Exploring untold historical figures is for those who care about the truth, and especially, those who do not want to repeat historical problems. Those who we were not taught about can show us a whole new perspective to the world which we would never know otherwise. They may have even been greatly influential, though they may have not had the mainstream stance that suits the present view of history. Figures such as Lysander Spooner, Adin Ballou, or Josiah Warren. Now, let us know an even lesser known man named William Batchelder Greene. An Abolitionist who would continue to be active after the Civil War, and become increasingly outspoken about freedom in all aspects of life. Nonetheless, he spoke of the root-cause problem to the world’s aggregate evil: the State.
First, notice Greene’s shocking remarks concerning the U.S. Civil War:
“Slave-propagandism and abolitionism both ended in ‘federalism’ — ‘nationalism;’ the first in a federalism which tended to the subordination of Northern rights and interests to the advantage of the dominant faction at the South, and the second in a federalism which tended to the subordination of Southern rights and interests to the advantage of the dominant faction at the North. The temporary triumph of the first was followed by a temporary triumph of the second; and the effort on both sides has been productive of nothing but disaster.”
“The power of the commander-in-chief extends to the liberation of slaves, but not to the abolition of slavery.”
Second, notice how he expands on his philosophy of freedom, where Greene states:
“The rule of God is not tyranny, for it does not partake of a political or governmental character — it is not a rule of authority... I must deny to civil government, as such, all moral authority whatever.”
“Liberty is the power which every human being ought to possess of acting according to the dictates of his own private conscience”
“Equality is the condition that obtains in every society where no special or artificial privilege is granted to any one, or to any set, of its members.”
“What is it to be a Slave? It is to have the inward knowledge of that which is great and holy, and to be constrained to do tilings that are small and base. It is to be a person consciously capable of self-government, and to be, at the same time, subject to the will of another person. It is to be, a full-grown person whose actual rights are those of a child only. It is to see the Blazing Star, and not be permitted to follow it.”
“The fundamental right of a man is the right to be himself; and this right is his sovereignty. No man has a right to confiscate the sovereignty of any other man. No man can delegate to another man, or to society, any right which he does not himself possess. A man may wickedly forfeit his sovereignty by the commission of crime; he may perversely turn his back upon the Blazing Star, and abdicate his individuality and his manhood. But no man can rightfully abdicate his sovereignty. It is the duty of every man of sane mind, who supports himself, and is not convicted of crime, to vindicate his essential dignity as rightful sovereign of himself and of everything that pertains to his individuality. Every able-bodied man has a natural right, and a natural duty, to forcibly repel, and to combine with others to forcibly repel, any and all wrongful invasions of his sovereignty.”
As we may observe, Greene was using his religious background to strengthen his position regarding freedom. This was a similar tactic to the infamous Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, who shared the same sentiments concerning the problems with the Government of Man as opposed to the Government of God. Notice what Abolitionist John Smith from The Non-Resistant newspaper had to say about the American founding fathers and the true freedom we deserve with actions only non-political:
“Our fathers were once under the direct government of God. He alone was their King. But the experiment failed.”
“I owe allegiance to no one but the Prince of Peace. I belong to no worldly kingdom, or government, no more than my master did, who said his kingdom was not of this world: and I see plainly that those who profess to be disciples of Jesus Christ, and voluntarily uphold or receive support from civil, military or ecclesiastical governments, are traitors.” “My motto respecting human governments is, 'Let the dead bury their dead.'” “If God has given to man the right of self-government, surely our non-resistance brethren have a right, and act safely and wisely in placing themselves under the government of God, acknowledging no allegiance to any rebellious, blood-stained human government.”
“The golden rule this. Do as you would be done by. Rulers who act under the ordinance of Heaven dare not act by any other rule; and those who do act by any other rule, are worse than the Scribes and Pharisees of old, with all their hypocrisy, gospel rejection and bloodshed, and are commissioned by the devil. If judges, sheriffs and constables were to be governed by this rule of our Saviour, there would be a wonderful accession to those who are reproached as no-government men.”
“The will of God can never be done on earth as in heaven, while a vestige of brute government continues to be exercised by man over man. There is but one law in heaven, and that is, the law of love.” “It is the spirit of retaliation, revenge, litigation, military honor, pride, ambition, that destroy the peace of society, and fill the nation with direful calamity. This is the spirit that is fed and fostered, and made fat by human governments. Whether a wicked world can be peaceable, or even tolerable, without human government, is not the question. At any rate, nation after nation, and century after century, have demonstrated the fact, that there cannot be peace with human governments.”
“Our only weapon will be TRUTH.” “We do not present ourselves as reformers, or inventors of any new or improved system of government; nor do we give preference to any particular form, or advocate any man's ‘party.’”
More quotes and history, deep dive philosophy: https://theliberator.us/book
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