the anti-slavery crusade-第5章

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the　trade　by　an　actual　knowledge　of　the　inhumanity　of　the　business　as　prosecuted　before　his　eyes　and　by　his　sympathy　for　human　suffering。　His　apprenticeship　ended；　Lundy　was　soon　established　in　a　prosperous　business　in　an　Ohio　village　not　far　from　Wheeling。　Though　he　now　lived　in　a　free　State；　the　call　of　the　oppressed　was　ever　in　his　ears　and　he　could　not　rest。　He　drew　together　a　few　of　his　neighbors；　and　together　they　organized　the　Union　Humane　Society；　whose　object　was　the　relief　of　those　held　in　bondage。　In　a　few　months　the　society　numbered　several　hundred　members；　and　Lundy　issued　an　address　to　the　philanthropists　of　the　whole　country；　urging　them　to　unite　in　like　manner　with　uniform　constitutions；　and　suggesting　that　societies　so　formed　adopt　a　policy　of　correspondence　and　cooperation。　At　about　the　same　time；　Lundy　began　to　publish　anti…slavery　articles　in　the　Mount　Pleasant　Philanthropist　and　other　papers。　In　1819　he　went　on　a　business　errand　to　St。　Louis；　Missouri；　where　he　found　himself　in　the　midst　of　an　agitation　over　the　question　of　the　extension　of　slavery　in　the　States。　With　great　zest　he　threw　himself　into　the　discussion；　making　use　of　the　newspapers　in　Missouri　and　Illinois。　Having　lost　his　property；　he　returned　poverty…stricken　to　Ohio；　where　he　founded　in　January；　1821；　the　Genius　of　Universal　Emancipation。　A　few　months　later　he　transferred　his　paper　to　the　more　congenial　atmosphere　of　Jonesborough；　Tennessee；　but　in　1824　he　went　to　Baltimore；　Maryland。　In　the　meantime；　Lundy　had　become　much　occupied　in　traveling；　lecturing；　and　organizing　societies　for　the　promotion　of　the　cause　of　abolition。　He　states　that　during　the　ten　years　previous　to　1830　he　had　traveled　upwards　of　twenty…five　thousand　miles；　five　thousand　of　which　were　on　foot。　He　now　became　interested　in　plans　for　colonizing　negroes　in　other　countries　as　an　aid　to　emancipation；　though　he　himself　had　no　confidence　in　the　colonization　society　and　its　scheme　of　deportation　to　Africa。　After　leading　a　few　negroes　to　Hayti　in　1829；　he　visited　Canada；　Texas；　and　Mexico　with　a　similar　plan　in　view。　During　a　trip　through　the　Middle　States　and　New　England　in　1828；　Lundy　met　William　Lloyd　Garrison；　and　the　following　year　he　walked　all　the　way　from　Baltimore　to　Bennington；　Vermont；　for　the　express　purpose　of　securing　the　assistance　of　the　youthful　reformer　as　coeditor　of　his　paper。　Garrison　had　previously　favored　colonization；　but　within　the　few　weeks　which　elapsed　before　he　joined　Lundy；　he　repudiated　all　forms　of　colonization　and　advocated　immediate　and　unconditional　emancipation。　He　at　once　told　Lundy　of　his　change　of　views。　〃Well；〃　said　Lundy；　〃thee　may　put　thy　initials　to　thy　articles；　and　I　will　put　my　witness　to　mine；　and　each　will　bear　his　own　burden。〃　The　two　editors　were；　however；　in　complete　accord　in　their　opposition　to　the　slave…trade。　Lundy　had　suffered　a　dangerous　assault　at　the　hands　of　a　Baltimore　slave…trader　before　he　was　joined　by　Garrison。　During　the　year　1830；　Garrison　was　convicted　of　libel　and　thrown　into　prison　on　account　of　his　scathing　denunciation　of　Francis　Todd　of　Massachusetts；　the　owner　of　a　vessel　engaged　in　the　slave…trade。　These　events　brought　to　a　crisis　the　publication　of　the　Genius　of　Universal　Emancipation。　The　editors　now　parted　company。　Again　Lundy　moved　the　office　of　the　paper；　this　time　to　Washington；　D。C。；　but　it　soon　became　a　peripatetic　monthly；　printed　wherever　the　editor　chanced　to　be。　In　1836　Lundy　began　the　issue　of　an　anti…slavery　paper　in　Philadelphia；　called　the　National　Inquirer；　and　with　this　was　merged　the　Genius　of　Universal　Emancipation。　He　was　preparing　to　resume　the　issue　of　his　original　paper　under　the　old　title；　in　La　Salle　County；　Illinois；　when　he　was　overtaken　by　death　on　August　22；　1839。　Here　was　a　man　without　education；　without　wealth；　of　a　slight　frame；　not　at　all　robust；　who　had　undertaken；　singlehanded　and　without　the　shadow　of　a　doubt　of　his　ultimate　success；　to　abolish　American　slavery。　He　began　the　organization　of　societies　which　were　to　displace　the　anti…slavery　societies　of　the　previous　century。　