isa-normaladvance-1909-00364

Description:	364THE NORMAL ADVANCEChurch. They were ruled by the judge notbecause of the justice he decreed but becausehe was the voice of the court. This enslavedcondition of the people would destroy the nation. Phillips saw this and knew that the timefor action had come, so he undertook the taskof moulding public opinion.He found that the white race was in a moredesperate state of bondage than the negro. Herealized that this was an age of ideas and thatinsurrection in thought must precede insurrection in arms that the minds of men must bechanged before the slave could ever hope towalk forth free. His doctrine was this,—themost efficient protection for the three millionsof slaves is to remove the prejudices of thethirty millions of white men. Phillips, therefore, sought to make the great ruling publicsee that slavery is not a God-given state ofman, but that freedom is the inalienable Divine right of all, white or black, and that whoever enslaves a man is opposed to this Divineprinciple. With unflagging zeal, he proclaimed the message that inherent in mans nature isthe spirit of freedom, an ever ceaseless actingenergy forcing itself to be recognized. Withkeen insight he discerned this truth and askedthe people to believe and to follow it.Phillips appealed not only to their intellectsbut to their sympathies, to their spirit ofbrotherhood. He knew that if he could inspirethem with a love for their fellow-men and witha real desire to elevate the black race, he wouldaccomplish his mission. He once said duringthese days of struggle, A crazy sentimentalismlike that of Peter the Hermit, hurled half ofEurope upon Asia and changed the destinies ofkingdoms. Would to God He would make usall crazy enough to forget for one moment thecold deductions of intellect and let these heartsof ours beat, beat, beat with the promptings ofa common humanity ! How sincere were thosewords uttered by him whose exalted charactershone in this darkness, who was ever fearlessin his attempt to bring erring mortals to ahigher understanding. His efforts were untiring and his earnestness magnetic his zeal penetrated the masses. He wasThe fiery pith,The compact nucleus, round which systemsgrow,Mass after mass became inspired therewith,And whirled impregnate with the centralglow.After twenty years Phillips brought the people of the north to a full realization of themeaning of freedom. He scattered the seedwhich took root in the hearts of men, and whenwar came and the call to arms wTent forth, multitudes responded willing to give their lives toa cause so sacred.Though Phillips did not believe that Abolition would come through blood, he at last sorrowfully yielded to war. But he had accomplished his task the battle was won before thefirst gun was fired at Sumter. It was won inthe minds of the people and in the mind ofPhillips long before blood was shed. He fore-sawT ultimate victory he had the vision of aprophet. Once he uttered these inspired words,I hear in the dim distance the first notes ofthe jubilee rising from the hearts of the millions. Soon, very soon, you shall hear it at thegates of the citadel and the Stars and Stripesshall guarantee Liberty forever from the Lakesto the Gulf. It wTas with such faith and assurance that he spoke.But what gave him this power over men ? Itwas his great moral courage. He feared nothing and dared to assert his convictions at alltimes and before all men, because he believedthoroughly in the principles which he soughtto impart. His greatness is revealed by hiscourage to grapple unaided with the opposingforces of his time. While Webster and Lincolnwere backed by party and urged on by a hostof political friends, Phillips fought his battles alone. He was free to voice the truth because he was a slave to no creed, bound to noparty.
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34394
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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