the anti-slavery crusade-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


martyr。　And　the　murder　of　Lovejoy　in　1837　made　many　active　abolitionists。　It　is　difficult　to　imagine　a　more　inoffensive　practice　than　giving　to　negro　girls　the　rudiments　of　an　education。　Yet　a　school　for　this　purpose；　taught　by　Miss　Prudence　Crandall　in　Canterbury；　Connecticut；　was　broken　up　by　persistent　persecution；　a　special　act　of　the　Legislature　being　passed　for　the　purpose；　forbidding　the　teaching　of　negroes　from　outside　the　State　without　the　consent　of　the　town　authorities。　Under　this　act　Miss　Crandall　was　arrested；　convicted；　and　imprisoned。　Having　eliminated　free　discussion　from　the　South；　the　Southern　States　sought　to　accomplish　the　same　object　in　the　North。　In　pursuance　of　a　resolution　of　the　Legislature；　the　Governor　of　Georgia　offered　a　reward　of　five　thousand　dollars　to　any　one　who　should　arrest；　bring　to　trial；　and　prosecute　to　conviction　under　the　laws　of　Georgia　the　editor　of　the　Liberator。　R。　G。　Williams；　publishing　agent　for　the　American　Anti…Slavery　Society；　was　indicted　by　a　grand　jury　of　Tuscaloosa　County；　Alabama；　and　Governor　Gayle　of　Alabama　made　a　requisition　on　Governor　Marcy　of　New　York　for　his　extradition。　Williams　had　never　been　in　Alabama。　His　offense　consisted　in　publishing　in　the　New　York　Emancipator　a　few　rather　mild　utterances　against　slavery。　Governor　McDuffie　of　South　Carolina　in　an　official　message　declared　that　slavery　was　the　very　corner…stone　of　the　republic；　adding　that　the　laboring　population　of　any　country；　〃bleached　or　unbleached；〃　was　a　dangerous　element　in　the　body　politic；　and　predicting　that　within　twenty…five　years　the　laboring　people　of　the　North　would　be　virtually　reduced　to　slavery。　Referring　to　abolitionists；　he　said：　〃The　laws　of　every　community　should　punish　this　species　of　interference　with　death　without　benefit　of　clergy。〃　Pursuant　to　the　Governor's　recommendation；　the　Legislature　adopted　a　resolution　calling　upon　non…slaveholding　States　to　pass　laws　to　suppress　promptly　and　effectively　all　abolition　societies。　In　nearly　all　the　slave　States　similar　resolutions　were　adopted；　and　concerted　action　against　anti…slavery　effort　was　undertaken。　During　the　winter　of　1835　and　1836；　the　Governors　of　the　free　States　received　these　resolutions　from　the　South　and；　instead　of　resenting　them　as　an　uncalled…for　interference　with　the　rights　of　free　commonwealths；　they　treated　them　with　respect。　Edward　Everett；　Governor　of　Massachusetts；　in　his　message　presenting　the　Southern　documents　to　the　Legislature；　said：　〃Whatever　by　direct　and　necessary　operation　is　calculated　to　excite　an　insurrection　among　the　slaves　has　been　held；　by　highly　respectable　legal　authority；　an　offense　against　this　Commonwealth　which　may　be　prosecuted　as　a　misdemeanor　at　common　law。〃　Governor　Marcy　of　New　York；　in　a　like　document；　declared　that　〃without　the　power　to　pass　such　laws　the　States　would　not　possess　all　the　necessary　means　for　preserving　their　external　relations　of　peace　among　themselves。〃　Even　before　the　Southern　requests　reached　Rhode　Island；　the　Legislature　had　under　consideration　a　bill　to　suppress　abolition　societies。　When　a　committee　of　the　Massachusetts　Legislature　had　been　duly　organized　to　consider　the　documents　received　from　the　slave　States；　the　abolitionists　requested　the　privilege　of　a　hearing　before　the　committee。　Receiving　no　reply；　they　proceeded　to　formulate　a　statement　of　their　case；　but　before　they　could　publish　it；　they　were　invited　to　appear　before　the　joint　committee　of　the　two　houses。　The　public　had　been　aroused　by　the　issue　and　there　was　a　large　audience。　