4113 Liberty Bell by Pieman

This was a superbly constructed puzzle from Pieman. After filling the grid solvers had to remove bars that they had entered. This created some long words, such as DIMETHYLANILINE and SELF-RELIANT. Letters becoming checked by the initial removal of bars formed “I have a dream”, referring to the Lincoln Memorial speech by Martin Luther King on August 28, 1963. Bars were then added and removed in anagrammed entries to complete a circular arrangement of LET FREEDOM, representing the recurring phrase “Let freedom ring” at the climax of the speech. Answers anagrammed on entry were, Across: 24 sain (anis), 25 carlot (crotal), 51 alga (gala), 63 Bosnia (bonsai), 66 Fulke (fluke), 67 toes (tose); Down: 21 boon (Bono), 35 rach (char), 63 kob (bok).

Across

4 Pinch character’s left change (4)
TATE (mu)TATE

8 Girl forgets rule to play sport (3)
MAY MA(r)Y

11 Civil War general issues message directly (4)
FAIR FAIR(fax)

15 Change your term of rental for gas (8)
DIMETHYL DIME + THY + (renta)L

16 Elder comprehends nothing of coal-tar product (7)
ANILINE NIL in AINÉ

17 Members extend in this attack position behind base (6)
ECARTE E (base) + CARTE

18 Hanging around, need work: that’s not new (9)
OUDENARDE Anagram AROUND NEED less N (new)

19 What’s power to lose height? (3)
MIG MIGHT less HT

20 He enters closed road to be followed (3)
TAO A (he) IN to (closed)

21 Kop initially boos some work (4)
BERG B(oos) + ERG

23 Bank to protect duke from weapon (5)
AGGER DAGGER less D (duke)

24 Boy leaves old ruler to heal (4)
SAIN SALADIN less LAD

25 Rustic parking place? (6)
CARLOT 2 definitions (ref. CAR-LOT)

26 Pud not accepted, following recipe finally (5)
NEAFE NE + A + F + (recip)E

27 Briefs lacking a bite (4)
TANG TANGA less A

29 Shortly tip about a gallon? (3)
HIN HIN(t)

30 Means to review internal security ring (3)
ISO (isolated replay) IS (internal security) + O

31 There’s no right to limit matter (5)
TOPIC TROPIC less R (right)

32 Look back around park for artist (7, two words)
EL GRECO REC in OGLE reversed

33 Male in shadow is tigerish? (5)
TAMIL M in TAIL (ref. Tamil Tigers)

34 I’m unable to shake off one cold for nurse? (3)
ANT I CAN’T less I + C

37 Take this sponsorship and go make record (4)
EGIS R (take) + EGIS + TRY

41 Avoid section head (5)
SCAPE S + CAPE

45 Coarse basket for each departing (3)
HAM HAMPER less PER

46 Brown drops more drink (3)
CHA (MO)CHA

47 Pitch about, flying Spitfire? (8)
PINATUBO PIN + Anagram ABOUT

49 Perhaps stretch in top court (7)
HALIMOT LIMO in HAT

50 Absolute confinement curtailed Arab woman (4)
ABIR A + BIR(d) (prison)

51 Main growth’s a large one (4)
ALGA A + LG + A

52 Have Matrix on — mark a bruise? (9)
HAEMATOMA HAE + MAT + O + M (MARK) + A

54 Pass swimmers shedding weight (3)
NEK NEK(ton)

55 Strengthen republic without pressure (4)
NEAL NEPAL less P (pressure)

58 Most of family rebuffed ego (4)
SELF FLES(h) reversed

60 Trusting author’s in right (7)
RELIANT ELIAN in RT

62 With such transport is comfortable (3)
ELL Compound Anagram W (with) + ELL = WELL

63 Dudes and I advanced in Balkan region (6)
BOSNIA BOS + ‘N + I + A

64 Court scraps second dwelling (5)
PLACE PALACE less second letter

65 Several grabbing a Latin dancer (6)
SALOME A + L in SOME

66 Iron-clad ’ull makes Greville’s name (5)
FULKE ’ULK in Fe

67 Short of time, carries nails (4)
TOES TOTES less t (time)

68 Filth around cut exposed placebo (8)
SNAKE-OIL NAKE(d) in SOIL

69 Dope entering harbour’s sandstones (7)
MOLASSE ASS in MOLE

Down

1 Educated soul lifting congestion (5)
EDEMA ED + AME reversed

2 Local in charge of wine boxes (7)
VICINAL IC in VINAL

3 Picture formation the writer’s getting on (7)
IMAGING I’M AGING

4 Partly invest returns to turn solvent (5)
TERTS Hidden reversal

5 Trim bound case (7)
ATTACHÉ ATTACHE(d)

6 Almost greatly limits game speculation (7)
THEORIC EO in THRIC(e)

7 Brief flash captures one bird (7, two words)
BLUE TIT I in BLUETT(e)

8 Hot dish excited prince (6)
MADRAS MAD + RAS

9 Poison out of barrels for ... (3)
ANE (b)ANE less B (barrels) definition = one (in 10d)

10 ... one deposit not initiated by father (3)
YIN PAY IN less PA

11 It’s blown on service after floor time (9)
FLAGEOLET FL (floor) + AGE + O’ + LET (service)

12 A scarf round circuit breaker (6)
AIR-GAP I (circuit) in PAGRA reversed

13 Dim and bailed out with fine (11)
INDEFINABLE Anagram AND BAILED + F (fine)

14 Pitch again on vote, switching sides (7)
RE-ERECT RE (on) ELECT changing L to R

21 Intimate note taken from cracker (4)
BOON BONBON less NB (note)

22 Watch heist (4)
GLOM 2 definitions

23 Taking time off, worthwhile resisting (4)
ANTI TANTI less T (time)

27 Irritation as flushed from bad anaesthetics (10)
ITCHINESS Anagram ANAESTHETICS less both As!

28 King redrafted email for booby? (7)
GREMIAL GR + Anagram EMAIL

35 Almost rush to height in harrier? (4)
RACH RAC(e) + H

36 “Healthy” girl cut short leave (3)
VAL VAL(e) (ref. Valentine)

38 At school, English play Tetris? (4)
GAME GAM + E

39 Opera note divides artificial languages (8)
IDOMENEO ME + N in IDO + NEO

40 Bristly rope secures it (5)
SETAL T in SEAL

41 Big drop shortening flood (4)
SPAT SPAT(e)

42 Is welcoming neighbour aboard with vessel (8)
CIBORIUM BOR in 2 Is in CUM (with)

43 Game in same cartoon (5)
ANIME NIM in AE

44 Old man slowing with age diminished match (8)
PARALLEL PA + RALL + EL(d)

45 These animals yet could be an easy touch (8)
HUANACOS Compound Anagram HUANACOS + YET = AN EASY TOUCH

48 Very neglected, overtake quick mast-maker (7, two words)
OAK TREE Anagram OVERTAKE less V (very)

53 Picket line to area under valley (5)
RIATA RIA + T’ + A (area)

56 Beast leaving daughter in haste (4)
ELAN ELAN(d)

57 Just decision, about departing (3)
ALL (c)ALL

58 Notes of note (4)
SOME SO + ME

59 Rush pursuit of Moby Dick? (4)
FALL 2 definitions

61 Points point (4)
NESS all letters are points of the compass

63 Nigerian rhino clipped waterbuck (3)
KOB KOB(o)