the anti-slavery crusade-第21章

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ds　to　inflict　the　crime　of　slavery　upon　an　overwhelming　majority　of　their　white　fellow…citizens。　The　publication　of　〃The　Impending　Crisis〃　created　a　profound　sensation　among　Southern　leaders。　So　long　as　the　attack　upon　the　peculiar　institution　emanated　from　the　North；　the　defenders　had　the　full　benefit　of　local　prejudice　and　resentment　against　outside　intrusion。　Helper　was　himself　a　thorough…going　believer　in　state　rights。　Slavery　was　to　be　abolished；　as　he　thought；　by　the　action　of　the　separate　States。　Here　he　was　in　accord　with　Northern　abolitionists。　If　such　literature　as　Helper's　volume　should　find　its　way　into　the　South；　it　would　be　no　longer　possible　to　palm　off　upon　the　unthinking　public　the　patent　falsehood　that　abolitionists　of　the　North　were　attempting　to　impose　by　force　a　change　in　Southern　institutions。　All　that　Southern　abolitionists　ever　asked　was　the　privilege　of　remaining　at　home　in　their　own　South　in　the　full　exercise　of　their　constitutional　rights。　Southern　leaders　were　undoubtedly　aware　of　the　concurrent　publications　of　travelers　and　newspaper　reporters；　of　which　Olmsted's　books　were　conspicuous　examples。　Olmsted　and　Helper　were　both　sources　of　proof　that　slavery　was　bringing　the　South　to　financial　ruin。　The　facts　were　getting　hold　of　the　minds　of　the　Southern　people。　The　debate　which　had　been　adjourned　was　on　the　eve　of　being　resumed。　Complete　suppression　of　the　new　scientific　industrial　argument　against　slavery　seemed　to　slave…owners　to　furnish　their　only　defense。　The　Appalachian　ranges　of　mountains　drove　a　wedge　of　liberty　and　freedom　from　Pennsylvania　almost　to　the　Gulf。　In　the　upland　regions　slavery　could　not　flourish。　There　was　always　enmity　between　the　planters　of　the　coast　and　the　dwellers　on　the　upland。　The　slaveholding　oligarchy　had　always　ruled；　but　the　day　of　the　uplanders　was　at　hand。　This　is　the　explanation　of　the　veritable　panic　which　Helper's　publication　created。　A　debate　which　should　follow　the　line　of　this　old　division　between　the　peoples　of　the　Atlantic　slave　States　would；　under　existing　conditions；　be　fatal　to　the　institution　of　slavery。　West　Virginia　did　become　a　free　State　at　the　first　opportunity。　Counties　in　western　North　Carolina　claim　to　have　furnished　a　larger　proportion　of　their　men　to　the　Union　army　than　any　other　counties　in　the　country。　Had　the　plan　for　peaceable　emancipation　projected　by　abolitionists　been　permitted　to　take　its　course；　the　uplands　of　South　Carolina　would　have　been　pitted　against　the　lowlands；　and　Senator　Tillman　would　have　appeared　as　a　rampant　abolitionist。　There　might　have　been　violence；　but　it　would　have　been　confined　to　limited　areas　in　the　separate　States。　Had　the　crisis　been　postponed；　there　surely　would　have　been　a　revival　of　abolitionism　within　the　Southern　States。　Slavery　in　Missouri　was　already　approaching　a　crisis。　Southern　leaders　had　long　foreseen　that　the　State　would　abolish　slavery　if　a　free　State　should　be　established　on　the　western　boundary。　This　was　actually　taking　place。　Kansas　was　filling　up　with　free…state　settlers　and；　by　the　act　of　its　own　citizens；　a　few　years　later　did　abolish　slavery。　Republicans　naturally　made　use　of　Helper's　book　for　party　purposes。　A　cheap　abridged　edition　was　brought　out。　Several　Republican　leaders　were　induced　to　sign　their　names　to　a　paper　commending　the　publication。　Among　these　was　John　Sherman　of　Ohio；　who　in　the　organization　of　the　newly　elected　House　of　Representatives　in　1859　was　the　leading　candidate　of　the　Republicans　for　the　speakership。　During　the　contest　the　fact　that　his　name　was　on　this　paper　was　made　public；　and　Southern　leaders　were　furious。　Extracts　were　read　to　prove　that　the　book　was　incendiary。　Millson　of　Virginia　said　that　〃one　who　consciously；　deliberately；　and　of　purpose　lends　his　name　and　influence　to　the　propagation　of　such　writings　is　not　only　not　fit　to　be　speaker；　but　he　is　not…fit　to　live。〃　It　is　one　of　the　ironies　of　the　situation　that　the　passage　selected　to　prove　the　incendiary　character　of　the　book　is　almost　a　literal　quotation　from　the　debate　in　the　Virginia　Legislature　of　1832。

