The Labor enquirer., 1886-06-05

DE Is slave who dare not be
In the right with two OF three.
Blessed are the disturbers of the peace
for they shall cause progress and pros
perity.
Blessed are they who resist unjust Law
and authority, for they shall widen thu
sphere of Liberty and Justice.
All important individual and collect
i've rights that are enioved to-day by
man on this earth, have been wrune
from despotism, through the agency O
speech, the pen and the sword-.he
sword being the final arbitrator. All
peaceful conditions of society, whether
just or unjust, have been conquered con
ditions. The bottom law all Revolu
ttons, whether justifable or not, is, that
might makes right The foundation
Of every government in existence rests
upon force; and no government was
ever overthrown, or radically changed in
its construction or character, except
' force was the active agent in the accom-.
pllshment Human speech, moral
suasion and the pen, although they
have accomplished wonders in educating
and arousing men to a proper conCep-
ton of their rights, yet unaided bv the
sword have failed in the attainment of
their purposes.
When men clamor for rights, that in
herently exist in their nature but
which they are not permitted by society
to enjoy, whether they know it or not, "
are Clamoring for war. To shout, Let
US have peace" is only in order when
rights and victories are won. Any new
form of Truth that presents tself 0
the human mind concerning mans in
herents, that may be in opposition to
any ofthe existing imperfect institutions
Of society, and demands recOgniuon,'
declares war. The Truth never was q
peace maker, and never will : e, 30 long
as It's mission is to overthrow error and
ininstice.
The mission of Truth is one Of de-
struction. 1t is an iconoclastic, as well
as constructive reformer. If the gov
ernment that the Socialists seek to estab-
lish was not of this world, bat a govern
ment in heaven-wherever that may be
then we might say as one of old did,
Peter, put up thy sword" but in TINS
hard, cold, metallic, matter Of fact world
there is a strange fascination and pc.
tency in the eloquence of force, more
than that of love. Justice, unlike love,
never comes out with smiling face,
witchlng beauty. flowers and songs of
happiness and praise. Justice comes
clad in the grim panoply Of war, to
break the shackles of slaves, establish
he rights of man, and advance the race.
In order to determine when it is just
and proper to resist legal authority, We
must endeavor to ascertain the true ba-
sis of Right In 1910 l was living in
Cincinnati, Ohio, being at that time q
boy II years of age. In those days,
south of Mason and Dixons line, a
black man had no rights wnlte man
was bound to respect; he was placed
upon a par, 50 far as rights were con-
cerned, with a bale Of cotton or q
hogshead of sugar, and every white mau
had legal right to wollop his Niger
to his hearts content.
There existed at that time mVsterl-
GUS route or road to Canada, known as
the underground railroad, that
the poor enslaved black man fre-
uuently took advantage OF when oppor-
tunitv offered and sometimes found his
wav to freedom. John Brown, to his
eternal honor be it known, was con-
ductor on that road, serving without pay,
axcent the halter. which he received, in
the end, as reward for his services TO
humanity-that is, so far as this lie Is
concerned-but l am one Of those VINO
believe that that halter elevated him to
land beyond the skies, where his soul
goes marching on. 1t is repugnant 10
my sense of justice to think that Johh
Brown, after his long and faithful ser
vice in the cause of humanity, was at
last annihilated by the haugman's rope.
A poor black slave made his escape
from the Kentucky side Of the ONO
river and swan over to Cincinnati
during the night, (this occurred in lo4o]'
and sought refuge IN the friendly nome
of a Socialist, (they were called Aooil'
tionists in those days., but somehow or
other the blood. hounds of the law and
constitution of the United States, struck
the poor fellows trail and tracked Mm
to the friendly home of his protector
1t was in the evening when his master
and the United States marshal, with a
pack of human wolves yelling and
bowling, discovered his retreat. They
thundered at the door, 1T being locked
The noble man that gave the poor slave
shelter was an European by the name
Of Burnett. Burnett stuck his head Out
of the window to see who 1t was pound
ing at his door he quickly took In the