the anti-slavery crusade-第9章

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。　〃I　am　accused；〃　said　he；　〃of　using　hard　language。　I　admit　the　charge。　I　have　not　been　able　to　find　a　soft　word　to　describe　villainy；　or　to　identify　the　perpetrator　of　it。〃　This　was　a　new　departure　which　was　instantly　recognized　by　Southern　leaders。　But　from　the　beginning　to　the　bitter　end；　Garrison　stands　alone　as　preeminently　the　representative　of　this　form　of　attack。　It　was　significant；　also；　that　the　Liberator　was　published　in　Boston；　the　literary　center　of　the　country。　There　is　no　evidence　that　there　was　any　direct　connection　between　the　publication　of　the　Liberator　and　the　servile　insurrection　which　occurred　during　the　following　August。*　It　was；　however；　but　natural　that　the　South　should　associate　the　two　events。　A　few　utterances　of　the　paper　were　fitted；　if　not　intended；　to　incite　insurrection。　One　passage　reads：　〃Whenever　there　is　a　contest　between　the　oppressed　and　the　oppressorthe　weapons　being　equal　between　the　partiesGod　knows　that　my　heart　must　be　with　the　oppressed；　and　always　against　the　oppressor。　Therefore；　whenever　commenced；　I　cannot　but　wish　success　to　all　slave　insurrections。〃　Again：　〃Rather　than　see　men　wearing　their　chains　in　a　cowardly　and　servile　spirit；　I　would；　as　an　advocate　of　peace；　much　rather　see　them　breaking　the　heads　of　the　tyrant　with　their　chains。〃　*　Garrison　himself　denied　any　direct　connection　with　the　Nat　Turner　insurrection。　See　〃William　Lloyd　Garrison；　the　Story　of　His　Life　told　by　His　Children；〃　vol。　I；　p。　251。　George　Thompson；　an　English　co…laborer　with　Garrison；　is　quoted　as　saying　in　a　public　address　in　1835　that　〃Southern　slaves　ought；　or　at　least　had　a　right；　to　cut　the　throats　of　their　masters。〃*　Such　utterances　are　rare；　and　they　express　a　passing　mood　not　in　the　least　characteristic　of　the　general　spirit　of　the　abolition　movement；　yet　the　fact　that　such　statements　did　emanate　from　such　a　source　made　it　comparatively　easy　for　extremists　of　the　opposition　to　cast　odium　upon　all　abolitionists。　The　only　type　of　abolition　known　in　South　Carolina　was　that　of　the　extreme　Garrisonian　agitators；　and　it　furnished　at　least　a　shadow　of　excuse　for　mob　violence　in　the　North　and　for　complete　suppression　of　discussion　in　the　South。　To　encourage　slaves　to　cut　the　throats　of　their　masters　was　far　from　being　a　rhetorical　figure　of　speech　in　communities　where　slaves　were　in　the　majority。　Santo　Domingo　was　at　the　time　a　prosperous　republic　founded　by　former　slaves　who　had　exterminated　the　Caucasian　residents　of　the　island。　Negroes　from　Santo　Domingo　had　fomented　insurrection　in　South　Carolina。　The　Nat　Turner　incident　was　more　than　a　suggestion　of　the　dire　possibilities　of　the　situation。　Turner　was　a　trusted　slave；　a　preacher　among　the　blacks。　He　succeeded　in　concealing　his　plot　for　weeks。　When　the　massacre　began；　slaves　not　in　the　secret　were　induced　to　join。　A　majority　of　the　slain　were　women　and　children。　Abolitionists　who　had　lived　in　slave　States　never　indulged　in　flippant　remarks　fitted　to　incite　insurrection。　This　was　reserved　for　the　few　agitators　far　removed　from　the　scene　of　action。　*　Schouler；　〃History　of　the　United　States　under　the　Constitution；〃　vol。　V；　p。　217。　Southern　planters　who　had　determined　at　all　hazards　to　perpetuate　the　institution　of　slavery　were　peculiarly　sensitive　on　account　of　what　was　taking　place　in　Spanish　America　and　in　the　British　West　Indies。　Mexico　abolished　slavery　in　1829；　and　united　with　Colombia　in　encouraging　Cuba　to　throw　off　the　Spanish　yoke；　abolish　slavery；　and　join　the　sisterhood　of　New　World　republics。　This　led　to　an　effective　protest　on　the　part　of　the　United　States。　Both　Spain　and　Mexico　were　advised　that　the　United　States　could　not　with　safety　to　its　own　interests　permit　the　emancipation　of　slaves　in　the　island　of　Cuba。　But　with　the　British　Emancipation　Act　of　1833；　Cuba　became　the　only　neighboring　territory　in　which　slavery　was　legal。　These　acts　of　emancipation　added　zeal　to　the　determination　of　the　Southern　planters　to　secure　territory　for　the　indefinite　extension　of　slavery　to　the　southwest。　