John G. Whittier - The Poet Of Freedom

PREFACE. Lucknow both loud and sweet the pipes of rescue blew, that Whittiers story of the wreck of the Palatine is true to the letter, and that the romantic story of Harriet Livermore is truth stranger than fiction. If, however, you observe with curious interest how very often the poet slips in minor matters of historical accuracy in his rhymed poems, you may ponder the words of Ruskin where he tells 11s that a lovely legend is all the more precious when it has no foundation. Cincinnatus or any other man might have plowed a field fifty times over and it would have signified little to us . but if no Cincinnatus existed at all, and yet the Roman people, to express their conviction that tilling the soil is a noble occupation, invented a Cincinnatus out of hand and enshrined him for all time in their literature, - this precious coinage out of the brain and conscience of a mighty people we had better take to heart most diligently. The full story of the part Whittier played in the anti-slavery movement is here set down for the first time in book form. Many interesting and unexpected things plowed up during my researches into such subjects as the mobbings in which Whittier was a sufferer, the burning of Pennsylvania hall in Philadelphia, the estrangement of years which Garrisons narrow intolerance produced between himself and Whittier, with the subsequent I-econciliation of the two, and the story of the rise and fall of the Liberty Party, the lineal predecessor of the party that saved the Union. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. ON THE FARM - . I - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - g . m m m .. .. CHAPTER 11. THE ANTI-SLAVERCYO NTES - T - -------.. g 58 --.---CHAPTER 111. WHITTIER A T HOME - - --. - - - - - -- - - - - - - g - I - - - - - 170 CHAPTER IV. FRIENDSHI A P N S D OPTNION - - S - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..---200 CHAPTER V. TELLING TH E BEES, AND OTHER B ALLAD - S - - - 220 CHAPTER VI. STORIES I N RHYM - E - - - ----.-------2 68 APPENDIX. I. REFERENC T E A BLE FO R - - - - - - - - - - - DATES--313 11...