| Show before lincoln just before lincoln issued his memorable proclamation of freedom the poet Waitt whittler ler who has just celebrated his eightieth birt birthday liday wrote the following lines iines which did much to stir the public pubic pulse in favor of tiie the liberty of the black man the crisis presses on us face to face with us it stands jt finds with soleine lips of question like the sphinx in sands I 1 this day we fashion destiny our web of pato fate we spin spill this day arall borall be hereafter beafter choose we ve holiness or sin even tyoa now from starry Geri zim or ebels cloudy crown we aall the dews of blessing or the bolts ot of cursing down by all lor for which the martyrs bore their agony agon y and a n d shame sh a me I 1 lity by all the w warning arning words of truth with which the prophets came came by tb toe e future which awaits us by all the hopes which cast their faint and trembling beams across the blac blackness knem of the past and by the blessed thought ot of ihm him who the earths freedom died 0 my moe people 10 t 0 my iny brothers t I 1 let et us choose t ane righteous side |
