crushed souls of the people of the North to a living, practical insurrection against that power; to arouse them to thoughts and feelings, to words and deeds of undying hostility against all constitutions and bibles, all religions and governments, and all men and women, that enslave human beings, or that teach submission on the part of slaves to the power that enslaves them.
The prestige of the words "rebellion" and "insurrection," "rebel" and "insurgent," "treason" and "traitor," for purposes of oppression, as a means to palsy and cower the soul into subserviency to slaveholders, and to constitutions, laws, bibles and religions that sustain them, was fast disappearing before the anti-slavery movement. The gallows and blood of Brown have about dissolved the charm altogether. Rebellion, insurrection and treason against slaveholders, and every authority and influence that sustains them, are fast coming to be expressive of our highest allegiance to God and Humanity. They are coming to be consecrated and holy words, and significant only of justice, honor, fidelity, love, and of whatever is beautiful, grand and heroic in human nature.
The whole power of the Church is wielded to overawe the souls of the people, and bring them submissively and abjectly to yield to the authority of their creed, and without one resisting or rebellious thought or feeling to do its behests, however inhuman they may be, even to turning men and women into chattels, or hanging them on a gallows. The Bible, the only authority in religious faith and practice, and insurrection against it a sin unto eternal death—this is the sentiment and history of the American Church.
The power of the Union and General Government, and of the politics and military of the country, is brought to bear to subject the people to the authority of their Constitution, their political creed; and rebellion, insurrection, treason against that in thought, feeling, word or deed, is counted the sin of sins, and to be expiated only on the gallows; the Constitution the only authority in social, commercial, civil and political life; and resistance and treason against it a sin unto death! For resisting that authority, by attempting to give freedom to those who by it were pronounced slaves, John Brown is hung, and a national gallows awaits all who have enough justice, humanity and piety to imitate him.
