The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-06-03
William GQrriSOn'S
I9ife and Deeds.


William Lloyd Garrison's life and
achievements constituted the subject of
Rev. j. K. Shellenberger's sermon, de-
livered from the pulpit of the Christian
church last Sunday evening. Rev. Shell
lenberger looked upon Mr.. Garrison as a
hero, Notwithstanding the fact that he
did not win laurels on the field of bat
tie. The fight that Garrison made was
not one wherein the warrior marched
side by side with his comrades, urged on
and encouraged by the strains of mar
tial music. Garrison's fight was lonely
one, almost single handed, surrounded by
enemies on every side, and opposed by
seemingly insuperable obstacles.
Rev. Shellenberger opened the sub
ject by reading the Bible passage con-
corning Gideon, the redeemer of Israel
from the host of indian. Gideon truly
accomplished a glorious work. Yet still
greater works have been and are being
accomplished by men in modern times.
1t was comparatively easy in those days
to raise an army, as Gideon did. In mod
,ern times the greatest heroes are not
those of the battle field. Grant was a
mighty man, it is true. Not one laurel
should be taken from the crown he won.
Yet other men had been fighting just
as mighty battles, for many years be-
fore the military operations commenced.
The period from 1880 to 1860 is as i'm
portant as any other thirty years in the
nations history. During these thirty
years hard battles were fought within
the conscience of the nation.
Garrison's work was one that made
him absolutely hated by the upholders
of slavery. He was everlastingly agitat-
ing the issue. He was constantly pre-
senting to the public mind the sin in all
its blackness.
William Lloyd Garrison was born in
1905 at Newbury, Mass. Unlike Beecher
he was not born to educational advan-
tages. Garrison was born of poor, but
sturdy, hard working parents. He was
naturally of sturdy physique and of
great courage. When he was quite a
young boy, his mother apprenticed him
to a shoemaker, intending that he should
follow that trade. This work proved
y to be not to his liking, and by and by
he went to work in printing office. As
he set the type, he began to learn how
to spell, At length he learned in the
same way how to frame sentences and
express his thoughts. Anonymous arti-
cles, which had their origin in his own
composing stick, appeared in the paper
for which he worked. 1t was thus that
he campaigned in the interests of the
presidential candidacy of John Quincy
Adams.
Garrison was by nature a radical. He
was a radical on the question of tenn
perance. When he came to realize the
fearful sin of slavery, he became radical
lOI us tAOti lie ItSdIucu Tie
evil of slavery as of so much greater
magnitude than that of intemperance
that he concluded to devote all his time
and energies to fighting slavery.
Early in his career, he went to Balti-
more to work on a paper that was own
ed and operated by a man with Quaker
sentiments. The paper was opposed to
slavery, but advocated a gentle solution
in the way of elevating men. 'Let men
be elevated morally, and slavery will
gradually die out" was the theory
preached by that poper.
+ When Mr. Garrison took hold of the
sheet it was monthly. By dint of ener.
getic effort, he turned it into weekly
Under his editorial management the pa.
per became radically opposed to slavery