Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-07-19


past week and the duties of the hour in relation
"The chief captain answered, With great sum
obtained this freedom. And Paul said, But was
free born. Acts, xxi. Is.
The events of the last week, the preacher said
gave the subject of our meditation, viz, the cost
of freedom. 1t was not his purpose to dwell
upon the scenes of the riot that had shocked
the moral sensbilities of the city and of the
whole country, but TO take occasion from this
outbreak of violence to consider the great sum
with which freedom is obtained and preserved
The minister of Gods word was to draw instruc-
ton from those occurrences which stir the heart
of the community, and translate them into
lessons of duty. This was the practice
of prophets and apostles, and of Christ himself
Suddenly in summer atmosphere the storm
might burst but the observer knew it was
caused by the murky, electrical state of the at
mosphere., Storms of human passions bursting
in deadly rage upon a city or nation had their
causes. The outbreak might come upon some
Slight occasion, but the real cause of it was
long working in the social elements. The
earthquakes shock must take us by surprise,
for we could not see the pillows of fire and the
accumulative, explosive gases seething in the
depths beneath; but we could see, if we would,
the forces at work in masses of rude and reck-
less men, that are assure to explode in murder
GUS hate, when occasion offers, as gunpowder
at the touch of fire. They had always exploded
when they could. History was full OF eXamples OF
their destructive power. Not Paris only, but
nearly every European city, expected such
catastrophes, and kept armies to prevent them
mot always with success. The scenes of the
last week had brought to our conviction the
ugly fact that our safety as city rested, not
on the Freedom not on the intelligence, not on
the morality and religion of the city, but
on its police and military power. But
were we not a free people? Did we not cell
CITRATE our independence but few days
beforeP Mas not every man a citizen and a
voter, sworn to maintain the equal rights of all
Let us not be deceived by words! In the name
of freedom the most diabolical crimes had been
committed Both bigotry and tyranny put on
this livery of heaVenp What sentiment had
God planted deeper in the human heart than
this of liberty2 And what could be more rea-
sonable than this--that all men should be free
to think, free in the use of their powers, sub
ject only to the rule of others equal rights, and
responsible only to God, who gave the powers
No wonder such rights had been called natural
and inalienable," "God given, and not to be
given up" How should any monarch, or pope,
or any order, rank, oigarehy, monarchy, or
mob, step in and tell us, "You shall not think
this, or that, or do this or that" II we infringe
not upon their liberties, why should they upon
upon sours2 How prepoSterous to- say: II
shall not have my opinion because it does
not agree with yours2 You will prosecute and
kill me if l read book you do not like, or favor
a cause you condemn" Alasi alas! hecatombs
of lives have Deen sacrificed, rivers of blood
flowed, for precisely that thing. ~,
Nay. After paying the greatest price, even to
expatriation, for their, own freedom, men will
deny it 10 others, even at the expense of losing
it themselves. Freedom! 1t has been the
golden fleece, apparently easy to reach, and SO
attractive in the distance, and for which expe-
dition after expedition has been fitted out, yet
when found, found guarded by furious dragons;
or once possessed torn to pieces by the very
men. who risked all to win it. Has not France
been republican for centuries, and yet not been
able to attain to republic? What scenes of strife
in Ireland and Poland when they governed
themselves. Yet how bitter their complaints of
others. Yes, mankind want freedom, and will
make any sacrifice to win it, and then throw it
away or lose it by default. The main question
now is, will we pay the price of keeping this
freedom which we have or claim TO have
Freedom rests upon the intelligence and virtue
of people. There is no mystery in liberty more
than in despotism. Both result from we'll
known causes, and people worthy of it will
have it and keep it. Modern freedom is broad.
