the anti-slavery crusade-第3章

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ion　of　Louisiana　as　a　slave　State。　The　admission　of　Indiana　in　1816　on　the　one　side　and　of　Mississippi　in　1817　on　the　other　still　maintained　the　balance：　ten　free　States　stood　against　ten　slave　States。　During　the　next　two　years　Illinois　and　Alabama　were　admitted；　making　twenty…two　States　in　all；　still　evenly　divided。　The　ordinance　for　the　government　of　the　territory　north　of　the　Ohio　River；　passed　in　1787　and　reenacted　by　Congress　after　the　adoption　of　the　Constitution；　proved　to　be　an　act　of　great　significance　in　its　relation　to　the　limitation　of　slavery。　By　this　ordinance　slavery　was　forever　prohibited　in　the　Northwest　Territory。　In　the　territory　south　of　the　Ohio　River　slavery　became　permanently　established。　The　river；　therefore；　became　an　extension　of　the　original　Mason　and　Dixon's　Line　with　the　new　meaning　attached：　it　became　a　division　between　free　and　slave　territory。　It　was　apparently　at　first　a　mere　matter　of　chance　that　a　balance　was　struck　between　the　two　losses　of　States。　While　Virginia　remained　a　slave　State；　it　was　natural　that　slavery　should　extend　into　Kentucky；　which　had　been　a　part　of　Virginia。　Likewise　Tennessee；　being　a　part　of　North　Carolina；　became　slave　territory。　When　these　two　Territories　became　slave　States；　the　equal　division　began。　There　was　yet　an　abundance　of　territory　both　north　and　south　to　be　taken　into　the　Union　and；　without　any　special　plan　or　agitation；　States　were　admitted　in　pairs；　one　free　and　the　other　slave。　In　the　meantime　there　was　distinctly　developed　the　idea　of　the　possible　or　probable　permanence　of　slavery　in　the　South　and　of　a　rivalry　or　even　a　future　conflict　between　the　two　sections。　When　in　1819　Missouri　applied　for　admission　to　the　Union　with　a　state　constitution　permitting　slavery；　there　was　a　prolonged　debate　over　the　whole　question；　not　only　in　Congress　but　throughout　the　entire　country。　North　and　South　were　distinctly　pitted　against　each　other　with　rival　systems　of　labor。　The　following　year　Congress　passed　a　law　providing　for　the　admission　of　Missouri；　but；　to　restore　the　balance；　Maine　was　separated　from　Massachusetts　and　was　admitted　to　the　Union　as　a　State。　It　was　further　enacted　that　slavery　should　be　forever　prohibited　from　all　territory　of　the　United　States　north　of　the　parallel　36　degrees　30'；　that　is；　north　of　the　southern　boundary　of　Missouri。　It　is　this　part　of　the　act　which　is　known　as　the　Missouri　Compromise。　It　was　accepted　as　a　permanent　limitation　of　the　institution　of　slavery。　By　this　act　Mason　and　Dixon's　Line　was　extended　through　the　Louisiana　Purchase。　As　the　western　boundary　was　then　defined；　slavery　could　still　be　extended　into　Arkansas　and　into　a　part　of　what　is　now　Oklahoma；　while　a　great　empire　to　the　northwest　was　reserved　for　the　formation　of　free　States。　Arkansas　became　a　slave　State　in　1836　and　Michigan　was　admitted　as　a　free　State　in　the　following　year。　With　the　admission　of　Arkansas　and　Michigan；　thirteen　slave　States　were　balanced　by　a　like　number　of　free　States。　The　South　still　had　Florida；　which　would　in　time　become　a　slave　State。　Against　this　single　Territory　there　was　an　immense　region　to　the　northwest；　equal　in　area　to　all　the　slave　States　combined；　which；　according　to　the　Ordinance　of　1787　and　the　Missouri　Compromise；　had　been　consecrated　to　freedom。　Foreseeing　this　condition；　a　few　Southern　planters　began　a　movement　for　the　extension　of　territory　to　the　south　and　west　immediately　after　the　adoption　of　the　Missouri　Compromise。　When　Arkansas　was　admitted　in　1836；　there　was　a　prospect　of　the　immediate　annexation　of　Texas　as　a　slave　State。　This　did　not　take　place　until　nine　years　later；　but　the　propaganda；　the　object　of　which　was　the　extension　of　slave　territory；　could　not　be　maintained　by　those　Who　contended　that　slavery　was　a　curse　to　the　country。　Virginia；　therefore；　and　other　border　slave　States；　as　they　became　committed　to　the　policy　of　expansion；　ceased　to　tolerate　official　public　utterances　against　slavery。　Three　more　or　less　clearly　defined　sections　appear　in　the　later　development　of　the　crusade。　