passages from an old volume of life-第19章

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ection　of　ground　belongs　to　freedom　or　to　slavery。　Add　to　this　the　official　statement　made　in　1862；　that　〃there　is　not　one　regiment　or　battalion；　or　even　company　of　men；　which　was　organized　in　or　derived　from　the　Free　States　or　Territories；　anywhere；　against　the　Union〃；　throw　in　gratuitously　Mr。　Stephens's　explicit　declaration　in　the　speech　referred　to；　and　we　will　consider　the　evidence　closed　for　the　present　on　this　count　of　the　indictment。

In　the　face　of　these　predictions；　these　declarations；　this　line　of　fracture；　this　precise　statement；　testimony　from　so　many　sources；　extending　through　several　generations；　as　to　the　necessary　effect　of　slavery；　a　priori；　and　its　actual　influence　as　shown　by　the　facts；　few　will　suppose　that　anything　we　could　have　done　would　have　stayed　its　course　or　prevented　it　from　working　out　its　legitimate　effects　on　the　white　subjects　of　its　corrupting　dominion。　　Northern　acquiescence　or　even　sympathy　may　have　sometimes　helped　to　make　it　sit　more　easily　on　the　consciences　of　its　supporters。　　Many　profess　to　think　that　Northern　fanaticism；　as　they　call　it；　acted　like　a　mordant　in　fixing　the　black　dye　of　slavery　in　regions　which　would　but　for　that　have　washed　themselves　free　of　its　stain　in　tears　of　penitence。　　It　is　a　delusion　and　a　snare　to　trust　in　any　such　false　and　flimsy　reasons　where　there　is　enough　and　more　than　enough　in　the　institution　itself　to　account　for　its　growth。　　Slavery　gratifies　at　once　the　love　of　power；　the　love　of　money；　and　the　love　of　ease；　it　finds　a　victim　for　anger　who　cannot　smite　back　his　oppressor；　and　it　offers　to　all；　without　measure；　the　seductive　privileges　which　the　Mormon　gospel　reserves　for　the　true　believers　on　earth；　and　the　Bible　of　Mahomet　only　dares　promise　to　the　saints　in　heaven。

Still　it　is　common；　common　even　to　vulgarism；　to　hear　the　remark　that　the　same　gallows…tree　ought　to　bear　as　its　fruit　the　arch…traitor　and　the　leading　champion　of　aggressive　liberty。　　The　mob　of　Jerusalem　was　not　satisfied　with　its　two　crucified　thieves；　it　must　have　a　cross　also　for　the　reforming　Galilean；　who　interfered　so　rudely　with　its　conservative　traditions！　　It　is　asserted　that　the　fault　was　quite　as　much　on　our　side　as　on　the　other；　that　our　agitators　and　abolishers　kindled　the　flame　for　which　the　combustibles　were　all　ready　on　the　other　side　of　the　border。　　If　these　men　could　have　been　silenced；　our　brothers　had　not　died。

Who　are　the　persons　that　use　this　argument？　　They　are　the　very　ones　who　are　at　the　present　moment　most　zealous　in　maintaining　the　right　of　free　discussion。　　At　a　time　when　every　power　the　nation　can　summon　is　needed　to　ward　off　the　blows　aimed　at　its　life；　and　turn　their　force　upon　its　foes；when　a　false　traitor　at　home　may　lose　us　a　battle　by　a　word；　and　a　lying　newspaper　may　demoralize　an　army　by　its　daily　or　weekly　stillicidium　of　poison；　they　insist　with　loud　acclaim　upon　the　liberty　of　speech　and　of　the　press；　liberty；　nay　license；　to　deal　with　government；　with　leaders；　with　every　measure；　however　urgent；　in　any　terms　they　choose；　to　traduce　the　officer　before　his　own　soldiers；　and　assail　the　only　men　who　have　any　claim　at　all　to　rule　over　the　country；　as　the　very　ones　who　are　least　worthy　to　be　obeyed。　　If　these　opposition　members　of　society　are　to　have　their　way　now；　they　cannot　find　fault　with　those　persons　who　spoke　their　minds　freely　in　the　past　on　that　great　question　which；　as　we　have　agreed；　underlies　all　our　present　dissensions。

