Page:The History of Liberty.djvu/11

 same right to reject all that is evil—and pursue, defend and hold what is good.

This then constitutes the centre of man’s interests—duties rights and responsibilities—as a rational, intellectual and moral agent in the universe of God. But as the successful and faithful performance of all that pertains to the second division of this liberty—the right to hold fast what is good, depends upon the accurate exercise of the first division—, the proving—the trying and the knowing all things as far as they can be known—and tried, hence the supreme importance of intelligence, which is indeed the first essential requisite in Liberty—that which gives it being, vitality, glory and power. “Let there be light” said God, when he came down to add another physical, intellectual and moral province to his empire; thus making from beginning, light, the great vital and conservative principle of his physical, intellectual and moral creations. And thus only can Liberty be preserved: thus only can truth in all her modifications be preserved.—“Let there be light,” must the friends of humanity, truth and Liberty every where exclaim: and the cry must go up from the earth as the sound of many waters, and its gathering and prolonged peals and echoes must roll themselves along and around the globe, until grim demons of ignorance and despotism, mother and child tremble in their darkest and strangest hiding places. ‘Let there be light,’ and increasing light; light for the masses; must be the watchword of legislative assemblies; while those masses alive to all their rights, honors interests and happiness, must receive that light in knowledge, which is their first safeguard from the craft, the cunning and the fraud of those who lie in wait to deceive: for the enemies of Liberty and humanity, imitating the arch deceiver, transform themselves into angels of light and Liberty. An intelligent people well not be slaves; and an ignorant people be free.

Liberty can no more consist with ignorance, than truth can harmonize with error; or good with evil. And they who would expel despotism from the world, must first extinguish ignorance; this is the first and most essential step: for despotism of every kind is the penalty, and the hard penalty of ignorance. God has so ordained it. And in the complex character of his moral administration over this world, he has ordained that knavery and oppression shall be the scourge of ignorance and folly. Knaves grow fat on fools; and oppression thrives best where the soil of ignorance is the deepest: and to exterminate the former, you must first remove the latter, by the light of intelligence. And when