early and its latter rain1 all appear in the literature of historian and bard4 ,it is so in the ,iliad4 ,you see how the sea looked from ,homer's point of view1 and know how he felt the west wind1 cold and raw4 ,the human element has an ,ionian form and a ,homeric hue4 ,the ballads of the people in ,scotland and ,england are national in the same way2 the staple of human life is wrought into the ,scottish form4 ,before the ,germans had any permanent national literature of this character1 their fertile mind found vent in legends1 popular stories1 now the admiration of the learned4 ,these had at home the ,german dress1 but as the stories travelled into other lands1 they kept their human flesh and blood1 but took a different garb and acquired a different complexion from every country which they visited1 and1 like the streams of their native ,swabia1 took the color of the soil they travelled through4 ,the permanent and instantial literature of ,america is not national in this sense4 ,it has little that is ,american2 it might as well be written by some book-wright in ,leipsic or ,london1 and then imported4 ,the individuality of the nation is not there1 except in the cheap1 gaudy binding of the work4 ,the nationality of ,america is only stamped on the lids1 and vulgarly blazoned on the back4 ,is the book a ,history8 it is written with no such freedom as you should expect of a writer1 looking at the breadth of the world from the lofty stand-point of ,america4 ,there is no new philosophy of history in it4 ,you would not think it was written in a democracy that keeps the peace without armies or a national jail4 ,mr4 ,macaulay writes the history of ,england as none but a ,north-,briton could do4 ,astonishingly well-read1 equipped with literary skill at least equal to the masterly art of ,voltaire1 mapping out his subject like an engineer1 and adorning it like a painter1 you yet see1 all along1 that the author is a ,scotchman and a whig4 ,nobody else could have written so4 ,it is of ,mr4 ,macaulay4 ,but our ,american writer thinks about matters just as everybody else does2 that is1 he does not think at all1 but only writes what he reads1 and then1 like the good-natured bear in the nursery story1 thinks he has been thinking4 ,it is no such thing1 he has been writing the common opinion of common men1 to get the applause of men as common as himself4 ,is the book of ,poetry8 the substance is chiefly old1 the form old1 the allusions are old4 ,it is poetry of society1 not of nature4 ,you meet in it the same everlasting mythology1 the same geography1 botany1 zooelogy1 the same symbols2 a new figure of speech suggested by the sight of nature1 not the reading of books1 you could no more find than a fresh shad in the ,dead ,sea4 ,you take at random eight or ten ,american poets of this stamp1 you see at once what was the favorite author with each new bard2 you often see what particular work of ,shelley1 or ,tennyson1 or ,milton1 or ,george ,herbert1 or1 if the man has culture enough1 of ,goethe1 or ,uhland1 ,jean ,paul1 or ,schiller1 suggested the ,american ,original4 ,his inspiration comes from literature1 not from the great universe of nature or of human life4 ,you see that this writer has read ,percy's ,reliques1 and the ,german ,wunderhorn2 but you would not know that he wrote in a republic--in a land full of new life1 with great rivers and tall mountains1 with maple and oak trees that turn red in the autumn1 amongst a people who hold town-meetings1 have free schools for everybody1 read newspapers voraciously1 who have lightning rods on their steeples1 ride in railroads1 are daguerreotyped by the sun1 and who talk by lightning from ,halifax to ,new ,orleans1 who listen to the whippoorwill and the bobolink1 who believe in ,slavery and the ,declaration of ,independence1 in the devil and the five points of ,calvinism4 ,you would not know where our poet lived1 or that he lived anywhere4 ,reading the ,iliad1 you doubt that ,homer was born blind2 but our bard seems to have been deaf also1 and for expressing what was national in his time1 might likewise have been dumb4 ,is it a volume of ,sermons8 they might have been written at ,edinburgh1 ,madrid1 or ,constantinople as well as in ,new ,england2 as well preached to the ,homo ,sapiens of ,linnaeus1 or the ,man in the ,moon1 as to the special audience that