第 53 节
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公主站记 更新:2021-04-30 17:05 字数:9322
sonal democracy; but under its antislavery aspect; to soften the hostility of foreign powers; and ward off foreign intervention; which was seriously threatened。 The populations of Europe; especially of France and England; were decidedly anti…slavery; and if the war here appeared to them a war; not solely for the unity of the nation and the integrity of its domain; as it really was; in which they took and could take no interest; but a war for the abolition of slavery; their governments would not venture to intervene。 This was the only consideration that weighed with Mr。 Lincoln; as he himself assured the author; and induced him to issue his Emancipation Proclamation; and Europe rejoices in our victory over the rebellion only so far as it has liberated the slaves; and honors the late President only as their supposed liberator; not as the preserver of the unity and integrity of the nation。 This is natural enough abroad; and proves the wisdom of the anti…slavery policy of the government; which had become absolutely necessary to save the Republic long before it was adopted; yet it is not as the emancipator of some two or three 360 millions of slaves that the American patriot cherishes the memory of Abraham Lincoln; but; aided by the loyal people; generals of rare merit; and troops of unsurpassed bravery and endurance; as the saviour of the American state; and the protector of modern civilization。 His anti…slavery policy served this end; and therefore was wise; but he adopted it with the greatest possible reluctance。
There were greater issues in the late war than negro slavery or negro freedom。 That was only an incidental issue; as the really great men of the Confederacy felt; who to save their cause were willing themselves at last to free and arm their own negroes; and perhaps were willing to do it even at first。 This fact alone proves that they had; or believed they had; a far more important cause than the preservation of negro slavery。 They fought for personal democracy; under the form of State sovereignty; against social democracy; for personal freedom and independence against social or humanitarian despotism; and so far their cause was as good as that against which they took up arms; and if they had or could have fought against that; without fighting at the same time against the territorial; the real American; the only civilized democracy; they 361 would have succeeded。 It is not socialism nor abolitionism that has won; nor is it the North that has conquered。 The Union itself has won no victories over the South; and it is both historically and legally false to say that the South has been subjugated。 The Union has preserved itself and American civilization; alike for North and South; East and West。 The armies that so often met in the shock of battle were not drawn up respectively by the North and the South; but by two rival democracies; to decide which of the two should rule the future。 They were the armies of two mutually antagonistic systems; and neither army was clearly and distinctly conscious of the cause for which it was shedding its blood; each obeyed instinctively a power stronger than itself; and which at best it but dimly discerned。 On both sides the cause was broader and deeper than negro slavery; and neither the proslavery men nor the abolitionists have won。 The territorial democracy alone has won; and won what will prove to be a final victory over the purely personal democracy; which had its chief seat in the Southern States; though by no means confined to them。 The danger to American democracy from that quarter is forever removed; and democracy a' la Rousseau has 362 received a terrible defeat throughout the world; though as yet it is far from being aware of it。
But in this world victories are never complete。 The socialistic democracy claims the victory which has been really won by the territorial democracy; as if it had been socialism; not patriotism; that fired the hearts and nerved the arms of the brave men led by McClellan; Grant; and Sherman。 The humanitarians are more dangerous in principle than the egoists; for they have the appearance of building on a broader and deeper foundation; of being more Christian; more philosophic; more generous and philanthropic; but Satan is never more successful than under the guise of an angel of light。 His favorite guise in modern times is that of philanthropy。 He is a genuine humanitarian; and aims to persuade the world that humanitarianism is Christianity; and that man is God; that the soft and charming sentiment of philanthropy is real Christian charity; and he dupes both individuals and nations; and makes them do his work; when they believe they are earnestly and most successfully doing the work of God。 Your leading abolitionists are as much affected by satanophany as your leading confederates; nor are they one whit more philosophical or less sophistical。 The one 363 loses the race; the other the individual; and neither has learned to apply practically that fundamental truth that there is never the general without the particular; nor the particular without the general; the race without individuals; nor individuals without the race。 The whole race was in Adam; and fell in him; as we are taught by the doctrine of original sin; or the sin of the race; and Adam was an individual; as we are taught in the fact that original sin was in him actual or personal sin。
The humanitarian is carried away by a vague generality; and loses men in humanity; sacrifices the rights of men in a vain endeavor to secure the rights of man; as your Calvinist or his brother Jansenist sacrifices the rights of nature in order to secure the freedom of grace。 Yesterday he agitated for the abolition of slavery; to…day he agitates for negro suffrage; negro equality; and announces that when be has secured that be will agitate for female suffrage and the equality of the sexes; forgetting or ignorant that the relation of equality subsists only between individuals of the same sex; that God made the man the head of the woman; and the woman for the man; not the man for the woman。 Having obliterated all distinction of sex in politics; in social; in… 364 dustrial; and domestic arrangements; he must go farther; and agitate for equality of property。 But since property; if recognized at all; will be unequally acquired and distributed; he must go farther still; and agitate for the total abolition of property; as an injustice; a grievous wrong; a theft; with M。 Proudhon; or the Englishman Godwin。 It is unjust that one should have what another wants; or even more than another。 What right have you to ride in your coach or astride your spirited barb while I am forced to trudge on foot? Nor can our humanitarian stop there。 Individuals are; and as long as there are individuals will be; unequal: some are handsomer and some are uglier; some wiser or sillier; more or less gifted; stronger or weaker; taller or shorter; stouter or thinner than others; and therefore some have natural advantages which others have not。 There is inequality; therefore injustice; which can be remedied only by the abolition of all individualities; and the reduction of all individuals to the race; or humanity; man in general。 He can find no limit to his agitation this side of vague generality; which is no reality; but a pure nullity; for he respects no territorial or individual circumscriptions; and must regard creation itself as a blunder。 This is not fancy; for he has 365 gone very nearly as far as it is here shown; if logical; be must go。
The danger now is that the Union victory will; at home and abroad; be interpreted as a victory won in the interest of social or humanitarian democracy。 It was because they regarded the war waged on the side of the Union as waged in the interest of this terrible democracy; that our bishops and clergy sympathized so little with the Government in prosecuting it; not; as some imagined; because they were disloyal; hostile to American or territorial democracy; or not heartily in favor of freedom for all men; whatever their race or complexion。 They had no wish to see slavery prolonged; the evils of which they; better than any other class of men; knew; and more deeply deplored; none would have regretted more than they to have seen the Union broken up; but they held the socialistic or humanitarian democracy represented by Northern abolitionists as hostile alike to the Church and to civilization。 For the same reason that they were backward or reserved in their sympathy; all the humanitarian sects at home and abroad were forward and even ostentatious in theirs。 The Catholics feared the war might result in encouraging La Republiques democratique et sociale; the humanitarian sects 366 trusted that it would。 If the victory of the Union should turn out to be a victory for the humanitarian democracy; the civilized world will have no reason to applaud it。
That there is some danger that for a time the victory will be taken as a