the anti-slavery crusade-第16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！


acts　and　made　no　change。　When　Southern　leaders　projected　a　scheme　to　enlarge　the　boundaries　of　Texas　so　as　to　extend　slavery　over　a　large　part　of　New　Mexico；　President　Taylor　set　a　guard　of　United　States　troops　to　maintain　the　integrity　of　the　Territory。　When　a　deputation　of　Southern　Whigs　endeavored　to　dissuade　him　from　his　purpose；　threatening　a　dissolution　of　the　Union　and　intimating　that　army　officers　would　refuse　to　act　against　citizens　of　Texas；　the　soldier　President　replied　that　in　such　an　event　he　would　take　command　in　person　and　would　hang　any　one　caught　in　acts　of　treason。　When　Henry　Clay　introduced　an　elaborate　project　for　a　compromise　between　the　North　and　the　South；　the　President　insisted　that　each　question　should　be　settled　on　its　own　merits　and　directed　the　forces　of　the　Administration　against　any　sort　of　compromise。　The　debate　over　Clay's　Omnibus　Bill　was　long　and　acrimonious。　On　July　4；　1850；　the　President　seemed　triumphant。　But　upon　that　day；　notwithstanding　his　apparent　robust　health；　he　was　stricken　down　with　an　acute　disease　and　died　five　days　later。　With　his　passing；　the　opposing　Whig　faction　came　into　power。　The　so…called　compromise　measures　were　at　length　one　by　one　passed　by　Congress　and　approved　by　President　Fillmore。　California　was　admitted　as　a　free　State；　but　as　a　palliative　to　the　South；　Congress　passed　bills　for　the　organization　of　territorial　Governments　for　New　Mexico　and　Utah　without　positive　declarations　regarding　the　powers　of　the　territorial　Legislatures　over　slavery。　All　questions　relating　to　title　to　slaves　were　to　be　left　to　the　courts。　Meantime　it　was　left　in　doubt　whether　Mexican　law　excluding　slavery　was　still　in　force。　Southern　malcontents　maintained　that　this　act　was　a　mere　hoax；　using　words　which　suggested　concession　when　no　concession　was　intended。　Northern　anti…slavery　men　criticized　the　act　as　the　entering　wedge　for　another　great　surrender　to　the　enemy。　Because　of　the　uncertainty　regarding　the　meaning　of　the　law　and　the　false　hopes　likely　to　be　created；　they　maintained　that　it　was　fitted　to　foment　discord　and　prolong　the　period　of　distrust　between　the　two　sections。　At　all　events　such　was　its　actual　effect。　A　third　act　in　this　unhappy　series　gave　to　Texas　ten　millions　of　dollars　for　the　alleged　surrender　of　claims　to　a　part　of　New　Mexico。　This　had　little　bearing　on　the　general　subject　of　compromise；　yet　anti…slavery　men　criticized　it　on　the　ground　that　the　issue　raised　was　insincere；　that　the　appropriation　was　in　fact　a　bribe　to　secure　votes　necessary　to　pass　the　other　measures；　that　the　bill　was　passed　through　Congress　by　shameless　bribery；　and　that　even　the　boundaries　conceded　to　Texas　involved　the　surrender　of　free　territory。　The　abolition　of　the　slave…trade　in　the　District　of　Columbia　was　supported　by　both　sections　of　the　country。　The　removal　of　the　slave　pens　within　sight　of　the　Capitol　to　a　neighboring　city　deprived　the　abolitionists　of　one　of　their　weapons　for　effective　agitation；　but　it　did　not　otherwise　affect　the　position　of　slavery。　Of　the　five　acts　included　in　the　compromise　measures；　the　one　which　provided　for　the　return　of　fugitive　slaves　was　most　effective　in　the　promotion　of　hostility　between　the　two　sections。　During　the　six　months　of　debate　on　the　Omnibus　Bill；　numerous　bills　were　presented　to　take　the　place　of　the　law　of　1793。　Webster　brought　forward　a　bill　which　provided　for　the　use　of　a　jury　to　establish　the　validity　of　a　claim　to　an　escaped　slave。　But　that　which　was　finally　adopted　by　a　worn…out　Congress　is　characterized　as　one　of　the　most　barbarous　pieces　of　legislation　ever　enacted　by　a　civilized　country。　A　single　incident　may　indicate　the　nature　of　the　act。　James　Hamlet；　for　three　years　a　resident　of　New　York　City；　a　husband　and　a　father　and　a　member　of　the　Methodist　Church；　was　seized　eight　days　after　the　law　went　into　effect　by　order　of　the　agent　of　Mary　Brown　of　Baltimore；　cut　off　from　all　communication　with　his　friends；　hurried　before　a　commissioner；　and　on　ex　parte　testimony　was　delivered　into　the　hands　of　the　agent；　by　whom　he　was　handcuffed　and　secretly　conveyed　to　Baltimore。　