north america-1-第95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！


wever；　was　that　of　promising　that　no　troops　should　be　sent　from　their　State；　unless　with　the　object　of　guarding　the　neighboring　City　of　Washingtona　promise　which　he　had　no　means　of　fulfilling；　seeing　that　the　President　of　the　United　States　is　the　commander…in…chief　of　the　army　of　the　nation；　and　can　summon　the　militia　of　the　several　States。　　This　proclamation　by　the　Governor　to　the　State　was　immediately　backed　up　by　one　from　the　Mayor　of　Baltimore　to　the　city；　in　which　he　congratulates　the　citizens　on　the　Governor's　promise　that　none　of　their　troops　are　to　be　sent　to　another　State；　and　then　he　tells　them　that　they　shall　be　preserved　from　the　horrors　of　civil　war。　But　on　the　very　next　day　the　horrors　of　civil　war　began　in　Baltimore。　　By　this　time　President　Lincoln　was　collecting　troops　at　Washington　for　the　protection　of　the　capital；　and　that　army　of　the　Potomac；　which　has　ever　since　occupied　the　Virginian　side　of　the　river；　was　in　course　of　construction。　　To　join　this；　certain　troops　from　Massachusetts　were　sent　down　by　the　usual　route；　via　New　York；　Philadelphia；　and　Baltimore；　but　on　their　reaching　Baltimore　by　railway；　the　mob　of　that　town　refused　to　allow　them　to　pass　through；and　a　fight　began。　　Nine　citizens　were　killed　and　two　soldiers；　and　as　many　more　were　wounded。　　This；　I　think；　was　the　first　blood　spilt　in　the　civil　war；　and　the　attack　was　first　made　by　the　mob　of　the　first　slave　city　reached　by　the　Northern　soldiers。　　This　goes　far　to　show；　not　that　the　border　States　desired　secession；　but　that；　when　compelled　to　choose　between　secession　and　Union；　when　not　allowed　by　circumstances　to　remain　neutral；　their　sympathies　were　with　their　sister　slave　States　rather　than　with　the　North。　Then　there　was　a　great　running　about　of　official　men　between　Baltimore　and　Washington；　and　the　President　was　besieged　with　entreaties　that　no　troops　should　be　sent　through　Baltimore。　　Now　this　was　hard　enough　upon　President　Lincoln；　seeing　that　he　was　bound　to　defend　his　capital；　that　he　could　get　no　troops　from　the　South；　and　that　Baltimore　is　on　the　high…road　from　Washington　both　to　the　West　and　to　the　North；　but；　nevertheless；　he　gave　way。　　Had　he　not　done　so；　all　Baltimore　would　have　been　in　a　blaze　of　rebellion；　and　the　scene　of　the　coming　contest　must　have　been　removed　from　Virginia　to　Maryland；　and　Congress　and　the　government　must　have　traveled　from　Washington　north　to　Philadelphia。　　〃They　shall　not　come　through　Baltimore；〃　said　Mr。　Lincoln。　　〃But　they　shall　come　through　the　State　of　Maryland。　　They　shall　be　passed　over　Chesapeake　Bay　by　water　to　Annapolis；　and　shall　come　up　by　rail　from　thence。〃　　This　arrangement　was　as　distasteful　to　the　State　of　Maryland　as　the　other；　but　Annapolis　is　a　small　town　without　a　mob；　and　the　Marylanders　had　no　means　of　preventing　the　passage　of　the　troops。　　Attempts　were　made　to　refuse　the　use　of　the　Annapolis　branch　railway；　but　General　Butler　had　the　arranging　of　that。　　General　Butler　was　a　lawyer　from　Boston；　and　by　no　means　inclined　to　indulge　the　scruples　of　the　Marylanders　who　had　so　roughly　treated　his　fellow…citizens　from　Massachusetts。　　The　troops　did　therefore　pass　by　Annapolis；　much　to　the　disgust　of　the　State。　On　the　27th　of　April；　Governor　Hicks；　having　now　had　a　sufficiency　of　individual　responsibility；　summoned　the　legislature　of　which　he　had　expressed　so　bad　an　opinion；　but　on　this　occasion　he　omitted　to　repeat　that　opinion；　and　submitted　his　views　in　very　proper　terms　to　the　wisdom　of　the　senators　and　representatives。　　He　entertains；　as　he　says；　an　honest　conviction　that　the　safety　of　Maryland　lies　in　preserving　a　neutral　position　between　the　North　and　the　South。　Certainly；　Governor　Hicks；　if　it　were　only　possible！　　The　legislature　again　went　to　work　to　prevent；　if　it　might　be　prevented；　the　passage　of　troops　through　their　State；　but　luckily　for　them；　they　failed。　　The　President　was　bound　to　defend　Washington；　and　the　Marylanders　were　denied　their　wish　of　having　their　own　fields　made　the　fighting　ground　of　the　civil　war。　That　which　appears　to　me　to　be　the　most　remarkable　feature　in　all　this　is　the　antagonism　between　United　States　law　and　individual　State　feeling。　　