ment to all in the old world struggling for liberty, and will not offend the ruling powers. And while you are expounding them to the enslaved masses there, I hope, said the Magistrate, you will not forget to inform them that America is the home of the oppressed of all nations. Certainly, said the Alien, I shall not forget to mention so patent a truth. LVI. THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE ENTRANCED. When a Pro-Slavery President speaks the truth, he is in an abnormal condition. A PRESIDENT made a great levee, and invited al! the Embassadors of the foreign powers, the Heads of Departments, the Congressmen of his party, and many citizens, to be present. So they all came, and crowded a great drawing-room of his palace, and the Magistrate took his stand to receive them. But now as he was putting forth his hand to salute the first of his guests, a strange paroxysm seized him. His limbs were violently convulsed, his eyes rolled back in his head, great drops of sweat stood on his forehead, and a paleness as of death gathered over his features. Then the crowd were frightened, thinking that a fit had come upon him, and were about to remove him from the room, when standing rigid in his place, he began to speak in these words: There come crises in the history of all great nations, when they are tried by their evil genius. If they pass the trial wisely, they continue to pros per for indefinite periods; but if they fail, they go on rapidly to decline, and finally cease to exist. This nation is passing one of these periods of trial. It is a question with her of Freedom or Slavery. If Freedom become national, her glory will grow brighter and brighter for ages to come; but if Slavery become national, her career will be short, and mean, and miserable. The masses, white and black, will be reduced ere long to the level of a common servitude. Great lords will arise upon the backs of slaves to absolute despotism over the People themselves. They will quarrel with one another, marshal the People in bloody factions, and lead them by a swift descent to utter ruin. The individual who is now unconsciously addressing you, is an agent of the genius of Universal Slavery. A consummate hypocrite, he would cheat the People themselves of the power of self-government, and do it in the very name of Democracy. He is servile and selfish to the last degree. For the Presidency, he would sell his country and all its rights forever, to the Slave Power. He has no conscience in these matters whatever. He despises the People, while he flatters, and he flatters to betray them. He is only one of a long list of greedy cormorants, who are using the name of Democracy to deceive the People, in order to fatten on their good things. He who now speaks to you is no worse than others who are eager for his place. He is a pliant tool of the accursed Power that rules your nation,—a tool which they are using to rivet irrevocably upon you the chains of the most contemptible despotism. May this nation learn to despise |