the writings-2-第41章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



deduction　for　the　white　people　among　us　who　are　foreigners　and

the　descendants　of　foreigners　arriving　here　since　1808；　we　shall

find　the　increase　of　the　black　population　outrunning　that　of　the

white　to　an　extent　unaccountable；　except　by　supposing　that　some

of　them；　too；　have　been　coming　from　Africa。　　If　this　be　so；　the

opening　of　new　countries　to　the　institution　increases　the　demand

for　and　augments　the　price　of　slaves；　and　so　does；　in　fact；　make

slaves　of　freemen；　by　causing　them　to　be　brought　from　Africa　and

sold　into　bondage。



But　however　this　may　be；　we　know　the　opening　of　new　countries　to

slavery　tends　to　the　perpetuation　of　the　institution；　and　so　does

keep　men　in　slavery　who　would　otherwise　be　free。　　This　result　we

do　not　feel　like　favoring；　and　we　are　under　no　legal　obligation

to　suppress　our　feelings　in　this　respect。



Equal　justice　to　the　South；　it　is　said；　requires　us　to　consent　to

the　extension　of　slavery　to　new　countries。　　That　is　to　say；

inasmuch　as　you　do　not　object　to　my　taking　my　hog　to　Nebraska；

therefore　I　must　not　object　to　your　taking　your　slave。　　Now；　I

admit　that　this　is　perfectly　logical　if　there　is　no　difference

between　hogs　and　negroes。　　But　while　you　thus　require　me　to　deny

the　humanity　of　the　negro；　I　wish　to　ask　whether　you　of　the

South；　yourselves；　have　ever　been　willing　to　do　as　much？　　　It　is

kindly　provided　that　of　all　those　who　come　into　the　world　only　a

small　percentage　are　natural　tyrants。　　That　percentage　is　no

larger　in　the　slave　States　than　in　the　free。　　The　great　majority

South；　as　well　as　North；　have　human　sympathies；　of　which　they　can

no　more　divest　themselves　than　they　can　of　their　sensibility　to

physical　pain。　　These　sympathies　in　the　bosoms　of　the　Southern

people　manifest；　in　many　ways；　their　sense　of　the　wrong　of

slavery；　and　their　consciousness　that；　after　all；　there　is

humanity　in　the　negro。　　If　they　deny　this；　let　me　address　them　a

few　plain　questions。　　In　1820　you　（the　South）　joined　the　North；

almost　unanimously；　in　declaring　the　African　slave　trade　piracy；

and　in　annexing　to　it　the　punishment　of　death。　　Why　did　you　do

this？　　If　you　did　not　feel　that　it　was　wrong；　why　did　you　join　in

providing　that　men　should　be　hung　for　it？　　The　practice　was　no

more　than　bringing　wild　negroes　from　Africa　to　such　as　would　buy

them。　　But　you　never　thought　of　hanging　men　for　catching　and

selling　wild　horses；　wild　buffaloes；　or　wild　bears。



Again；　you　have　among　you　a　sneaking　individual　of　the　class　of

native　tyrants　known　as　the　〃slavedealer。〃　He　watches　your

necessities；　and　crawls　up　to　buy　your　slave；　at　a　speculating

price。　　If　you　cannot　help　it；　you　sell　to　him；　but　if　you　can

help　it；　you　drive　him　from　your　door。　　You　despise　him　utterly。

You　do　not　recognize　him　as　a　friend；　or　even　as　an　honest　man。

Your　children　must　not　play　with　his；　they　may　rollick　freely

with　the　little　negroes；　but　not　with　the　slave…dealer's

children。　　If　you　are　obliged　to　deal　with　him；　you　try　to　get

through　the　job　without　so　much　as　touching　him。　　It　is　common

with　you　to　join　hands　with　the　men　you　meet；　but　with　the　slave…

dealer　you　avoid　the　ceremonyinstinctively　shrinking　from　the

snaky　contact。　　If　he　grows　rich　and　retires　from　business；　you

still　remember　him；　and　still　keep　up　the　ban　of　non…intercourse

upon　him　and　his　family。　　Now；　why　is　this？　　You　do　not　so　treat

the　man　who　deals　in　corn；　cotton；　or　tobacco。



And　yet　again：　There　are　in　the　United　States　and　Territories；

including　the　District　of　Columbia；　433；643　free　blacks。　　At　five

hundred　dollars　per　head　they　are　worth　over　two　hundred　millions

of　dollars。　　How　comes　this　vast　amount　of　property　to　be　running

about　without　owners？　　We　do　not　see　free　horses　or　free　cattle

running　at　large。　　How　is　this？　　All　these　free　blacks　are　the

descendants　of　slaves；　or　have　been　slaves　themselves；　and　they

would　be　slaves　now　but　for　something　which　has　operated　on　their

