the anti-slavery crusade-第2章

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：　〃He　has　waged　cruel　war　against　human　nature　itself；　violating　its　most　sacred　rights　of　life　and　liberty　in　the　persons　of　distant　people　who　never　offended　him；　captivating　and　carrying　them　into　slavery　in　another　hemisphere；　or　to　incur　miserable　death　in　their　transportation　thither。　This　piratical　warfare；　the　opprobrium　of　infidel　powers；　is　the　warfare　of　the　Christian　King　of　Great　Britain。　Determined　to　keep　open　a　market　where　men　should　be　bought　and　sold；　he　has　prostituted　his　negative　for　suppressing　every　legislative　attempt　to　prohibit　or　to　restrain　this　execrable　commerce。〃　Though　this　clause　was　omitted　from　the　document　as　finally　adopted；　the　evidence　is　abundant　that　the　language　expressed　the　prevailing　sentiment　of　the　country。　To　the　believer　in　liberty　and　equality；　slavery　and　the　slave…trade　are　instances　of　war　against　human　nature。　No　one　attempted　to　justify　slavery　or　to　reconcile　it　with　the　principles　of　free　government。　Slavery　was　accepted　as　an　inheritance　for　which　others　were　to　blame。　Colonists　at　first　blamed　Great　Britain；　later　apologists　for　slavery　blamed　New　England　for　her　share　in　the　continuance　of　the　slave…trade。　The　fact　should　be　clearly　comprehended　that　the　sentiments　which　led　to　the　American　Revolution；　and　later　to　the　French　Revolution　in　Europe；　were　as　broad　in　their　application　as　the　human　race　itselfthat　there　were　no　limitations　nor　exceptions。　These　new　principles　involved　a　complete　revolution　in　the　previously　recognized　principles　of　government。　The　French　sought　to　make　a　master…stroke　at　immediate　achievement　and　they　incurred　counterrevolutions　and　delays。　The　Americans　moved　in　a　more　moderate　and　tentative　manner　towards　the　great　achievement；　but　with　them　also　a　counter…revolution　finally　appeared　in　the　rise　of　an　influential　class　who；　by　openly　defending　slavery；　repudiated　the　principles　upon　which　the　government　was　founded。　At　first　the　impression　was　general；　in　the　South　as　well　as　in　the　North；　that　slavery　was　a　temporary　institution。　The　cause　of　emancipation　was　already　advocated　by　the　Society　of　Friends　and　some　other　sects。　A　majority　of　the　States　adopted　measures　for　the　gradual　abolition　of　slavery；　but　in　other　cases　there　proved　to　be　industrial　barriers　to　emancipation。　Slaves　were　found　to　be　profitably　employed　in　clearing　away　the　forests；　they　were　not　profitably　employed　in　general　agriculture。　A　marked　exception　was　found　in　small　districts　in　the　Carolinas　and　Georgia　where　indigo　and　rice　were　produced；　and　though　cotton　later　became　a　profitable　crop　for　slave　labor；　it　was　the　producers　of　rice　and　indigo　who　furnished　the　original　barrier　to　the　immediate　extension　of　the　policy　of　emancipation。　Representatives　from　their　States　secured　the　introduction　of　a　clause　into　the　Constitution　which　delayed　for　twenty　years　the　execution　of　the　will　of　the　country　against　the　African　slave…trade。　It　is　said　that　a　slave　imported　from　Africa　paid　for　himself　in　a　single　year　in　the　production　of　rice。　There　were　thus　a　few　planters　in　Georgia　and　the　Carolinas　who　had　an　obvious　interest　in　the　prolongation　of　the　institution　of　slavery　and　who　had　influence　enough；　to　secure　constitutional　recognition　for　both　slavery　and　the　slave…trade。　The　principles　involved　were　not　seriously　debated。　In　theory　all　were　abolitionists；　in　practice　slavery　extended　to　all　the　States。　In　some；　actual　abolition　was　comparatively　easy；　in　others；　it　was　difficult。　By　the　end　of　the　first　quarter　of　the　nineteenth　century；　actual　abolition　had　extended　to　the　line　separating　Pennsylvania　from　Maryland。　