USA > Rhode Island > Rhode Island : three centuries of democracy, Vol. II > Part 76
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"God gives them sleep on ground, on straw, on sedgie mats or board : When English softest beds of down sometimes no sleep afford. I've known them leave their house and mat to lodge a friend or stranger, When Jews and Christians oft have sent Christ Jesus to the manger."
Besides the books by early Rhode Islanders, many letters and manuscripts and state papers in the colonial record have been preserved, including the noble answer to the United Colonies, in which Rhode Island refused to oust the Friends, and read her neighbors a lesson on elemen- tary principles of toleration and sound common sense. One other composition of the seventeenth century, "Narrative of the Causes Which Led to Philip's Indian War," by John Easton, a Newport Friend, who was familiar with the effort made to reconcile, through arbitration, the differences betwixt Indian and Puritan, was printed in 1858. Of the earlier writings several were printed in England and others in Boston. The "Key Into the Language of America" was printed for Roger Williams in England by Gregory Dexter, who was one of the early settlers of Providence and held public office in the town.
HISTORIANS-"Rhode Island has had as yet no historian ; of our heroes and sages it may indeed be said 'they had no poet, and they died,'" declared William Hunter, 1774-1849, in the course of a patriotic oration on "Rhode Island During the Revolution." Samuel Greene Arnold had not written his painstakingly authenticated and scholarly annalistic "History of Rhode Island, 1636-1790," ending the chronology with ratification of the Federal Constitution. Later general histories of the State by Rhode Island writers include Edward Peterson's "History of Rhode Island and Newport," George Washington Greene's "Short History of Rhode Island." Welcome Arnold Greene's "Providence Plantations for Two Hundred Fifty Years," Clarence Sanders Brigham's general annalistic and narrative history in Edward Field's "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the End of the Century," and Thomas Williams Bicknell's characteristically critical and controversial "History of Rhode Island and Providence Planta- tions.'
Notable volumes dealing with particular episodes in Rhode Island history are Bartlett's "History of the Destruction of The Gaspee," Cowell's "The Spirit of Seventy-Six in Rhode Island," Field's "Revolutionary Defences of Rhode Island," Staples' "Rhode Island and the
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Formation of the Union," Frieze's "Concise History of the Efforts to Obtain an Extension of Suffrage in Rhode Island," Green's "Might and Right," Mowry's "The Dorr War," and Church's "History of King Philip's War." Biographies of Rhode Islanders written by Rhode Island authors include "Barton" and "Olney" by Williams, "Burges" by Bowen, "Clarke" by Bicknell, "Mary Dyer" by Rogers, "Gorton" by Janes, "Greene" by (I) Caldwell, (2) F. V. Greene and (3) G. W. Greene, "Esek Hopkins" by Field, "Stephen Hopkins" by Foster, "Howland" by Stone, "Anne Hutchinson" by Curtis, "Manning" by Guild, "Ward" by Gam- mell, "Wayland" by Caswell, "Westcott" by Bullock, and "Williams" by Elton, Gammell, J. D. Knowles and Meader. Two of the biographies, "Anne Hutchinson," by Edith Curtis, and "Roger Williams, Prophet and Pioneer," by Emily Meader Easton, were printed in 1930. For schools short biographies of William Barton, Christopher Greene, Nathanael Greene, John Howland, Stephen Olney, Matthew C. Perry, Oliver Hazard Perry, Elisha R. Potter, Gilbert Stuart, Silas Talbot, Abraham Whipple, and Roger Williams have been written by Charles Carroll.
