Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-07-12
WISE NSIN Fl RAJ D,


to work into ladder, was the frs, round. Tho
printed page, Opaque as it seemed TO the Inca Of
Peru, is faihomless sea, clear chrystal where
The thoughts of men are seen swimming deep %
shallow; studded with the glowing, burning gems
OF mind, like the spapgled canopy at idnight
And when The down uodden sou of toll gazed up
on this sea alive with the brilliant and ange
atoms ofnnd, SO natural, so beautiful; he felthe
too was a man, for he could comprehend and feel
whatever man had feli. The kindred nature Of the
mind taught him .he identity of humanity.
And | advance il as an opinion for which hold
myself responsible, fully believing ii is sustained
BY History, that the Protestant Religion was free
dom's ,nost powerful stimulant-Ihe crouching
slave Of superstition and despotisin became the
sturdy, independent man. Luther AMI his asso-
ciates taught the doctrine Of individuality, Of per-
sonai accountability. Sand am accountable TO
God for the deeds done 10 the body'' reasoned the
hearer. Are my actions graven Oh the tablet oil
my makers memory; then I'm of some account,
though princely blood does not course Though my
veins" Indeed Protesiantsm brougH on direct
contest, king and priest one side, and the peo-
pc on the other, in which the former were 'oile',
and their wckedness, and what was worse, their
weakness was discovered TO the people. " Believe
that this bread s the zeal body of Chrlstn required
the king and priest. s. I'll die before viii belle
my conscience'' rejoned the hereto. What was II
that inspired the trembling seh thus TO defy author
ity that had been defed for ages. Ii was Religion.
1 may 90 further. Had there been 10 such thing
as Christianity there never had been such con
dition as civil liberty OIL the face OF the earth
Had there never been men who dared 10 obey Goa,
and trample human authority under foot, when
that authority coDflicted with the claims OF heaven,
then human authority had been supreme--rnan had
remained Inc god Of this world, and the masses in
AL countries had been bound, hand nd foot, sOUl
and body, by the massive chains which the king
and priest would have coiIed around them. Who
was that first taught mankind that human author
ity should have some limit, and traced, dimly TO
be sure, the first rough outlines of this authority!
1t was The Christian Martyr. He it was that
irst successfully defed "Mghiy Rome" her
heroes, her Caesars, her egions, her fagots.
her engines Of torture. He blanched not at
the iron glance OF this ferocoos despotism, bu I
looked il full in the face with gaze Of un-
speakable tenderness and love, iill its iron
heart was melted in the midst Of its bowels,
and il became as gentle as lamb. The Chris
iian was willing to render 10 Caesar, the
things that were Caesars; but Caesars ad-
thoriy should have some limits-and the bles
sed martyr traced the boundary with his
blood, otherwise it had remained snpreme.-
Religious liberty being secured, civil liberty
was an easy acquisition. Gin with omnipo-
tent strength, the Christian Martyr broke
down the iron gates Of the Bastile of Despo-
iism, and the hosts Of freedom pressed through
the breach and took the citadel. Then, Fell
low Citizens, let us bless his memory this
day. had not his blood couoded the tyran!'s
chain, ii never had been broken.
AgalE--ihe continent Of America was one
Of the rounds of The ladder on which our fore.
fathers assembled. until their expanding hoIi
zon was liz up by the glorious doctrine Of hu-
man equality. This free Continent from its
mountain lungs breaihed into the bosom Of
the European emigrant the spirit of indePen-
dence. Here The exile was no, tormen,ed by
the continual sight of pride and power supeTi
or 10 his own. Here he knew no master but
has God. Here he saw no conveDtcle of lords
and ladies', half way between heaven and
earth. whoes exallaton continually Teproach
ed him with the low.iness OF his condition and
origin. II he wanted TO kill deer or wild
turkey, he went to The forest and killed them,
and no game keeper pursued logging a, his
heels. The parks of America Were too vast
to be guarded by human vigience--ioo full
ever TO be exhausted" enoudh for all.
nough for each, enough forevermore." II he
yentured TO eat salmon, he went TO the Con-
nectcr. and caught. them; for there no baronial
monopoly had sealed up the fountains Of wa
ter. that the poor might not touch them with
the Zip of their fingers. Here the buffalo, the
deer the elk, the Indian rioted 10 boundleSs
liberty--who, however crushed his spirit,
would no. pluck up heart, and join 10 the great
anthem, when nature animate and inanimate
shouted in the fullness Of freedoml Here we
see the character Of the English peasaniry
changing from seivilily to independence
what wonder if they yet discover and vindi.
cate their righ,sl
Plymouth in Massachusetts was settled in
1870. little more than 900 years ago--James-
town in Virginia was settled few years ear
lier. Plymouth and jamestown We're the two
prolific minis of Northern and Southern men
whose contests for mastery constitute great
portion of our history, and the history Of every
rising town in the West.
The Puritan who settled Plymouth fed to Am
erica 10 enjoy the luxury ofworshiping God accord
ing TO the dictates OF his conscience. lilo was no
wording. Like Diogsnes, all he coveted Of this
wofld's goods was the tub in which he stood, and
the light OF Heaven above him. Rob him, you
might, OF this worlds goods as you would rob u
stand OF bees OF their summers earnings; only
stand aside at that solemn hour when he uttered
his payer in Natures great temple. lie lived not
Tor himself, but poserty; built colleges, churches,
schoot houses, 10 CRAFTY t"S senetalieh that sue
eeeded him TO carry on, his great purpose Of con
yeding and reforming mankind. Peace be TO the
patriotic, pious memories Of the Puriians. Deep
Iy have they stamped their characters their de-
seendents; aud you can scarcely had Down
Easter' even in this frivolous age that has not a
streak OF two of h,se seriousness on his phiz oI
which he is indebted 10 his pilgrim ancestors The
NiTginiaa on the contrary was quite a wording
/ lie sporting character, generous and hOsptt-
ahf tan hr,N IN tsshfll
lead you over his immense plantation, and point
-MlIh his stAtI. .. Nnnher Is a field of five hunlreL