The broad ax., 1913-01-25

the same spirit that moved Patrick
Henry as he stood up in the Virginia
convention and exclaimed: "Give me
liberty or give me death" 1t was for
liberty that the Continental forces suf-
fered at Valley Forge and triumphed
at Yorktown. 1t was for liberty that
Toussaint L'Ouverture armed the blacks
of Santo Domingo, and by intrepid dar-
ing sent the British, the French and the
Spanish from the Queen Of the Antilles
in defeat and disgrace. But these
blacks of Santo Domingo knew IS well
as any one should know that External
vigilance is the price of liberty" They
knew as well as any one should know
that if they sat down and folded their
arms in supine indifference, that the
liberty they had purchased so dearly
would be taken away from them, and
so that France might be warned against
the danger of any further attempt to
enslave them, they issued a proclama-
ton and among other things said:
"Should we be obliged to shed rivers
of blood, should we, to preserve our
freedom, be compelled to set fire to
seven-eighths of the globe, we shall be
pronounced innocent before the tribu-
nal of Providence, who has not created
men to see them groan under a yoke so
oppressive and so ignOminious. This
was in 1903. Haiti has never worn the
yoke of any nation nor has the liberty
of her people been assailed.
Fifty years ago 100000 slaves were
declared free by proclamation issued by
Abraham Lincoln. This is one of the
worlds greatest documents. At the
time of its issuance it was considered
so by Illinois, so did New England.
On the day that the proclamation was
to be signed a great meeting was held
at fremont Temple in Boston, Mass.
Wendell Phillips was there, Theodore
Parker was there. Frederick Douglass
was there, the Rev. Grimes was there,
and with them thousands of men and
women eager and anxious to welcome
the dawn of universal liberty. All day
long the crowd waited patiently for
news from Washington. At last to-
ward the close of day word was flashed
from Washington that the immortal
Abraham Lincoln had signed the Pro
elamation. Strong men and gentle wO-
men wept. A shout of joy went up
from the assembled throng and sud
denly Rev. Grimes voice could be
heard above the tumult singing in clear
reverberating tones:
Sound the loud timbril DER Egypts
dark sea,
Jehovah has triumphed, his people are
free"
The country was blessed at that time
with so many great men and noble wo-
men. Men and women who loved the
right and were willing to do justice.
Nor were they afraid to let the world
know where they stood on the question
of human liberty. How different the sit
uation today! The Christian Church
today is silent as to lynehing and burn
ing and human injustice. What Wendell
Phillips said years ago about American
Christianity is strikingly applicable to-
day. He said, elf you put a hound in
the presence of a deer it will spring at
its throat, if it is a true blood hound.
Put a Christian in the presence of sin
and he will spring at its throat, if he
is a true Christian. And so into an
acid we throw white matter, if it is
not chalk, it will not produce agita-
tion. So if in a world of sinners you
were to put American Christianity it
would be as calm as oil.''
The proclamation conferred on the
emaneipated people their natural lib
.erty. The right to their time and to
go whittier they wished. It can easily
be seen that a dog may exercise nat
ural liberty and yet every cur may be
at liberty to bite him and any vicious
man may kick him. And so civil lib
erty is absolutely indispensable to a
full and complete enjoyment of our
natural liberty. To this end the Four
teenth amendment to the Federal
Constitution was adopted. Thus
the Negro became a citizen and was
guaranteed protection in the exercise Of
his natural liberty. But it was soon
discovered that under a representative
Democracy such as we have that a
citizen was but poorly secured in the
enjoyment Of his civil liberty without
the added guaranty Of political liberty,
and so the Fifteenth amendment to the
Federal Constitution was adopted. Thus
the newly made citizen was given the
right to vote and in this way protect
himself in the exercise of his civil
rights IF was at tkia aarlyy dau vvhap