"Annals of the town of Providence," by William R. Staples, has been recognized as a fine history of an American town; other notable town histories by Rhode Island authors include "Barrington" by Bicknell, "Block Island" by Livermore, "Bristol" by Munro, "East Green- wich" by Green, "Narragansett" by Potter, "Newport" by Peterson, "Pawtucket" by (1) Goodrich and (2) Grieve, "Smithfield" by Steere, "Warren" by (I) Fessenden and (2) Tustin, "Warwick" by Fuller, "Westerly" by Denison, "Woonsocket" by Richardson. "Bristol, Rhode Island, a Town Biography," by Mark Antony DeWolfe Howe, and "Looking Backward Four Score Years" in North Providence, by Frank C. Angell, depart from annals, but are interesting town histories nevertheless. County histories of Providence County and of Newport County have been written by R. M. Bayles, and of Washington and Kent Counties, by J. R. Cole. "Tales of an Old Seaport," by Wilfred Harold Munro, opens in the old Rhode Island town and car- ries the reader around the world with the story of a Bristol ship. Other volumes with historical and geographical setting in Rhode Island include "South County Neighbors" by Carpenter ; "The Johnny Cake Letters" by T. R. Hazard ; "Early Recollections of Newport," by Channing ; "Reminiscences of Newport," by Mason; "Privateersmen of Newport," by Sheffield ; "Ships and Shipmasters of Old Providence," anonymous; "Old Wickford, the Venice of America," by Griswold; "The Proprietors of Providence," by H. C. Dorr; "A Picture of Woonsocket," by Man; "Legends of the South County," by M. E. Briggs ; "East India Trade of Providence," by Kimball. Similar books relating to the state are: "The Journal of William Jafferay," by Austin ; "Picturesque Rhode Island," by Munro ; "History of Rhode Island Ferries," by A. A. and C. V. Chapin; "Privateer Ships and Sailors" and "Privateering in King George's War," by Howard M. Chapin.
Lillian B. Miner's "Our State" is a history of Rhode Island for schools; "Once Upon a Time in Rhode Island," by Pyle, a child's story book, the episodes of which are from Rhode Island history. Alice Collins Gleeson's "Colonial Rhode Island" describes the setting of colonial history romantically. Educational histories include volumes by Stockwell and Charles Carroll, besides histories of Brown University by Guild and Bronson, of higher education by Tolman, of the Rhode Island Normal School by Bicknell, and of the Rhode Island Institute of Instruc- tion by Stone; financial histories, works by Stokes on Rhode Island finance and banking, and the administration and finances of Providence; judicial history, "Gleanings from the Judicial History of Rhode Island" by Durfee, "Memoirs of the Rhode Island Bar" by Updike, "Remin- iscences of the Rhode Island Bar" by Payne, and "History of the Codes of Rhode Island" by Wingate Hayes ; medical history, by G. D. Hersey, M. D .; church history, Benedict's "History of the Baptist Denomination," Dowling's "Catholic Diocese of Providence," Hazard's "The Narragansett Friends' Meeting in the Eighteenth century," Jackson's "An Account of the Churches of Rhode Island," Updike's "History of the Episcopal Church in Narragansett,"
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Vose > "Sketches of Congregationalism in Rhode Island," and Goodwin's chapter on church history in the work edited by Field. "Printers and Printing in Providence," by William Carroll and others ; "Early Reminiscences of the Printing Trade," by J. E. C. Farnham; "Half a Cen- tury with the Journal," by Henry R. Davis, and "History of the Providence Stage," by Charles Blake, more than repay even the casual reader.
Books and monographs on constitutional law began with "A True Representation of the Plan Formed at Albany" and "Rights of Colonies Examined," both by Stephen Hopkins. The latter is the most philosophical presentation of the cause of America written before the Revolu- tion. The constitutional history of Rhode Island is unique, and has engaged the pens of many lawyers and others, including Henry B. Anthony, W. S. Balch, Charles S. Bradley, Charles Carroll, George T. Curtis, Thomas W. Dorr, Job Durfee, Thomas Durfee, Amasa M. Eaton, William G. Goddard, Charles E. Gorman, Arnold Green, B. F. Hallett, Samuel R. Honey. J. S. Pitman, Elisha R. Potter, William P. Sheffield, Francis Wayland and Charles C. Van Zandt. To the list of more than eighty writers of Rhode Island history, Angell, Anthony, Arnold, Austin, Balch, Bartlett, Bates, Blake, Bayles, Bicknell, Bowen, Bradley, Briggs, Brigham, Bronson, Carpenter, two Carrolls, three Chapins, Church, two Curtisses, Cole, Cowell, Davis, Denison, two Dorrs, Dowling, two Durfees, Eaton, Elton, Farnham, Fessender, Field, Foster, Frieze, Fuller, Gammell, Gleeson, Goddard, Goodrich, Goodwin, Gorman, Green, two Greenes, Griswold. Grieve, Guild, Hallett, Hayes, Hazard, Honey, Howe, Jackson, Janes, Kimball, Knowles, Livermore, Mason, Meader, Miner, Mowry, Munro, Payne, Peterson, Pitman, Por- ter, Richardson, Roger, Sheffield, Staples, Stockwell, Stokes, Stone, Tustin, Updike. Vose, Wayland, Williams, and Van Zandt-should be added E. Benjamin Andrews, J. N. Arnold, Virginia Baker, Tristam Burges, J. L. Diman, members of the Hazard family, John Howland, Charles W. Lippit, Usher Parsons, J. H. Stiness and Augustus Woodbury, besides authors of town histories, historical tracts, pamphlets and other monographs, and histories of regiments and other military units. The list is still incomplete without Sidney S. Rider, editor and pub- lisher of "Book Notes," whose criticisms of histories and historians led him to make most thor- ough examination and revelation of primary source material. "Book Notes" was both destructive and constructive, but Rider's finest contribution to Rhode Island history is the Rider collection of pamphlets and manuscripts now included in the library of Brown University. Besides these are Howard W. Preston, learned antiquarian, and Howard M. Chapin, who makes frequent con- tributions to Rhode Island history by publishing a volume on some subject requiring painstak- ing research.
