the anti-slavery crusade-第4章

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rvation；　and　there　was　no　break　in　the　continuity　of　their　organized　abolition　societies。　Chief　among　the　objects　of　these　societies　was　the　effort　to　prevent　kidnapping　and　to　guard　the　rights　of　free　negroes。　For　both　of　these　purposes　there　was　a　continuous　call　for　activity。　Pennsylvania　also　had　freedmen　of　her　own　whose　rights　called　for　guardianship；　as　well　as　many　freedmen　from　farther　south　who　had　come　into　the　State。　The　movement　of　protest　and　protection　did　not　stop　at　Mason　and　Dixon's　Line；　but　extended　far　into　the　South。　In　both　North　Carolina　and　Tennessee　an　active　protest　against　slavery　was　at　all　times　maintained。　In　this　great　middle　section　of　the　country；　between　New　England　and　South　Carolina；　there　was　no　cessation　in　the　conflict　between　free　and　slave　labor。　Some　of　these　States　became　free　while　others　remained　slave；　but　between　the　people　of　the　two　sections　there　was　continuous　communication。　Slaveholders　came　into　free　States　to　liberate　their　slaves。　Non…slaveholders　came　to　get　rid　of　the　competition　of　slave　labor；　and　free　negroes　came　to　avoid　reenslavement。　Slaves　fled　thither　on　their　way　to　liberty。　It　was　not　a　matter　of　choice；　it　was　an　unavoidable　condition　which　compelled　the　people　of　the　border　States　to　give　continuous　attention　to　the　institution　of　slavery。　The　modern　anti…slavery　movement　had　its　origin　in　this　great　middle　section；　and　from　the　same　source　it　derived　its　chief　support。　The　great　body　of　active　abolitionists　were　from　the　slave　States　or　else　derived　their　inspiration　from　personal　contact　with　slavery。　As　compared　with　New　England　abolitionists；　the　middlestate　folk　were　less　extreme　in　their　views。　They　had　a　keener　appreciation　of　the　difficulties　involved　in　emancipation。　They　were　more　tolerant　towards　the　idea　of　letting　the　country　at　large　share　the　burdens　involved　in　the　liberation　of　the　slaves。　Border…state　abolitionists　naturally　favored　the　policy　of　gradual　emancipation　which　had　been　followed　in　New　York；　New　Jersey；　and　Pennsylvania。　Abolitionists　who　continued　to　reside　in　the　slave　States　were　forced　to　recognize　the　fact　that　emancipation　involved　serious　questions　of　race　adjustment。　From　the　border　States　came　the　colonization　society；　a　characteristic　institution；　as　well　as　compromise　of　every　variety。　The　southernmost　section；　including　South　Carolina；　Georgia；　and　the　Gulf　States；　was　even　more　sharply　defined　in　the　attitude　it　assumed　toward　the　anti…slavery　movement。　At　no　time　did　the　cause　of　emancipation　become　formidable　in　this　section。　In　all　these　States　there　was；　of　course；　a　large　class　of　non…slaveholding　whites；　who　were　opposed　to　slavery　and　who　realized　that　they　were　victims　of　an　injurious　system；　but　they　had　no　effective　organ　for　expression。　The　ruling　minority　gained　an　early　and　an　easy　victory　and　to　the　end　held　a　firm　hand。　To　the　inhabitants　of　this　section　it　appeared　to　be　a　self…evident　truth　that　the　white　race　was　born　to　rule　and　the　black　race　was　born　to　serve。　Where　negroes　outnumbered　the　whites　fourfold；　the　mere　suggestion　of　emancipation　raised　a　race　question　which　seemed　appalling　in　its　proportions。　Either　in　the　Union　or　out　of　the　Union；　the　rulers　were　determined　to　perpetuate　slavery。　Slavery　as　an　economic　institution　became　dependent　upon　a　few　semitropical　plantation　crops。　When　the　Constitution　was　framed；　rice　and　indigo；　produced　in　South　Carolina　and　Georgia；　were　the　two　most　important。　Indigo　declined　in　relative　importance；　and　the　production　of　sugar　was　developed；　especially　after　the　annexation　of　the　Louisiana　Purchase。　