the anti-slavery crusade-第30章

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nce　before　the　punishment　was　completed。　Toombs　of　Georgia　witnessed　a　part　of　the　assault　and　expressed　approval　of　the　act；　and　everywhere　throughout　the　South；　in　the　public　press；　in　legislative　halls；　in　public　meetings；　Brooks　was　hailed　as　a　hero。　The　resolution　for　his　expulsion　introduced　in　the　House　received　the　support　of　only　one　vote　from　south　of　Mason　and　Dixon's　Line。　A　large　majority　favored　the　resolution；　but　not　the　required　two…thirds　majority。　Brooks；　however；　thought　best　to　resign　but　was　triumphantly　returned　to　his　seat　with　only　six　votes　against　him。　Nothing　was　left　undone　to　express　Southern　gratitude；　and　he　received　gifts　of　canes　innumerable　as　symbols　of　his　valor。　Yet　before　his　death；　which　occurred　in　the　following　January；　he　confessed　to　his　friend　Orr　that　he　was　sick　of　being　regarded　as　the　representative　of　bullies　and　disgusted　at　receiving　testimonials　of　their　esteem。　With　similar　unanimity　the　North　condemned　and　resented　the　assault　that　had　been　made　upon　Sumner。　From　party　considerations；　if　for　no　other　reasons；　Democrats　regretted　the　event。　Republicans　saw　in　the　brutal　attack　and　in　the　manner　of　its　reception　in　the　South　another　evidence　of　the　irrepressible　conflict　between　slavery　and　freedom。　They　were　ready　to　take　up　the　issue　so　forcibly　presented　by　their　fallen　leader。　A　part　of　the　regular　order　of　exercises　at　public　meetings　of　Republicans　was　to　express　sympathy　with　their　wounded　champion　and　with　the　Kansas　people　of　the　pillaged　town　of　Lawrence；　and　to　adopt　ways　and　means　to　bring　to　an　end　the　Administration　which　they　held　responsible　for　these　outrages。　Sumner；　though　silenced；　was　eloquent　in　a　new　and　more　effective　way。　A　half　million　copies　of　〃The　Crime　against　Kansas〃　were　printed　and　circulated。　On　the　issue　thus　presented；　Northern　Democrats　became　convinced　that　their　defeat　at　the　pending　election　was　certain；　and　their　leaders　instituted　the　change　in　their　program　which　has　been　described　in　a　previous　chapter。　They　had　made　an　end　of　the　war　in　Kansas　and　drew　from　their　candidate　for　the　Presidency　the　assurance　that　just　treatment　should　at　last　be　meted　out　to　harassed　Kansas。　Though　Sumner's　injuries　were　at　first　regarded　as　slight；　they　eventually　proved　to　be　extremely　serious。　After　two　attempts　to　resume　his　place　in　the　Senate；　he　found　that　he　was　unable　to　remain；　yet　when　his　term　expired；　he　was　almost　unanimously　reelected。　Much　of　his　time　for　three　and　a　half　years　he　spent　in　Europe。　In　December；　1859；　he　seemed　sufficiently　recovered　to　resume　senatorial　duties；　but　it　was　not　until　the　following　June　that　he　again　addressed　the　Senate。　On　that　occasion　he　delivered　his　last　great　philippic　against　slavery。　The　subject　under　discussion　was　still　the　admission　of　Kansas　as　a　free　State；　and；　as　he　remarked　in　his　opening　sentences；　he　resumed　the　discussion　precisely　where　he　had　left　off　more　than　four　years　before。　Sumner　had　assumed　the　task　of　uttering　a　final　word　against　slavery　as　barbarism　and　a　barrier　to　civilization。　He　spoke　under　the　impelling　power　of　a　conviction　in　his　God…given　mission　to　utilize　a　great　occasion　to　the　full　and　for　a　noble　end。　For　this　work　his　whole　life　had　been　a　preparation。　Accustomed　from　early　youth　to　spend　ten　hours　a　day　with　books　on　law；　history；　and　classic　literature；　he　knew　as　no　other　man　then　knew　what　aid　the　past　could　offer　to　the　struggle　for　freedom。　The　bludgeon　of　the　would…be　assassin　had　not　impaired　his　memory；　and　four　years　of　enforced　leisure　enabled　him　to　fulfill　his　highest　ideals　of　perfect　oratorical　form。　