Of Rhode Island authors who wrote other than Rhode Island history are Paul Allen, "His- tory of the Lewis and Clarke Expedition," "Life of Alexander I," "History of the American Revolution"; Nathaniel Ames, "Nautical Reminiscences"; E. Benjamin Andrews. "Brief Insti- tutes of Constitutional History, English and American," "Brief Institutes of General History," "History of the United States," "History of the United States in Our Own Time"; William Bailey, "American Naval Biography"; David Benedict, "General History of the Baptist Denom- ination," "History of All Religions," "Fifty Years Among the Baptists," "Compendium of Ecclesiastical History"; G. Edward Buxton, "History of the Eighty-second Division"; J. A. Doyle, "Puritan Colonies in America"; J. E. C. Farnham, "Quaint Old Isle of Nantucket"; George Washington Greene, "Historical Studies," "History and Geography of the Middle Ages." "Biographical Studies," "Historical View of the American Revolution," "The German Element in the War of America"; Ellen Ryan Jolly, "Nuns of the Battlefield"; Usher Parsons, "History of Battle of Lake Erie," "Life of Sir William Pepperell"; Henry Wheaton, "History of the Northmen." Dana C. Munro, native of Bristol, who maintains associations with Rhode Island, in spite of residence elsewhere, has been a prolific writer of history, his works including "Urban and the Crusades," "Letters of the Crusaders," "Saint Columbian," "Fourth Crusade," "Early Christian Persecutions," "Laws of Charles the Great," "Mediaeval Civilization," "His-
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tory of the Middle Ages," "Source Book of Roman History," "Mediaeval Student," "Medi- aeval Sermon Stories," "Teaching of Mediaeval History."
Major Ben C. Truman was called by his printer associates while he worked in the Provi- dence "Shaker," because he had attended and taught school at East Canterbury, New Hamp- shire, after being graduated from the high school in Providence. In later years he was an editor and writer, served in the Civil War, thus acquiring his military title, and was confidential sec- retary of President Andrew Johnson. His travels carried him to five continents. He wrote : "Campaigning in Tennessee," 1863; "The South After the War," 1866; "Semi-Tropical Cali- fornia," 1874; "Occidental Sketches," 1881 ; "Monterey," 1882; "Tourists Guide to Califor- nia," 1883; "Homes and Happiness in California," and "The Field of Honor," 1884; "From the Crescent City to the Golden Gate," 1886; "Pictorial History of the World's Fair," 1893; "See How it Sparkles," 1896; a five-act play, "Life," for the Webb sisters, and a dramatization of "Enoch Arden" for Edwin Adams. Hamilton B. Tompkins of Rhode Island wrote biog- raphies of Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr; George Henry Calvert, a "Life of Rubens," "Life and Works of Goethe," and "Shakespeare, a Biographic and Aesthetic Study"; Louise S. and Ralph Boas, "Cotton Mather, Keeper of the Puritan Conscience." Bishop William A. Hickey translated a "Life of Christ" from the French. Other historical books by Rhode Island- ers include Theodore Collier's "A New World in the Making"; John William Burgess' "Mid- dle Period of United States History," "The European War of 1914," "Administration of President Rutherford B. Hayes"; Admiral William S. Sims' "The Victory at Sea"; W. H. Small's "Early New England Schools"; Edward C. Kirkland's "The Peacemakers of 1864." Periodicals and other publications by the Newport and Rhode Island Historical Societies, the "Narragansett Register," published by J. N. Arnold, and the programs for observance of patri- otic holidays issued by the Commissioner of Education have made available a great wealth of material relative to state history. The romantic and intriguing story of Rhode Island has inspired many to write, and the roster of authors and the list of books are most extraordinary for so limited a territory.