heard1 or heard them not1 but only paid for having the things preached4 ,there is nothing individual about them2 the author seems as impersonal as ,spinoza's conception of ,god4 ,the sermons are like an almanac calculated for the meridian of no place in particular1 for no time in special4 ,there is no allusion to any thing ,american4 ,the author never mentions a river this side of the ,jordan2 knows no mountain but ,lebanon1 ,zion1 and ,carmel1 and would think it profane to talk of the ,alleghanies and the ,mississippi1 of ,monadnock and the ,androscoggin4 ,he mentions ,babylon and ,jerusalem1 not ,new ,york and ,baltimore2 you would never dream that he lived in a church without a bishop1 and a state without a king1 in a democratic nation that held three million slaves1 with ministers chosen by the people4 ,he is surrounded1 clouded over1 and hid by the traditions of the ages of faith behind him4 ,he never thanks ,god for the dew and snow1 only for the early and the latter rain of a classic sacred land2 a temperance man1 he blesses ,god for the wine because the great ,psalmist did so thousands of years ago4 ,he speaks of the olive and the fig-tree which he never saw1 not of the apple-tree and the peach before his eyes all day long1 their fruit the joy of his children's heart4 ,if you guessed at his time and place1 you would think he lived1 not under ,general ,taylor1 but under ,king ,ahab1 or ,jeroboam2 that his audience rode on camels or in chariots1 not in steam-cars2 that they fought with bows and arrows against the children of ,moab2 that their favorite sin was the worship of some graven image1 and that they made their children pass through the fire unto ,moloch1 not through the counting-house unto ,mammon4 ,you would not know whether the preacher was married or a bachelor1 rich or poor1 saint or sinner2 you would probably conclude he was not much of a saint1 nor even much of a sinner4 ,the authors of this portion of our literature seem ashamed of ,america4 ,one day she will take her revenge4 ,they are the parasites of letters1 and live on what other men have made classic4 ,they would study the ,holy ,land1 ,greece1 ,etruria1 ,egypt1 ,nineveh1 spots made famous by great and holy men1 and let the native races of ,america fade out1 taking no pains to study the monuments which so swiftly pass away from our own continent4 ,it is curious that most of the accounts of the ,indians of ,north ,america come from men not natives here1 from ,french and ,germans2 and characteristic that we should send an expedition to the ,dead ,sea1 while wide tracts of this continent lie all untouched by the white man's foot2 and1 also1 that while we make such generous and noble efforts to christianize and bless the red1 yellow1 and black heathens at the world's end1 we should leave the ,american ,indian and ,negro to die in savage darkness1 the ,south making it penal to teach a black man to write or read4 ,yet1 there is one portion of our permanent literature1 if literature it may be called1 which is wholly indigenous and original4 ,the lives of the early martyrs and confessors are purely ,christian1 so are the legends of saints and other pious men3 there was nothing like this in the ,hebrew or heathen literature2 cause and occasion were alike wanting for it4 ,so we have one series of literary productions that could be written by none but ,americans1 and only here3 ,i mean the ,lives of ,fugitive ,slaves4 ,but as these are not the work of the men of superior culture1 they hardly help to pay the scholar's debt4 ,yet all the original romance of ,america is in them1 not in the white man's novel4 99 99 99 99 99 ,next is the ,transient ,literature1 composed chiefly of speeches1 orations1 state papers1 political and other occasional pamphlets1 business reports1 articles in the journals1 and other productions designed to serve some present purpose4 ,these are commonly the work of educated men1 though not of such as make literature a profession4 ,taking this department as a whole1 it differs much from the permanent literature2 here is freshness of thought and newness of form4 ,if ,american books are mainly an imitation of old models1 it would be difficult to find the prototype of some ,american speeches4 ,they would have made ,quintilian stare and gasp4 ,take the ,state ,papers of the ,american government during