a plea for captain john brown-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



command；　proving　what　a　perfect　machine　the　soldier　is；　has；　properly

enough；　been　celebrated　by　a　poet　laureate；　but　the　steady；　and

for　the　most　part　successful；　charge　of　this　man；　for　some　years；

against　the　legions　of　Slavery；　in　obedience　to　an　infinitely　higher

command；　is　as　much　more　memorable　than　that；　as　an　intelligent

and　conscientious　man　is　superior　to　a　machine。　　Do　you　think　that

that　will　go　unsung？



〃Served　him　right；〃〃A　dangerous　man；〃〃He　is　undoubtedly　insane。〃

So　they　proceed　to　live　their　sane；　and　wise；　and　altogether　admirable

lives；　reading　their　Plutarch　a　little；　but　chiefly　pausing　at　that

feat　of　Putnam；　who　was　let　down　into　a　wolf's　den；　and　in　this

wise　they　nourish　themselves　for　brave　and　patriotic　deeds　some

time　or　other。　　The　Tract　Society　could　afford　to　print　that　story

of　Putnam。　　You　might　open　the　district　schools　with　the　reading　of

it；　for　there　is　nothing　about　Slavery　or　the　Church　in　it；　unless

it　occurs　to　the　reader　that　some　pastors　are　wolves　in　sheep's

clothing。　　〃The　American　Board　of　Commissioners　for　Foreign　Missions〃

even；　might　dare　to　protest　against　that　wolf。　　I　have　heard　of

boards；　and　of　American　boards；　but　it　chances　that　I　never　heard

of　this　particular　lumber　till　lately。　　And　yet　I　hear　of　Northern

men；　and　women；　and　children；　by　families；　buying　a　〃life　membership〃

in　such　societies　as　these。　　A　life…membership　in　the　grave！　　You

can　get　buried　cheaper　than　that。



Our　foes　are　in　our　midst　and　all　about　us。　　There　is　hardly

a　house　but　is　divided　against　itself；　for　our　foe　is　the　all　but

universal　woodenness　of　both　head　and　heart；　the　want　of　vitality

in　man；　which　is　the　effect　of　our　vice；　and　hence　are　begotten

fear；　superstition；　bigotry；　persecution；　and　slavery　of　all　kinds。

We　are　mere　figureheads　upon　a　hulk；　with　livers　in　the　place　of

hearts。　　The　curse　is　the　worship　of　idols；　which　at　length　changes

the　worshipper　into　a　stone　image　himself；　and　the　New…Englander　is

just　as　much　an　idolater　as　the　Hindoo。　　This　man　was　an　exception；

for　he　did　not　set　up　even　a　political　graven　image　between　him

and　his　God。



A　church　that　can　never　have　done　with　excommunicating　Christ　while

it　exists！　　Away　with　your　broad　and　flat　churches；　and　your　narrow

and　tall　churches！　　Take　a　step　forward；　and　invent　a　new　style

of　out…houses。　　Invent　a　salt　that　will　save　you；　and　defend　our

nostrils。



The　modern　Christian　is　a　man　who　has　consented　to　say　all　the

prayers　in　the　liturgy；　provided　you　will　let　him　go　straight　to

bed　and　sleep　quietly　afterward。　　All　his　prayers　begin　with　〃Now

I　lay　me　down　to　sleep；〃　and　he　is　forever　looking　forward　to　the

time　when　he　shall　go　to　his　〃long　rest。〃　　He　has　consented　to

perform　certain　old…established　charities；　too；　after　a　fashion；

but　he　does　not　wish　to　hear　of　any　new…fangled　ones；　he　doesn't

wish　to　have　any　supplementary　articles　added　to　the　contract；　to

fit　it　to　the　present　time。　　He　shows　the　whites　of　his　eyes　on　the

Sabbath；　and　the　blacks　all　the　rest　of　the　week。　　The　evil　is　not

merely　a　stagnation　of　blood；　but　a　stagnation　of　spirit。　　Many；

no　doubt；　are　well　disposed；　but　sluggish　by　constitution　and　by

habit；　and　they　cannot　conceive　of　a　man　who　is　actuated　by　higher

motives　than　they　are。　　Accordingly　they　pronounce　this　man　insane；

for　they　know　that　they　could　never　act　as　he　does；　as　long　as　they

are　themselves。



We　dream　of　foreign　countries；　of　other　times　and　races　of　men；　placing

them　at　a　distance　in　history　or　space；　but　let　some　significant

event　like　the　present　occur　in　our　midst；　and　we　discover；　often；

this　distance　and　this　strangeness　between　us　and　our　nearest

neighbors。　　They　are　our　Austrias；　and　Chinas；　and　South　Sea　Islands。

Our　crowded　society　becomes　well　spaced　all　at　once；　clean　and

handsome　to　the　eye；a　city　of　magnificent　distances。　　We　discover