But　by　far　the　most　important　crop　for　its　effects　upon　slavery　and　upon　the　entire　country　was　cotton。　This　single　product　finally　absorbed　the　labor　of　half　the　slaves　of　the　entire　country。　Mr。　Rhodes　is　not　at　all　unreasonable　in　his　surmise　that；　had　it　not　been　for　the　unforeseen　development　of　the　cotton　industry；　the　expectation　of　the　founders　of　the　Republic　that　slavery　would　soon　disappear　would　actually　have　been　realized。　It　was　more　difficult　to　carry　out　a　policy　of　emancipation　when　slaves　were　quoted　in　the　market　at　a　thousand　dollars　than　when　the　price　was　a　few　hundred　dollars。　All　slave…owners　felt　richer；　emancipation　appeared　to　involve　a　greater　sacrifice。　Thus　the　cotton　industry　went　far　towards　accounting　for　the　changed　attitude　of　the　entire　country　on　the　subject　of　slavery。　The　North　as　well　as　the　South　became　financially　interested。　It　was　not　generally　perceived　before　it　actually　happened　that　the　border　States　would　take　the　place　of　Africa　in　furnishing　the　required　supply　of　laborers　for　Southern　plantations。　The　interstate　slave…trade　gave　to　the　system　a　solidarity　of　interest　which　was　new。　All　slave…owners　became　partakers　of　a　common　responsibility　for　the　system　as　a　whole。　It　was　the　newly　developed　trade　quite　as　much　as　the　system　of　slavery　itself　which　furnished　the　ground　for　the　later　anti…slavery　appeal。　The　consciousness　of　a　common　guilt　for　the　sin　of　slavery　grew　with　the　increase　of　actual　interstate　relations。　The　abolition　of　the　African　slave…trade　was　an　act　of　the　general　Government。　Congress　passed　the　prohibitory　statute　in　1807；　to　go　into　effect　January；　1808。　At　no　time；　however；　was　the　prohibition　entirely　effective；　and　a　limited　illegal　trade　continued　until　slavery　was　eventually　abolished。　This　inefficiency　of　restraint　furnished　another　point　of　attack　for　the　abolitionists。　Through　efforts　to　suppress　the　African　slave…trade；　the　entire　country　became　conscious　of　a　common　responsibility。　Before　the　Revolutionary　War；　Great　Britain　had　been　censured　for　forcing　cheap　slaves　from　Africa　upon　her　unwilling　colonies。　After　the　Revolution；　New　England　was　blamed　for　the　activity　of　her　citizens　in　this　nefarious　trade　both　before　and　after　it　was　made　illegal。　All　of　this　tended　to　increase　the　sense　of　responsibility　in　every　section　of　the　country。　Congress　had　made　the　foreign　slave…trade　illegal；　and　citizens　in　all　sections　gradually　became　aware　of　the　possibility　that　Congress　might　likewise　restrict　or　forbid　interstate　commerce　in　slaves。　The　West　Indies　and　Mexico　were　also　closely　associated　with　the　United　States　in　the　matter　of　slavery。　When　Jamestown　was　founded；　negro　slavery　was　already　an　old　institution　in　the　islands　of　the　Caribbean　Sea；　and　thence　came　the　first　slaves　to　Virginia。　The　abolition　of　slavery　in　the　island　of　Hayti；　or　San　Domingo；　was　accomplished　during　the　French　Revolution　and　the　Napoleonic　Wars。　As　incidental　to　the　process　of　emancipation；　the　Caucasian　inhabitants　were　massacred　or　banished；　and　a　republican　government　was　established；　composed　exclusively　of　negroes　and　mulattoes。　From　the　date　of　the　Missouri　Compromise　to　that　of　the　Mexican　War；　this　island　was　united　under　a　single　republic；　though　it　was　afterwards　divided　into　the　two　republics　of　Hayti　and　San　Domingo。　The　〃horrors　of　San　Domingo〃　were　never　absent　from　the　minds　of　those　in　the　United　States　who　lived　in　communities　composed　chiefly　of　slaves。　What　had　happened　on　the　island　was　accepted　by　Southern　planters　as　proof　that　the　two　races　could　live　together　in　peace　onl