'Pears like my heart go flutter, flutter, and then they may say

Hear the fiery and prophetic voice of Harriet Tubman, who declared: “’Pears like my heart go flutter, flutter, and then they may say, ‘Peace, Peace,’ as much as they likes—I know it’s goin’ to be war!” These words are not the idle musings of a dreamer, but the heartbeat of a woman forged in struggle, sharpened by danger, and illuminated by vision. Tubman, the Moses of her people, spoke from the depth of her spirit, where instinct and divine warning met. Though men of power proclaimed peace, her trembling heart discerned the truth: that the storms of war were inevitable, for the chains of slavery could not be loosed without fire.

The origin of these words lies in the years before the American Civil War, when the nation stood on the edge of conflict. Many in the halls of government clung to false assurances, crying “Peace” while the institution of slavery, with its cruelty and injustice, consumed millions of lives. Tubman, who had risked her own freedom countless times to lead others to liberty, knew that such evil could not be ended without struggle. Her fluttering heart was both fear and foresight, a divine stirring that told her the truth the powerful wished to silence.

History confirms her prophecy. In 1861, the war came, as she had known it would. The blood of brothers was spilled on battlefields, and the Union itself was torn apart. Yet it was through this terrible conflict that slavery was at last destroyed. Tubman herself served the cause directly—scouting, spying, and even leading a raid that freed hundreds. Her words remind us that sometimes peace spoken from the lips of leaders is but an illusion, and that true peace cannot exist while injustice reigns. Peace without justice is no peace at all.

This truth has echoed through the ages. When Neville Chamberlain returned from meeting Hitler and proclaimed “peace for our time,” many wished to believe him. Yet Winston Churchill, like Tubman before him, knew in his heart that war was coming. And indeed it did, for tyranny cannot be appeased—it must be confronted. Tubman’s words, though born of the struggle against slavery, are a universal warning: when evil grows bold, the heart that flutters with foreboding is often the herald of truth.

But Tubman’s declaration is not only about war in the world; it is about war within the human spirit. How often do we whisper to ourselves “peace, peace” while ignoring the conflicts of our own conscience? How often do we quiet the stirrings of the heart, hoping that by silence we may avoid the struggle? Yet the soul knows better. When there is wrong within us or around us, the heart will not be fooled. It trembles, it flutters, it warns: you cannot escape the fight for truth. Sooner or later, the inner war must be faced.

The lesson, then, is clear. Do not be deceived by false cries of peace when your conscience tells you otherwise. Do not be lulled into complacency when injustice cries out. Listen to the fluttering heart, for it often knows before the mind admits the truth. When the time for struggle comes, face it with courage, as Tubman did, knowing that war against injustice is the path to lasting peace. To deny it is to delay it, but to embrace it is to bring nearer the day when true peace can dwell.

Therefore, O seekers of truth, take Harriet Tubman’s words as your guide. When your heart warns you of coming conflict, do not silence it. Stand ready, for the battle against injustice may be frightening, but it is necessary. And remember: those who fight for freedom, though their hearts tremble, are the true bringers of peace. For the peace that follows justice is enduring, while the peace that ignores injustice is but a fragile lie. Thus Tubman’s wisdom rings eternal: though men cry “peace,” it is the trembling heart that knows when the hour of war has come.

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