CHAPTER　X。　〃BLEEDING　KANSAS〃　Both　the　leading　political　parties　were；　in　the　campaign　of　1852；　fully　committed　to　the　acceptance　of　the　so…called　Compromise　of　1850　as　a　final　settlement　of　the　slavery　question；　both　were　committed　to　the　support　of　the　Fugitive　Slave　Act。　The　Free…soil　party；　with　John　P。　Hale　as　its　candidate；　did　make　a　vigorous　attack　upon　the　Fugitive　Slave　Act；　and　opposed　all　compromises　respecting　slavery；　but　Free…Boilers　had　been　to　a　large　extent　reabsorbed　into　the　Democratic　party；　their　vote　of　1852　being　only　about　half　that　of　1848。　Though　the　Whig　vote　was　large　and　only　about　two　hundred　thousand　less　than　that　of　the　Democrats；　yet　it　was　so　distributed　that　the　Whigs　carried　only　four　States；　Massachusetts；　Vermont；　Kentucky；　and　Tennessee。　The　other　States　gave　a　Democratic　plurality。　Had　there　been　time　for　readjustment；　the　Whig　party　might　have　recovered　lost　ground；　but　no　time　was　permitted。　There　was　in　progress　in　Missouri　a　political　conflict　which　was　already　commanding　national　attention。　Thomas　H。　Benton；　for　thirty　years　a　Senator　from　Missouri；　and　a　national　figure；　was　the　storm…center。　His　enemies　accused　him　of　being　a　Free…Boiler；　an　abolitionist　in　disguise。　He　was　professedly　a　stanch　and　uncompromising　unionist；　a　personal　and　political　opponent　of　John　C。　Calhoun。　According　to　his　own　statement　he　had　been　opposed　to　the　extension　of　slavery　since　1804；　although　he　had　advocated　the　admission　of　Missouri　with　a　pro…slavery　constitution　in　180。　He　was；　from　the　first；　senior　Senator　from　the　State；　and　by　a　peculiar　combination　of　influences　incurred　his　first　defeat　for　reelection　in　1851。　Benton's　defeat　in　the　Missouri　Legislature　was　largely　the　result　of　national　pro…slavery　influences。　In　a　former　chapter；　reference　was　made　to　the　Ohio　River　as　furnishing　a　〃providential　argument　against　slavery。〃　The　Mississippi　River　as　the　eastern　boundary　of　Missouri　furnished　a　like　argument；　but　on　the　north　not　even　a　prairie　brook　separated　free　labor　in　Iowa　from　slave　labor　in　Missouri。　The　inhabitants　of　western　Missouri；　realizing　that　the　tenure　of　their　peculiar　institution　was　becoming　weaker　in　the　east　and　north；　early　became　convinced　that　the　organization　of　a　free　State　along　their　western　boundary　would　be　followed　by　the　abolition　of　slavery　in　their　own　State。　This　condition　attracted　the　attention　of　the　national　guardians　of　pro…slavery　interests。　Calhoun；　Davis；　Breckinridge；　Toombs；　and　others　were　in　constant　communication　with　local　leaders。　A　certain　Judge　W。　C。　Price；　a　religious　fanatic；　and　a　pro…slavery　devotee；　was　induced　to　visit　every　part　of　the　State　in　1844；　calling　the　attention　of　all　slaveholders　to　the　perils　of　the　situation　and　preparing　the　way　for　the　repeal　of　the　Missouri　Compromise。　Senator　Benton；　who　was　approached　on　the　subject；　replied　in　such　a　way　that　all　radical　defenders　of　slavery；　both　national　leaders　and　local　politicians；　were　moved　to　unite　for　his　political　defeat。　David　R。　Atchison；　junior　Senator　from　Missouri；　had　been　made　the　leader　of　the　pro…slavery　forces。　The　defeat　of　Benton　in　the　Missouri　Legislature　did　not　end　the　strife。　He　at　once　became　a　candidate　for　Atchison's　place　in　the　election　which　was　to　occur　in　1855；　and　he　was　in　the　meantime　elected　to　the　House　of　Representatives　in　1852。　The　most　telling　consideration　in　Benton's　favor　was　the　general　demand；　in　which　he　himself　joined；　for　the　immediate　organization　of　the　western　territory　in　order　to　facilitate　the　building　of　a　system　of　railways　reaching　the　Pacific；　with　St。　Louis　as　the　point　of　departure。　For　a　time；　in　1859；　and　1853；　Benton　was　apparently　triumphant；　and　Atchison　was　himself　willing　to　consent　to　the　organization　of　the　new　territory　with　slavery　excluded。　The　national　leaders；　however；　were　not　of　the　same　mind。　The　real　issue　was　the　continuance　of　slavery　in　the　State；　the　one　thing　which　must　not　be　permitted　was　the　transfer　of　anti…slavery　agitation　to　the　separate　States。　Henry　Clay's　proposal　of　1849　to　provide　for　gradual　emancipation　in　Kentucky　was　bitterly　resented。　It　had　long　been　an　axiom