第 36 节
作者:翱翔1981      更新:2021-02-19 00:45      字数:9322
  mind; is manifestly unjust。  After an angry and dangerous
  controversy; the parties made friends by dividing the bone of
  contention。  The one party first appropriates her own share;
  beyond all power to be disturbed in the possession of it; and
  then seizes the share of the other party。  It is as if two
  starving men had divided their only loaf; the one had hastily
  swallowed his half; and then grabbed the other's half just as he
  was putting it to his mouth。
  Let me here drop the main argument; to notice what I consider
  rather an inferior matter。  It is argued that slavery will not go
  to Kansas and Nebraska; in any event。  This is a palliation; a
  lullaby。  I have some hope that it will not; but let us not be
  too confident。  As to climate; a glance at the map shows that
  there are five slave StatesDelaware; Maryland; Virginia;
  Kentucky; and Missouri; and also the District of Columbia; all
  north of the Missouri Compromise line。  The census returns of
  1850 show that within these there are eight hundred and sixty…
  seven thousand two hundred and seventy…six slaves; being more
  than one fourth of all the slaves in the nation。
  It is not climate; then; that will keep slavery out of these
  Territories。  Is there anything in the peculiar nature of the
  country?  Missouri adjoins these Territories by her entire
  western boundary; and slavery is already within every one of her
  western counties。  I have even heard it said that there are more
  slaves in proportion to whites in the northwestern county of
  Missouri than within any other county in the State。  Slavery
  pressed entirely up to the old western boundary of the State; and
  when rather recently a part of that boundary at the northwest was
  moved out a little farther west; slavery followed on quite up to
  the new line。  Now; when the restriction is removed; what is to
  prevent it from going still farther?  Climate will not; no
  peculiarity of the country will; nothing in nature will。  Will
  the disposition of the people prevent it?  Those nearest the
  scene are all in favor of the extension。  The Yankees who are
  opposed to it may be most flumerous; but; in military phrase; the
  battlefield is too far from their base of operations。
  But it is said there now is no law in Nebraska on the subject of
  slavery; and that; in such case; taking a slave there operates
  his freedom。  That is good book…law; but it is not the rule of
  actual practice。  Wherever slavery is it has been first
  introduced without law。  The oldest laws we find concerning it
  are not laws introducing it; but regulating it as an already
  existing thing。  A white man takes his slave to Nebraska now。
  Who will inform the negro that he is free?  Who will take him
  before court to test the question of his freedom?  In ignorance
  of his legal emancipation he is kept chopping; splitting; and
  plowing。  Others are brought; and move on in the same track。  At
  last; if ever the time for voting comes on the question of
  slavery the institution already; in fact; exists in the country;
  and cannot well be removed。  The fact of its presence; and the
  difficulty of its removal; will carry the vote in its favor。
  Keep it out until a vote is taken; and a vote in favor of it
  cannot be got in any population of forty thousand on earth; who
  have been drawn together by the ordinary motives of emigration
  and settlement。  To get slaves into the Territory simultaneously
  with the whites in the incipient stages of settlement is the
  precise stake played for and won in this Nebraska measure。
  The question is asked us: 〃If slaves will go in notwithstanding
  the general principle of law liberates them; why would they not
  equally go in against positive statute lawgo in; even if the
  Missouri restriction were maintained!〃 I answer; because it takes
  a much bolder man to venture in with his property in the latter
  case than in the former; because the positive Congressional
  enactment is known to and respected by all; or nearly all;
  whereas the negative principle that no law is free law is not
  much known except among lawyers。  We have some experience of this
  practical difference。  In spite of the Ordinance of  '87; a few
  negroes were brought into Illinois; and held in a state of quasi…
  slavery; not enough; however; to carry a vote of the people in
  favor of the institution when they came to form a constitution。
  But into the adjoining Missouri country; where there was no
  Ordinance of '87;was no restriction;they were carried ten
  times; nay; a hundred times; as fast; and actually made a slave
  State。  This is fact…naked fact。
  Another lullaby argument is that taking slaves to new countries
  does not increase their number; does not make any one slave who
  would otherwise be free。  There is some truth in this; and I am
  glad of it; but it is not wholly true。  The African slave trade
  is not yet effectually suppressed; and; if we make a reasonable
  deduction for the white people among us who are foreigners and
  the descendants of foreigners arriving here since 1808; we shall
  find the increase of the black population outrunning that of the
  white to an extent unaccountable; except by supposing that some
  of them; too; have been coming from Africa。  If this be so; the
  opening of new countries to the institution increases the demand
  for and augments the price of slaves; and so does; in fact; make
  slaves of freemen; by causing them to be brought from Africa and
  sold into bondage。
  But however this may be; we know the opening of new countries to
  slavery tends to the perpetuation of the institution; and so does
  keep men in slavery who would otherwise be free。  This result we
  do not feel like favoring; and we are under no legal obligation
  to suppress our feelings in this respect。
  Equal justice to the South; it is said; requires us to consent to
  the extension of slavery to new countries。  That is to say;
  inasmuch as you do not object to my taking my hog to Nebraska;
  therefore I must not object to your taking your slave。  Now; I
  admit that this is perfectly logical if there is no difference
  between hogs and negroes。  But while you thus require me to deny
  the humanity of the negro; I wish to ask whether you of the
  South; yourselves; have ever been willing to do as much?   It is
  kindly provided that of all those who come into the world only a
  small percentage are natural tyrants。  That percentage is no
  larger in the slave States than in the free。  The great majority
  South; as well as North; have human sympathies; of which they can
  no more divest themselves than they can of their sensibility to
  physical pain。  These sympathies in the bosoms of the Southern
  people manifest; in many ways; their sense of the wrong of
  slavery; and their consciousness that; after all; there is
  humanity in the negro。  If they deny this; let me address them a
  few plain questions。  In 1820 you (the South) joined the North;
  almost unanimously; in declaring the African slave trade piracy;
  and in annexing to it the punishment of death。  Why did you do
  this?  If you did not feel that it was wrong; why did you join in
  providing that men should be hung for it?  The practice was no
  more than bringing wild negroes from Africa to such as would buy
  them。  But you never thought of hanging men for catching and
  selling wild horses; wild buffaloes; or wild bears。
  Again; you have among you a sneaking individual of the class of
  native tyrants known as the 〃slavedealer。〃 He watches your
  necessities; and crawls up to buy your slave; at a speculating
  price。  If you cannot help it; you sell to him; but if you can
  help it; you drive him from your door。  You despise him utterly。
  You do not recognize him as a friend; or even as an honest man。
  Your children must not play with his; they may rollick freely
  with the little negroes; but not with the slave…dealer's
  children。  If you are obliged to deal with him; you try to get
  through the job without so much as touching him。  It is common
  with you to join hands with the men you meet; but with the slave…
  dealer you avoid the ceremonyinstinctively shrinking from the
  snaky contact。  If he grows rich and retires from business; you
  still remember him; and still keep up the ban of non…intercourse
  upon him and his family。  Now; why is this?  You do not so treat
  the man who deals in corn; cotton; or tobacco。
  And yet again: There are in the United States and Territories;
  including the District of Columbia; 433;643 free blacks。  At five
  hundred dollars per head they are worth over two hundred millions
  of dollars。  How comes this vast amount of property to be running
  about without owners?  We do not see free horses or free cattle
  running at large。  How is this?  All these free blacks are the
  descendants of slaves; or have been slaves themselves; and they
  would be slaves now but for something which has operated on their
  white owners; inducing them at vast pecuniary sacrifice to
  liberate them。  W