Mightier Than the Sword: Abolition

  The subtitle of this chapter Abolition: Turning America’s Conscience Against the Sins of Slavery, in Mightier Than the Sword, by Roger Streitmatter, already stopped me and made me wonder about the meaning of that phrase. I have always thought of personal conscience, in which every person has an innate and instinctive idea of what is right and what is wrong. I’ve also thought about the discourse on morality and ethics between people but have never thought to see it as being one solidified conscience of a people, more specifically, the American people. In turn, that also makes me think about other peoples’ conscience—that is, the conscience of other nations and how their lifestyles, norms, and idealities affect that conscience.

     It is hard to imagine now coming across anyone who would view the concept of slavery as even being a debatable issue in terms of morality. Yet during the Antebellum America, the idea of slavery was either strongly debated for or against, or not at all. According to this chapter, after the martyrdom of Elijah P. Lovejoy did people realize that the obstruction of the freedom of the press was a direct threat to the freedoms they felt was natural to them, and who were “previously indifferent to the issue of slavery.” That indifference I felt was a real issue, and as tragic as Lovejoy’s death was, it was probably necessary to awaken the citizens into seeing their world for what it actually was. This is even relevant in today society, where so many people are “indifferent” and/or ignorant of the issues surrounding us today.

     Garrison, on the other hand, was someone whose actions spoke as loudly as his words. I deeply respect his style of journalism and the path that he paved for the future of it. If an important aspect of journalism is to speak to the times, then Garrison fulfilled that obligation; it was a time that needed big changes and big voices. Another imperative contribution was also his endorsement of African-American journalists who were able to speak for themselves and also for the all the slaves and Blacks who were not fortunate enough to be free and as educated as Frederick Douglass and Marie Stewart—they gave a voice to the voiceless. It was absolutely necessary for them to address some of the serious charges that the States have been so ignorant and led to believe, such as the mythical kindness of slaveholders and the assumed inferiority of the intelligence of the Black race.