why　it　was　that　we　never　got　beyond　compliments　and　surfaces　with

them　before；　we　become　aware　of　as　many　versts　between　us　and　them

as　there　are　between　a　wandering　Tartar　and　a　Chinese　town。　　The

thoughtful　man　becomes　a　hermit　in　the　thoroughfares　of　the

market…place。　　Impassable　seas　suddenly　find　their　level　between　us；

or　dumb　steppes　stretch　themselves　out　there。　　It　is　the　difference

of　constitution；　of　intelligence；　and　faith；　and　not　streams　and

mountains；　that　make　the　true　and　impassable　boundaries　between

individuals　and　between　states。　　None　but　the　like…minded　can　come

plenipotentiary　to　our　court。



I　read　all　the　newspapers　I　could　get　within　a　week　after　this　event；

and　I　do　not　remember　in　them　a　single　expression　of　sympathy　for

these　men。　　I　have　since　seen　one　noble　statement；　in　a　Boston

paper；　not　editorial。　　Some　voluminous　sheets　decided　not　to　print

the　full　report　of　Brown's　words　to　the　exclusion　of　other　matter。

It　was　as　if　a　publisher　should　reject　the　manuscript　of　the　New

Testament；　and　print　Wilson's　last　speech。　　The　same　journal　which

contained　this　pregnant　news；　was　chiefly　filled；　in　parallel

columns；　with　the　reports　of　the　political　conventions　that　were

being　held。　　But　the　descent　to　them　was　too　steep。　　They　should

have　been　spared　this　contrast；been　printed　in　an　extra；　at　least。

To　turn　from　the　voices　and　deeds　of　earnest　men　to　the　cackling

of　political　conventions！　　Office…seekers　and　speech…makers；　who

do　not　so　much　as　lay　an　honest　egg；　but　wear　their　breasts　bare

upon　an　egg　of　chalk！　　Their　great　game　is　the　game　of　straws；

or　rather　that　universal　aboriginal　game　of　the　platter；　at　which

the　Indians　cried　hub；　bub！　　Exclude　the　reports　of　religious　and

political　conventions；　and　publish　the　words　of　a　living　man。



But　I　object　not　so　much　to　what　they　have　omitted；　as　to　what　they

have　inserted。　　Even　the　Liberator　called　it　〃a　misguided；　wild；

and　apparently　insaneeffort。〃　　As　for　the　herd　of　newspapers　and

magazines；　I　do　not　chance　to　know　an　editor　in　the　country　who

will　deliberately　print　anything　which　he　knows　will　ultimately

and　permanently　reduce　the　number　of　his　subscribers。　　They　do　not

believe　that　it　would　be　expedient。　　How　then　can　they　print　truth？

If　we　do　not　say　pleasant　things；　they　argue；　nobody　will　attend

to　us。　　And　so　they　do　like　some　travelling　auctioneers；　who　sing

an　obscene　song；　in　order　to　draw　a　crowd　around　them。　　Republican

editors；　obliged　to　get　their　sentences　ready　for　the　morning

edition；　and　accustomed　to　look　at　everything　by　the　twilight　of

politics；　express　no　admiration；　nor　true　sorrow　even；　but　call　these

men　〃deluded　fanatics；〃〃mistaken　men；〃〃insane；〃　or　〃crazed。〃

It　suggests　what　a　sane　set　of　editors　we　are　blessed　with；　not

〃mistaken　men〃；　who　know　very　well　on　which　side　their　bread　is

buttered；　at　least。



A　man　does　a　brave　and　humane　deed；　and　at　once；　on　all　sides；　we

hear　people　and　parties　declaring；　〃I　didn't　do　it；　nor　countenance

him　to　do　it；　in　any　conceivable　way。　　It　can't　be　fairly　inferred

from　my　past　career。〃　　I；　for　one；　am　not　interested　to　hear　you

define　your　position。　　I　don't　know　that　I　ever　was；　or　ever　shall

be。　　I　think　it　is　mere　egotism；　or　impertinent　at　this　time。　　Ye

needn't　take　so　much　pains　to　wash　your　skirts　of　him。　　No　intelligent

man　will　ever　be　convinced　that　he　was　any　creature　of　yours。　　He

went　and　came；　as　he　himself　informs　us；　〃under　the　auspices　of

John　Brown　and　nobody　else。〃　　The　Republican　party　does　not　perceive

how　many　his　failure　will　make　to　vote　more　correctly　than　they

would　have　them。　　They　have　counted　the　votes　of　Pennsylvania　&　Co。；

but　they　have　not　correctly　counted　Captain　Brown's　vote。　　He　has

taken　the　wind　out　of　their　sails；the　little　wind　they　had；and

they　may　as　well　lie　to　and　repair。



What　though　he　did　not　belong　to　your　clique！　　Though　you　may　not

approve　of　his　method　or　his　principles；　recognize　his　magnanimity。

Would　you　not　like　to　claim　kindredship　with　him