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Show 268 Henry Ward Beecher. blacks and th whites. Am1 I ~ay again, I would not trust a mrtn t1 H tl WOll1 (1 (1 l.t • It would inJ·ure the bla ·ks chi~fly and esp e·t a1 1 y. IIo ' v it would in.·J urc th m .w ill nppcar when I come to ' peak positively or what is the n ght way to promote the liberty oC the cn ~lavcd. I may . a~ lt~r , how ver, th:~t the higher a mnn is rais d in the calc o( b '111g: the lt:~nlC' r 1t will be to hold him in bondage am1 to . ell hun; wlul .' ti_tc more 1t e I·S }'I }{C ·n~1 1 '' tn'tn1•'t 1 ' the ca i r it will be to hold hun, lll 1 ll l 1 .11.11cs~ The more )' Oll make sla vcholucrs ic 1 t tra am 1, . · • • that when th y opprc.. and . 11 a man, th y arc opprc smg anu.l se• ll'1 1r\,r Go<.l'..:..:., imaror c ' the harder it will b' for th ' Ill to continue to cn -la.ve nnd tralftc in human b ings. Th ' reforc, whatrvcr you do to in. pirc in the .lave high, aml noble, and godlik :[!•cling ', tends to loosen his chain. ; ~ncl wl.wlev •t· hall inspire in him base, low, and cruel feclmgs, tightens them. H.unninrr away is all fair for single ca cs. It i ' God's r em-edy for all case~ of pecinl hardship. lt is the natural right of any !=:.lave who is of a manhood enotwh to r esent cv n tolerant bon<lage. But we arc not sp nking of the rem ·dy for indiYitluals, bnt the remedy for the whole . y tcm. F our million men cnnnot run away until God sends t n Egypt ian plagues to help them. And those who go among the slaves to . tir up such a dispo ition, will help the llllndreds at the expc•n:c of' the million . Tho e left b hind will be dcmoraliz 'd, and becoming lc,s tm tworthy, will grow sullen under incrca. ed severity and Yigilance. 4. till lc s would we tolerate any thing like in.-urrection and servile war. It would be the mo. t cruel, llopclc s, and desperate of all conceivable follies, to :e ·k emancipation by the sword and by blooll. And though I love liberty as my own life; though I long for it in cv ry human being ; though, if God by unequivocal providcnccs, should ordain that it shouhl come a.gain as of old, through tcrriulc plagu e~ on the first born, and by other terrors of ill, I should submit to the H enry Ward Beecher. Divinr b('hc·:'t; yrt, so f:u· as humrtn in st n1mr nt rttion IS cone 'mc•d, with all th' 'Oils ·i ·n · of a lltan , with all the: f:litlt of a Christian, and with all the zeal nn<l warmth of' a pllilantltropist, I prot '< t against any eOlll1S •Is that l 'ad to insurr<'ction, srrvilt• war, and bloodslt e<l. It is l>~td for the mast r- u:ul for th' lave - bad for all that arc u ·ighl>ors to th ·m- bad for the whole Jand -bad fi·om beginning to end! An evil so unmind ·d <UHl malig11ant, thnt jt:-:; origin can cnrcely uc doubt •tl. I b ·licv<', however, in the right of a p(•o plc to as rt :md arlti<'YC their li bc· rt y. Th ' ri()"l1t of' a raee or nation to s('izc their fn•e<lom is not to b' di:-;pull'd. 1t lJ •longs to all m •n on the fitre of the globr, without n·ganl to ·o111 pl •xi on. A p •ople have the rig:ht to ehange th<'ir rul •r , their gov rnmcut, their whole politieal condition. Tl1is right i not •ith<•t· gran teel or limit c<l in the New T estament. It is lvf't, a;o:; i:-; air, water, and •xistence it ·elf, a, thin g~ not requiring eomman<l or I gi:-;lat ion. But a ·conling to Uod's word, so long a~ a man remains a ser vant, h must obey his ma ·t ' r. Th right of the . bwe to tl1row off the cont1·ol of hi. ma .. tcr is not abrogat ·d. The right of the uhjcct to do thi , is neither d •fin •d nor limit <.l. But tit ' use of tltis right mnst conform to r :t:-'011 ancl to benefit. The leaders of a p op1 · have no right to wh<'lm their helpless follow ' I'. into tcrriulc elisa tcr by in eit ing th em to reb ·1, undc'l' e ircumstan · 'S that afford not the slight est hope that thrir rebellion will ri ~e to the di(rnity of a .-ucccssfu l rcvolu t ion. The nat ions of Italy arc showing great wi:-'dom and fitn . s in their kadc' l':) for thei r work, in thi ~ very thing, that th C"y arc qu lling fretful and irr •gu lar outbreaks, and l1olding the people st endfit~t till ucccs · :-:!tall su rely c·mwn upri.sing r ·volution. This ha~ l>ecn the eminent wisdom of' that llun(rarian ~xilc -1Coss UTH. 0 ln :-;pit· of' all that is written and said again t tl1is nol>lo 23% |