The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-06-07
Grafton by Hon. Jacob Sims

AS the Mayflower plowed old ocean
with it's precious cargo of dauntless
adventures, it was ordained on High
| that America was to be the nome OF
/ liberty. Over the snlmmering sea the
/ horizon was darkened by thel little Dutch
sailing vessel veering off to the south.
After more than two hundred and fifty
years the antagonistic civilizations of
Plymouth Rock and Jamestown con-
verged in the declaration that ali men
were created equal, and an independ-
ent government Sprang into existence
with a compromise constitution. Our
independence as a nation secured,
there yet remained still greater work
before the republic. The half truth
in the constitution presaged at some
/ time in the future bitter internecine
struggle without which the problem of
our unity and of our perpetuity as ma
ton was yet unsolved. The whole
world looked on and saw the strange
anomaly of nation founded on the
declaration OF the equality OF all men
before the law, yet at the same time
denying their equal right to liberty.
! 1t was beautiful design OF govern
ment, framed by the fathers and found
ers of this republic, marred only by the
faint of serfdom. Taught from earl
lest childhood to believe that slavery
was a divine institution and with this
belief fortified by years OF dependence
upon the labors of the black man for
the cultivation of their fields. ana for
domestic service, representing to them
as it did the large portion OF their
wealth, the men and women OF the
southland not only religiously believed
in and defended the Institution of
slavery, but bitterly and angriiy re-
scented any interference. The opportune
time came almost unawares. Whilst
the arrogant slaveocracy Of the south
was even demanding the further ex-
tension Of slavery, the cries OF a
crushed and bleeding race, writing
! under more than two hundred and fifty
years OF bondage, reached heaven
ward until, on the plains OF Kansas,
there fell the first drops Of that bloody
shower that soon broke in deluge
| over all the land. December End, 1853,
Va
5 Ossawattamie" made the ''gallows
glorious like the cross Events OF
mighty import crowded thick and fast;
and on April 21st, 1861, just before
: dawn, q circling bomb lighted up the
overhanging heavens at Charlestowr
and fell against the walls of Fort
Sumpter That was the shot heard
/ round the, world The time was
fully come, nor could it be longer
prejudice burst with relentless fury;
and for four long years the nation was
rent and torn with murderous strife
the pitiless resistless fight o.
4 brother with brother making it the
Y fiercest war since time began. But the
n stars in their courses fought witt
Sisera. The right was. triumphan
, and the wrong went down, and wen
J down never to rise again.
II You veteran soldiery did not al
J, leave home, and wife, and mother, ant
d sister, and sweetheart, simply to FREE
the slaves No. no. And yet ] tanc,
that in the judgment day when tn
= roll is called up yonder," and the book
II are opened you will find the recording
e angel has entered to your credit il
c that behalf, the work of that fou
years. You know the north proteste
that it wanted peace, even at the prlc
OF slavery, so little conception did
is have of the real significance of tn
III issues the war portended. But a
4 ovemuling Providence willed it othe
wise, and the inevitable sequence {
- events, following upon your enlistmer
ST was in no other direction. Whateve
may have been your former polite;
party predictions. Whltevlr ma
have been your former social an
racial prejudices, whatever they +
manned, or are today, the simple trut
4. is that by your valor the shaclles fe
from four million bondsmen; and whe
- the clouds Of war rolled by and thes
IL men with you returned home and toe
up the pursuits of peace, the questic
was settled, and settled for all tin
n the unity of the nation was pr
\ served, it's perpetuity was assured
D and, in the reconstruction folloWln
the constitution was broadened so tn
ever thereafter was it to be write
lN for the coming generations in this o
lin beloved land, that all men were create
free and equal" nor barred fro
rights of citizenship by race, color,
previous condition of servitude.
was the truth of the divine fatherho
er. and human brotherhood, incarnate
ne the lowly Nazarene dying an 1gno
- inious death upon the cross, aga
~ made manifest, even as centuries
on fore it had nerved the English baro
re at Runnymede and enabled them
rm force from King John the Mag
tie, Chalta, that bulwark and symbol
,rn English liberty. That great charter
1t human rights, the first step in the pro
ID ress OF AngloSaXon freedom in Ell
land growing and increasing with t
=; centuries, stands today side
n y side with American liber
driving despotism and oppression 1
p,,1yy Tn