Through　the　whole　proceeding　the　Governor　and　the　State　of　Maryland　seemed　to　have　considered　it　quite　reasonable　to　oppose　the　constitutional　power　of　the　President　and　his　government。　　It　is　argued　in　all　the　speeches　and　written　documents　that　were　produced　in　Maryland　at　the　time；　that　Maryland　was　true　to　the　Union；　and　yet　she　put　herself　in　opposition　to　the　constitutional　military　power　of　the　President。　　Certain　Commissioners　went　from　the　State　legislature　to　Washington　in　May；　and　from　their　report　it　appears　that　the　President　had　expressed　himself　of　opinion　that　Maryland　might　do　this　or　that　〃as　long　as　she　had　not　taken　and　was　not　about　to　take　a　hostile　attitude　to　the　Federal　government！〃　　From　which　we　are　to　gather　that　a　denial　of　that　military　power　given　to　the　President　by　the　Constitution　was　not　considered　as　an　attitude　hostile　to　the　Federal　government。　　At　any　rate；　it　was　direct　disobedience　to　Federal　law。　　I　cannot　but　revert　from　this　to　the　condition　of　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law。　　Federal　law；　and　indeed　the　original　constitution；　plainly　declare　that　fugitive　slaves　shall　be　given　up　by　the　free…soil　States。　　Massachusetts　proclaims　herself　to　be　specially　a　Federal　law…loving　State。　　But　every　man　in　Massachusetts　knows　that　no　judge；　no　sheriff；　no　magistrate；　no　policeman　in　that　State　would　at　this　time；　or　then；　when　that　civil　war　was　beginning；　have　lent　a　hand　in　any　way　to　the　rendition　of　a　fugitive　slave。　　The　Federal　law　requires　the　State　to　give　up　the　fugitive；　but　the　State　law　does　not　require　judge；　sheriff；　magistrate；　or　policeman　to　engage　in　such　work；　and　no　judge；　sheriff　or　magistrate　will　do　so；　consequently　that　Federal　law　is　dead　in　Massachusetts；　as　it　is　also　in　every　free…soil　State；dead；　except　in　as　much　as　there　was　life　in　it　to　create　ill　blood　as　long　as　the　North　and　South　remained　together；　and　would　be　life　in　it　for　the　same　effect　if　they　should　again　be　brought　under　the　same　flag。　On　the　10th　of　May；　the　Maryland　legislature；　having　received　the　report　of　their　Commissioners　above　mentioned；　passed　the　following　resolution：　〃Whereas；　the　war　against　the　Confederate　States　is　unconstitutional　and　repugnant　to　civilization；　and　will　result　in　a　bloody　and　shameful　overthrow　of　our　constitution；　and　while　recognizing　the　obligations　of　Maryland　to　the　Union；　we　sympathize　with　the　South　in　the　struggle　for　their　rights；　for　the　sake　of　humanity　we　are　for　peace　and　reconciliation；　and　solemnly　protest　against　this　war；　and　will　take　no　part　in　it。　〃RESOLVED；　That　Maryland　implores　the　President；　in　the　name　of　God；　to　cease　this　unholy　war；　at　least　until　Congress　assembles〃　a　period　of　above　six　months。　　〃That　Maryland　desires　and　consents　to　the　recognition　of　the　independence　of　the　Confederate　States。　The　military　occupation　of　Maryland　is　unconstitutional；　and　she　protests　against　it；　though　the　violent　interference　with　the　transit　of　the　Federal　troops　is　discountenanced。　　That　the　vindication　of　her　rights　be　left　to　time　and　reason；　and　that　a　convention　under　existing　circumstances　is　inexpedient。〃　　From　which　it　is　plain　that　Maryland　would　have　seceded　as　effectually　as　Georgia　seceded；　had　she　not　been　prevented　by　the　interposition　of　Washington　between　her　and　the　Confederate　Statesthe　happy　intervention；　seeing　that　she　has　thus　been　saved　from　becoming　the　battle…ground　of　the　contest。　　But　the　legislature　had　to　pay　for　its　rashness。　　On　the　13th　of　September　thirteen　of　its　members　were　arrested；　as　were　also　two　editors　of　newspapers　presumed　to　be　secessionists。　　A　member　of　Congress　was　also　arrested　at　the　same　time；　and　a　candidate　for　Governor　Hicks's　place；　who　belonged　to　the　secessionist　party。　　Previously；　in　the　last　days　of　June　and　beginning　of　July；　the　chief　of　the　police　at　Baltimore　and　the　members　of　the　Board　of　Police　had　been　arrested　by　General　Banks；　who　then　held　Baltimore　in　his　power。　I　should　be　sorry　to　be　construed　as　saying　that　republican　institutions；　or　what　may　more　properly　be　called　democratic　institution