LAW BOOKS-Henry Wheaton of Rhode Island was in his era the most authoritative writer on international law. His books on international law were translated into other lan- guages, including French, which was the language of diplomacy. His works on international law include "Digest of the Law of Maritime Captures and Prizes," "Science of Public or Inter- national Law," "Inquiry Into the British Claim to Right of Search," "Elements of International Law," "Histoire du Progres du Droit des Gens en Europe." A more recent Rhode Island writer in the same field is George Grafton Wilson, author of "International Law," besides several monographs. Henry Wheaton wrote also on other legal subjects, including "Considerations on Uniform Bankrupt Laws Throughout the United States," and a "Digest of the Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States," of which he was reporter for several years. Another Rhode Island writer of law books was Joseph Kinnicutt Angell, who wrote treatises on Water Courses, Property in Tide Waters, Limitation of Actions, Assignments, Incorporeal Heredita- ments, Taxation of Corporations, Carriers of Goods and Passengers, Life and Fire Insurance. Samuel Ames collaborated with Angell in a treatise on Private Corporations, and Thomas Durfee completed a teatise on Highways left unfinished when Angell died. Mary A. Greene wrote "The Woman's Manual of Law," besides shorter essays on law and jurisprudence. Wil- liam A. Staples edited a "Book of Forms," for lawyers ; and Walter B. Vincent, a later volume of the same title. William H. Clapp wrote a digest of Rhode Island Supreme Court decisions, known as "Clapp's Index," which has never been equalled for terse and exact statement of rule and accessibility.
John William Burgess wrote on historical, legal and philosophical subjects, his books including "Political Science and Compendium of Constitutional Law," "Civil War and the Constitution," "Reconstruction and the Constitution," "The Reconciliation of Government and
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Liberty," "America's Relations to the Great War," "The Russian Revolution and the Soviet Constitution," "The Sanctity of Law-What Does it Constitute?" "The Transfiguration of the Constitutional Law of the United States Between 1898 and 1920."
OTHER SCIENCES-To other fields of sciences and study Rhode Island writers have been prolific contributors, the list including Zechariah Allen, several treatises on physics, among them "Practical Mechanics," "Philosophy of the Mechanics of Motion," "Solar Light and Heat"; E. Benjamin Andrews, books and monographs on history, political economy and eco- nomic questions ; Oliver Angell, a series of union school textbooks, besides "Elements of Math- ematics"; John Howard Appleton, chemistry; Raymond Clare Archibald, books on mathe- matics, besides "Carlyle's First Love," "Margaret Gordon," "Lady Bannerman"; William Whitman Bailey, botany ; Timothy Whiting Bancroft, English literature ; Dr. William T. Barry, a practical school textbook on physiology and hygiene; Carl Barus, over 100 books and mono- graphs on physics ; Albert Arnold Bennett, "Ballistics" and tables for interior and exterior bal- listics ; Dr. Albert F. Blaisdell, one of the earliest school physiologies, and a short history of the Civil War, for schools ; Zenas W. Bliss, "Fundamental Requirements of Tax Reform"; Walter C. Bronson, a "Short History of Literature," besides collections of American and English poems and essays ; George C. Burns, "The American Wool Manufactory"; Alice Huntington Bushee, Spanish textbooks ; Alexis Caswell, astronomy and meteorology ; Arnold Buffum Chace, translation of Egyptian papyrus ; Dr. Charles V. Chapin, health and sanitation, medicine