These　are　the　New　England　States；　the　Middle　States；　and　the　States　south　of　North　Carolina　and　Tennessee。　In　New　England；　few　negroes　were　ever　held　as　slaves；　and　the　institution　disappeared　during　the　first　years　of　the　Republic。　The　inhabitants　had　little　experience　arising　from　actual　contact　with　slavery。　When　slavery　disappeared　from　New　England　and　before　there　had　been　developed　in　the　country　at　large　a　national　feeling　of　responsibility　for　its　continued　existence；　interest　in　the　subject　declined。　For　twenty　years　previous　to　the　founding　of　Garrison's　Liberator　in　1831；　organized　abolition　movements　had　been　almost　unknown　in　New　England。　In　various　ways　the　people　were　isolated；　separated　from　contact　with　slavery。　Their　knowledge　of　this　subject　of　discussion　was　academic；　theoretical；　acquired　at　second…hand。　In　New　York　and　New　Jersey　slaves　were　much　more　numerous　than　in　New　England。　There　were　still　slaves　in　considerable　numbers　until　about　1825。　The　people　had　a　knowledge　of　the　institution　from　experience　and　observation；　and　there　was　no　break　in　the　continuity　of　their　organized　abolition　societies。　Chief　among　the　objects　of　these　societies　was　the　effort　to　prevent　kidnapping　and　to　guard　the　rights　of　free　negroes。　For　both　of　these　purposes　there　was　a　continuous　call　for　activity。　Pennsylvania　also　had　freedmen　of　her　own　whose　rights　called　for　guardianship；　as　well　as　many　freedmen　from　farther　south　who　had　come　into　the　State。　The　movement　of　protest　and　protection　did　not　stop　at　Mason　and　Dixon's　Line；　but　extended　far　into　the　South。　In　both　North　Carolina　and　Tennessee　an　active　protest　against　slavery　was　at　all　times　maintained。　In　this　great　middle　section　of　the　country；　between　New　England　and　South　Carolina；　there　was　no　cessation　in　the　conflict　between　free　and　slave　labor。　Some　of　these　States　became　free　while　others　remained　slave；　but　between　the　people　of　the　two　sections　there　was　continuous　communication。　Slaveholders　came　into　free　States　to　liberate　their　slaves。　Non…slaveholders　came　to　get　rid　of　the　competition　of　slave　labor；　and　free　negroes　came　to　avoid　reenslavement。　Slaves　fled　thither　on　their　way　to　liberty。　It　was　not　a　matter　of　choice；　it　was　an　unavoidable　condition　which　compelled　the　people　of　the　border　States　to　give　continuous　attention　to　the　institution　of　slavery。　The　modern　anti…slavery　movement　had　its　origin　in　this　great　middle　section；　and　from　the　same　source　it　derived　its　chief　support。　The　great　body　of　active　abolitionists　were　from　the　slave　States　or　else　derived　their　inspiration　from　personal　contact　with　slavery。　As　compared　with　New　England　abolitionists；　the　middlestate　folk　were　less　extreme　in　their　views。　They　had　a　keener　appreciation　of　the　difficulties　involved　in　emancipation。　They　were　more　tolerant　towards　the　idea　of　letting　the　country　at　large　share　the　burdens　involved　in　the　liberation　of　the　slaves。　Border…state　abolitionists　naturally　favored　the　policy　of　gradual　emancipation　which　had　been　followed　in　New　York；　New　Jersey；　and　Pennsylvania。　Abolitionists　who　continued　to　reside　in　the　slave　States　were　forced　to　recognize　the　fact　that　emancipation　involved　serious　questions　of　race　adjustment。　From　the　border　States　came　the　colonization　society；　a　characteristic　institution；　as　well　as　compromise　of　every　variety。　The　southernmost　section；　including　South　Carolina；　Georgia；　and　the　Gulf　States；　was　even　more　sharply　defined　in　the　attitude　it　assumed　toward　the　anti…slavery　movement。　At　no　time　did　the　cause　of　emancipation　become　formidable　in　this　section。　In　all　these　States　there　was；　of　course；　a　large　class　of　non…slaveholding　whites；　who　were　opposed　to　slavery　and　who　realized　that　they　were　victims　of　an　injurious　system；　but　they　had　no　effective　organ　for　expression。　The　ruling　minority　gained　an　early　and　an　easy　victory　and　to　the　end　held　a　firm　hand。　To　the　inhabitants　of　this　section　it　appeared　to　be　a　self…evident　truth　that　the　white　race　was　born　to　rule　and　the　black　race　was　born　to　serve。　Where　negroes　outnumbered　the　whites　fourfold；　the　mere　suggestion　of　emancipation　raised　a　race　question　which　seemed　appal