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Show Letters fron1 Northern Men. enough to l-illY you hnvc received thiH, nnd !'end in the enclosed ?n-ve1 o pe. • uc h .n. note will be received as n memento from a dymg h ro t 11 er u· 1 Ch l'l·: :lt , n11cl lllnrt•, ·r for the cnnsc of our oppressed fcllow-men. I C ,, "TnE I OAltY ONVICT. u I flo not know tl Htt T cnn "u otter Reno tho cnu~o Ilovo Ro much lhnn hy dying for ft."-JOUN 1JJtOWN1 itt]11"i.SQII, J3rnve mnn! whate'cr the world may think of thee, Jiowe'cr in judgment hold thy daring deeds, Men cannot fail in every step to sec This is no craven heart that beats nncl bleeds. Kind friencls p1·oclaim thy m·dent mind unstrungA maniac only heard the bondman sigh; 'Vhilc foes alarmed hnvc quivering curses flung, And deem it mercy even to let thee die. llut friends and foes to thee nrc all the snme, . \\rho drink not nt the fount wh re thou hnst stood; \Vith thee one thought has nursect the hidden flame; Thy fcttrred brother claims the common bloocl. To lift Him from Oppres ·ion's iron heel J3ccamc with thee n tntrpos(', then a CAUSE; Thy life-long mar/n('ss ,,·ns n potcer to feelThat gush of FEELING wrote thy code of laws. Thy nhjrct brother doubled in thy sight Grew into numbers ns the vision rose, Then "tood n NATION, without power OT might, And all their weakness plead n.rrninst their foes. The CAUSE OF MAN loomed grandly On thy l'ight j Man, cru hed and feeble, was thy rallying cry; Its wail charmed strangely to the unequal fight, To give them Freedom, or to bravely die. lind t thou thul'l dared 'neath fur Italia's sky Men would have shouted p<e:ms to thy name ; History would dnrcd her highest skill to try, An<.l on a spotless page embalmed thy fame. llut thou hast struck on thine own country's plains For hosts who crouch where Rhouts for Freedom flow; Letters from Northern Men. Host!) of a dusky brow, condrmnecl to chainR, For whom the bravest dared not strike n blow. Men grudgr thcr now n felon's gloomy r r lls, And, re~5tive, wt1il a felon's doom nt morn; Reproach loads <'Wry hrccz<' that round thee Hwells, And henvcn'H own light comes mixed with human scorn. Oppression hastes to drink thy flowing blood, And clip her iron hoof in costly gorp; But right. halt strengthen with the might of God, And thou, when :;lain, be mightier than before. Yon captive hosts shall rise from tears nncl chains, And kneel redeemed nt God's own sent ere long; Then thou shnlt rise, and }'reedom's festive strains Shall give thy memory to immortal song. Go, then, nncl die! thy Rrnrrecl, heroic form And hoary locks may grace n scaffold high, But thy loved Cause shall live ueyond the storm, And thou canst best subRervc it now to die! FROl\I A CLERGYl\IAN OF RHODE JRLAND. Pnovwmi\CE, HHonE Isl.ANn, Nov. 26. 1\fy Dcnr Sir: Permit mr, an utter strnngcr to yon, to intrude a moment, ju t thnt I muy . ny, Gon Hu:ss You ! ]3e of good cheer. You bore your witness ngainst Amel'icnn • lavery with voice so loud thnt nll the civi lized worlcl now liHtcns, all breathless, to its every echo. More than this: by that net four million slaves have learned with such force of impression n never was theirs ueforc, thnt they hnvc n right to be fn•c. 'Vashington, and tho. c with him, fought for their own homes nnd their own liberti<'s ; but you, with broader benevolence, hnving no freedom to gnin fur yourself, took the sword in behalf of n race oppressed infinitely more than our .fitthcrs. 1 do not sny thnt I think it right to app<'a.l to arms, but I do sny that if the first was right, then by logical nccc ·sity, was the second. It is nn nxiom in religion thnt the blood of martyrs i:; the seed of the church. Jesus baptized his new faith with hi own blood. In nll ngcs truth is most advanced by those who mo~.;t suffer for it. Greater love hath no mnn than this, that he lay clown his life for another. L<'t these thoughts console you. I have read your speeches and lctt<'rs studiously, nnd fi·om them verily believe that you have ucted from alto- 34~·,, |
