the anti-slavery crusade-第20章

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log。　From　the　conversation　overheard；　they　were　assured　that　they　had　narrowly　escaped　the　night…riders　on　the　lookout　for　stray　negroes。　The　next　year；　1822；　Coffin　himself　joined　a　party　going　to　Indiana　by　the　southern　route　through　Tennessee　and　Kentucky。　In　the　latter　State　they　were　at　one　time　overtaken　by　men　who　professed　to　be　looking　for　a　pet　dog；　but　whose　real　purpose　was　to　recover　runaway　slaves。　They　insisted　upon　examining　the　contents　of　the　wagons；　for　in　this　way　only　a　short　time　previous　a　fugitive　had　been　captured。　These　incidents　show　the　origin　of　the　system。　The　first　case　of　assistance　rendered　a　negro　was　not　in　itself　illegal；　but　was　intended　merely　to　prevent　the　crime　of　kidnapping。　The　second　was　illegal　in　form；　but　the　aid　was　given　to　one　who；　having　been　set　free　by　will；　was　being　reenslaved；　it　was　believed；　by　an　unjust　decision　of　a　court。　The　third　was　a　case　of　outrageous　abuse　on　the　part　of　the　owner。　The　negro　Sam　had　himself　gone　to　a　trader　begging　that　he　would　buy　him　and　preferring　to　take　his　chances　on　a　Mississippi　plantation　rather　than　return　to　his　master。　The　trader　offered　the　customary　price　and　was　met　with　the　reply　that　he　could　have　the　rascal　if　he　would　wait　until　after　the　enraged　owner　had　taken　his　revenge；　otherwise　the　price　would　be　twice　the　amount　offered。　A　large　proportion　of　the　fugitives　belonged　to　this　maltreated　class。　Others　were　goaded　to　escape　by　the　prospect　of　deportation　to　the　Gulf　States。　The　fugitives　generally　followed　the　beaten　line　of　travel　to　the　North　and　West。　In　1826　Levi　Coffin　became　a　merchant　in　Newport；　Indiana；　a　town　near　the　Ohio　line　not　far　from　Richmond。　In　the　town　and　in　its　neighborhood　lived　a　large　number　of　free　negroes　who　were　the　descendants　of　former　slaves　whom　North　Carolina　Quakers　had　set　free　and　had　colonized　in　the　new　country。　Coffin　found　that　these　blacks　were　accustomed　to　assist　fugitives　on　their　way　to　Canada。　When　he　also　learnt　that　some　had　been　captured　and　returned　to　bondage　merely　through　lack　of　skill　on　the　part　of　the　negroes；　he　assumed　active　operations　as　a　conductor　on　the　Underground　Railroad。　Coffin　used　the　Underground　Railroad　as　a　means　of　making　converts　to　the　cause。　One　who　berated　him　for　negro…stealing　was　adroitly　induced　to　meet　a　newly　arrived　passenger　and　listen　to　his　pathetic　story。　At　the　psychological　moment　the　objector　was　skillfully　led　to　hand　the　fugitive　a　dollar　to　assist　him　in　reaching　a　place　of　safety。　Coffin　then　explained　to　this　benevolent　non…abolitionist　the　nature　of　his　act；　assuring　him　that　he　was　liable　to　heavy　damages　therefor。　The　reply　was　in　this　case　more　forcible　than　elegant：　〃Damn　it！　You've　got　me！〃　This　conversion　he　publicly　proclaimed　for　the　sake　of　its　influence　upon　others。　Many　were　the　instances　in　which　those　of　supposed　pro…slavery　convictions　were　brought　face　to　face　with　an　actual　case　of　the　threatened　reenslavement　of　a　human　being　escaping　from　bondage　and　were；　to　their　own　surprise；　overcome　by　the　natural；　humane　sentiment　which　asserted　itself。　For　example；　a　Cincinnati　merchant；　who　at　the　time　was　supposed　to　be　assisting　one　of　his　Southern　customers　to　recover　an　escaped　fugitive；　was　confronted　at　his　own　home　by　the　poor　half…starved　victim。　Yielding　to　the　impulse　of　compassion；　he　gave　the　slave　food　and　personal　assistance　and　directed　the　destitute　creature　to　a　place　of　refuge。　The　division　in　the　Quaker　meeting　in　Indiana　with　which　Levi　Coffin　was　intimately　associated　may　serve　to　exemplify　a　corresponding　attitude　in　other　churches　on　the　question　of　slavery。　