the anti-slavery crusade-第20章

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ts　that　his　daughter　shall　not　be　robbed　of　the　free　utterance　of　her　high　regard；　observing　that　〃the　child　is　the　only　true　democrat。〃　There　is　only　one　Simon　Legree　in　the　book；　and　he　is　of　New　England　extraction。　The　story　is　as　distinctly　intended　to　inform　Northern　ignorance　and　to　remove　Northern　prejudice　as　it　is　to　justify　the　conduct　of　abolitionists。　What　was　the　effect　of　the　publication？　In　European　countries　far　removed　from　local　partizan　prejudice；　it　was　immediately　received　as　a　great　revelation　of　the　spirit　of　liberty。　It　was　translated　into　twenty…three　different　languages。　So　devoted　were　the　Italians　to　the　reading　of　the　story　that　there　was　earnest　effort　to　suppress　its　circulation。　As　a　drama　it　proved　a　great　success；　not　only　in　America　and　England　but　in　France　and　other　countries　as　well。　More　than　a　million　copies　of　the　story　were　sold　in　the　British　Empire。　Lord　Palmerston　avers　that　he　had　not　read　a　novel　for　thirty　years；　yet　he　read　Uncle　Tom's　Cabin　three　times　and　commended　the　book　for　the　statesmanship　displayed　in　it。　What　is　in　the　story　to　call　forth　such　commendation　from　the　cold…blooded　English　statesman？　The　book　revealed；　in　a　way　fitted　to　carry　conviction　to　every　unprejudiced　reader；　the　impossibility　of　uniting　slavery　with　freedom　under　the　same　Government。　Either　all　must　be　free　or　the　mass　subject　to　the　fewor　there　is　actual　war。　This　principle　is　finely　brought　out　in　the　predicament　of　the　Quaker　confronted　by　a　fugitive　with　wife　and　child　who　had　seen　a　sister　sold　and　conveyed　to　a　life　of　shame　on　a　Southern　plantation。　〃Am　I　going　to　stand　by　and　see　them　take　my　wife　and　sell　her？〃　exclaimed　the　negro。　〃No；　God　help　me！　I'll　fight　to　the　last　breath　before　they　shall　take　my　wife　and　son。　Can　you　blame　me？〃　To　which　the　Quaker　replied：　〃Mortal　man　cannot　blame　thee；　George。　Flesh　and　blood　could　not　do　otherwise。　'Woe　unto　the　world　because　of　offences　but　woe　unto　them　through　whom　the　offence　cometh。'〃　〃Would　not　even　you；　sir；　do　the　same；　in　my　place？〃　〃I　pray　that　I　be　not　tried。〃　And　in　the　ensuing　events　the　Quaker　played　an　important　part。　Laws　enacted　for　the　protection　of　slave　property　are　shown　to　be　destructive　of　the　fundamental　rights　of　freemen；　they　are　inhuman。　The　Ohio　Senator；　who　in　his　lofty　preserve　at　the　capital　of　his　country　could　discourse　eloquently　of　his　readiness　to　keep　faith　with　the　South　in　the　matter　of　the　faithful　execution　of　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law；　becomes；　when　at　home　with　his　family；　a　flagrant　violator　of　the　law。　Elemental　human　nature　is　pitted　against　the　apparent　interests　of　a　few　individual　slaveowners。　The　story　of　Uncle　Tom　placed　all　supporters　of　the　new　law　on　the　defensive。　It　was　read　by　all　classes　North　and　South。　〃Uncle　Tom's　Cabin　as　it　is〃　was　called　forth　from　the　South　as　a　reply　to　Mrs。　Stowe's　book；　and　there　ensued　a　general　discussion　of　the　subject　which　was　on　the　whole　enlightening。　Yet　the　immediate　political　effect　of　the　publication　was　less　than　might　have　been　expected　from　a　book　so　widely　read　and　discussed。　Its　appearance　early　in　the　decade　did　not　prevent　the　apparent　pro…slavery　reaction　already　described。　But　Mr。　Rhodes　calls　attention　to　the　different　impression　which　the　book　made　upon　adults　and　boys。　Hardened　sinners　in　partizan　politics　could　read　the　book；　laugh　and　weep　over　the　passing　incidents；　and　then　go　on　as　if　nothing　had　happened。　Not　so　with　the　thirteen…year…old　boy。　He　never　could　be　the　same　again。　The　Republican　party　of　1860　was　especially　successful　in　gaining　the　first　vote　of　the　youthful　citizen　and　undoubtedly　owed　much　of　its　influence　to　〃Uncle　Tom's　Cabin。〃　Two　lines　of　attack　were　rapidly　rendering　impossible　the　continuance　of　slavery　in　the　United　States。　Mrs。　Stowe　gave　effective　expression　to　the　moral；　religious；　and　humanitarian　sentiment　against　slavery。　In　the　year　in　which　her　work　was　published；　Frederick　Law　Olmsted　began　his　extended　journeys　throughout　the　South。　He　represents　the　impartial　scientific　observer。　