The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-05-31
fcoNrrNUEp PROM FIRST PAGE

CONTINUED PROM FIRST PAGE.
Of the slave now assumes proportions of grand
eur which dwarf all other interests in our
broad country. In its presence the machina-
tons Of politicians, the aspirations of Office
seekers, and the subterfuges Of party, all sink
below even their ordinary insignifcance. For
myself sir, | can see little else at this time
among US, which cantempt out On 20 the exposed
sleeps of public life an honest man who wishes,
BY something that he does, to leave the world
better than he found it. / can see little else
which can afford any of those satisfactions
which an honest man should covet. Nor is
there any cause which so surely promises final
success.
HOhi = fair cause stands hrm and will abide.
Legions Of angels fight upon its side"
1t is written, that at the last days there shall
be scofars; and even this Enterprise, thus phi
lanthropic, has not escaped their aspersions
And as the objections to its Necessity were
two-fold, and the objections to its Practicability
two-fold, so also are the aspersions twofold
first in the'form Of hard words and secondly
by personal disparagement of those who are
engaged in it.
4. The hard fcords are manifold as the pas
sions and prejudices of men, but they generally
eliminate in the imputation of "fanaticism'
In such a cause; / am willing TO be called ia
matte" or what you will care not for aspersions
nor shall l shrink before hard words either here
or elsewhere. / have learned from that great
Englishman, Oliver Cromwell that no man car
be trusted "who is afraid of a paper pellet; >
and am too familiar with history not to know
that every movement for reform in Church OF
State, every endeavor for Human Liberty OF
Human Rights, has been thus assailed. i dc
not forget with what facility and frequency hard
words have been employed-how that grandesr
character of many generations, the precursor
of our own Washington, without whose exam
pie our Republic might have failed-the great
William, Prince of Orange, the founder of the
Dutch Republic, the United States of Holland
do not forget how he was publicly branded as
per- urer. and pest society; and, not to dwell
on general instances, how the enterprise for the
abolition of the slave-trade was characterized
on the floor of Parliament, by one eminen,
speaker, as mischievous," and by another as
visionary and delusive )" and how the exalted
characters which it had enlisted were arraigned
by still another eminent speaker-none other
than that Tarleton, so conspicuous as the com
mander of the British horse, in the Southern
campaigns of our Revolution, but more con
spicuous In politics at home" rs iunta o.
sectaries, sophists, enthusiasts, and fanatics .
and also were again arraigned by no less a person
than Prince Of the blood, the Duke of Clar
ence, afterward William Nv of England, as
either fanatics or hypocrites," in one of which
classes he openly placed William Wherefore
But impartial History, with immortal pen, has
redressed these impassioned judgments, and
the same impartial History will yet rejudge the
impassioned judgments of this hour.
2. Hard words have been followed by per-
sondL dispdragement, and the sneer is often
launched, that our Enterprise lacks the authority
of names eminent in Church and State. If this
be So the more is the pity on their account, for
our cause is needed 10 them more than they
are needed to our cause. But, alas |! it il only
according to the example of history that il
should be so. 1t is not the eminent in Church
and State, the rich and powerful, the favorites
of fortune and of place, who most promptly
welcome Truth, when she heralds change in
the existing order of things. 1t is others, in
poorer condition, who throw open their hospi-
table hearts to the unattended stranger. Nay,
more: it is not the jewellers amid the glare OF
the world but the humble and lowly, who most
clearly discern new duties-as the watchers
placed in the depths of a well may observe the
stars which are obscured to those who live in
the effulgence of noon. Placed below the ego
tism and prejudice of self-interest or of class
below the cares and temptations OF wealth or
power-in the obscurity Of common life-they
discern the new signal, and surrender them
selves unreservedly TO its guidance. The Saw
TOUR knew this. He did not call upon the
Priest, or Levite, or Pharisee, to follow him
but upon the humble fisherman BY the Sea OF
Galilee.
And now, sir, present TO you the Anti-Sla
wary Enfarnr5aa uiAsl;~-.-l =: Ar--~-,.f,J, "a
ticability, and Dignity, against all objections
If there be any objection which ! have not
answered, it is because j am not aware of il:
existence. 1t remains that / should give q
practical conclusion to this whole matter, BY
showing, though in g6mpses only. your SPECIAL
DUTIES, AS FREENEN OF THR NORTH. And
thank God at last there is North.
Mr.. President, it is not uncommon TO hear
persons among US at the North confess the
wrong of Slavery; and then, folding their hand.
In absolute listlessnes, calculate, What can
we do about it?" Such men we encounte,
daily. You all know them. Among them are
men in every department of human activity
who perpetually buy, build, and plan, who
shrink from no labor, who are daunted by nc
peril of commercial adventure, by no hardihood
OF industrial enterprise, who, reaching in then
undertakings across ocean and continents would
engage to put a girdle about the earth in
forty seconds" and yet, disheartened, they
can join in no effort against Slavery. Others
there are, especially among the Youthful anG
enthusiastic, who vainly sigh because they were
not born in the age of Chivalry, at least in the
days OF the Rerolution-not thinking that in
this Enterprise there is an opportunity of lofty
endeavor, such as no Saladin of Chivalry oil
Chief OF the Revolution enjoyed. Others there
are who freely bestow their means and time
upon the distant inaccessible heather of an
other hemisphere in the islands of the sea anG
yet they can do nothing TO mitigate our grandel
bar
that it ought TO disappear from the earth, they
forego, renounce, and abandon, all exertior
against 1t. Others there are, still, (such is hu
man inconsistency who plant the tree il
whose full-grown shade they can never expec
70 slt-who hopefully drop the acorn in tn,
earth, trusting that the oak which ii sends up
ward TO the skies will shelter their children be
meath its shade; but they will do nothing Il
plant or nurture the great tree of Liberty, tina
it may cover with its arms unborn generation.
of men.
Others still there are, particularly in the larg,
cities, who content themselves by occasional
contributions to the redemption of slave. t,
this object they give out of ample riches, an,
thus seek to silence the monitions of conscience
Now, would not dscoun,enance any form @
activity by which Human Freedom, even in
single case, may be secured. But / desire t
say that such an act-too often accompanie,
by Pharisaieal pretension, in strange contras
with petty OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES be considere,
an essential aid to the Anti-Slavery Enterprise
Not in this way can any impression be made OIL
an evil 30 vast as Slavery, as you will clearl
see by an illustration which shall give: Tn
god Thor, of Scandinavian mythology, who's
strength surpassed that of Hercules, was ono
challenged TO drain single cup dry. He az
piled it to bis lips, aud with superhuman capa
city. drank; but the water did not recede. eve