When　Lundy　and　Birney　discovered　these　plans；　their　desire　to　husband　and　extend　the　direct　political　influence　of　abolitionists　was　greatly　stimulated。　To　this　end　they　maintained　a　moderate　and　conservative　attitude。　They　took　care　that　no　abuse　or　misrepresentation　should　betray　them　into　any　expression　which　would　diminish　their　influence　with　fair…minded；　reasonable　men。　They　were　convinced　that　a　clear　and　complete　revelation　of　the　facts　would　lead　a　majority　of　the　people　to　adopt　their　views。　The　debate　in　the　Virginia　Legislature　in　the　session　which　met　three　months　after　the　Southampton　massacre　furnishes　a　demonstration　that　the　traditional　anti…slavery　sentiment　still　persisted　among　the　rulers　of　the　Old　Dominion。　It　arose　out　of　a　petition　from　the　Quakers　of　the　State　asking　for　an　investigation　preparatory　to　a　gradual　emancipation　of　the　slaves。　The　debate；　which　lasted　for　several　weeks；　was　able　and　thorough。　No　stronger　utterances　in　condemnation　of　slavery　were　ever　voiced　than　appear　in　this　debate。　Different　speakers　made　the　statement　that　no　one　presumed　to　defend　slavery　on　principlethat　apologists　for　slavery　existed　but　no　defenders。　Opposition　to　the　petition　was　in　the　main　apologetic　in　tone。　A　darker　picture　of　the　blighting　effects　of　slavery　on　the　industries　of　the　country　was　never　drawn　than　appears　in　these　speeches。　Slavery　was　declared　to　be　driving　free　laborers　from　the　State；　to　have　already　destroyed　every　industry　except　agriculture；　and　to　have　exhausted　the　soil　so　that　profitable　agriculture　was　becoming　extinct；　while　pine　brush　was　encroaching　upon　former　fruitful　fields。　〃Even　the　wolf；〃　said　one；　〃driven　back　long　since　by　the　approach　of　man；　now　returns；　after　the　lapse　of　a　hundred　years；　to　howl　over　the　desolations　of　slavery。〃　Contrasts　between　free　labor　in　northern　industry　and　that　of　the　South　were　vividly　portrayed。　In　a　speech　of　great　power；　one　member　referred　to　Kentucky　and　Ohio　as　States　〃providentially　designated　to　exhibit　in　their　future　histories　the　differences　which　necessarily　result　from　a　country　free　from；　and　a　country　afflicted　with　the　curse　of　slavery。〃　The　debate　was　by　no　means　confined　to　industrial　or　material　considerations。　McDowell；　who　was　afterwards　elected　Governor　of　the　State；　thus　portrays　the　personal　relations　of　master　and　slave　〃You　may　place　the　slave　where　you　pleaseyou　may　put　him　under　any　process；　which；　without　destroying　his　value　as　a　slave；　will　debase　and　crush　him　as　a　rational　beingyou　may　do　all　this；　and　the　idea　that　he　was　born　to　be　free　will　survive　it　all。　It　is　allied　to　his　hope　of　immortalityit　is　the　ethereal　part　of　his　nature　which　oppression　cannot　reachit　is　a　torch　lit　up　in　his　soul　by　the　hand　of　the　Deity；　and　never　meant　to　be　extinguished　by　the　hand　of　man。〃　Various　speakers　assumed　that　the　continuance　of　slavery　involved　a　bloody　conflict；　that　either　peaceably　or　through　violence；　slavery　as　contrary　to　the　spirit　of　the　age　must　come　to　an　end；　that　the　agitation　against　it　could　not　be　suppressed。　Faulkner　drew　a　lurid　picture　of　the　danger　from　servile　insurrection；　in　which　he　referred　to　the　utterances　of　two　former　speakers；　one　of　whom　had　said　that；　unless　something　effective　was　done　to　ward　off　the　danger；　〃the　throats　of　all　the　white　people　of　Virginia　will　be　cut。〃　The　other　replied；　〃No；　the　whites　cannot　be　conqueredthe　throats　of　the　blacks　will　be　cut。〃　Faulkner's　rejoinder　was　that　the　difference　was　a　trifling　one；　〃for　the　fact　is　conceded　that　one　race　or　the　other　must　be　exterminated。〃　The　public　press　joined　in　the　debate。　Leading　editorials　appeared　in　the　Richmond　Enquirer　urging　that　effective　measures　be　instituted　to　put　an　end　to　slavery。　The　debate　aroused　much　interest　throughout　the　South。　Substantially　all　the　current　abolition　arguments　appeared　in　the　speeches　of　the　slave…owning　members　of　the　Virginia　Legislature。　And　what　was　done　about　it？　Nothing　at　all。　The　petition　was　not　granted；　no　action　looking　towards　emancipation　was　taken。　This　was　indeed　a　turning…point。　Men　do　not　continue　to　denounce　in　public　their　own　conduct　unless　their　action　results　in　some　effort　toward　corrective　measur