passages from an old volume of life-第15部分

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ed　a　quarter　of　a　century　beforehand　that　the　next　pretext　of　revolution　would　be　slavery。　　De　Tocqueville　recognized　with　that　penetrating　insight　which　analyzed　our　institutions　and　conditions　so　keenly；　that　the　Union　was　to　be　endangered　by　slavery；　not　through　its　interests；　but　through　the　change　of　character　it　was　bringing　about　in　the　people　of　the　two　sections；　the　same　fatal　change　which　George　Mason；　more　than　half　a　century　before；　had　declared　to　be　the　most　pernicious　effect　of　the　system；　adding　the　solemn　warning；　now　fearfully　justifying　itself　in　the　sight　of　his　descendants；　that　〃by　an　inevitable　chain　of　causes　and　effects；　Providence　punishes　national　sins　by　national　calamities。〃　　The　Virginian　romancer　pictured　the　far…off　scenes　of　the　conflict　which　he　saw　approaching　as　the　prophets　of　Israel　painted　the　coming　woes　of　Jerusalem；　and　the　strong　iconoclast　of　Boston　announced　the　very　year　when　the　curtain　should　rise　on　the　yet　unopened　drama。

The　wise　men　of　the　past；　and　the　shrewd　men　of　our　own　time；　who　warned　us　of　the　calamities　in　store　for　our　nation；　never　doubted　what　was　the　cause　which　was　to　produce　first　alienation　and　finally　rupture。　　The　descendants　of　the　men　〃daily　exercised　in　tyranny；〃　the　〃petty　tyrants〃　as　their　own　leading　statesmen　called　them　long　ago；　came　at　length　to　love　the　institution　which　their　fathers　had　condemned　while　they　tolerated。　　It　is　the　fearful　realization　of　that　vision　of　the　poet　where　the　lost　angels　snuff　up　with　eager　nostrils　the　sulphurous　emanations　of　the　bottomless　abyss；so　have　their　natures　become　changed　by　long　breathing　the　atmosphere　of　the　realm　of　darkness。

At　last；　in　the　fulness　of　time；　the　fruits　of　sin　ripened　in　a　sudden　harvest　of　crime。　　Violence　stalked　into　the　senate…chamber；　theft　and　perjury　wound　their　way　into　the　cabinet；　and；　finally；　openly　organized　conspiracy；　with　force　and　arms；　made　burglarious　entrance　into　a　chief　stronghold　of　the　Union。　　That　the　principle　which　underlay　these　acts　of　fraud　and　violence　should　be　irrevocably　recorded　with　every　needed　sanction；　it　pleased　God　to　select　a　chief　ruler　of　the　false　government　to　be　its　Messiah　to　the　listening　world。　　As　with　Pharaoh；　the　Lord　hardened　his　heart；　while　he　opened　his　mouth；　as　of　old　he　opened　that　of　the　unwise　animal　ridden　by　cursing　Balaam。　　Then　spake　Mr。　〃Vice…President〃　Stephens　those　memorable　words　which　fixed　forever　the　theory　of　the　new　social　order。　　He　first　lifted　a　degraded　barbarism　to　the　dignity　of　a　philosophic　system。　　He　first　proclaimed　the　gospel　of　eternal　tyranny　as　the　new　revelation　which　Providence　had　reserved　for　the　western　Palestine。　　Hear；　O　heavens！　and　give　ear；　O　earth！　The　corner…stone　of　the　new…born　dispensation　is　the　recognized　inequality　of　races；　not　that　the　strong　may　protect　the　weak；　as　men　protect　women　and　children；　but　that　the　strong　may　claim　the　authority　of　Nature　and　of　God　to　buy；　to　sell；　to　scourge；　to　hunt；　to　cheat　out　of　the　reward　of　his　labor；　to　keep　in　perpetual　ignorance；　to　blast　with　hereditary　curses　throughout　all　time；　the　bronzed　foundling　of　the　New　World；　upon　whose　darkness　has　dawned　the　star　of　the　occidental　Bethlehem！

After　two　years　of　war　have　consolidated　the　opinion　of　the　Slave　States；　we　read　in　the　〃Richmond　Examiner〃：　　〃The　establishment　of　the　Confederacy　is　verily　a　distinct　reaction　against　the　whole　course　of　the　mistaken　civilization　of　the　age。　　For　　'Liberty；　Equality；　Fraternity；'　we　have　deliberately　substituted　Slavery；　Subordination；　and　Government。〃

A　simple　diagram；　within　the　reach　of　all；　shows　how　idle　it　is　to　look　for　any　other　cause　than　slavery　as　having　any　material　agency　in　dividing　the　country。　　Match　the　two　broken　pieces　of　the　Union；　and　you　will　find　the　fissure　that　separates　them　zigzagging　itself　half　across　the　continent　like　an　isothermal　line；　shooting　its　splintery　projections；　and　opening　its　reentering　angles；　not　merely　according　to　the　limitations　of　particular　States；　but　as　a　county　or　other　limited　section　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　pri