democracy in america-1-第123章

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is　founded　upon　a　lofty　and　a　most　fruitful　idea；　but　whatever　may　be　its　results　with　regard　to　the　Continent　of　Africa；　it　can　afford　no　remedy　to　the　New　World。

In　twelve　years　the　Colonization　Society　has　transported　2；500　negroes　to　Africa；　in　the　same　space　of　time　about　700；000　blacks　were　born　in　the　United　States。　　If　the　colony　of　Liberia　were　so　situated　as　to　be　able　to　receive　thousands　of　new　inhabitants　every　year；　and　if　the　negroes　were　in　a　state　to　be　sent　thither　with　advantage；　if　the　Union　were　to　supply　the　society　with　annual　subsidies；　*v　and　to　transport　the　negroes　to　Africa　in　the　vessels　of　the　State；　it　would　still　be　unable　to　counterpoise　the　natural　increase　of　population　amongst　the　blacks；　and　as　it　could　not　remove　as　many　men　in　a　year　as　are　born　upon　its　territory　within　the　same　space　of　time；　it　would　fail　in　suspending　the　growth　of　the　evil　which　is　daily　increasing　in　the　States。　*w　The　negro　race　will　never　leave　those　shores　of　the　American　continent；　to　which　it　was　brought　by　the　passions　and　the　vices　of　Europeans；　and　it　will　not　disappear　from　the　New　World　as　long　as　it　continues　to　exist。　The　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　may　retard　the　calamities　which　they　apprehend；　but　they　cannot　now　destroy　their　efficient　cause。

＇Footnote　v：　Nor　would　these　be　the　only　difficulties　attendant　upon　the　undertaking；　if　the　Union　undertook　to　buy　up　the　negroes　now　in　America；　in　order　to　transport　them　to　Africa；　the　price　of　slaves；　increasing　with　their　scarcity；　would　soon　become　enormous；　and　the　States　of　the　North　would　never　consent　to　expend　such　great　sums　for　a　purpose　which　would　procure　such　small　advantages　to　themselves。　　If　the　Union　took　possession　of　the　slaves　in　the　Southern　States　by　force；　or　at　a　rate　determined　by　law；　an　insurmountable　resistance　would　arise　in　that　part　of　the　country。　　Both　alternatives　are　equally　impossible。＇

＇Footnote　w：　In　1830　there　were　in　the　United　States　2；010；327　slaves　and　319；439　free　blacks；　in　all　2；329；766　negroes：　which　formed　about　one…fifth　of　the　total　population　of　the　United　States　at　that　time。＇

I　am　obliged　to　confess　that　I　do　not　regard　the　abolition　of　slavery　as　a　means　of　warding　off　the　struggle　of　the　two　races　in　the　United　States。　The　negroes　may　long　remain　slaves　without　complaining；　but　if　they　are　once　raised　to　the　level　of　free　men；　they　will　soon　revolt　at　being　deprived　of　all　their　civil　rights；　and　as　they　cannot　become　the　equals　of　the　whites；　they　will　speedily　declare　themselves　as　enemies。　　In　the　North　everything　contributed　to　facilitate　the　emancipation　of　the　slaves；　and　slavery　was　abolished；　without　placing　the　free　negroes　in　a　position　which　could　become　formidable；　since　their　number　was　too　small　for　them　ever　to　claim　the　exercise　of　their　rights。　　But　such　is　not　the　case　in　the　South。　　The　question　of　slavery　was　a　question　of　commerce　and　manufacture　for　the　slave…owners　in　the　North；　for　those　of　the　South；　it　is　a　question　of　life　and　death。　　God　forbid　that　I　should　seek　to　justify　the　principle　of　negro　slavery；　as　has　been　done　by　some　American　writers！　　But　I　only　observe　that　all　the　countries　which　formerly　adopted　that　execrable　principle　are　not　equally　able　to　abandon　it　at　the　present　time。

When　I　contemplate　the　condition　of　the　South；　I　can　only　discover　two　alternatives　which　may　be　adopted　by　the　white　inhabitants　of　those　States；　viz。；　either　to　emancipate　the　negroes；　and　to　intermingle　with　them；　or；　remaining　isolated　from　them；　to　keep　them　in　a　state　of　slavery　as　long　as　possible。　　All　intermediate　measures　seem　to　me　likely　to　terminate；　and　that　shortly；　in　the　most　horrible　of　civil　wars；　and　perhaps　in　the　extirpation　of　one　or　other　of　the　two　races。　　Such　is　the　view　which　the　Americans　of　the　South　take　of　the　question；　and　they　act　consistently　with　it。　　As　they　are　determined　not　to　mingle　with　the　negroes；　they　refuse　to　emancipate　them。


