The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-01-20
DR.. Barnes.

DR.. Barnes.
EDITOR TIMES: l was much please,
with sketch of the late DIR. Barnes, In
recent number of the Press. 1t was grace
full tribute 10 the memory of one who Occu
pies large place in the affections of tn
people of this city, and especially Of thos
who knew him from thirty to fifty year
ago. ] would not attempt to add word {,
to those so fifty expressed by Mrs. Church
only that knew him longer and in som,
relations more intimately.
or DIR. Barnes as an anti-slavery worker
desire especially to write. When he CAM
to Owosso in 1912, he was at once known
among us as an uncOmpr0mising, radica
abOlitiOnist These sentiments he hel(
from the inception of the anti-slavery move
ment in this country, and he was among
the first to make that sentiment felt, by
organizing it into party. He was co
Temporary of, and a labOrer with Garrison
and adopted his famous sentiment, II an
In earnest-I will not equiv0cate-l will moi
excuse-I will not retract single inch-anC
will be heard" He had an interest in and
was constan: contributor to the Liberat0r
which for nearly forty years was the most
able and fearless champion of freedom In the
world.
The Doctor was an abOlitionist, outspok-
en-, determined. when 1t meant social, pOllti-
cal and financial ostracism. The attempt
of the mob of first citizens of Boston 10 hang
Garrison III 1885, only made him abhoI
more than eyer. system that could thus
brutalize men, who, in other relations were
cultured gentlemen.
1t Is not strange therefore, that man OF
such profound convictions, and tireless &C
tivitles, coming into little hamlet as
Owoss0 was fifty years ago, should make
himself felt at once. l doubt IL he had
eaten his first meal before he had sown
some of the good seed. We who had always
lived in the woods and scarcely knew the
way out, came soon tor regard him as a
second John the Baptist.
DIR. Barnes was not patient, plodding
searcher after truth. Nor was he pro-
found thinker. His ideas were instructive,
his methods and work emotional, but he
never ceased in his work. He would at
tack any person, at any time, under any
circumstances, and overwhelm him with
argument, invective, ridicule. What won
der then, that our little isolate community
OF 800 people. were soon largely of one
opinion, shouting ourselves hoarse over the
newborn sentiment of abOitiOnism, and
ready to die in the last, or any other ditch
to avenge the wrongs of the poor black man.
| am profoundly thankful that the Doc
tor, as well as his great friend Garrison,
were yet in the full strength of their man.
hood, when their hope was more than
realized not only i'm the emancipation but
also the enfranchisement of the race for
whom they had spent the best years o. tAelr
lives.
There were many painful and some ludi-
crous incidents connected with the early
history of the old Liberty Party in this
county. recall one OF the latter. The
Doctor had called MASS convention, y
composed of ant-slavery men of Shiawassee
and Clinton counties to assemble at Laings-
burg, which place was at that time practi-
cally, as far from OwossO as Jerusalem
was from JOrpa, before the building of the
railroad. There might have been hall
dozen of W.. but think only three. Oh
course we went on horseback. l Dor.
rowed pony from an Indian. A part OF
the way there was road, a part an Indian
trail, and still another part only bazed
trees. This was in the summer of IA. The
Doctor, who took the lead was mounted on
an exceedingly stupid, lazy brute. We
had proceeded perhaps one half the way,
when he espied yellow jackets nest close
beside the trail; thought seized him, and
without moments consideration he acted
upon it. Turning in his saddle he shouted
back to us, snow boys, see me wake HIM
up, see him CO." and he rode into the nest
OF yellow jackets. Instantly, the venemous
little insects swarmed around him and
the horse instead of going, lay down. II
did not take long for the Doctor to change
l. so IAI In,
the horse, badly stung, away from the nest.
He was sufficiently ''waked up" for the re-
mainder of the journey.
Arrived at Laingsburg, which at that
time consisted of log tavern, kept by DIR.
Laing, we met few persons from Clinton
County, and an organization was effected,
feeble, Insignificant, but still factor in the
heroic struggle that terminated at Apo
mattox 81 years later. At that convention
we first met Henry Bib, broken hearted
fugitive, who told the story of his wrongs
with infinite pathos, and who, during the
long years of waiting for the freedom that
came to his race, became almost second
Fred Douglass.
Any account of Doctor Barnes would be
incomplete without some mention of his ex'
quisite taste and his love for the beautiful.
No labor was too great, no expense too
lavish that enabled him to crafty this alb
sorbing passion. Order and beauty reigned
supreme i'm and about his home, which was
to him the deares. spot on earth. The
people living north of Oliver and west of
Washington streets should erect monu-
ment to his memory, though he has himself,
left an enduring monument in the form of
hundreds, perhaps thousands of beautiful
shade and ornamental trees, which make
that part of our city especially attractive,
and for which we are largely Indebted to
him.
Blessings OH his memory. He was not a
man without fault, but he had a large
heart. and noble. generous impulses, and
the world Is better because of him.