The　case　for　the　abolitionists　was　stated　by　their　ablest　speakers；　among　whom　was　William　Lloyd　Garrison。　They　labored　to　convince　the　committee　that　their　utterances　were　not　incendiary；　and　that　any　legislative　censure　directed　against　them　would　be　an　encouragement　to　mob　violence　and　the　persecution　which　was　already　their　lot。　After　the　defensive　arguments　had　been　fully　presented；　William　Goodell　took　the　floor　and　proceeded　to　charge　upon　the　Southern　States　which　had　made　these　demands　a　conspiracy　against　the　liberties　of　the　North。　In　the　midst　of　great　excitement　and　many　interruptions　by　the　chairman　of　the　committee；　he　quoted　the　language　of　Governor　McDuffie's　message；　and　characterized　the　documents　lying　on　the　table　before　him　as　〃fetters　for　Northern　freemen。〃　Then；　turning　to　the　committee；　he　began；　〃Mr。　Chairman；　are　you　prepared　to　attempt　to　put　them　on？〃but　the　sentence　was　only　half　finished　when　the　stentorian　voice　of　the　chairman　interrupted　him：　〃Sit　down；　sir！〃　and　he　sat　down。　The　committee　then　arose　and　left　the　room。　But　the　audience　did　not　rise；　they　waited　till　other　abolitionists　found　their　tongues　and　gave　expression　to　a　fixed　determination　to　uphold　the　liberties　purchased　for　them　by　the　blood　of　their　fathers。　The　Massachusetts　Legislature　did　not　comply　with　the　request　of　Governor　McDuffie　of　South　Carolina　to　take　the　first　step　towards　the　enslavement　of　all　laborers；　white　as　well　as　black。　And　Rhode　Island　refused　to　enact　into　law　the　pending　bill　for　the　suppression　of　anti…slavery　societies。　They　declined　to　violate　the　plain　requirements　of　their　Constitution　that　the　interests　of　slavery　might　be　promoted。　Not　many　years　later　they　were　ready　to　strain　or　break　the　Constitution　for　the　sake　of　liberty。　In　the　general　crusade　against　liberty　churches　proved　more　pliable　than　States。　The　authority　of　nearly　all　the　leading　denominations　was　directed　against　the　abolitionists。　The　General　Conference　of　the　Methodist　Episcopal　Church　passed　in　1836　a　resolution　censuring　two　of　their　members　who　had　lectured　in　favor　of　modern　abolitionism。　The　Ohio　Conference　of　the　same　denomination　had　passed　resolutions　urging　resistance　to　the　anti…slavery　movement。　In　June；　1836；　the　New　York　Conference　decided　that　no　one　should　be　chosen　as　deacon　or　elder　who　did　not　give　pledge　that　he　would　refrain　from　agitating　the　church　on　the　subject。　The　same　spirit　appeared　in　theological　seminaries。　The　trustees　of　Lane　Seminary；　near　Cincinnati；　Ohio；　voted　that　students　should　not　organize　or　be　members　of　anti…slavery　societies　or　hold　meetings　or　lecture　or　speak　on　the　subject。　Whereupon　the　students　left　in　a　body；　and　many　of　the　professors　withdrew　and　united　with　others　in　the　founding　of　an　anti…slavery　college　at　Oberlin。　A　persistent　attack　was　also　directed　against　the　use　of　the　United　States　mails　for　the　distribution　of　anti…slavery　literature。　Mob　violence　which　involved　the　post…office　began　as　early　as　1830；　when　printed　copies　of　Miss　Grimke's　Appeal　to　the　Christian　Women　of　the　South　were　seized　and　burned　in　Charleston。　In　1835　large　quantities　of　anti…slavery　literature　were　removed　from　the　Charleston　office　and　in　the　presence　of　the　assembled　citizens　committed　to　the　flames。　Postmasters　on　their　own　motion　examined　the　mails　and　refused　to　deliver　any　matter　that　they　deemed　incendiary。　Amos　Kendall；　Postmaster…General；　was　requested　to　issue　an　order　authorizing　such　conduct。　He　replied　that　he　had　no　legal　authority　to　issue　such　an　order。　Yet　he　would　not　recommend　the　delivery　of　such　papers。　〃We　owe；〃　said　he；　〃an　obligation　to　the　laws；　but　a　higher　one　to　the　com