Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-06-19

In lane and by.way, across mountain and plain,
over prairie, hill and lake, into that land yon.
der, beyond the confines Of the great Republic
the shortest, quickest and safest route from
slavery TO freedom. - AZ b. ~ fI haA
The train ran on amid the dcnunciations OF
the North and the malignant curses OF the
South IT ran ON through divided churches
and disrupted political organizations. 1t ran
on IN spite OF the Infamous Fugitive Slave
law, the more Infamous "Dred Scott de-
Executive.
Greater the difficulties encountered, greater
The dangers threatened, louder and fieTcer the
whistle sounded, and faster and faster the
train sped on. The people stood aghast at
the terrible shrek, and the very nation trem-
bled beneath the thunderings OF the wheels
No one supposed 100000 of slaves could
be transported from the South into Canada
No one supposed that the deliverance of
Israel from Egyptian bondage would be re-
peated on American soil. There was no
| Moses to lead the ensaved host-no plague to
terrify--no angel Of death to appall--no
cloud BY day-no pillar of FIRE by nighttime
Jehovah TO divide the see. Yet the underground
railroad was an instrument In the hands of
God for the fulhllment of His grand pur-
poses.
The flying fugitive, pursued, hunted and
captured, rescued, hidden and hurried on TO
the city of refuge, was constant reminder of
the inhumanity and barbaTity of African
slavery. The story of his wrongs from his
own lips, the scars of shackles on his ankles,
OF manacles on his wrists, Of the iron collar
on his neck, Of the lash on his back, excited
| sympathy, awakened moral sentiment, aroused
| the public conscience, and brought agitatons
such agitations of the social, mental, moral,
| religious and political forces as were never
before witnessed in this or any other coun-
try.
The contest broadened and deepened. The
South In its frenzy and desperation invoked
ha nn1qc Nuoo. hall NIn
be all slave or all free-should the black flag
or the flag OF our fathers wave over the land?
The Government, before on the side OF slavery
for It's own honor and preservation, declared
for freedom, and against slavery. Then the
Underground Railroad Company, with all its
| obligations cancelled, dissolved. The train
stood still, the fires Of the engine went out;
| and In day the proclamation OF the immortal
Lincoln, backed by the war power perfected
the emancipation. Hallelujahl de year of
jubilee hab come ~
The men who had part in this great strug-
| gle-the men who initiated and carried on and
forward the ant-slavery movement to glori-
Gus contamination; the men who became agi-
tators-were accursed as black abolitionists;
were denounced as negro thieves; were
scorned, scofed and sneered at by the popu-
lace; were mobbed, beaten and Imprisoned; I;
and to whose ears came the wild cry, likelvUl
surging over the Jewish rabble: "Away with
them Away with them Cruelty them {!
Cruelty them p'-the men who endured all,
suffered all, and through faith and love
triumphed-where are they? Where are theyg
Lundy, Lovejoy the martyr, Collins, Hunter,
| owen Lovejoy, Henderson, Codding, Joslyn,
DR.. Eels, and Durkie, of our own immediate
section; and of the nation, Holly, Birney,
Hale, Adams, Slade, Giddings, Chase, Lewis,
Sumner, TORY, Leavitt, the two Tappans,
Alvan Stewart, Beriah Green, Parker, Elmer.
son, Stevens, Greeley, Seward, Lincoln and old
III Er1lla n.g.-
and Mrs Sigourney, and host of others, have
| gone-gone to wear their crowns, to wave
their palms, and to sing their songs of ever
lasting joy.
From their high abodes they look down
upon a country all free; upon a people all
equal before the law; upon one hag-t6e nag
our fathers unfurled-in triumph waving from
every hilltop and streaming out upon every
sea.
They look down upon us this day, and
smile their heavenly benedictions upon the
living assembled here to revive the memories
of the past, to narrate the deeds and to com.
memorate the virtues of the old Abolitionists.
Carpenter, Dyer, Derrickson, Pinkerton, De-
Wolf, Freer, Eastman, Allen, Farnsworth,
Preston, Blanchard, Booth, Jones, Van Dorm,
Fell, +; M. Matlock, Hastings, and Of those
whose homes are not so near us, but whose
names are as familiar-Goodell, Garrison,
Beecher, Bryant, Whittier, Longfellow, Phil.
lips, Fred Douglass, Hoar, Curtis, Wade,
Burritt, Smith, Wilson, Lucretia Mott, Jane
q. Swisshelm, Lydia Maria Childs, Harriet
Beecher Stowe, Mrs. Cutler, Dorothea Dix
and many others-still linger on this shore.
Some are standing on the very beach, looking
with wistful eyes across the river to the hills
OF eternal green beyond. Some, by reason of
their strength, are bearing the responsibilities
OF life, and are working for G God and humanity
VI the living, you, veterans, are gathered here
After years of conflict, with rich experiences
conscious of grand triumph, you come in the
autumn OF life to look into each others
lace, to grasp each others hand, to renew the
friendships OF former days, to awaken holy
memories in the heart, to recount the battles
u Sd 5ar 9 widest Joys
As one who for the first time saw Owen
Loyejoy when laying out his railroad; as one
who was conductor on that road as one
whose fathers cabin gave shelter and rest 20
the running slave; as one who learned to
hate slavery from the bold, thrilling utter.
ances of Codding and Lovejoy; as one whose
early sympathies and labors were with the
liberty men Of other days; as one who rallied
to the defense Of the flag against the assaults
OF that unholy, damnable, treasonable institu-
ton; and as a citizen and the Chief Executive
OF the great State of Illinois, 1t becomes INV
honored privilege and my pleasant
duty to welcome you; to welcome
you, agitators; to welcome YOU, ne
gro-thieves; to welcome you, Old.Line Aboli.
uonists; to welcome you, veterans, SCARED all
over with the battle of years-to welcome Won
to this great State and to this magnificent city.
You have been welcomed with brick-bats,
sticks, and rotten eggs; with jibes, and jeers
and ribald laugh; with threats, and insults,
and curses; with indictment, and trial, and
conviction; with arrest, and fine, and i'm.
Prisonment. offer you no such welcome,
but in the name and in behalf of the coed
people Of this city and State, extend to You
a right royal welcome. l extend to you their
great big hand, with their great big heart m
open to you their houses to receive their
hospltalities. open to you their hearts to
receive their love- / open to you their souls
TO receive their honor and veneration. And
may the divine Master open the windows of
heayen that ye may receive the benedictions
of the Most High, and at last, when your
labors are done, may He open the gates-the |
eternal gates-that ye may enter In with the |
King OF Glory, and, with the redeemed of all |
lands, OF all ages, of all races, of every |
kindred. tribe aud tnnnua ha fnro.a. ...i4L ~ |