The Liberator, published weekly by William Lloyd Garrison, was the best known, most influential, and longest running anti-slavery newspaper in the U.S. With the backing of black and white abolitionists who shared his militant views, Garrison published the first issue in January 1831. The paper ceased publication in December 1865, following ratification of the 13^th Amendment abolishing slavery.

During my recent tour for the purpose of exciting the minds of the people by a series of discourses on the subject of slavery, every place that I visited gave fresh evidence of the fact, that a greater revolution in public sentiment was to be effected: needed to happenwas to be effected in the free States—and particularly in New-England—than at the south. I found contempt: disgust, scorncontempt more bitter, opposition more active, detraction: attempt to make something less importantdetraction more relentless, prejudice more stubborn, and apathy: lack of caringapathy more frozen, than among slave owners themselves. Of course, there were individual exceptions to the contrary. This state of things afflicted, but did not dishearten: discouragedishearten me. I determined, at every hazard, to lift up the standard: flag, bannerstandard of emancipation in the eyes of the nation, within sight of Bunker Hill and in the birth place of liberty. That standard: flag, bannerstandard is now unfurled; and long may it float, unhurt by the spoliations of time or the missiles of a desperate foe—yea, till every chain be broken, and every bondman set free! Let southern oppressors tremble—let their secret abettors tremble—let their northern apologists tremble—let all the enemies of the persecuted blacks tremble….

Assenting to the "self-evident truth" maintained in the American Declaration of Independence, "that all men are created equal, and endowed: equippedendowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights—among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," I shall strenuously contend: arguecontend for the immediate enfranchisement: freeing, emancipationenfranchisement of our slave population. In Park-Street Church, on the Fourth of July, 1829, in an address on slavery, I unreflectingly: without thinkingunreflectingly assented to the popular but pernicious: destructive, evilpernicious doctrine: principledoctrine of gradual abolition. I seize this opportunity to make a full and unequivocal: clear, absoluteunequivocal recantation: withdrawal of statement or beliefrecantation, and thus publicly to ask pardon of my God, of my country, and of my brethren the poor slaves, for having uttered a sentiment so full of timidity, injustice and absurdity. A similar recantation: withdrawal of statement or beliefrecantation, from my pen, was published in the Genius of Universal Emancipation at Baltimore, in September, 1829. My conscience is now satisfied.

I am aware, that many object to the severity: harshnessseverity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice. On this subject, I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation: calm, middle coursemoderation. No! no! Tell a man whose house is on fire, to give a moderate alarm; tell him to moderately rescue his wife from the hand of the ravisher; tell the mother to gradually extricate: liberateextricate her babe from the fire into which it has fallen;—but urge me not to use moderation: calm, middle coursemoderation in a cause like the present. I am in earnest—I will not equivocate—I will not excuse—I will not retreat a single inch—AND I WILL BE HEARD. The apathy: lack of caringapathy of the people is enough to make every statue leap from its pedestal, and to hasten the resurrection of the dead….

William Lloyd Garrison

Reprinted in William Lloyd Garrison, 1805–1879: The Story of His Life, Told by His Children, Vol. 1., by Wendell Phillips Garrison (The Century Company, 1885).