He　established　the　first　paper　devoted　exclusively　to　the　cause　of　emancipation。　He　foresaw　that　the　question　of　emancipation　must　be　carried　into　politics　and　that　it　must　become　an　object　of　concern　to　the　general　Government　as　well　as　to　the　separate　States。　In　the　early　part　of　his　career　he　found　the　most　congenial　association　and　the　larger　measure　of　effective　support　south　of　Mason　and　Dixon's　Line；　and　in　this　section　were　the　greater　number　of　the　abolition　societies　which　he　organized。　During　the　later　years　of　his　life；　as　it　was　becoming　increasingly　difficult　in　the　South　to　maintain　a　public　anti…slavery　propaganda；　he　transferred　his　chief　activities　to　the　North。　Lundy　serves　as　a　connecting　link　between　the　earlier　and　the　later　anti…slavery　movements。　Eleven　years　of　his　early　life　belong　to　the　century　of　the　Revolution。　Garrison　recorded　his　indebtedness　to　Lundy　in　the　words：　〃If　I　have　in　any　way；　however　humble；　done　anything　towards　calling　attention　to　slavery；　or　bringing　out　the　glorious　prospect　of　a　complete　jubilee　in　our　country　at　no　distant　day；　I　feel　that　I　owe　everything　in　this　matter；　instrumentally　under　God；　to　Benjamin　Lundy。〃　Different　in　type；　yet　even　more　significant　on　account　of　its　peculiar　relations　to　the　cause　of　abolition；　was　the　life　of　James　Gillespie　Birney；　who　was　born　in　a　wealthy　slaveholding　family　at　Dansville；　Kentucky；　in　the　year　1792。　The　Birneys　were　anti…slavery　planters　of　the　type　of　Washington　and　Jefferson。　The　father　had　labored　to　make　Kentucky　a　free　State　at　the　time　of　its　admission　to　the　Union。　His　son　was　educated　first　at　Princeton；　where　he　graduated　in　1810；　and　then　in　the　office　of　a　distinguished　lawyer　in　Philadelphia。　He　began　the　practice　of　law　at　his　home　at　the　age　of　twenty…two。　His　home　training　and　his　residence　in　States　which　were　then　in　the　process　of　gradual　emancipation　served　to　confirm　him　in　the　traditional　conviction　of　his　family。　While　Benjamin　Lundy；　at　the　age　of　twenty…seven；　was　engaged　in　organizing　anti…slavery　societies　north　of　the　Ohio　River；　Birney　at　the　age　of　twenty…four　was　influential　as　a　member　of　the　Kentucky　Legislature　in　the　prevention　of　the　passing　of　a　joint　resolution　calling　upon　Ohio　and　Indiana　to　make　laws　providing　for　the　return　of　fugitive　slaves。　He　was　also　conspicuous　in　his　efforts　to　secure　provisions　for　gradual　emancipation。　Two　years　later　he　became　a　planter　near　Huntsville；　Alabama。　Though　not　a　member　of　the　Constitutional　Convention　preparatory　to　the　admission　of　this　Territory　into　the　Union；　Birney　used　his　influence　to　secure　provisions　in　the　constitution　favorable　to　gradual　emancipation。　As　a　member　of　the　first　Legislature；　in　1819；　he　was　the　author　of　a　law　providing　a　fair　trial　by　jury　for　slaves　indicted　for　crimes　above　petty　larceny；　and　in　1826　he　became　a　regular　contributor　to　the　American　Colonization　Society；　believing　it　to　be　an　aid　to　emancipation。　The　following　year　he　was　able　to　induce　the　Legislature；　although　he　was　not　then　a　member　of　it；　to　pass　an　act　forbidding　the　importation　of　slaves　into　Alabama　either　for　sale　or　for　hire。　This　was　regarded　as　a　step　preliminary　to　emancipation。　The　cause　of　education　in　Alabama　had　in　Birney　a　trusted　leader。　During　the　year　1830　he　spent　several　months　in　the　North　Atlantic　States　for　the　selection　of　a　president　and　four　professors　for　the　State　University　and　three　teachers　for　the　Huntsville　Female　Seminary。　These　were　all　employed　upon　his　sole　recommendation。　On　his　return　he　had　an　important　interview　with　Henry　Clay；　of　whose　political　party　he　had　for　several　years　been　the　acknowledged　leader　in　Alabama。　He　urged　Clay　to　place　himself　at　the　head　of　the　movement　in　Kentucky　for　gradual　emancipation。　Upon　Clay's　refusal　their　political　cooperation　terminated。　Birney　never　again　supported　Clay　for　office　and　regarded　him　as　in　a　large　measure　responsible　for　the　pro…slavery　reaction　in　Kentucky。　Birney；　who　had　now　become　discouraged　regarding　the　prospect　of　emancipation；　during　the　winter　of　1831　and　1832　decided　to　remove　his　family　to　Jacksonville；　Illinois。　He　was　deterre