The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1847-08-21

accursed forever!'
"Sign! if the next moment the glib.
bets rope is around your neck! Sign!
if the next moment this hall rings with
the echo Of the falling axe! Sign! by
all your hopes in life or death as hus-
bands, as fathers, as men, sign your
names to the Parchment or be accursed
for ever!
"Sign-and not only for yourselves.
but for all ages. For that Parchment
will be the Textbook Of Freedom--the
Bible Of the Rights Of Man foreverv
"Sign.-for that Declaration will 90
forth to American hearts forever, and
speak 10 those hearts like the voice of
God!--And its word will not bs done,
until throughout this wide continent not
single inch of ground owns the sway
of the British Kingp
"Nay, do not start and whisper with
surprise! Ii is truth, your hearts wit.
ness it, God proclaims it-this con,i-
nent; is the property of free people,
and their property alone. God, say,
proclaims it! Look at this strange his
tory ola band Of exies and outcasts
suddenly transformed into people
look at this wonderful Exodus Of the
oppressed OF the Old World into the
New, where they came, weak in arms
but mighty in God.like faith--nay look
at this history of your Bunker Hill
your Lexington-where band Of plain
farmers mocked and trampled down
the panoply Of British arms, and tell
me, if you can, that God has not given
America to the free?'
"lt is not given to eur poor human
intellect to climb the skies, to pierce
the councils of the Almighty One.
But meihinks | stand among the awful
clouds which veil the brightness of e.
hovah's throne. Methinks l see the
Recording Angel-pale as an angel is
pale, weeping as an angel can weep;
come trembling up that Throne, and
speak his proud message:
"Father? the Old World is baptised
in blood Father, it is drenched with
the blood of millions, butchered in war.
in persecution, in slow and grinding
oppression? Father--look, with one
glance Of Thine Eternal eye, look over
Europe, Asia, Africa, and behold ever.
more that terrible sight, man trodden
down beneath the oppressor's feet--na-
tions lost in blood Murder and Super.
stition walking hand in hand over the
graves of their victims, and not single
voice to whisper Hope to Man"'
"He stands there, the Angel, his
hands trembling with the black record
Of human guilt. But bark! the voice
of Jehovah speaks out from the awful
cloud--"Let there be light again. Let
there be New World. Tell my peo.
ple-the poor; the trodden down mil
lions, to 60 out from the Old World.
Tell them to 60 out from wrong, op-
preston and blood; tell them to 60 out
from the Old World-to build up my
altar in the New"'
"As God lives, my friends, ] believe
that to be his voice! Yes, were my
soul trembling on the wing for Eterni-
ty, were this hand freezing in death,
were this voice choking with the last
struggle, would still with the last i'm
pulse Of that soul, with the last wave oil
that hand, with the last Of that voice.
implore you to remember this truth
God has giuen America to the free!
Yes, as sank down into the gloomy |
shadows Of the grave, with the last
gasp, ! would beg you to sign that
Parchment in the name of one who
made the Savior who redeemed you;
in the name Of the millions whose very
breath is hushed, in intense expectation,
as they look up to you for the awful
words-You ARE FREEw
o many years have gone since that
hour; the speaker, his brethren, all have
crumbled into dust, but it would require
an angels pen to picture the magic Of
that Speakers look, the deep, terrible
n