the administration of ,mr4 ,polk1 the speeches made in ,congress at the same time1 the ,state ,papers of the several ,states--you have a much better and more favorable idea of the vigor and originality of the ,american mind1 than you would get from all the bound books printed in that period4 ,the diplomatic writings of ,american politicians compare favorably with those of any nation in the world4 ,in eloquence no modern nation is before us1 perhaps none is our equal4 ,here you see the inborn strength and manly vigor of the ,american mind4 ,you meet the same spirit which fells the forest1 girdles the land with railroads1 annexes ,texas and covets ,cuba1 ,nicaragua1 all the world4 ,you see that the authors of this literature are workers also4 ,others have read of wild beasts2 here are the men that have seen the wolf4 ,a portion of this literature represents the past1 and has the vices already named4 ,it comes from human history and not human nature2 as you read it1 you think of the inertia and the cowardliness of mankind2 nothing is progressive1 nothing noble1 generous or just1 only respectable4 ,the past is preferred before the present2 money is put before men1 a vested right before a natural right4 ,such literature appears in all countries4 ,the ally of despotism1 and the foe of mankind1 it is yet a legitimate exponent of a large class of men4 ,the leading journals of ,america1 political and commercial1 or literary1 are poor and feeble2 our reviews of books afford matter for grave consideration4 ,you would often suppose them written by the same hand which manufactures the advertisements of the grand caravan1 or some patent medicine2 or when unfavorable1 by some of the men who write defamatory articles on the eve of an election4 ,but a large part of this transient literature is very different in its character4 ,its authors have broken with the traditions of the past2 they have new ideas1 and plans for putting them in execution2 they are full of hope2 are national to the extreme1 bragging and defiant4 ,they put the majority before institutions2 the rights of the majority before the privilege of a few2 they represent the onward tendency and material prophecy of the nation4 ,the new activity of the ,american mind here expresses its purpose and its prayer4 ,here is strength1 hope1 confidence1 even audacity2 all is ,american4 ,but the great idea of the ,absolute ,right does not appear1 all is more national than human2 and in what concerns the nation1 it is not justice1 the point where all interests are balanced1 and the welfare of each harmonizes with that of all1 which is sought2 but the greatest good of the greatest number2 that is1 only a privilege had at the cost of the smaller number4 ,here is little respect for universal humanity2 little for the ,eternal ,laws of ,god which override all the traditions and contrivances of men2 more reverence for a statute1 or constitution1 which is indeed the fundamental law of the political ,state1 but is often only an attempt to compromise between the fleeting passions of the day and the ,immutable ,morality of ,god4 ,amid all the public documents of the nation and the several ,states1 in the speeches and writings of favorite men1 who represent and so control the public mind1 for fifty years1 there is little that stirs the feelings infinite within you2 much to make us more ,american1 not more manly4 ,there is more head than heart2 native intellect enough2 culture that is competent1 but little conscience1 or real religion4 ,how many newspapers1 how many politicians in the land go at all beyond the whig idea of protecting the property now accumulated1 or the democratic idea of ensuring the greatest material good of the greatest number8 ,where are we to look for the representative of justice1 of the unalienable rights of all the people and all the nations8 ,in the triple host of article-makers1 speech-makers1 lay and clerical1 and makers of laws1 you find but few who can be trusted to stand up for the unalienable rights of men2 who will never write1 speak1 nor vote in the interests of a party1 but always in the interest of mankind1 and will represent the justice of ,god in the forum of the world4 ,this literature1 like the other1 fails of the high end of writing and of speech3 with more vigor1 more freedom1 more breadth of vision1 and an intense