Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-01-16

NOR in his voice. II did not mean to distrust you
But, truly, this idea Of Liberty seems to me more
or less a phantom. | can feel concerned Tor spec
/ al cases of oppression and cruelty, and admire
special cases Of heroic rebellion against injustice
and arbitrary power, but Liberty, In itseli' is
vague few persons, on earth, are tree, and those
| by no means happiest or most furnished with the
means of doing good"
IL might reply to this last remark in tho lines o
the poet-
| He that feeds men serveth few
He serves all who dares be true.
"But pray bear with me whilst disclose what
it is that we mean and show you that our idea oil
Liberty is no speculation or enthusiasm, but q
positive mathematical necessity"
That is Just what have never seen."
"Observe, then, that it has become an axiom OF
natural history, that the higher the organization
the greater the freedom. The animals OF lowest
structure asten themselves to rocks in the river
shadows for projections they move about slowly
and with difficulty; their lives are at the mercy OF
external elements, their only escape from which is
in the prison of shell. Each step in the scale OF
rising life differs from the first only in greater in.
dependence of external things by the growth Of
stronger self-sustaining apparatus; each higher
animal form was simply revolution for Freedom
Thus you the idea of Liberty is as ancient as
the most conservative could desire, and began with
the pulses of nature. Is it wonderful that man
should inherit it; that what was in the stem should
prevail in the frutP For the naturalist shows us
that mans form is the triumph OF physical Free
dom.
Now, then, at this point, we enter another spheres
that of man, wherein stratum rises on stratum,
with the same ole music. Here we find the axiom,
The higher the race, the greater the freedom. The
races of men classified with regard OF their
historical efforts toward Freedom, and the false
assertion of the ignorant concerning the lowest
fIotf Ia, 10 I1 1pTY1. lie
that this is the tests of higher and lower. We
say of the Saxon, he is highest, because he has
never submitted to be a slave. The jew, in Pal
estine, is hobler man than the jew, in Egypt.
Then we pass into higher formation,-into
inward and spiritual life. Thought is thought.
by reason of Freedom. The structural bondage
of an animal to the earth, is outer sign Of inner
trammel to animal Instincts; but an animal which
should show that it could act as free agent, from
rational and conscientious motives would be hu-
man, though quadruped, and would be so recog-
nized; and, on the other hand, If any one, appar-
emily human, shows that he is unemancipated from
the animal. he cannot be treated as a freeman,-I
such being the case with animals DC. Moral,
and personal Freedom are, then, as
essential conditions of any true, upright manhood,
as the preservation Of the of gravity is es-
sental to tine upwright posture of the body.
And so upward, quite through the universe, runs
the lawl All superiority, heroism, genius, but
greater Freedom; that is, they are the results of
extreme individuality, which is Fresdam. This
progress Of animal forms,. from the imprisonment
OF mollusk to the liberty of man. is at the same
time progress from without inpard; the sun and
air were the nerves of the jelly-fsh, but the fish
has nerves gathered in independent centres; the
shell of the oyster is absorbed into the skeleton Of
the reptile. What else is genius but the latest
workings Of this law, when the mind originates
ideas, where lower minds fasten on others as bar.
nacles? What else is character than self-sustain.
ing force, in contrast with servility and oonyen-
tionality?
For this reason spoke to you of Liberty as the
holy mother of all earthly good. speak but the !
refrain Of the chorus of all the best who have
lived for not one great man is known ia history
who has not, in some form, borne witness in favor
OF Freedom. The early Christians had motto,
Where the spirit Of the Lord is there is Liberty: the
old British bards were named, Those who apere
free throughout the HOrld: the mission of Ameri-
Ca, on ear;b is to realize the full glory of these
words, AH men are created free and equal! For of
all these Liberty has been, and is the miracle
working genius"
few years have passed since this night. My
friend lived on and gave no sign. Recently he
died; and the following is the substance of note
received from his wife: perhaps it would please
you to know that by his WILL Phillip has emanci-
pated his slaves. think the lesson of poor Sally,
which occurred during your VISIT was never lost
upon him. When he was dying, he took the
hands of both our little boys and mine, and said,
Dear Margaret, teach them as had intended to
do had liVed-to lire for Freedom and hate Sla
rery at any cost Those were his last words.
| have concluded that have been too often i'm
patient of rudimentS-to which. iu this case, was
led by personal feeling. Have you not been so
also, brother? / have somewhere read fine Ger,
man epigram of the witess man, who, when for
tune is near his right hand is sure to thrust out
his left; perhaps togyism is not tho only folly; !
and surely God could have created mind with
out some handle, which is at the command of
whatever grasp of evidence and trnth is adapted
to it.
Cincinnati, Ohio, Sept. %, 1857.