north america-2-第20章

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for　the　President　there　are　chosen　not　by　the　people；　but　by　the　legislature；　and　the　votes　for　the　legislature　are　limited　by　a　high　property　qualification。　　A　high　property　qualification　is　required　for　a　member　of　the　House　of　Representatives　in　South　Carolina；　four　hundred　freehold　acres　of　land　and　ten　negroes　is　one　qualification。　　Five　hundred　pounds　clear　of　debt　is　another　qualification；　for；　where　a　sum　of　money　is　thus　named；　it　is　given　in　English　money。　　Russia　and　England　are　not　more　unlike　in　their　political　and　social　feelings　than　are　the　real　slave　States　and　the　real　free…soil　States。　　The　gentlemen　from　one　and　from　the　other　side　of　the　line　have　met　together　on　neutral　ground；　and　have　discussed　political　matters　without　flying　frequently　at　each　other's　throats；　while　the　great　question　on　which　they　differed　was　allowed　to　slumber。　　But　the　awakening　has　been　coming　by　degrees；　and　now　the　South　had　felt　that　it　was　come。　Old　John　Brown；　who　did　his　best　to　create　a　servile　insurrection　at　Harper's　Ferry；　has　been　canonized　through　the　North　and　West；　to　the　amazement　and　horror　of　the　South。　　The　decision　in　the　〃Dred　Scott〃　case；　given　by　the　Chief　Justice　of　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　States；　has　been　received　with　shouts　of　execration　through　the　North　and　West。　　The　Southern　gentry　have　been　Uncle…Tommed　into　madness。　　It　is　no　light　thing　to　be　told　daily　by　your　fellow…　citizens；　by　your　fellow…representatives；　by　your　fellow…senators；　that　you　are　guilty　of　the　one　damning　sin　that　cannot　be　forgiven。　All　this　they　could　partly　moderate；　partly　rebuke；　and　partly　bear　as　long　as　political　power　remained　in　their　hands；　but　they　have　gradually　felt　that　that　was　going；　and　were　prepared　to　cut　the　rope　and　run　as　soon　as　it　was　gone。　Such；　according　to　my　ideas；　have　been　the　causes　of　the　war。　　But　I　cannot　defend　the　South。　　As　long　as　they　could　be　successful　in　their　schemes　for　holding　the　political　power　of　the　nation；　they　were　prepared　to　hold　by　the　nation。　　Immediately　those　schemes　failed；　they　were　prepared　to　throw　the　nation　overboard。　　In　this　there　has　undoubtedly　been　treachery　as　well　as　rebellion。　　Had　these　politicians　been　honestthough　the　political　growth　of　Washington　has　hardly　admitted　of　political　honestybut　had　these　politicians　been　even　ordinarily　respectable　in　their　dishonesty；　they　would　have　claimed　secession　openly　before　Congress；　while　yet　their　own　President　was　at　the　White　House。　　Congress　would　not　have　acceded。　　Congress　itself　could　not　have　acceded　under　the　Constitution；　but　a　way　would　have　been　found；　had　the　Southern　States　been　persistent　in　their　demand。　　A　way；　indeed；　has　been　found；　but　it　has　lain　through　fire　and　water；　through　blood　and　ruin；　through　treason　and　theft；　and　the　downfall　of　national　greatness。　　Secession　will；　I　think；　be　accomplished；　and　the　Southern　Confederation　of　States　will　stand　something　higher　in　the　world　than　Mexico　and　the　republics　of　Central　America。　　Her　cotton　monopoly　will　have　vanished；　and　her　wealth　will　have　been　wasted。　I　think　that　history　will　agree　with　me　in　saying　that　the　Northern　States　had　no　alternative　but　war。　　What　concession　could　they　make？　Could　they　promise　to　hold　their　peace　about　slavery？　　And　had　they　so　promised；　would　the　South　have　believed　them？　　They　might　have　conceded　secession；　that　is；　they　might　have　given　all　that　would　have　been　demanded。　　But　what　individual　chooses　to　yield　to　such　demands。　　And　if　not　an　individual；　then　what　people　will　do　so？　