nationality1 the authors thereof are just as far from representing the higher consciousness of mankind1 just as vulgar as the tame and well-licked writers of the permanent literature4 ,here are the men who have cut their own way through the woods1 men with more than the average intelligence1 daring and strength1 but with less than the average justice which is honesty in the abstract1 less than the average honesty which is justice concentrated upon small particulars4 ,examine both these portions of ,american literature1 the permanent and the fleeting--you see their educated authors are no higher than the rest of men4 ,they are the slaves of public opinion1 as much as the gossip in her little village4 ,it may not be the public opinion of a coterie of crones1 but of a great party2 that makes little odds1 they are worshippers of the same rank1 idolaters of the same wealth2 the gossiping granny shows her littleness the size of life1 while their deformity is magnified by the solar microscope of high office4 ,many a popular man exhibits his pigmy soul to the multitude of a whole continent1 idly mistaking it for greatness4 ,they are swayed by vulgar passions1 seek vulgar ends1 address vulgar motives1 use vulgar means2 they may command by their strength1 they cannot refine by their beauty or instruct by their guidance1 and still less inspire by any eminence of manhood which they were born to or have won4 ,they build on the surface-sand for to-day1 not on the rock of ages forever4 ,with so little conscience1 they heed not the solemn voice of history1 and respect no more the prophetic instincts of mankind4 ,to most men the approbation of their fellows1 is one of the most desirable things4 ,this approbation appears in the various forms of admiration1 respect1 esteem1 confidence1 veneration and love4 ,the great man obtains this after a time1 and in its highest forms1 without seeking it1 simply by faithfulness to his nature4 ,he gets it1 by rising and doing his work1 in the course of nature1 as easily and as irresistibly as the sun gathers to the clouds the evaporation of land and sea1 and like the sun to shed it down in blessings on mankind4 ,little men seek this1 consciously or not knowing it1 by stooping1 cringing1 flattering the pride1 the passion1 or the prejudice of others4 ,so they get the approbation of men1 but never of ,man4 ,sometimes this is sought for by the attainment of some accidental quality1 which low-minded men hold in more honor than the genius of sage or poet1 or the brave manhood of some great hero of the soul4 ,in ,england though money is power1 it is patrician birth which is nobility1 and valued most2 and there1 accordingly1 birth takes precedence of all1 of genius and even of gold4 ,men seek the companionship or the patronage of titled lords1 and social rank depends upon nobility of blood4 ,the few bishops in the upper house do more to give conventional respectability to the clerical profession there1 than all the solid intellect of ,hooker1 ,barrow1 and of ,south1 the varied and exact learning of philosophic ,cudworth1 the eloquence and affluent piety of ,taylor1 and ,butler's vast and manly mind4 ,in ,america social rank depends substantially on wealth1 an accident as much as noble birth1 but movable4 ,here gold takes precedence of all1--of genius1 and even of noble birth4 ,though your sire ,had royal blood within him1 and though you ,possess the intellect of angels too1 ',tis all in vain2--the world will ne'er inquire ,on such a score3--,why should it take the pains8 ',tis easier to weigh purses1 sure1 than brains4 ,wealth is sought1 not merely as a means of power but of nobility4 ,when obtained1 it has the power of nobility3 so poor men of superior intellect and education1 powerful by nature1 not by position1 fear to disturb the opinion of wealthy men1 to instruct their ignorance or rebuke their sin4 ,hence the aristocracy of wealth1 illiterate and vulgar1 goes unrebuked1 and debases the natural aristocracy of mind and culture which bows down to it4 ,the artist prostitutes his pencil and his skill1 and takes his law of beauty from the fat clown1 whose barns and pigs and wife he paints for daily bread4 ,the preacher does the same2 and though the stench of the rum-shop infests the pulpit1 and death hews down the leaders of his flock1 the preacher must cry ,peace1 peace1 or