Garrison, William Lloyd (1805-1879) Sonnet to Liberty.
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06643 Author/Creator: Garrison, William Lloyd (1805-1879) Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Poem Date: 9 October 1863 Pagination: 1 p. ; 24.3 x 18.3 cm. Order a Copy
"Know this, O man, whate'er thy earthly fate-/God never made a tyrant nor a slave:/Woe, then, to those who dare to desecrate/His sacred image! - for to all He gave/Eternal rights, which none may violate;/And by a mighty hand th'oppressed He yet shall save." Signed and dated Boston, October 9th, 1863.
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Sonnet to Liberty
They tell me, Liberty! that, in thy name,
I may not plead for all the human race;
That some are born to bondage and disgrace,
Some to a heritage of war and shame,
And some to power supreme and glorious fame.
With my whole soul I spurn the doctrine base,
And as an equal brotherhood embrace
All people, and for all fair freedom claim!
Know this, O man, what'er thy earthly fate
God never made a tyrant nor a slave:
War, then, to those who dare to desecrate
His sacred image! - for to all He gave
Eternal rights, which none may violate;
And by a mighty hand th' oppressed He yet shall save.
Wm. Lloyd Garrison
Boston, Oct. 9, 1863
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