　　　Not　that　the　inhabitants　of　the　South　regard　slavery　as　necessary　to　the　wealth　of　the　planter；　for　on　this　point　many　of　them　agree　with　their　Northern　countrymen　in　freely　admitting　that　slavery　is　prejudicial　to　their　interest；　but　they　are　convinced　that；　however　prejudicial　it　may　be；　they　hold　their　lives　upon　no　other　tenure。　　The　instruction　which　is　now　diffused　in　the　South　has　convinced　the　inhabitants　that　slavery　is　injurious　to　the　slave…owner；　but　it　has　also　shown　them；　more　clearly　than　before；　that　no　means　exist　of　getting　rid　of　its　bad　consequences。　　Hence　arises　a　singular　contrast；　the　more　the　utility　of　slavery　is　contested；　the　more　firmly　is　it　established　in　the　laws；　and　whilst　the　principle　of　servitude　is　gradually　abolished　in　the　North；　that　self…same　principle　gives　rise　to　more　and　more　rigorous　consequences　in　the　South。

The　legislation　of　the　Southern　States　with　regard　to　slaves；　presents　at　the　present　day　such　unparalleled　atrocities　as　suffice　to　show　how　radically　the　laws　of　humanity　have　been　perverted；　and　to　betray　the　desperate　position　of　the　community　in　which　that　legislation　has　been　promulgated。　　The　Americans　of　this　portion　of　the　Union　have　not；　indeed；　augmented　the　hardships　of　slavery；　they　have；　on　the　contrary；　bettered　the　physical　condition　of　the　slaves。　　The　only　means　by　which　the　ancients　maintained　slavery　were　fetters　and　death；　the　Americans　of　the　South　of　the　Union　have　discovered　more　intellectual　securities　for　the　duration　of　their　power。　　They　have　employed　their　despotism　and　their　violence　against　the　human　mind。　　In　antiquity；　precautions　were　taken　to　prevent　the　slave　from　breaking　his　chains；　at　the　present　day　measures　are　adopted　to　deprive　him　even　of　the　desire　of　freedom。　　The　ancients　kept　the　bodies　of　their　slaves　in　bondage；　but　they　placed　no　restraint　upon　the　mind　and　no　check　upon　education；　and　they　acted　consistently　with　their　established　principle；　since　a　natural　termination　of　slavery　then　existed；　and　one　day　or　other　the　slave　might　be　set　free；　and　become　the　equal　of　his　master。　　But　the　Americans　of　the　South；　who　do　not　admit　that　the　negroes　can　ever　be　commingled　with　themselves；　have　forbidden　them　to　be　taught　to　read　or　to　write；　under　severe　penalties；　and　as　they　will　not　raise　them　to　their　own　level；　they　sink　them　as　nearly　as　possible　to　that　of　the　brutes。

The　hope　of　liberty　had　always　been　allowed　to　the　slave　to　cheer　the　hardships　of　his　condition。　　But　the　Americans　of　the　South　are　well　aware　that　emancipation　cannot　but　be　dangerous；　when　the　freed　man　can　never　be　assimilated　to　his　former　master。　　To　give　a　man　his　freedom；　and　to　leave　him　in　wretchedness　and　ignominy；　is　nothing　less　than　to　prepare　a　future　chief　for　a　revolt　of　the　slaves。　　Moreover；　it　has　long　been　remarked　that　the　presence　of　a　free　negro　vaguely　agitates　the　minds　of　his　less　fortunate　brethren；　and　conveys　to　them　a　dim　notion　of　their　rights。　　The　Americans　of　the　South　have　consequently　taken　measures　to　prevent　slave…owners　from　emancipating　their　slaves　in　most　cases；　not　indeed　by　a　positive　prohibition；　but　by　subjecting　that　step　to　various　forms　which　it　is　difficult　to　comply　with。　　I　happened　to　meet　with　an　old　man；　in　the　South　of　the　Union；　who　had　lived　in　illicit　intercourse　with　one　of　his　negresses；　and　had　had　several　children　by　her；　who　were　born　the　slaves　of　their　father。　　He　had　indeed　frequently　thought　of　bequeathing　to　them　at　least　their　liberty；　but　years　had　elapsed　without　his　being　able　to　surmount　the　legal　obstacles　to　their　emancipation；　and　in　the　mean　while　his　old　age　was　come；　and　he　was　about　to　die。　　He　pictured　to　himself　his　sons　dragged　from　market　to　market；　and　passing　from　the　authority　of　a　parent　to　the　rod　of　the　stranger；　until　these　horrid　anticipations　worked　his　expiring　imagination　into　frenzy。　　When　I　saw　him　he　was　a　prey　to　all　the　anguish　of　despair；　and　he　made　me　feel　how　awful　is　the　retribution　of　nature　upon　those　who　have　broken　her　laws。

These　evils　are　unquestionably　great；　but　they　are　the　necessary　and　foreseen　consequence　of　the　very　principle　of　modern　slavery。　　When　the　Europeans　chose　their　slaves　from　a　race　differing　fr