else be still1 for rum is power6 ,but this power of wealth has its antagonistic force--the power of numbers4 ,much depends on the dollar4 ,nine tenths of the property is owned by one tenth of all these men--but much also on the votes of the million4 ,the few are strong by money1 the many by their votes4 ,each is worshipped by its votaries1 and its approbation sought4 ,he that can get the men controls the money too4 ,so while one portion of educated men bows to the rich1 and consecrates their passion and their prejudice1 another portion bows1 equally prostrate1 to the passions of the multitude of men4 ,the many and the rich have each a public opinion of their own1 and both are tyrants4 ,here the tyranny of public opinion is not absolutely greater than in ,england1 ,germany or ,france1 but is far greater in comparison with other modes of oppression4 ,it seems inherent in a republic2 it is not in a republic of noble men4 ,but here this sirocco blows flat to the ground full many an aspiring blade4 ,wealth can establish banks1 or factories2 votes can lift the meanest man into the highest political place1 can dignify any passion with the name and force of human law2 so it is thought by the worshippers of both1 seeking the approbation of the two1 that public opinion can make truth of lies1 and right even out of foulest wrong4 ,politicians begin to say1 ,there is no law of ,god above the ephemeral laws of men4 ,there are few ,american works of literature which appeal to what is best in men2 few that one could wish should go abroad and live4 ,america has grown beyond hope in population1 the free and bond1 in riches1 in land1 in public material prosperity1 but in a literature that represents the higher elements of manliness far less than wise men thought4 ,they looked for the fresh new child2 it is born with wrinkles and dreadfully like his grandmother1 only looking older and more effete4 ,our muse does not come down from an ,american ,parnassus1 with a new heaven in her eye1 men not daring to look on the face of anointed beauty1 coming to tell of noble thought1 to kindle godlike feelings with her celestial spark1 and stir mankind to noble deeds4 ,she finds ,parnassus steep and high and hard to climb2 the air austere and cold1 the light severe1 too stern for her effeminate nerves4 ,so she has a little dwelling in the flat and close-pent town1 hard by the public street2 breathes its ,boeotian breath2 walks with the money-lenders at high change2 has her account at the bank1 her pew in the most fashionable church and least austere2 she gets approving nods in the street1 flattery in the penny-prints1 sweetmeats and sparkling wine in the proper places4 ,what were the inspirations of all ,god's truth to her8 ,he taunts the lofty land with little men4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there still remains the ,exceptional ,literature2 some of it is only fugitive1 some meant for permanent duration4 ,here is a new and different spirit3 a respect for human nature above human history1 for man above all the accidents of man1 for ,god above all the alleged accidents of ,god2 a veneration for the eternal laws which ,he only makes and man but finds2 a law before all statutes1 above all constitutions1 and holier than all the writings of human hands4 ,here you find most fully the sentiments and ideas of ,america1 not such as rule the nation now1 but which1 unconsciously to the people1 have caused the noble deeds of our history1 and now prophesy a splendid future for this young giant here4 ,these sentiments and ideas are brought to consciousness in this literature4 ,here a precedent is not a limitation2 a fact of history does not eclipse an idea of nature2 an investment is not thought more sacred than a right4 ,here is more hope than memory2 little deference to wealth and rank1 but a constant aspiration for truth1 justice1 love and piety2 little fear of the public opinion of the many or the few1 rather a scorn thereof1 almost a defiance of it4 ,it appears in books1 in pamphlets1 in journals1 and in sermons1 sorely scant in quantity as yet4 ,new and fresh1 it is often greatly deficient in form2 rough1 rude and uncouth1 it yet has in it a soul that will live4 ,its authors are often men of a wide and fine culture1 though mainly tending to underrate the past achievements of mankind4 ,they have little