It　is　easy　to　understand　the　bitterness　which　is　often　shown　towards　reformers。　　They　are　never　general　favorites。　　They　are　apt　to　interfere　with　vested　rights　and　time…hallowed　interests。　　They　often　wear　an　unlovely；　forbidding　aspect。　　Their　office　corresponds　to　that　of　Nature's　sanitary　commission　for　the　removal　of　material　nuisances。　　It　is　not　the　butterfly；　but　the　beetle；　which　she　employs　for　this　duty。　　It　is　not　the　bird　of　paradise　and　the　nightingale；　but　the　fowl　of　dark　plumage　and　unmelodious　voice；　to　which　is　entrusted　the　sacred　duty　of　eliminating　the　substances　that　infect　the　air。　　And　the　force　of　obvious　analogy　teaches　us　not　to　expect　all　the　qualities　which　please　the　general　taste　in　those　whose　instincts　lead　them　to　attack　the　moral　nuisances　which　poison　the　atmosphere　of　society。　　But　whether　they　please　us　in　all　their　aspects　or　not；　is　not　the　question。　　Like　them　or　not；　they　must　and　will　perform　their　office；　and　we　cannot　stop　them。　　They　may　be　unwise；　violent；　abusive；　extravagant；　impracticable；　but　they　are　alive；　at　any　rate；　and　it　is　their　business　to　remove　abuses　as　soon　as　they　are　dead；　and　often　to　help　them　to　die。　　To　quarrel　with　them　because　they　are　beetles；　and　not　butterflies；　is　natural；　but　far　from　profitable。　　They　grow　none　the　less　vigorously　for　being　trodden　upon；　like　those　tough　weeds　that　love　to　nestle　between　the　stones　of　court…yard　pavements。　　If　you　strike　at　one　of　their　heads　with　the　bludgeon　of　the　law；　or　of　violence；　it　flies　open　like　the　seedcapsule　of　a　snap…weed；　and　fills　the　whole　region　with　seminal　thoughts　which　will　spring　up　in　a　crop　just　like　the　original　martyr。　　They　chased　one　of　these　enthusiasts；　who　attacked　slavery；　from　St。　Louis；　and　shot　him　at　Alton　in　1837；　and　on　the　23d　of　June　just　passed；　the　Governor　of　Missouri；　chairman　of　the　Committee　on　Emancipation；　introduced　to　the　Convention　an　Ordinance　for　the　final　extinction　of　Slavery！　　They　hunted　another　through　the　streets　of　a　great　Northern　city　in　1835；　and　within　a　few　weeks　a　regiment　of　colored　soldiers；　many　of　them　bearing　the　marks　of　the　slave…　driver's　whip　on　their　backs；　marched　out　before　a　vast　multitude　tremulous　with　newly…stirred　sympathies；　through　the　streets　of　the　same　city；　to　fight　our　battles　in　the　name　of　God　and　Liberty！

The　same　persons　who　abuse　the　reformers；　and　lay　all　our　troubles　at　their　door；　are　apt　to　be　severe　also　on　what　they　contemptuously　emphasize　as　〃sentiments〃　considered　as　motives　of　action。　　It　is　charitable　to　believe　that　they　do　not　seriously　contemplate　or　truly　understand　the　meaning　of　the　words　they　use；　but　rather　play　with　them；　as　certain　so…called　〃learned〃　quadrupeds　play　with　the　printed　characters　set　before　them。　　In　all　questions　involving　duty；　we　act　from　sentiments。　　Religion　springs　from　them；　the　family　order　rests　upon　them；　and　in　every　community　each　act　involving　a　relation　between　any　two　of　its　members　implies　the　recognition　or　the　denial　of　a　sentiment。　　It　is　true　that　men　often　forget　them　or　act　against　their　bidding　in　the　keen　competition　of　business　and　politics。　　But　God　has　not　left　the　hard　intellect　of　man　to　work　out　its　devices　without　the　constant　presence　of　beings　with　gentler　and　purer　instincts。　　The　breast　of　woman　is　the　ever…rocking　cradle　of　the　pure　and　holy　sentiments　which　will　sooner　or　later　steal　their　way　into　the　mind　of　her　sterner　companion；　which　will　by　and　by　emerge　in　the　thoughts　of　the　world's　teachers；　and　at　last　thunder　forth　in　the　edicts　of　its　law…givers　and　masters。　　Woman　herself　borrows　half　her　tenderness　from　the　sweet　influences　of　maternity；　and　childhood；　that　weeps　at　the　story　of　suffering；　that　shudders　at　the　picture　of　wrong；　brings　down　its　inspiration　〃from　God；　who　is　our　home。〃　　To　quarrel；　then；　with　the　class　of　minds　that　instinctively　attack　abuses；　is　not　only　profitless　but　senseless；　to　sneer　at　the　sentiments　which　are　the　springs　of　all　just　and　virtuous　actions；　is　merely　a　display　of　unthinking　levity；　or　of　want　of　the　natural　sensibilities。

With　the　hereditary　character　of　the　Southern　people　moving　in　one　direction；　and　the　awakened　conscience　of　the　North　stirring　in　the　other；　the　open　conflict　of　opinion　was　inevitable；　and　equally　inevitable　its　appearance　in　the　field　of　national　politics。　　For　what　is　meant　by　self…government　is；　that　a　man　shall　make　his　convictions　of　what　is　right　and　expedient　regulate　the　community　so　far　as　his　fractional　share　of　the　government　extends。　　If　one　has　come　to　the　conclusion；　be　it　right　or　wrong；　that　any　particular　institution　or　statute　is　a　violation　of　the　sovereign　law　of　God；　it　is　to　be　expected　that　he　will　choose　to　be　represented　by　those　who　shar