the anti-slavery crusade-第8章

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ed　revolutionary；　threatening　the　very　foundations　of　religion　and　morality。　In　the　midst　of　opposition　and　persecution　she　proclaimed　views　respecting　the　rights　and　duties　of　women　which　today　are　generally　accepted　as　axiomatic。　The　women　who　attended　the　meetings　for　the　organization　of　the　American　Anti…Slavery　Society　were　not　suffragists；　nor　had　they　espoused　any　special　theories　respecting　the　position　of　women。　They　did　not　wish　to　be　members　of　the　men's　organizations　but　were　quite　content　with　their　own　separate　one；　which　served　its　purpose　very　well　under　prevailing　local　conditions。　James　G。　Birney；　the　candidate　of　the　Liberty　party　for　the　Presidency　in　1840；　had　good　reasons　for　opposition　to　the　inclusion　of　men　and　women　in　the　same　organization。　He　knew　that　by　acting　separately　they　were　winning　their　way。　The　introduction　of　a　novel　theory　involving　a　different　issue　seemed　to　him　likely　to　be　a　source　of　weakness。　The　cause　of　women　was；　however；　gaining　ground　and　winning　converts。　Lucretia　Mott　and　Elizabeth　Cady　Stanton　were　delegates　to　the　World's　Anti…Slavery　Convention　at　London。　They　listened　to　the　debate　which　ended　in　the　refusal　to　recognize　them　as　members　of　the　Convention　because　they　were　women。　The　tone　of　the　discussion　convinced　them　that　women　were　looked　upon　by　men　with　disdain　and　contempt。　Because　the　laws　of　the　land　and　the　customs　of　society　consigned　women　to　an　inferior　position；　and　because　there　would　be　no　place　for　effective　public　work　on　the　part　of　women　until　these　laws　were　changed；　both　these　women　became　advocates　of　women's　rights　and　conspicuous　leaders　in　the　initiation　of　the　propaganda。　The　Reverend　Samuel　J。　May；　of　Syracuse；　New　York；　preached　a　sermon　in　1845　in　which　he　stated　his　belief　that　women　need　not　expect　to　have　their　wrongs　fully　redressed　until　they　themselves　had　a　hand　in　the　making　and　in　the　administration　of　the　laws。　This　is　an　early　suggestion　that　equal　suffrage　would　become　the　ultimate　goal　of　the　efforts　for　righting　women's　wrongs。　At　the　same　time　there　were　accessions　to　the　cause　from　a　different　source。　In　1833　Oberlin　College　was　founded　in　northern　Ohio。　Into　some　of　the　first　classes　there　women　were　admitted　on　equal　terms　with　men。　In　1835　the　trustees　offered　the　presidency　to　Professor　Asa　Mahan；　of　Lane　Seminary。　He　was　himself　an　abolitionist　from　a　slave　State；　and　he　refused　to　be　President　of　Oberlin　College　unless　negroes　were　admitted　on　equal　terms　with　other　students。　Oberlin　thus　became　the　first　institution　in　the　country　which　extended　the　privileges　of　the　higher　education　to　both　sexes　of　all　races。　It　was　a　distinctly　religious　institution　devoted　to　radical　reforms　of　many　kinds。　Not　only　was　the　use　of　all　intoxicating　beverages　discarded　by　faculty　and　students　but　the　use　of　tobacco　as　well　was　discouraged。　Within　fifteen　years　after　the　founding　of　Oberlin；　there　were　women　graduates　who　had　something　to　say　on　numerous　questions　of　public　interest。　Especially　was　this　true　of　the　subject　of　temperance。　Intemperance　was　a　vice　peculiar　to　men。　Women　and　children　were　the　chief　sufferers；　while　men　were　the　chief　sinners。　It　was　important；　therefore；　that　men　should　be　reached。　In　1847　Lucy　Stone；　an　Oberlin　graduate；　began　to　address　public　audiences　on　the　subject。　At　the　same　time　Susan　B。　Anthony　appeared　as　a　temperance　lecturer。　The　manner　of　their　reception　and　the　nature　of　their　subject　induced　them　to　unite　heartily　in　the　pending　crusade　for　the　equal　rights　of　women。　The　three　causes　thus　became　united　in　one。　Along　with　the　crusade　against　slavery；　intemperance；　and　women's　wrongs；　arose　a　fourth；　which　was　fundamentally　connected　with　the　slavery　question：　Quakers　and　Southern　and　Western　abolitionists　were　ardently　devoted　to　the　interests　of　peace。　They　would　abolish　slavery　by　peaceable　means　because　they　believed　the　alternative　was　a　terrible　war。　To　escape　an　impending　war　they　were　nerved　to　do　and　dare　and　to　incur　great　risks。　New　England　abolitionists　who　labored　in　harmony　with　those　of　the　West　and　South　were　actuated　by　similar　motives。　