reverence for great names4 ,they value the ,greek and ,hebrew mind for no more than it is worth4 ,with them a wrong is no more respected because well descended1 and supported by all the riches1 all the votes2 a right1 not less a right because unjustly kept out of its own4 ,these men are ,american all through2 so intensely national1 that they do not fear to tell the nation of the wrong it does4 ,the form of this literature is ,american4 ,it is indigenous to our soil1 and could come up in no other land4 ,it is unlike the classic literature of any other nation4 ,it is ,american as the ,bible is ,hebrew1 and the ,odyssey is ,greek4 ,it is wild and fantastic1 like all fresh original literature at first4 ,you see in it the image of republican institutions--the free school1 free state1 free church2 it reflects the countenance of free men4 ,so the letters of old ,france1 of modern ,england1 of ,italy and ,spain reflect the monarchic1 oligarchic1 and ecclesiastic institutions of those lands4 ,here appears the civilization of the nineteenth century1 the treasures of human toil for many a thousand years4 ,more than that1 you see the result of a fresh contact with nature1 and original intuitions of divine things4 ,acknowledging inspiration of old1 these writers of the newness believe in it now not less1 not miraculous1 but normal4 ,here is humanity that overleaps the bounds of class and of nation1 and sees a brother in the beggar1 pirate1 slave1 one family of men variously dressed in cuticles of white or yellow1 black or red4 ,here1 too1 is a new loveliness1 somewhat akin to the savage beauty of our own wild woods1 seen in their glorious splendor an hour before autumnal suns go down and leave a trail of glory lingering in the sky4 ,here1 too1 is a piety somewhat heedless of scriptures1 liturgies1 and forms1 and creeds2 it finds its law written in nature1 its glorious everlasting ,gospel in the soul of man2 careless of circumcision and baptismal rites1 it finds the world a temple1 and rejoices everywhere to hold communion with the ,infinite ,father of us all1 and keep a sacrament in daily life1 conscious of immortality1 and feeding continually on angel's bread4 ,the writers of this new literature are full of faults2 yet they are often strong1 though more by their direction than by native force of mind2 more1 by their intuitions of the first good1 first perfect and first fair1 than through their historical knowledge or dialectic power4 ,their ship sails swift1 not because it is sharper built1 or carries broader sails than other craft1 but because it steers where the current of the ocean coincides with the current of the sky1 and so is borne along by nature's wind and nature's wave4 ,uninvited1 its ideas steal into parlor and pulpit1 its kingdom coming within men and without observation4 ,the shoemaker feels it as he toils in his narrow shop2 it cheers the maiden weaving in the mill1 whose wheels the ,merrimac is made to turn2 the young man at college bids it welcome to his ingenuous soul4 ,so at the breath of spring new life starts up in every plant2 the sloping hills are green with corn1 and sunny banks are blue and fragrant with the wealth of violets1 which only slept till the enchanter came4 ,the sentiments of this literature burn in the bosom of holy-hearted girls1 of matrons and of men4 ,ever and anon its great ideas are heard even in ,congress1 and in the speech of old and young1 which comes tingling into most unwilling ears4 ,this literature has a work to do1 and is about its work4 ,let the old man crow loud as he may1 the young one will crow another strain1 for it is written of ,god1 that our march is continually onward1 and age shall advance over age forever and forever4 ,already ,america has a few fair specimens from this new field to show4 ,is the work ,history8 ,the author writes from the stand-point of ,american democracy2 ,i mean philanthropy1 the celestial democracy1 not the satanic2 writes with a sense of justice and in the interest of men2 writes to tell a nation's purpose in its deeds1 and so reveal the universal law of ,god1 which overrules the affairs of ,states as of a single man4 ,you wonder that history was not before so writ that its facts told the nation's ideas1 and its labors were lessons1 and so its hard-won life became philosophy4 ,is it poetry the man writes8 ,it