and disease ; Stephen Sheldon Colvin, pedagogy and psychology ; Clara E. Craig, two monographs on the teaching of reading and writing ; Clinton C. Currier, astronomy and higher mathematics ; James Q. Dealey, several books on sociology and political science ; May C. Dickerson, "The Frog Book"; Luke Drury, who invented a system of geography for schools on an entirely novel plan, with an atlas of forty luminous maps ; D. Carl Eggleston, two volumes on "Modern Accounting"; Frederick James Farnell, medical and mental subjects ; Caleb Farnum, grammar and penmanship; George Wilton Field, "General Principles of Zoology"; Henry T. Fowler, Biblical literature and interpretation ; Mary S. Gardiner, public health nursing ; Henry B. Gard- ner, political economy and public finance ; Minnie Goodnow, nursing ; Samuel Stillman Greene, American authority on English grammar, his books including "Analysis of the English Lan- guage," "First Lessons in Grammar," "Elements of English Grammar," "English Grammar," and "Introduction to English Grammar"; Albert Harkness, a Latin grammar and Greek and Latin texts and textbooks; Rowland G. Hazard, treatises on philosophical subjects, besides "Essay on Language," "Causes of the Decline of Political Morality," "Duty of the Individual to Support Science and Letters," "Relations of Railroad Corporations to the Public" and "Resources of the United States"; Joseph Waite Ince, "Chemistry of Farm and Home" ; Nor- man M. Isham, architecture ; Dr. Henry B. Jacobs, tuberculosis ; John W. P. Jenks, popular zoology and "English History in Short Stories"; Henry P. Manning, higher mathematics ; Joseph Muenscher, Biblical interpretation, orthography and pronunciation of English ; George Washington Patten, books on military tactics ; William C. Poland, art and archaeology ; Howard W. Preston, "Key to Wild and Cultivated Trees"; Dr. Helen C. Putnam, books and mono- graphs on health problems ; Otis E. Randall, drawing ; Dr. Dennett L. Richardson, "Infectious Diseases"; Ezekiel G. Robinson, books on theology and preaching ; Lorenzo Sears, "American Literature"; Margaret B. Stillwell, Americana incunabula ; Reverend John F. Sullivan, church doctrine in form for general readers ; William H. Talman, reform movements and sociological subjects ; Winslow Upton, astronomy ; Herbert E. Walter, "Genetics," "Human Skeleton," "Biology of Invertebrates"; Alonzo Williams, German textbooks. Perhaps Glenna Collett's "Golf for Young Players" should be classified with these serious books. This list of authorita- tive books by Rhode Islanders is less nearly complete than merely suggestive of the large num- ber of volumes and the wealth of subject matter that might be found in a library of books written by Rhode Island authors.
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LITERATURE-"Thinking is the great desideratum of the present," wrote Berkeley as he composed the "Alciphron" in his natural study amid the Hanging Rocks on the Island of Rhode Island. "What can be expected when those who have the most influence have the least sense, and those who are sure to be followed set the worst examples. . . . When modesty is esteemed pusillanimity, and a deference to years, knowledge, religion, law, want of sense and spirit?" For all the seeming pessimism in a complaint that seems so modern two centuries after it was written, in 1730, Berkeley had faith in America, and expressed it thus :
"There shall be sung another golden age, The rise of empire and of arts. . Not such as Europe breeds in her decay, Such as she bred when fresh and young . . Westward the course of empire takes its way; The four first acts already past, A fifth shall close the drama with the day ; Time's noblest offspring is the last."
