The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-10-21
LBy D,an Farrer

the slave trade: now she has shaken OF
the incubus of this odious crime against hui
manity, and there is scarcely a living per-
son who would defend it. In our own geu-
GRAFTON America has followed her
Why has this been? The first opponents Of
the slave trade We're ridiculed and perse-
cuted. as hopeless fanatics and disasrceablo
faddists. and the supporters of the trade
which stole human beings from their homes
and subjected them to horrible barbariticS
had so entirely drugged and sophisticated
their own consciences as to declare with
Boswell that to suppress the trade would be
to hinder the progress of the Christian RS
ligion. and to shut the gates Of mercy On
mankind. The opposition to the slave trade
did not come from a somnolent church.
smitten with the apopiexy OF IMMORAL Gus.
tom and the shameless sophisms OF greedN
self interest. but from the clearer Insight
and deeper sincerity of previously unknown
laymen. who. at the cost of their own peacs
and amid the abuse and hatred OF con.
ventional religionists. whose God was rrac.
tically their belly-succeeded I'm at lass
arousing the national conscience TO recog.
nize the guilt OF the hideous crime In which
'he nation was SO compiacently engaged.
The deliverance Of nations from crime.
N ~" 'hc i4ftH rum which crime,
sooner or later. involves. has always been
due to religion in the heart Of the citjzeu.
but Seaerally-indeed without exception
the salvation has arisen from the heroic
Efforts of one or two men who have been
the first to see truth In its OWE white light
and not through the distorting medium OF
custom and self-interesf. These men ara
often comparatively unknown, and only
derive their influence from the strength OF
their convictions. 1t was thus that Clark
son stood for a time all but alone against
the Indifference and wrongdoing OF his
country. and with the subsequent aid Of
Wnberforce. Zachary, Macau!ay. and Gram
Vile Sharpe. saved England from Tho
crime of using the arm of freedom to hind
the letters of the slave" Similarly ora
man-John Howarl-purifcd the foul pris-
ons of England and Of Europe. the condition
Of which was so cruel and Infamous as to
constitute a disgrace to humanity. So. too.
one man. Lord Shaftesbury. rescued thou
sands Of miserable factory children from
shameless oppression. God calls forth his
prophets. and not seldom from the ranks Of
humble and unknown laymen.
Such is his will: lie takes and he refuses,
Finds him ambassadors whom men deny.
Wise ones nor mighty for his saints. he chouses
No. such as John. or Gideon. or 1.
Not to tn. rich he came. nor to the ruling.
men fun Of meat whom wholly he abhors).
Not to the fools grown insolent in foo!ing.
Most when the lost are dying on; of doors.
Never was a period In the history os
England when We had more need than now
for religion I'm the heart of the citizen to-
deliver us from the curse of Shameless
greed. from the horrible perdition wroughe
by drink. from curses supported by the
selfishness of wealth. from secret goddess
ness. from the mask OF PharisaisIn. used
only to conceal the features Of the hypo,
critic. +. w. FARRAR
cCopyrisht In the United States Of AmerS
lea by u. T. Pierce.)