is not poetry like the old4 ,the poet has seen nature with his own eyes1 heard her with his own mortal1 bodily ears1 and felt her presence1 not vicariously through ,milton1 ,uhland1 ,ariosto1 but personally1 her heart against his heart4 ,he sings of what he knows1 sees1 feels1 not merely of what he reads in others' song4 ,common things are not therefore unclean4 ,in plain ,new ,england life he finds his poetry1 as magnets iron in the blacksmith's dust1 and as the bee finds dew-bright cups of honey in the common woods and common weeds4 ,it is not for him to rave of ,parnassus1 while he knows it not1 for the ,soul of ,song has a seat upon ,monadnock1 ,wachusett1 or ,katahdin1 quite as high4 ,so ,scottish ,burns was overtaken by the muse of poetry1 who met him on his own bleak hills1 and showed him beauty in the daisy and the thistle1 and the tiny mouse1 till to his eye the hills ran o'er with loveliness1 and ,caledonia became a classic land4 ,is it religion the author treats of8 ,it is not worship by fear1 but through absolute faith1 a never-ending love2 for it is not worship of a howling and imperfect ,god1 grim1 jealous and revengeful1 loving but a few1 and them not well1 but of the ,infinite ,father of all mankind1 whose universal providence will sure achieve the highest good of all that are4 ,these men are few2 in no land are they numerous1 or were or will be4 ,there were few ,hebrew ,prophets1 but a tribe of priests2 there are but few mighty bards that hover o'er the world2 but here and there a sage1 looking deep and living high1 who feels the heart of things1 and utters oracles which pass for proverbs1 psalms and prayers1 and stimulate a world of men4 ,they draw the nations1 as conjoining moon and sun draw waters shore-ward from the ocean-springs2 and as electrifying heat they elevate the life of men4 ,under their influence you cannot be as before4 ,they stimulate the sound1 and intoxicate the silly1 but in the heart of noble youths their idea becomes a fact1 and their prayer a daily life4 ,scholars of such a stamp are few and rare1 not without great faults4 ,for every one of them there will be many imitators1 as for each lion a hundred lion-flies1 thinking their buzz as valiant as his roar1 and wondering the forest does not quake thereat1 and while they feed on him fancy they suck the breasts of heaven4 99 99 99 99 99 ,such is the ,scholars' position in ,america3 such their duty1 and such the way in which they pay the debt they owe4 ,will men of superior culture not all act by scholar-craft and by the ,pen8 ,it were a pity if they did4 ,if a man work nobly1 the ,office is as worthy1 and the ,purse as blessed in its work4 ,the ,pen is power2 the ,office is power2 the ,purse is power2 and if the purse and office be nobly held1 then in a high mode the cultivated man pays for his bringing up1 and honors with wide sympathies the mass of men who give him chance to ride and rule4 ,if not2 if these be meanly held1 for self and not for man1 then the scholar is a debtor and a traitor too4 ,the scholar never had so fair a chance before2 here is the noblest opportunity for one that wields the ,pen2 it is mightier than the ,sword1 the ,office1 or the ,purse4 ,all things concede at last to ,beauty1 ,justice1 ,truth and ,love1 and these he is to represent4 ,he has what freedom he will pay for and take4 ,let him talk never so heroic1 he will find fit audience1 nor will it long be few4 ,men will rise up and welcome his quickening words as vernal grass at the first rains of spring4 ,a great nation which cannot live by bread alone1 asks for the bread of life2 while the ,state is young1 a single great and noble man can deeply influence the nation's mind4 ,there are great wrongs which demand redress2 the present men who represent the ,office and the ,purse will not end these wrongs4 ,they linger for the ,pen1 with magic touch to abolish and destroy this ancient serpent-brood4 ,shall it be only rude men and unlettered who confront the dragons of our time which prowl about the folds by day and night1 while the scholar1 the appointed guardian of mankind1 but sports with ,amaryllis in the shade1 or with the tangles of ,neaera's hair8 ,the nation asks of her scholar better things than ancient letters ever brought2 asks his wonders for the million1 not the few alone4 ,great sentiments burn now in