第 36 节
作者:
翱翔1981 更新:2021-02-19 00:45 字数:9322
mind; is manifestly unjust。 After an angry and dangerous
controversy; the parties made friends by dividing the bone of
contention。 The one party first appropriates her own share;
beyond all power to be disturbed in the possession of it; and
then seizes the share of the other party。 It is as if two
starving men had divided their only loaf; the one had hastily
swallowed his half; and then grabbed the other's half just as he
was putting it to his mouth。
Let me here drop the main argument; to notice what I consider
rather an inferior matter。 It is argued that slavery will not go
to Kansas and Nebraska; in any event。 This is a palliation; a
lullaby。 I have some hope that it will not; but let us not be
too confident。 As to climate; a glance at the map shows that
there are five slave StatesDelaware; Maryland; Virginia;
Kentucky; and Missouri; and also the District of Columbia; all
north of the Missouri Compromise line。 The census returns of
1850 show that within these there are eight hundred and sixty…
seven thousand two hundred and seventy…six slaves; being more
than one fourth of all the slaves in the nation。
It is not climate; then; that will keep slavery out of these
Territories。 Is there anything in the peculiar nature of the
country? Missouri adjoins these Territories by her entire
western boundary; and slavery is already within every one of her
western counties。 I have even heard it said that there are more
slaves in proportion to whites in the northwestern county of
Missouri than within any other county in the State。 Slavery
pressed entirely up to the old western boundary of the State; and
when rather recently a part of that boundary at the northwest was
moved out a little farther west; slavery followed on quite up to
the new line。 Now; when the restriction is removed; what is to
prevent it from going still farther? Climate will not; no
peculiarity of the country will; nothing in nature will。 Will
the disposition of the people prevent it? Those nearest the
scene are all in favor of the extension。 The Yankees who are
opposed to it may be most flumerous; but; in military phrase; the
battlefield is too far from their base of operations。
But it is said there now is no law in Nebraska on the subject of
slavery; and that; in such case; taking a slave there operates
his freedom。 That is good book…law; but it is not the rule of
actual practice。 Wherever slavery is it has been first
introduced without law。 The oldest laws we find concerning it
are not laws introducing it; but regulating it as an already
existing thing。 A white man takes his slave to Nebraska now。
Who will inform the negro that he is free? Who will take him
before court to test the question of his freedom? In ignorance
of his legal emancipation he is kept chopping; splitting; and
plowing。 Others are brought; and move on in the same track。 At
last; if ever the time for voting comes on the question of
slavery the institution already; in fact; exists in the country;
and cannot well be removed。 The fact of its presence; and the
difficulty of its removal; will carry the vote in its favor。
Keep it out until a vote is taken; and a vote in favor of it
cannot be got in any population of forty thousand on earth; who
have been drawn together by the ordinary motives of emigration
and settlement。 To get slaves into the Territory simultaneously
with the whites in the incipient stages of settlement is the
precise stake played for and won in this Nebraska measure。
The question is asked us: 〃If slaves will go in notwithstanding
the general principle of law liberates them; why would they not
equally go in against positive statute lawgo in; even if the
Missouri restriction were maintained!〃 I answer; because it takes
a much bolder man to venture in with his property in the latter
case than in the former; because the positive Congressional
enactment is known to and respected by all; or nearly all;
whereas the negative principle that no law is free law is not
much known except among lawyers。 We have some experience of this
practical difference。 In spite of the Ordinance of '87; a few
negroes were brought into Illinois; and held in a state of quasi…
slavery; not enough; however; to carry a vote of the people in
favor of the institution when they came to form a constitution。
But into the adjoining Missouri country; where there was no
Ordinance of '87;was no restriction;they were carried ten
times; nay; a hundred times; as fast; and actually made a slave
State。 This is fact…naked fact。
Another lullaby argument is that taking slaves to new countries
does not increase their number; does not make any one slave who
would otherwise be free。 There is some truth in this; and I am
glad of it; but it is not wholly true。 The African slave trade
is not yet effectually suppressed; and; if we make a reasonable
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。 W