The lines are from a poem "On the Prospect of Planting Arts and Learning in America," also written in Rhode Island in 1730. Eventually Berkeley abandoned his project for the found- ing of an Episcopal university in the New World and returned to Ireland ; but he and the group who accompanied him had laid foundations for a development of fine arts and literature in Rhode Island. Little more than one hundred years later Anne C. Lynch, herself a poet, gathered together in "The Rhode Island Book" the "floating literature of Rhode Island . , that was worthy of preservation." The book contains eighty-two selections from the writing of fifty-three Rhode Islanders, beginning with Roger Williams' letter to the General Assembly in relation to the services of Dr. John Clarke. The poets represented number thirty-one, of whom nine were women. The list includes Paul Allen, who published a volume of poems in 1801 ; Henry B. Anthony, whose "Dorriad," written as a satire of the Dorr War, is more familiar than the "Fancy Ball"; Josias L. Arnold, who wrote in 1791; Dean Berkeley; Reverend George Burgess, afterward Bishop of Maine, whose contribution consisted of extracts from an epic on the "Martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul"; Mrs. Eleanor B. Burges, who maintained the prop- osition "Dress is a Hieroglyphic of the Mind"; Albert G. Greene, with four other poems besides "Old Grimes"; two members of the "graceful" Hoppin family, William J. Hoppin and James Hoppin ; Reverend James D. Knowles, who described in verse "An Excursion Down Narra- gansett Bay"; Anne C. Lynch, who contributed "Paul Preaching at Athens" and an "Elegy"; William J. Pabodie, with "Go Forth into the Fields" and three other poems ; Thomas P. Rod- man, who contributed "The Battle of Bennington"; Emma Robinson, who wrote in 1785 on "Pettaquamscott"; Cynthia Taggart, whose "Ode to the Poppy" was reviewed by the "Literary Journal" as the work of an author who found "momentary consolation" from the misery of an incurable, wasting disease, in dictating to her friends several poetical effusions; Honorable Joseph L. Tillinghast, whose "Liberty Trees" was composed on the eve of the War of 1812; Sarah Helen Power Whitman, who contributed seven poems ; besides George R. Burrill, Rev- erend Charles F. Brooks, Thomas C. Hartshorn, Sarah S. Jacobs, Thomas F. Jenckes, Mrs. Sophia Little, George W. Patten, Samuel W. Peckham, Sophia M. Phillips, Frances H. Whip- ple, James O. Rockwell, Reverend Abel Stevens and Roger Williams. The most spirited poem in the collection is W. J. Hoppin's ballad, "Charlie Machrie"; the best remembered, Albert G. Greene's "Old Grimes"; the most poetic in conception and imagery, William J. Pabodie's "Go Forth Into the Fields," based upon a line from Wordsworth, "The World is too much with us." Thomas W. Dorr's "Genius Born; Not Made," in the same volume, contains this unintentionally apropos commentary : "There is an unexampled competition in the poetical lists of England and our own country ; yet with all the excitement of ambition, all the accumulations of classic and modern learning, all the labors of patience and industry, all the efforts of real talent, there has appeared but one man in this century whose statue deserves to be placed in the
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temple of which we have been speaking, beside the images of Shakespeare and Milton." The Rhode Island poetry was worthy and contained occasional flashes of scintillating beauty and genuinely poetic flight, but even the charming periods of the brilliant Sarah Helen Power Whit- man were tinged with ineffable sadness, and in their perfection of rhyme and stately measure, bore earmarks of composition too studied for a poet "whose song gushed from his heart." Mrs. Whitman's poetry was intellectual rather than emotional, and thus reversed Whitaker's "all art is emotional and proceeds from the heart rather than the brain." The prose selections in the "Rhode Island Book" are serious compositions, and include passages from the writings of Zechariah Allen, Dean Berkeley, Tristam Burges, Mrs. Julia Curtis, William Ellery Channing, Thomas W. Dorr, Reverend Frederick A. Farley, William G. Goddard, Rowland G. Hazard, William Hunter, Reverend William Hague, Reverend Edward B. Hall, Jonothan Maxcy, George F. Man, John Pitman, Jonathan Russell, Asher Robbins, Reverend Ezra Stiles, Rev- erend Francis Vinton, John Whipple, and Francis Wayland. They include selections from sermons and patriotic orations, besides occasional philosophical essays. Francis Wayland's "Relations Which This Country Sustains to the Nations of Europe," was almost prophetic: "Should the rulers of Europe make war upon the principles of our Constitution . . . . it is manifest that we must take no secondary part in the controversy. The contest will involve the civilized world and the blow will be struck which must decide the fate of man for centuries to come. Then will the hour have arrived when, uniting with herself the friends of freedom throughout the world, this country must breast herself to the shock of congregated nations. Then will she need the wealth of her merchants, the prowess of her warriors, and the sagacity of her statesmen. Then, on the altars of our God, let us each one devote himself to the cause of the human race ; and in the name of the Lord of Hosts go forth unto the battle. If need be, let our choicest blood flow freely ; for life itself is valueless when such interests are at stake. Then, when a world in arms is assembling to the conflict, may this country be found fighting in the vanguard for the liberties of man. God himself hath summoned her to the contest, and she may not shrink back. For this hour may He by His grace prepare her."
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