half-unconscious hearts1 and great ideas kindle their glories round the heads of men4 ,unconscious electricity1 ,truth and ,right1 flashes out of the earth1 out of the air4 ,it is for the scholar to attract this ground-lightning and this lightning of the sky1 condense it into useful thunder to destroy the wrong1 then spread it forth a beauteous and a cheering light1 shedding sweet influence and kindling life anew4 ,a few great men of other times tell us what may be now4 ,nothing will be done without toil--talent is only power of work1 and genius greater power for higher forms of work--nothing without self-denial2 nothing great and good save by putting your idea before yourself1 and counting it dearer than your flesh and blood4 ,let it hide you1 not your obesity conceal the truth ,god gave you to reveal4 ,the quality of intellectual work is more than the quantity4 ,out of the cloudy world ,homer has drawn a spark that lasts three thousand years4 ,one1 but a lion1 should be the scholar's maxim2 let him do many things for daily need2 one great thing for the eternal beauty of his art4 ,a single poem of ,dante1 a book for the bosom1 lives through the ages1 surrounding its author with the glory of genius in the night of time4 ,one ,sermon on the ,mount1 compact of truths brought down from ,god1 all molten by such pious trust in ,him1 will stir men's hearts by myriads1 while words dilute with other words are a shame to the speaker1 and a dishonor to men who have ears to hear4 ,it is a great charity to give beauty to mankind2 part of the scholar's function4 ,how we honor such as create mere sensuous loveliness6 ,mozart carves it on the unseen air2 ,phidias sculptures it out from the marble stone2 ,raphael fixes ideal angels1 maidens1 matrons1 men1 and his triple ,god upon the canvas1 and the lofty ,angelo1 with more than ,amphionic skill1 bids the hills rise into a temple which constrains the crowd to pray4 ,look1 see how grateful man repays these architects of beauty with never-ending fame6 ,such as create a more than sensuous loveliness1 the ,homers1 ,miltons1 ,shakspeares1 who sing of man in never-dying and creative song--see what honors we have in store for such2 what honor given for what service paid6 ,but there is a beauty higher than that of art1 above philosophy and merely intellectual grace3 ,i mean the loveliness of noble life2 that is a beauty in the sight of man and ,god4 ,this is a new country1 the great ideas of a noble man are easily spread abroad2 soon they will appear in the life of the people1 and be a blessing in our future history to ages yet unborn4 ,a few great souls can correct the licentiousness of the ,american press1 which is now but the type of covetousness and low ambition2 correct the mean economy of the ,state1 and amend the vulgarity of the ,american church1 now the poor prostitute of every wealthy sin4 ,oh ingenuous young maid or man1 if such you are1--if not1 then let me dream you such2 seek you this beauty1 complete perfection of a man1 and having this1 go hold the ,purse1 the ,office1 or the ,pen1 as suits you best2 but out of that life1 writing1 voting1 acting1 living in all forms1 you shall pay men back for your culture1 and in the scholar's noble kind1 and represent the higher facts of human thought4 ,will men still say1 ,this ,wrong is consecrated2 it has stood for ages and shall stand for ever6 ,tell them1 ,no4 ,a wrong1 though old as ,sin1 is not now sacred1 nor shall it stand6 ,will they say1 ,this ,right can never be2 that excellence is lovely but impossible6 ,show them the fact1 who will not hear the speech2 the deed goes where the word fails1 and life enchants where rhetoric cannot persuade4 ,past ages offer their instruction1 much warning and a little guidance1 many a wreck along the shore of time1 a beacon here and there4 ,far off in the dim distance1 present as possibilities1 not actual as yet1 future generations1 with broad and wishful eyes1 look at the son of genius1 talent1 educated skill1 and seem to say1 ,a word for us2 it will not be forgot6 ,truth and ,beauty1 ,god's twin daughters1 eternal both1 yet ever young1 wait there to offer each faithful man a budding branch1 in their hands budding1 in his to blossom and mature its fruit1 wherewith he sows the field of time1 gladdening the millions yet to come4 ,,end ,,of ,,vol4 ,,iii4 pre idpg-footer