Personalities　he　eliminated　from　this　final　address；　and　blemishes　he　pruned　away。　In　his　earlier　speeches　he　had　been　limited　by　the　demands　of　the　particular　question　under　discussion；　but　in　〃The　Barbarism　of　Slavery〃　he　was　free　to　deal　with　the　general　subject；　and　he　utilized　incidents　in　American　slavery　to　demonstrate　the　general　upward　trend　of　history。　The　orator　was　sustained　by　the　full　consciousness　that　his　utterances　were　in　harmony　with　the　grand　sweep　of　historic　truth　as　well　as　with　the　spirit　of　the　present　age。　Sumner　was　not　a　party　man　and　was　at　no　time　in　complete　harmony　with　his　coworkers。　It　was　always　a　question　whether　his　speeches　had　a　favorable　effect　upon　the　immediate　action　of　Congress；　there　can；　however；　be　no　doubt　of　the　fact　that　the　larger　public　was　edified　and　influenced。　Copies　of　〃The　Crime　against　Kansas〃　and　〃The　Barbarism　of　Slavery〃　were　printed　and　circulated　by　the　million　and　were　eagerly　read　from　beginning　to　end。　They　gave　final　form　to　the　thoughts　and　utterances　of　many　political　leaders　both　in　America　and　in　Europe。　More　than　any　other　man　it　was　Charles　Sumner　who；　with　a　wealth　of　historical　learning　and　great　skill　in　forensic　art；　put　the　irrepressible　conflict　between　slavery　and　freedom　in　its　proper　setting　in　human　history。

CHAPTER　XII。　KANSAS　AND　BUCHANAN　In　view　of　the　presidential　election　of　1856　Northern　Democrats　entertained　no　doubts　that　Kansas；　now　occupied　by　a　majority　of　free…state　men；　would　be　received　as　a　free　State　without　further　ado。　The　case　was　different　with　the　Democrats　of　western　Missouri；　already　for　ten　years　in　close　touch　with　those　Southern　leaders　who　were　determined　either　to　secure　new　safeguards　for　slavery　or　to　form　an　independent　confederacy。　Their　program　was　to　continue　their　efforts　to　make　Kansas　a　slave　State　or　at　least　to　maintain　the　disturbance　there　until　the　conditions　appeared　favorable　for　secession。　In　February；　1857；　the　pro…slavery　territorial　Legislature　provided　for　the　election　of　delegates　to　a　constitutional　convention；　but　Governor　Geary　vetoed　the　act　because　no　provision　was　made　for　submitting　the　proposed　constitution　to　the　vote　of　the　people。　The　bill　was　passed　over　his　veto；　and　arrangements　were　made　for　registration　which　free…state　men　regarded　as　imperfect；　inadequate；　or　fraudulent。　President　Buchanan　undoubtedly　intended　to　do　full　justice　to　the　people　of　Kansas。　To　this　end　he　chose　Robert　J。　Walker；　a　Mississippi　Democrat；　as　Governor　of　Kansas。　Walker　was　a　statesman　of　high　rank；　who　had　been　associated　with　Buchanan　in　the　Cabinet　of　James　K。　Polk。　Three　times　he　refused　to　accept　the　office　and　finally　undertook　the　mission　only　from　a　sense　of　duty。　Being　aware　of　the　fate　of　Governor　Geary；　Walker　insisted　on　an　explicit　understanding　with　Buchanan　that　his　policies　should　not　be　repudiated　by　the　federal　Administration。　Late　in　May　he　went　to　Kansas　with　high　hopes　and　expectations。　But　the　free…state　party　had　persisted　in　the　repudiation　of　a　Government　which　had　been　first　set　up　by　an　invading　army　and；　as　they　alleged；　had　since　then　been　perpetuated　by　fraud。　They　had　absolutely　refused　to　take　part　in　any　election　called　by　that　Government　and　had　continued　to　keep　alive　their　own　legislative　assembly。　Despite　Walker's　efforts　to　persuade　them　to　take　part　in　the　election　of　delegates　to　the　constitutional　convention；　they　resolutely　held　aloof。　Yet；　as　they　became　convinced　that　he　was　acting　in　good　faith；　they　did　participate　in　the　October　elections　to　the　territorial　Legislature；　electing