Our republic admits every man to active citizen
ship. Notthe most stupid or the most ferocouS
victim of foreign hierarchies and monarchieS is
denied voice. If he cannot read word or
write his name, his vote counts the same be-
cause he is man; and by voting early and of
tcll, he may, dL lue pulls outweigh IL uOLtu VI
the ablest citizens of the city. When the
founders of our institutions opened our doors
for all who would come, they meant also to open
the free school for the training of each genera
ton. They had no such foolish idea as that
men were born voters or that living in this coun-
try qualified them to vote; they were to be in
structed-made capable of discharging the duties
of citizens. The one must go with the other or
liberty becomes farce, just as well lead up to
the polls SO many apes, and tell them how TO drop
their pieces of paper, as so many men who know
nothing of the subject in hand, or care for any
responsibility. What can be done with those
who are called the Dangerous classes" First,
good citizens must be active in securing the
best possible good by means of the best men.
Second, not only have free schools for all, but
by law demand that all shall receive instruction
and be taught the fundamental duties of citizen
ship and principles of liberty. We were glad
that the Catholic clergy, last Sabbath, were so
earnest in warning their followers against mob
violence. But what an idea, that the peace of a
great city should depend upon the chance that
ignorant, unthinking men should hear or heed
the voice of their priestsl They will not in the
Old World, and they will not here. That day is
past. And if they would, then itwould be in the
power of such a voice 10 set them on as well as
to restrain. Can free state afford TO trust its
welfare to such power2 Permanent safety lies
only in the wisest instruction of the ignorant
and the constant training of each genera
ton. Again, they must encourage the igno-
rant masses to industry, thrift and temperance,
by furnishing them cOmfortableS homes under
rigid conditions of cleanliness and order-an eX-
pensive thing in its beginning but an economy
in the end. 1t was idle to talk of right, duty,
justice and freedom to men whose conditions of
living destroyed their self-respect Soap and
water, cleanliness, tidinesS, true they did not
want, but an intelligent, rich community must
rise up to this need. This was the conclusion
flor urin of of fba hnef Of
inburgh and London. Without this reform every
other was hopeless. The first thing was to put
these classes in decent houses. That must be
first done to give them any idea of true repub-
licanism. 1t was asked, "Do you know what an
Augean stable New York isP Yes, but New
York was Hercules to cleanse that Augean
stable. The wealth Of numbers ranged from
three to sixty millions each. As fast as may be
let them clean out the rookeries and build SUBJ
stantial, comfortable tenements and at the low
est possible rents, make and keep them at
tractive and comfortable The city would save
in the end money, and more than money This
had never been done in cities. True, cities had
persisted which did not this thing. He was no
Utopian, bat it was necessary to abate the
sources Of evil. Freedom did not diminish the
need of labor and sacrifice. 1t imposed con-
slant study to apply new remedies for each new
danger. The duty of the church in reference to
these dangerous classes was difficult to state.
Protestant churches had no direct access to the
Catholic population, portions of (which were
among the most troublesome. Yet, as the Catho-
lie bishops and leading clergy had shown de-
sire for order, and readiness to labor in some
reforms, specially in temperance reforms, per
haps some concert of action might be devised.
DenunciationS and recrimiuatiOns would do
no good, nor were they Christian. That
which is distinctly religious must be vol
untary. All churches should hold this
as indispensable. Protestants surely would
say there shall be perfect liberty, COM
plete federation in all things religious" This
idea must be driI en- into the most stupid and
the thickest heads. though he hoped not here
after by bullets-the idea that he shall allow to
others the fullest rights OF conscience and re-
ligion. 1t should be pressed by other means,
but if the work of bishops and teachers failed to
bring it home to them, then it must be driven
home by the bullet. He thought the press would
make this seen in a way not to be mistaken, The
press had all, with the exception of only one of
the leading papers, which, perhaps only
waited orders from the political headquar-
tiers, come out nobly in the last week.
1t had given no uncertain sound. Its
utterances could not be mistaken, and for time
would not be UNDECIDED by the political leaders.
Such press as we now had in this city was a
mighty power toward the production of true
unity and permanent peace. But this did not
relieve the church OF its work. Its work must
oto the heart. Christianity, the foundation OF
our freedom, must be that freedoms reliance.
What could be done by Sunday schools, by mis-
sion schools by Young mems Christian associa-