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The liberties of the American people were dependent upon the ballot-box, the jury-box, and the cartridge-box; that without these no class of people could live and flourish in this country. – Frederick Douglass
Last week I alluded to the four boxes of liberty: the soap box, the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box. A modern version of the saying follows up the listing with the admonition, "Open them in that order." Someone thought I had thought them up. Much as I would like to take credit, the concept of the four boxes of liberty emerged in the 19th century. Frederick Douglass (as in the quote above) frequently used the metaphor, so I thought it appropriate to use it in a discussion of a Douglass quote.
The soap box is a reference to freedom of speech, the power one has to convince others through the liberty to freely offer ones thoughts and opinions. A soap box is a large crate-sized box used to transport bars of soap to stores. The modern equivalent is the cardboard carton, but in the 19th century the soap box was wood, and it was sturdy enough to stand on. Since it was discarded after use, it served as an impromptu rostrum for a street corner orator. This was a common sight in 19th century cities.
The ballot box represents the right to vote, to pick the individuals who lead the country. We take this for granted now. In the 19th century this was still a novel concept. Throughout most of the world one simply did not choose one's leaders. Leadership was hereditary, imposed from above. Republics or even countries with parliamentary systems were rare. Many of those immigrating the the United States came from places where the powers of kings and ruling nobles were absolute.
The jury box represented trial by jury, the right to have one's guilt determined by one's peers. Again, this was revolutionary in the 19th century. Often, a trial meant having a judge appointed by the monarch pass judgement. Or even to have the lord be the judge. Good luck to you if you got crosswise with that justiciar. With trial by jury your fate was decided by six, twelve, or even 24 of your peers, chosen at random from disinterested persons. Since a guilty verdict in a criminal case required a unanimous verdict, even one of the jurors could nullify a conviction. While it is fashionable to disparage trial by jury today, it beats the alternative.
Finally, the cartridge box symbolized the right to take arms against usurpations of our liberties. It is not a box to be turned to lightly, yet it is there as a last resort. The cartridge box founded this country. The United States emerged from a revolution, an armed rebellion against a monarch. The cartridge box created the Republic of Texas and allowed it to join the United States. The cartridge box settled the issue of slavery in the United States. It has been used to oppose tyranny throughout this country's history, as exampled by the Battle of Athens.
Freedom isn't free. It has to be bought with the blood of patriots and tyrants. All representative government ultimately rests on the cartridge box; the willingness of a nation's citizens to uphold the results of a free and fair election by force of arms if necessary. And to do so even if your party lost. It is better to depend on the soap box, ballot box, and jury box before opening the cartridge box. When it is opened, the cartridge box often proves a Pandora's box. Yet it has to be there. Liberty rests on the determination of individuals who would rather die on their feet than live on their knees.
Discussion (21)
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Was the soap box your own addition, or did Douglass reference it somewhere else?
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It also came from the 19th century and was generally used with the other three. I could not find a Douglass quote where he used all four and used his due to my referencing the four boxes last week.
And also the anecdote. A favorite:
But best of all is the plain straight talk...regarding such things as selecting a presidential candidate:
and
Sterner stuff. Firm purpose. Stalwart qualities. Being a Douglass man seems to put me at odds with everything the GOPe has stood for since the moment they chose to insult my intelligence with "compassionate" as a silly marketing modifier.
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The "Self-Made Men" speech which Douglass gave for close to 50 years is one of the great pieces of Am Lit and should be taught in every school. I often issued a copy of it to every player in my position group with their locker number on it and we would start each meeting or film session with one of them called on to read a paragraph from it, no discussion, just a reminder that at anytime they could be called on to quote from it, a reminder of what I hoped them to be like 10 years from now.
A good knowledge of Douglass would help a nation to a better understanding of both race relations and Liberty itself.
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Afterwards, Douglass joined the crowd moving toward the White House to attend the traditional post-inaugural reception. At the door, two policemen rudely blocked his way. Douglass asked a passer-by whom he recognized: “Be so kind as to say to Mr. Lincoln that Frederick Douglass is detained by officers at the door.” That gentleman hastened to convey the message, and in less than a minute Douglass was admitted. When Lincoln saw him, he exclaimed, “Here comes my friend Douglass.” After the two men shook hands, the president said, “Douglass, I saw you in the crowd today listening to my inaugural address. There is no man’s opinion that I value more than yours; what do you think of it?” Douglass replied, "Mr. Lincoln, it was a sacred effort."
Burlingame, Michael. Abraham Lincoln: A Life (p. 595). Johns Hopkins University Press. Kindle Edition.
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