Of　the　original　thirteen　States　seven　became　free　and　six　remained　slave。　The　absence　of　ardent　or　prolonged　debate　upon　this　issue　in　the　early　history　of　the　United　States　is　easily　accounted　for。　No　principle　of　importance　was　drawn　into　the　controversy；　few　presumed　to　defend　slavery　as　a　just　or　righteous　institution。　As　to　conduct；　each　individual；　each　neighborhood　enjoyed　the　freedom　of　a　large；　roomy　country。　Even　within　state　lines　there　was　liberty　enough。　No　keen　sense　of　responsibility　for　a　uniform　state　policy　existed。　It　was　therefore　not　difficult　for　those　who　were　growing　wealthy　by　the　use　of　imported　negroes　to　maintain　their　privileges　in　the　State。　If　the　sense　of　active　responsibility　was　wanting　within　the　separate　States；　much　more　was　this　true　of　the　citizens　of　different　States。　Slavery　was　regarded　as　strictly　a　domestic　institution。　Families　bought　and　owned　slaves　as　a　matter　of　individual　preference。　None　of　the　original　colonies　or　States　adopted　slavery　by　law。　The　citizens　of　the　various　colonies　became　slaveholders　simply　because　there　was　no　law　against　it。*　The　abolition　of　slavery　was　at　first　an　individual　matter　or　a　church　or　a　state　policy。　When　the　Constitution　was　formulated；　the　separate　States　had　been　accustomed　to　regard　themselves　as　possessed　of　sovereign　powers；　hence　there　was　no　occasion　for　the　citizens　of　one　State　to　have　a　sense　of　responsibility　on　account　of　the　domestic　institutions　of　other　States。　The　consciousness　of　national　responsibility　was　of　slow　growth；　and　the　conditions　did　not　then　exist　which　favored　a　general　crusade　against　slavery　or　a　prolonged　acrimonious　debate　on　the　subject；　such　as　arose　forty　years　later。　*　In　the　case　of　Georgia　there　was　a　prohibitory　law；　which　was　disregarded。　In　many　of　the　States；　however；　there　were　organized　abolition　societies；　whose　object　was　to　promote　the　cause　of　emancipation　already　in　progress　and　to　protect　the　rights　of　free　negroes。　The　Friends；　or　Quakers；　were　especially　active　in　the　promotion　of　a　propaganda　for　universal　emancipation。　A　petition　which　was　presented　to　the　first　Congress　in　February；　1790；　with　the　signature　of　Benjamin　Franklin　as　President　of　the　Pennsylvania　Abolition　Society；　contained　this　concluding　paragraph　〃From　a　persuasion　that　equal　liberty　was　originally；　and　is　still；　the　birthright　of　all　men；　and　influenced　by　the　strong　ties　of　humanity　and　the　principles　of　their　institutions；　your　memorialists　conceive　themselves　bound　to　use　all　justifiable　endeavors　to　loosen　the　bonds　of　slavery；　and　to　promote　the　general　enjoyment　of　the　blessings　of　freedom。　Under　these　impressions　they　earnestly　entreat　your　attention　to　the　subject　of　slavery；　that　you　will　be　pleased　to　countenance　the　restoration　to　liberty　of　those　unhappy　men；　who；　alone；　in　this　land　of　freemen；　are　groaning　in　servile　subjection；　that　you　will　devise　means　for　removing　this　inconsistency　of　character　from　the　American　people；　that　you　will　promote　mercy　and　justice　towards　this　distressed　race；　and　that　you　will　step　to　the　very　verge　of　the　power　vested　in　you　for　discouraging　every　species　of　traffic　in　the　persons　of　our　fellowmen。〃*　*　William　Goodell；　〃Slavery　and　Anti…Slavery；〃　p。　99。　The　memorialists　were　treated　with　profound　respect。　Cordial　support　and　encouragement　came　from　representatives　from　Virginia　and　other　slave　States。　Opposition　was　expressed　by　members　from　South　Carolina　and　Georgia。　These　for　the　most　part　relied　upon　their　constitutional　guaranties。　But　for　these　guaranties；　said　Smith；　of　South　Caroli