white　owners；　inducing　them　at　vast　pecuniary　sacrifice　to

liberate　them。　　What　is　that　something？　　Is　there　any　mistaking

it？　　　In　all　these　cases　it　is　your　sense　of　justice　and　human

sympathy　continually　telling　you　that　the　poor　negro　has　some

natural　right　to　himselfthat　those　who　deny　it　and　make　mere

merchandise　of　him　deserve　kickings；　contempt；　and　death。



And　now　why　will　you　ask　us　to　deny　the　humanity　of　the　slave；

and　estimate　him　as　only　the　equal　of　the　hog？　　Why　ask　us　to　do

what　you　will　not　do　yourselves？　　Why　ask　us　to　do　for　nothing

what　two　hundred　millions　of　dollars　could　not　induce　you　to　do？



But　one　great　argument　in　support　of　the　repeal　of　the　Missouri

Compromise　is　still　to　come。　　That　argument　is　〃the　sacred　right

of　self…government。〃　It　seems　our　distinguished　Senator　has　found

great　difficulty　in　getting　his　antagonists；　even　in　the　Senate；

to　meet　him　fairly　on　this　argument。　　Some　poet　has　said：



〃Fools　rush　in　where　angels　fear　to　tread。〃



At　the　hazard　of　being　thought　one　of　the　fools　of　this

quotation；　I　meet　that　argumentI　rush　inI　take　that　bull　by

the　horns。　　I　trust　I　understand　and　truly　estimate　the　right　of

self…government。　　My　faith　in　the　proposition　that　each　man

should　do　precisely　as　he　pleases　with　all　which　is　exclusively

his　own　lies　at　the　foundation　of　the　sense　of　justice　there　is

in　me。　　I　extend　the　principle　to　communities　of　men　as　well　as

to　individuals。　　I　so　extend　it　because　it　is　politically　wise；

as　well　as　naturally　just；　politically　wise　in　saving　us　from

broils　about　matters　which　do　not　concern　us。　　Here；　or　at

Washington；　I　would　not　trouble　myself　with　the　oyster　laws　of

Virginia；　or　the　cranberry　laws　of　Indiana。　　The　doctrine　of

self…government　is　right；absolutely　and　eternally　right；but

it　has　no　just　application　as　here　attempted。　　Or　perhaps　I

should　rather　say　that　whether　it　has　such　application　depends

upon　whether　a　negro　is　or　is　not　a　man。　　If　he　is　not　a　man；　in

that　case　he　who　is　a　man　may　as　a　matter　of　self…government　do

just　what　he　pleases　with　him。　　But　if　the　negro　is　a　man；　is　it

not　to　that　extent　a　total　destruction　of　self…government　to　say

that　he　too　shall　not　govern　himself？　　When　the　white　man　governs

himself；　that　is　self…government；　but　when　he　governs　himself　and

also　governs　another　man；　that　is　more　than　self…governmentthat

is　despotism。　　If　the　negro　is　a　man；　why；　then；　my　ancient　faith

teaches　me　that　〃all　men　are　created　equal；〃　and　that　there　can

be　no　moral　right　in　connection　with　one　man's　making　a　slave　of

another。



Judge　Douglas　frequently；　with　bitter　irony　and　sarcasm；

paraphrases　our　argument　by　saying：　〃The　white　people　of　Nebraska

are　good　enough　to　govern　themselves；　but　they　are　not　good

enough　to　govern　a　few　miserable　negroes！〃



Well；　I　doubt　not　that　the　people　of　Nebraska　are　and　will

continue　to　be　as　good　as　the　average　of　people　elsewhere。　　I　do

not　say　the　contrary。　　What　I　do　say　is　that　no　man　is　good

enough　to　govern　another　man　without　that　other's　consent。　　I　say

this　is　the　leading　principle；　the　sheet…anchor　of　American

republicanism。　　Our　Declaration　of　Independence　says：



〃We　hold　these　truths　to　be　self…evident：　That　all　men　are

created　equal；　that　they　are　endowed　by　their　Creator　with

certain　inalienable　rights；　that　among　these　are　life；　liberty；

and　the　pursuit　of　happiness。　　That　to　secure　these　rights；

governments　are　instituted　among　men；　DERIVING　THEIR　JUST　POWERS

PROM　THE　CONSENT　OF　THE　GOVERNED。〃



I　have　quoted　so　much　at　this　time　merely　to　show　that；　according

to　our　ancient　faith；　the　just　powers　of　government　are　derived

from　the　consent　of　the　governed。　　Now　the　relation　of　master　and

slave　is　pro　tanto　a　total　violation　of　this　principle。　　The

master　not　only　governs　the　slave　without　his　consent；　but　he

governs　him　by　a　set　of　rules　altogether　different　from　those

which　he　prescribes　for　himself。　　Allow　all　the　governed　an　e