the anti-slavery crusade-第34章

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evil。　Even　at　this　stage　the　party　had　assumed　such　proportions　that　it　was　likely　to　carry　the　ensuing　presidential　election。　Davis　and　Yancey；　the　chief　defenders　of　slavery；　were　at　the　same　time　reaching　a　definite　conclusion　as　to　what　should　follow　the　election　of　a　Republican　President。　And　that　conclusion　involved　nothing　less　than　the　fate　of　the　Union。

CHAPTER　XIV。　JOHN　BROWN　The　crusade　against　slavery　was　based　upon　the　assumption　that　slavery；　like　war；　is　an　abnormal　state　of　society。　As　the　tyrant　produces　the　assassin；　so　on　a　larger　scale　slavery　calls　forth　servile　insurrection；　or；　as　in　the　United　States；　an　implacable　struggle　between　free　white　persons　and　the　defenders　of　slavery。　The　propaganda　of　Southern　and　Western　abolitionists　had　as　a　primary　object　the　prevention　of　both　servile　insurrection　and　civil　war。　It　was　as　clear　to　Southern　abolitionists　in　the　thirties　as　it　was　to　Seward　and　Lincoln　in　the　fifties　that；　unless　the　newly　aroused　slave　power　should　be　effectively　checked；　a　terrible　civil　war　would　ensue。　To　forestall　this　dreaded　calamity；　they　freely　devoted　their　lives　and　fortunes。　Peaceable　emancipation　by　state　action；　according　to　the　original　program；　was　prevented　by　the　rise　of　a　sectional　animosity　which　beclouded　the　issue。　As　the　leadership　drifted　into　the　hands　of　extremists；　the　conservative　masses　were　confused；　misled；　or　deceived。　The　South　undoubtedly　became　the　victim　of　the　erroneous　teachings　of　alarmists　who　believed　that　the　anti…　slavery　North　intended；　by　unlawful　and　unconstitutional　federal　action；　to　abolish　slavery　in　all　the　States；　while　the　North　had　equally　exaggerated　notions　as　to　the　aggressive　intentions　of　the　South。　The　opposing　forces　finally　met　on　the　plains　of　Kansas；　and　extreme　Northern　opposition　became　personified　in　John　Brown　of　Osawatomie。　He　was　born　in　Connecticut　in　May；　1800；　of　New　England　ancestry；　the　sixth　generation　from　the　Mayflower。　A　Calvinist；　a　mystic；　a　Bible…reading　Puritan；　he　was　trained　to　anti…slavery　sentiments　in　the　family　of　Owen　Brown；　his　father。　He　passed　his　early　childhood　in　the　Western　Reserve　of　Ohio；　and　subsequently　moved　from　Ohio　to　New　York；　to　Pennsylvania；　to　Ohio　again；　to　Connecticut；　to　Massachusetts；　and　finally　to　New　York　once　more。　He　was　at　various　times　tanner；　farmer；　sheep…　raiser；　horse…breeder；wool…merchant；　and　a　follower　of　other　callings　as　well。　From　a　business　standpoint　he　may　be　regarded　as　a　failure；　for　he　had　been　more　than　once　a　bankrupt　and　involved　in　much　litigation。　He　was　twice　married　and　was　the　father　of　twenty　children；　eight　of　whom　died　in　infancy。　Until　the　Kansas　excitement　nothing　had　occurred　in　the　history　of　the　Brown　family　to　attract　public　attention。　John　Brown　was　not　conspicuous　in　anti…slavery　efforts　or　in　any　line　of　public　reform。　As　a　mere　lad　during　the　War　of　1812　he　accompanied　his　father；　who　was　furnishing　supplies　to　the　army；　and　thus　he　saw　much　of　soldiers　and　their　officers。　The　result　was　that　he　acquired　a　feeling　of　disgust　for　everything　military；　and　he　consistently　refused　to　perform　the　required　military　drill　until　he　had　passed　the　age　for　service。　Not　quite　in　harmony　with　these　facts　is　the　statement　that　he　was　a　great　admirer　of　Oliver　Cromwell；　and　Rhodes　says　of　him　that　he　admired　Nat　Turner；　the　leader　of　the　servile　insurrection　in　Virginia；　as　much　as　he　did　George　Washington。　There　seems　to　be　no　reason　to　doubt　the　testimony　of　the　members　of　his　family　that　John　Brown　always　cherished　a　lively　interest　in　the　African　race　and　a　deep　sympathy　with　them。　