His　books　were　published　during　the　years　1856；　1857；　and　1861。　They　constitute　in　their　own　way　an　indictment　against　slavery　quite　as　forcible　as　that　of　〃Uncle　Tom's　Cabin；〃　but　an　indictment　that　rests　chiefly　upon　the　blighting　influence　of　the　institution　of　slavery　upon　agriculture；　manufactures；　and　the　general　industrial　and　social　order。　The　crisis　came　too　soon　for　these　publications　to　have　any　marked　effect　upon　the　issue。　Their　appeal　was　to　the　deliberate　and　thoughtful　reader；　and　political　control　had　already　drifted　into　the　hands　of　those　who　were　not　deliberate　and　composed。　In　1857；　however；　there　appeared　a　book　which　did　exert　a　marked　influence　upon　immediate　political　issues。　There　is　no　evidence　that　Hinton　Rowan　Helper；　the　author　of　〃The　Impending　Crisis；〃　had　any　knowledge　of　the　writings　of　Olmsted；　but　he　was　familiar　with　Northern　anti…slavery　literature。　〃I　have　considered　my　subject　more　particularly；〃　he　states　in　his　preface；　〃with　reference　to　its　economic　aspects　as　regards　the　whitesnot　with　reference；　except　in　a　very　slight　degree；　to　its　humanitarian　or　religious　aspects。　To　the　latter　side　of　the　question；　Northern　writers　have　already　done　full　and　timely　justice　。　。　。　。　Yankee　wives　have　written　the　most　popular　anti…slavery　literature　of　the　day。　Against　this　I　have　nothing　to　say；　it　is　all　well　enough　for　women　to　give　the　fictions　of　slavery；　men　should　give　the　facts。〃　He　denies　that　it　had　been　his　purpose　to　cast　unmerited　opprobium　upon　slaveholders；　yet　a　sense　of　personal　injury　breathes　throughout　the　pages。　If　he　had　no　intention　of　casting　unmerited　opprobrium　upon　slaveholders；　it　is　difficult　to　imagine　what　language　he　could　have　used　if　he　had　undertaken　to　pass　the　limit　of　deserved　reprobation。　In　this　regard　the　book　is　quite　in　line　with　the　style　of　Southern　utterance　against　abolitionists。　Helper　belonged　to　a　slaveholding　family；　for　a　hundred　years　resident　in　the　Carolinas。　The　dedication　is　significant。　It　is　to　three　personal　friends　from　three　slave　States　who　at　the　time　were　residing　in　California；　in　Oregon；　and　in　Washington　Territory；　〃and　to　the　non…slaveholding　whites　of　the　South　generally；　whether　at　home　or　abroad。〃　Out　of　the　South　had　come　the　inspiration　for　the　religious　and　humanitarian　attack　upon　slavery。　From　the　same　source　came　the　call　for　relief　of　the　poverty…stricken　white　victims　of　the　institution。　Helper's　book　revived　the　controversy　which　had　been　forcibly　terminated　a　quarter　of　a　century　before。　He　resumes　the　argument　of　the　members　of　the　Virginia　legislature　of　1832。　He　reprints　extended　selections　from　that　memorable　debate　and　then；　by　extended　references　to　later　official　reports；　points　out　how　slavery　is　impoverishing　the　South。　The　South　is　shown　to　have　continuously　declined；　while　the　North　has　made　immense　gains。　In　a　few　years　the　relation　of　the　South　to　the　North　would　resemble　that　of　Poland　to　Russia　or　of　Ireland　to　England。　The　author　sees　no　call　for　any　arguments　against　slavery　as　an　economic　system；　he　would　simply　bring　the　earlier　characterization　of　the　situation　down　to　date。　Helper　differs　radically　from　all　earlier　speakers　and　writers　in　that　he　outlines　a　program　for　definite　action。　He　estimates　that　for　the　entire　South　there　are　seven　white　non…slaveholders　for　every　three　slaveholders。　He　would　organize　these　non…slaveholding　whites　into　an　independent　political　party　and　would　hold　a　general　convention　of　non…slaveholders　from　every　slave　State　to　adopt　measures　to　restrain　〃the　diabolical　excesses　of　the　oligarchy〃　and　to　annihilate　slavery。　Slaveholders　should　be　entirely　excluded　from　any　share　in　government。　They　should　be　treated　as　criminals　ostracized　from　respectable　society。　He　is　careful　to　state；　however；　that　by　slaveholder　he　does　not　mean　such　men　as　Benton　of　Missouri　and　many　others　throughout　the　slave　States　who　retain　the　sentiments　on　the　slavery　question　of　the　〃immortal　Fathers　of　the　Republic。〃　He　has　in　mind　only　the　new　order　of　owners；　who　have　determined　by　criminal　methods　to　inflict　the　crime　of　slavery　upon　an　overwhelming　majority　of　their　white　fellow…citizens。　The