Sumner　first　gained　public　notice　by　a　distinguished　oration　against　war。　Garrison　went　farther：　he　was　a　professional　non…resistant；　a　root　and　branch　opponent　of　both　war　and　slavery。　John　Brown　was　a　fanatical　antagonist　of　war　until　he　reached　the　conclusion　that　according　to　the　Divine　Will　there　should　be　a　short　war　of　liberation　in　place　of　the　continuance　of　slavery；　which　was　itself　in　his　opinion　the　most　cruel　form　of　war。　Slavery　as　a　legally　recognized　institution　disappeared　with　the　Civil　War。　The　war　against　intemperance　has　made　continuous　progress　and　this　problem　is　apparently　approaching　a　solution。　The　war　against　war　as　a　recognized　institution　has　become　the　one　all…absorbing　problem　of　civilization。　The　war　against　the　wrongs　of　women　is　being　supplanted　by　efforts　to　harmonize　the　mutual　privileges　and　duties　of　men　and　women　on　the　basis　of　complete　equality。　As　Samuel　May　predicted　more　than　seventy　years　ago；　in　the　future　women　are　certain　to　take　a　hand　both　in　the　making　and　in　the　administration　of　law。

CHAPTER　IV。　THE　TURNING…POINT　The　year　1831　is　notable　for　three　events　in　the　history　of　the　anti…slavery　controversy：　on　the　first　day　of　January　in　that　year　William　Lloyd　Garrison　began　in　Boston　the　publication　of　the　Liberator；　in　August　there　occurred　in　Southampton；　Virginia；　an　insurrection　of　slaves　led　by　a　negro；　Nat　Turner；　in　which　sixty…one　white　persons　were　massacred；　and　in　December　the　Virginia　Legislature　began　its　long　debate　on　the　question　of　slavery。　On　the　part　of　the　abolitionists　there　was　at　no　time　any　sudden　break　in　the　principles　which　they　advocated。　Lundy　did　nothing　but　revive　and　continue　the　work　of　the　Quakers　and　other　non…　slaveholding　classes　of　the　revolutionary　period。　Birney　was　and　continued　to　be　a　typical　slaveholding　abolitionist　of　the　earlier　period。　Garrison　began　his　work　as　a　disciple　of　Lundy；　whom　he　followed　in　the　condemnation　of　the　African　colonization　scheme；　though　he　went　farther　and　rejected　every　form　of　colonization。　Garrison　likewise　repudiated　every　plan　for　gradual　emancipation　and　proclaimed　the　duty　of　immediate　and　unconditional　liberation　of　the　slaves。　The　first　number　of　the　Liberator　contained　an　Address　to　the　Public；　which　sounded　the　keynote　of　Garrison's　career。　〃I　shall　contend　for　the　immediate　enfranchisement　of　our　slave　populationI　will　be　as　harsh　as　truth　and　as　uncompromising　as　justice　on　this　subjectI　do　not　wish　to　think；　or　speak；　or　write　with　moderationI　am　in　earnestI　will　not　equivocateI　will　not　retreat　a　single　inch；　and　I　WILL　BE　HEARD！〃　The　New　England　Anti…Slavery　Society；　of　which　Garrison　was　the　chief　organizer；　was　in　essential　harmony　with　the　societies　which　Lundy　had　organized　in　other　sections。　Its　first　address　to　the　public　in　1833　distinctly　recognized　the　separate　States　as　the　sole　authority　in　the　matter　of　emancipation　within　their　own　boundaries。　Through　moral　suasion；　eschewing　all　violence　and　sedition；　its　authors　proposed　to　secure　their　object。　In　the　spirit　of　civil　and　religious　liberty　and　by　appealing　to　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　the　Liberty　party　of　1840　and　1844；　by　the　Freesoil　party　of　1848；　and　later　by　the　Republican　party；　and　that　nearly　all　of　the　abolitionists　continued　to　be　faithful　adherents　to　those　principles；　are　sufficient　proof　of　the　essential　unity　of　the　great　anti…slavery　movement。　The　apparent　lack　of　harmony　and　the　real　confusion　in　the　history　of　the　subject　arose　from　the　peculiar　character　of　one　remarkable　man。　The　few　owners　of　slaves　who　had　assumed　the　role　of　public　defenders　of　the　institution　were　in　the　habit　of　using　violent　and　abusive　language　against　anti…slavery　agitators。　This　appeared　in　the　first　debate　on　the　subject　during　Washington's　administration。　Every　form　of　rhetorical　abuse　also　accompanied　the　outbreak　of　mob　violence　against　the　reformers　at　the　time　of　Garrison's　advent　into　the　controversy。　He　was　especially　fitted　to　reply　in　kind。　〃I　am　accused；〃　said　he；　〃of　using　hard　language。　I　admit　the　charge。　I　have　not　been　able　to　find