Mr。　Rhodes　accounts　for　the　enactment　in　the　following　words：　〃If　we　look　below　the　surface　we　shall　find　a　strong　impelling　motive　of　the　Southern　clamor　for　this　harsh　enactment　other　than　the　natural　desire　to　recover　lost　property。　Early　in　the　session　it　took　air　that　a　part　of　the　game　of　the　disunionists　was　to　press　a　stringent　fugitive　slave　law；　for　which　no　Northern　man　could　vote；　and　when　it　was　defeated；　the　North　would　be　charged　with　refusal　to　carry　out　a　stipulation　of　the　Constitution　。　。　。　。　The　admission　of　California　was　a　bitter　pill　for　the　Southern　ultras；　but　they　were　forced　to　take　it。　The　Fugitive　Slave　Law　was　a　taunt　and　a　reproach　to　that　part　of　the　North　where　the　anti…slavery　sentiment　ruled　supremely；　and　was　deemed　a　partial　compensation。〃　Clay　expressed　surprise　that　States　from　which　few　slaves　escaped　demanded　a　more　stringent　law　than　Kentucky；　from　which　many　escaped。　Whatever　may　have　been　the　motives　leading　to　the　enactment；　its　immediate　effect　was　the　elimination　of　one　of　the　great　national　parties；　thus　paving　the　way　for　the　formation　of　parties　along　sectional　lines。　Two　years　after　the　passage　of　the　compromise　acts　the　Democratic　national　convention　assembled　to　nominate　a　candidate　for　the　Presidency。　The　platform　adopted　by　the　party　promised　a　faithful　execution　of　the　acts　known　as　the　compromise　measures　and　added　〃the　act　for　reclaiming　fugitives　from　service　or　labor　included；　which　act；　being　designed　to　carry　out　an　express　provision　of　the　Constitution；　cannot；　with　fidelity　thereto；　be　repealed　nor　so　changed　as　to　destroy　or　impair　its　efficiency。〃　When　this　was　read；　the　convention　broke　out　in　uproarious　applause。　Then　there　was　a　demand　that　it　should　be　read　again。　Again　there　was　loud　applause。　Why　was　there　this　demand　that　a　law　which　every　one　knew　had　proved　a　complete　failure　should　be　made　a　permanent　part　of　the　Constitution？　And　why　the　ungovernable　hilarity　over　the　demand　that　its　〃efficiency〃　should　never　be　impaired？　Surely　the　motive　was　something　other　than　a　desire　to　recover　lost　property。　Upon　the　Whig　party　had　been　fastened　the　odium　for　the　enactment　of　the　law；　and　the　act　unrepealed　meant　the　death　of　the　party。　The　Democrats　saw　good　reason　for　laughter。

CHAPTER　VIII。　THE　UNDERGROUND　RAILROAD　Wherever　there　are　slaves　there　are　fugitives　if　there　is　an　available　place　of　refuge。　The　wilds　of　Florida　were　such　a　refuge　during　the　early　part　of　last　century。　When　the　Northern　States　became　free；　fugitive　slaves　began　to　escape　thither；　and　Canada；　when　it　could　be　reached；　was；　of　course；　the　goal　of　perfect　security　and　liberty　for　all。　A　professed　object　of　the　early　anti…slavery　societies　was　to　prevent　the　enslavement　of　free　negroes　and　in　other　ways　to　protect　their　rights。　During　the　process　of　emancipation　in　Northern　States　large　numbers　of　colored　persons　were　spirited　off　to　the　South　and　sold　into　slavery。　At　various　places　along　the　border　there　were　those　who　made　it　their　duty　to　guard　the　rights　of　negroes　and　to　prevent　kidnapping。　These　guardians　of　the　border　furnished　a　nucleus　for　the　development　of　what　was　later　known　as　the　Underground　Railroad。　In　1796　President　Washington　wrote　a　letter　to　a　friend　in　New　Hampshire　with　reference　to　obtaining　the　return　of　a　negro　servant。　He　was　careful　to　state　that　the　servant　should　remain　unmolested　rather　than　〃excite　a　mob　or　riot　or　even　uneasy　sensations　in　the　minds　of　well　disposed　citizens。〃　The　result　was　that　the　servant　remained　free。　President　Washington　here　assumed　that　〃well　disposed　citizens〃　would　oppose　her　return　to　slavery。　Three　years　earlier　the　President　had　himself　signed　a　bill　to　facilitate　by　legal　process　the　return　of　fugitives　escaping　into　other　States。　He　was　certainly　aware　that　such　an　act　was　on　the　statute　books　when　he　wrote　his　request　to　his　friend　in　New　Hampshire；　yet　he　expected　that；　if　an　attempt　were　made　to　remove　the　refugee　by　force；　riot　and　resistance　by　a　mob　would　be　the　result。　Not　until　after　the　foreign　slave…trade　had　been　prohibited　and　the　domestic　trade　had　been　developed；