The　Quakers　availed　themselves　of　the　first　great　anti…　slavery　movement　to　rid　themselves　completely　of　the　burden。　Their　Society　itself　became　an　anti…slavery　organization。　Yet　even　so　the　Friends　had　differences　of　opinion　as　to　fit　methods　of　action。　Not　only　did　many　of　them　disapprove　of　rendering　aid　to　fugitives　but　they　also　objected　to　the　use　of　the　meetinghouses　for　anti…slavery　lectures。　The　formation　of　the　Liberty　party　served　to　accentuate　the　division。　The　great　body　of　the　Friends　were　anti…slavery　Whigs。　A　crisis　in　the　affairs　of　the　Society　of　Friends　in　the　State　of　Indiana　was　reached　in　1843　when　the　radicals　seceded　and　organized　an　independent　〃Anti…Slavery　Friends　Society。〃　Immediately　there　appeared　in　numerous　localities　duplicate　Friends'　meeting…houses。　In　and　around　one　of　these；　distinguished　as　〃Liberty　Hall；〃　were　gathered　those　whose　supreme　religious　interest　was　directed　against　the　sin　of　slavery。　Never　was　there　a　church　division　which　involved　less　bad　blood　or　sense　of　injury　or　injustice。　Members　of　the　same　family　attended　separate　churches　without　the　least　difference　in　their　cordial　relations。　No　important　principle　was　involved；　there　were　apparently　good　reasons　for　both　lines　of　policy；　and　each　party　understood　and　respected　the　other's　position。　After　the　adoption　of　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law　of　1850　and　the　passing　of　the　Whig　party；　these　differences　disappeared；　the　separate　organization　was　disbanded；　and　all　Friends'　meetinghouses　became　〃liberty　halls。〃　The　disposition　to　aid　the　fugitive　was　by　no　means　confined　to　the　North　nor　to　Quakers　in　the　South。　Richard　Dillingham；　a　young　Quaker　who　had　yielded　to　the　solicitations　of　escaped　fugitives　in　Cincinnati　and　had　undertaken　a　mission　to　Nashville；　Tennessee；　to　rescue　their　relatives　from　a　〃hard　master；〃　was　arrested　with　three　stolen　slaves　on　his　hands。　He　made　confession　in　open　court　and　frankly　explained　his　motives。　The　Nashville　Daily　Gazette　of　April　13；　1849；　has　words　of　commendation　for　the　prisoner　and　his　family　and　states　that　〃he　was　not　without　the　sympathy　of　those　who　attended　the　trial。〃　Though　Dillingham　committed　a　crime　to　which　the　death　penalty　was　attached　in　some　of　the　States；　the　jury　affixed　the　minimum　penalty　of　three　years'　imprisonment　for　the　offense。　As　Nashville　was　far　removed　from　Quaker　influence　or　any　sort　of　anti…slavery　propaganda；　Dillingham　was　himself　astonished　and　was　profoundly　grateful　for　the　leniency　shown　him　by　Court；　jury；　and　prosecutors。　This　incident　occurred　in　the　year　before　the　adoption　of　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law　of　1850。　It　is　well　known　that　in　all　times　and　places　which　were　free　from　partizan　bitterness　there　was　a　general　natural　sympathy　for　those　who　imperiled　their　life　and　liberty　to　free　the　slave。　Throughout　the　South　men　of　both　races　were　ready　to　give　aid　to　slaves　seeking　to　escape　from　dangers　or　burdens　which　they　regarded　as　intolerable。　While　such　a　man　as　Frederick　Douglass；　when　still　a　slave；　was　an　agent　of　the　Underground　Railroad；　Southern　anti…　slavery　people　themselves　were　to　a　large　extent　the　original　projectors　of　the　movement。　Even　members　of　the　families　of　slaveholders　have　been　known　to　assist　fugitives　in　their　escape　to　the　North。　The　fugitives　traveled　in　various　ways　which　were　determined　partly　by　geographical　conditions　and　partly　by　the　character　of　the　inhabitants　of　a　region。　On　the　Atlantic　coast；　from　Florida　to　Delaware；　slaves　were　concealed　in　ships　and　were　thus　conveyed　to　free　States。　Thence　some　made　their　way　towards　Canad