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第5章

a plea for captain john brown-第5章

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subject。  He says:  〃They are themselves mistaken who take him to

be madman。。。。  He is cool; collected; and indomitable; and it is

but just to him to say; that he was humane to his prisoners。。。。

And he inspired me with great trust in his integrity as a man of

truth。  He is a fanatic; vain and garrulous;〃 (I leave that part

to Mr。 Wise;) 〃but firm; truthful; and intelligent。  His men; too;

who survive; are like him。。。。  Colonel Washington says that he

was the coolest and firmest man he ever saw in defying danger and

death。  With one son dead by his side; and another shot through; he

felt the pulse of his dying son with one hand; and held his rifle

with the other; and commanded his men with the utmost composure;

encouraging them to be firm; and to sell their lives as dear as

they could。  Of the three white prisoners; Brown; Stephens; and

Coppic; it was hard to say which was most firm。〃



Almost the first Northern men whom the slaveholder has learned to

respect!



The testimony of Mr。 Vallandigham; though less valuable; is of the

same purport; that 〃it is vain to underrate either the man or his

conspiracy。。。。  He is the farthest possible removed from the ordinary

ruffian; fanatic; or madman。〃



〃All is quiet at Harper's Ferry;〃 say the journals。  What is the

character of that calm which follows when the law and the slaveholder

prevail?  I regard this event as a touchstone designed to bring

out; with glaring distinctness; the character of this government。

We needed to be thus assisted to see it by the light of history。

It needed to see itself。  When a government puts forth its strength

on the side of injustice; as ours to maintain slavery and kill the

liberators of the slave; it reveals itself a merely brute force; or

worse; a demoniacal force。  It is the head of the Plug…Uglies。  It

is more manifest than ever that tyranny rules。  I see this government

to be effectually allied with France and Austria in oppressing

mankind。  There sits a tyrant holding fettered four millions of

slaves; here comes their heroic liberator。  This most hypocritical

and diabolical government looks up from its seat on the gasping

four millions; and inquires with an assumption of innocence:  〃What

do you assault me for?  Am I not an honest man?  Cease agitation

on this subject; or I will make a slave of you; too; or else hang

you。〃



We talk about a representative government; but what a monster of

a government is that where the noblest faculties of the mind; and

the whole heart; are not represented。  A semi…human tiger or ox;

stalking over the earth; with its heart taken out and the top of

its brain shot away。  Heroes have fought well on their stumps when

their legs were shot off; but I never heard of any good done by

such a government as that。



The only government that I recognize;and it matters not how few

are at the head of it; or how small its army;is that power that

establishes justice in the land; never that which establishes

injustice。  What shall we think of a government to which all the

truly brave and just men in the land are enemies; standing between

it and those whom it oppresses?  A government that pretends to be

Christian and crucifies a million Christs every day!



Treason!  Where does such treason take its rise?  I cannot help

thinking of you as you deserve; ye governments。  Can you dry up

the fountains of thought?  High treason; when it is resistance to

tyranny here below; has its origin in; and is first committed by;

the power that makes and forever recreates man。  When you have caught

and hung all these human rebels; you have accomplished nothing but

your own guilt; for you have not struck at the fountain…head。  You

presume to contend with a foe against whom West Point cadets and

rifled cannon point not。  Can all the art of the cannon…founder

tempt matter to turn against its maker?  Is the form in which the

founder thinks he casts it more essential than the constitution of

it and of himself?



The United States have a coffle of four millions of slaves。  They

are determined to keep them in this condition; and Massachusetts

is one of the confederated overseers to prevent their escape。  Such

are not all the inhabitants of Massachusetts; but such are they

who rule and are obeyed here。  It was Massachusetts; as well as

Virginia; that put down this insurrection at Harper's Ferry。  She

sent the marines there; and she will have to pay the penalty of

her sin。



Suppose that there is a society in this State that out of its own

purse and magnanimity saves all the fugitive slaves that run to

us; and protects our colored fellow…citizens; and leaves the other

work to the government; so…called。  Is not that government fast

losing its occupation; and becoming contemptible to mankind?  If

private men are obliged to perform the offices of government; to

protect the weak and dispense justice; then the government becomes

only a hired man; or clerk; to perform menial or indifferent

services。  Of course; that is but the shadow of a government who

existence necessitates a Vigilant Committee。  What should we think

of the Oriental Cadi even; behind whom worked in secret a vigilant

committee?  But such is the character of our Northern States generally;

each has its Vigilant Committee。  And; to a certain extent; these

crazy governments recognize and accept this relation。  They say;

virtually; 〃We'll be glad to work for you on these terms; only

don't make a noise about it。〃  And thus the government; its salary

being insured; withdraws into the back shop; taking the Constitution

with it; and bestows most of its labor on repairing that。  When I

hear it at work sometimes; as I go by; it reminds me; at best; of

those farmers who in winter contrive to turn a penny by following

the coopering business。  And what kind of spirit is their barrel

made to hold?  They speculate in stocks; and bore holes in mountains;

but they are not competent to lay out even a decent highway。  The

only free road; the Underground Railroad; is owned and managed

by the Vigilant Committee。  They have tunnelled under the whole

breadth of the land。  Such a government is losing its power and

respectability as surely as water runs out of a leaky vessel; and

is held by one that can contain it。



I hear many condemn these men because they were so few。  When were

the good and the brave ever in a majority?  Would you have had him

wait till that time came?till you and I came over to him?  The

very fact that he had no rabble or troop of hirelings about him

would alone distinguish him from ordinary heroes。  His company was

small indeed; because few could be found worthy to pass muster。

Each one who there laid down his life for the poor and oppressed

was a picked man; culled out of many thousands; if not millions;

apparently a man of principle; of rare courage; and devoted humanity;

ready to sacrifice his life at any moment for so much by laymen as

by ministers of the Gospel; not so much by the fighting sects as

by the Quakers; and not so much by Quaker men as by Quaker women?



This event advertises me that there is such a fact as death;the

possibility of a man's dying。  It seems as if no man had ever died

in America before; for in order to die you must first have lived。

I don't believe in the hearses; and palls; and funerals that they

have had。  There was no death in the case; because there had been

no life; they merely rotted or sloughed off; pretty much as they had

rotted or sloughed along。  No temple's veil was rent; only a hole

dug somewhere。  Let the dead bury their dead。  The best of them

fairly ran down like a clock。  Franklin;Washington;they were

let off without dying; they were merely missing one day。  I hear

a good many pretend that they are going to die; or that they have

died; for aught that I know。  Nonsense!  I'll defy them to do it。

They haven't got life enough in them。  They'll deliquesce like

fungi; and keep

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