As　a　youth　he　had　chosen　for　a　companion　a　slave　boy　of　his　own　age；　to　whom　he　became　greatly　attached。　This　slave；　badly　clad　and　poorly　fed；　beaten　with　iron　shovel　or　anything　that　came　first　to　hand；　young　Brown　grew　to　regard　as　his　equal　if　not　his　superior。　And　it　was　the　contrast　between　their　respective　conditions　that　first　led　Brown　to　〃swear　eternal　war　with　slavery。〃　In　later　years　John　Brown；　Junior；　tells　us　that；　on　seeing　a　negro　for　the　first　time；　he　felt　so　great　a　sympathy　for　him　that　he　wanted　to　take　the　negro　home　with　him。　This　sympathy；　he　assures　us；　was　a　result　of　his　father's　teaching。　Upon　the　testimony　of　two　of　John　Brown's　sons　rests　the　oft…repeated　story　that　he　declared　eternal　war　against　slavery　and　also　induced　the　members　of　his　family　to　unite　with　him　in　formal　consecration　to　his　mission。　The　time　given　for　this　incident　is　previous　to　the　year　1840；　the　idea　that　he　was　a　divinely　chosen　agent　for　the　deliverance　of　the　slaves　was　of　later　development。　As　early　as　1834　Brown　had　shown　some　active　interest　in　the　education　of　negro　children；　first　in　Pennsylvania　and　later　in　Ohio。　In　1848　the　Brown　family　became　associated　with　an　enterprise　of　Gerrit　Smith　in　northern　New　York；　where　a　hundred　thousand　acres　of　land　were　offered　to　negro　families　for　settlement。　During　the　excitement　over　the　Fugitive　Slave　Act　of　1850　Brown　organized　among　the　colored　people　of　Springfield；　Massachusetts；　〃The　United　States　League　of　Gileadites。〃　As　an　organization　this　undertaking　proved　a　failure；　but　Brown's　formal　written　instructions　to　the　〃Gileadites〃　are　interesting　on　account　of　their　relation　to　what　subsequently　happened。　In　this　document；　by　referring　to　the　multitudes　who　had　suffered　in　their　behalf；　he　encouraged　the　negroes　to　stand　for　their　liberties。　He　instructed　them　to　be　armed　and　ready　to　rush　to　the　rescue　of　any　of　their　number　who　might　be　attacked：　〃Should　one　of　your　number　be　arrested；　you　must　collect　together　as　quickly　as　possible；　so　as　to　outnumber　your　adversaries　who　are　taking　an　active　part　against　you。　Let　no　able…bodied　man　appear　on　the　ground　unequipped；　or　with　his　weapons　exposed　to　view：　let　that　be　understood　beforehand。　Your　plans　must　be　known　only　to　yourself；　and　with　the　understanding　that　all　traitors　must　die；　wherever　caught　and　proven　to　be　guilty。　〃Whosoever　is　fearful　or　afraid；　let　him　return　and　depart　early　from　Mount　Gilead〃　（Judges；　vii。　3；　Deut。　xx。　8）。　Give　all　cowards　an　opportunity　to　show　it　on　condition　of　holding　their　peace。　Do　NOT　DELAY　ONE　MOMENT　AFTER　YOU　ARE　READY：　YOU　WILL　LOSE　ALL　YOUR　RESOLUTION　IF　YOU　DO。　LET　THE　FIRST　BLOW　BE　THE　SIGNAL　FOR　ALL　TO　ENGAGE：　AND　WHEN　ENGAGED　DO　NOT　DO　YOUR　WORK　BY　HALVES；　BUT　MAKE　CLEAN　WORK　WITH　YOUR　ENEMIES；AND　BE　SURE　YOU　MEDDLE　NOT　WITH　ANY　OTHERS。　By　going　about　your　business　quietly；　you　will　get　the　job　disposed　of　before　the　number　that　an　uproar　would　bring　together　can　collect；　and　you　will　have　the　advantage　of　those　who　come　out　against　you；　for　they　will　be　wholly　unprepared　with　either　equipments　or　matured　plans；　all　with　them　will　be　confusion　and　terror。　Your　enemies　will　be　slow　to　attack　you　after　you　have　done　up　the　work　nicely；　and　if　they　should；　they　will　have　to　encounter　your　white　friends　as　well　as　you；　for　you　may　safely　calculate　on　a　division　of　the　whites；　and　may　by　that　means　get　to　an　honorable　parley。〃　He　gives　here　a　distinct　suggestion　of　the　plans　and　methods　which　he　later　developed　and　extended。　When　Kansas　was　opened　for　settlement；　John　Brown　was　fifty…four　years　old。　Early　in　the　spr