But；　in　truth；　they　could　not　have　yielded　all　that　was　demanded。　Had　secession　been　granted　to　South　Carolina　and　Georgia；　Virginia　would　have　been　coerced　to　join　those　States　by　the　nature　of　her　property；　and　with　Virginia　Maryland　would　have　gone；　and　Washington；　the　capital。　　What　may　be　the　future　line　of　division　between　the　North　and　the　South；　I　will　not　pretend　to　say；　but　that　line　will　probably　be　dictated　by　the　North。　　It　may　still　be　hoped　that　Missouri；　Kentucky；　Virginia；　and　Maryland　will　go　with　the　North；　and　be　rescued　from　slavery。　　But　had　secession　been　yielded；　had　the　prestige　of　success　fallen　to　the　lot　of　the　South；　those　States　must　have　become　Southern。　While　on　the　subject　of　slaveryfor　in　discussing　the　cause　of　the　war；　slavery　is　the　subject　that　must　be　discussedI　cannot　forbear　to　say　a　few　words　about　the　negroes　of　the　North　American　States。　The　Republican　party　of　the　North　is　divided　into　two　sections；　of　which　one　may　be　called　abolitionist；　and　the　other　non…　abolitionist。　　Mr。　Lincoln's　government　presumes　itself　to　belong　to　the　latter；　though　its　tendencies　toward　abolition　are　very　strong。　The　abolition　party　is　growing　in　strength　daily。　　It　is　but　a　short　time　since　Wendell　Phillips　could　not　lecture　in　Boston　without　a　guard　of　police。　　Now；　at　this　moment　of　my　writing；　he　is　a　popular　hero。　　The　very　men　who；　five　years　since；　were　accustomed　to　make　speeches；　strong　as　words　could　frame　them；　against　abolition；　are　now　turning　round；　and；　if　not　preaching　abolition；　are　patting　the　backs　of　those　who　do　so。　　I　heard　one　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　cabinet　declare　old　John　Brown　to　be　a　hero　and　a　martyr。　　All　the　Protestant　Germans　are　abolitionistsand　they　have　become　so　strong　a　political　element　in　the　country　that　many　now　declare　that　no　future　President　can　be　elected　without　their　aid。　　The　object　is　declared　boldly。　　No　long　political　scheme　is　asked　for；　but　instant　abolition　is　wanted；　abolition　to　be　declared　while　yet　the　war　is　raging。　　Let　the　slaves　of　all　rebels　be　declared　free；　and　all　slaveowners　in　the　seceding　States　are　rebels！　One　cannot　but　ask　what　abolition　means；　and　to　what　it　would　lead。　Any　ordinance　of　abolition　now　pronounced　would　not　effect　the　emancipation　of　the　slaves；　but　might　probably　effect　a　servile　insurrection。　　I　will　not　accuse　those　who　are　preaching　this　crusade　of　any　desire　for　so　fearful　a　scourge　on　the　land。　　They　probably　calculate　that　an　edict　of　abolition　once　given　would　be　so　much　done　toward　the　ultimate　winning　of　the　battle。　　They　are　making　their　hay　while　their　sun　shines。　　But　if　they　could　emancipate　those　four　million　slaves；　in　what　way　would　they　then　treat　them？　　How　would　they　feed　them？　　In　what　way　would　they　treat　the　ruined　owners　of　the　slaves；　and　the　acres　of　land　which　would　lie　uncultivated？　　Of　all　subjects　with　which　a　man　may　be　called　on　to　deal；　it　is　the　most　difficult。　　But　a　New　England　abolitionist　talks　of　it　as　though　no　more　were　required　than　an　open　path　for　his　humanitarian　energies。　　〃I　could　arrange　it　all　to…morrow　morning；〃　a　gentleman　said　to　me；　who　is　well　known　for　his　zeal　in　this　cause！　Arrange　it　all　to…morrow　morningabolition　of　slavery　having　become　a　fact　during　the　night！　　I　should　not　envy　that　gentleman　his　morning's　work。　　It　was　bad　enough　with　us；　but　what　were　our　numbers　compared　with　those　of　the　Southern　States？　　We　paid　a　price　for　the　slaves；　but　no　price　is　to　be　paid　in　this　case。　　The　value　of　the　property　would　probably　be　lowly　estimated　at　100l。　a　piece　for　men；　women；　and　children；　or　4；000；000l。　sterling　for　the　whole　population。　　They　form　the　wealth　of　the　S