abraham lincoln and the union-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


d　emperors。　　An　enthusiast　broods　over　the　oppression　of　a　people；　until　he　fancies　himself　commissioned　by　Heaven　to　liberate　them。　He　ventures　the　attempt　which　ends　in　little　else　than　in　his　own　execution。〃　　A　few　months　afterwards；　the　Republican　national　convention　condemned　the　act　of　Brown　as　〃among　the　gravest　of　crimes。〃

An　immediate　effect　of　the　John　Brown　episode　was　a　passionate　outburst　from　all　the　radical　press　of　the　South　in　defense　of　slavery。　　The　followers　of　Yancey　made　the　most　of　their　opportunity。　　The　men　who　voted　at　Vicksburg　to　reopen　the　slave　trade　could　find　no　words　to　measure　their　hatred　of　every　one　who；　at　this　moment　of　crisis；　would　not　declare　slavery　a　blessing。　Many　of　the　men　who　opposed　the　slave　traders　also　felt　that；　in　the　face　of　possible　slave　insurrection；　the　peril　of　their　families　was　the　one　paramount　consideration。　　Nevertheless；　it　is　easy　for　the　special　pleader　to　give　a　wrong　impression　of　the　sentiment　of　the　time。　　A　grim　desire　for　self…preservation　took　possession　of　the　South；　as　well　as　a　deadly　fear　of　any　person　or　any　thing　that　tended　directly　or　indirectly　to　incite　the　blacks　to　insurrection。　　Northerners　of　abolitionist　sympathies　were　warned　to　leave　the　country；　and　in　some　cases　they　were　tarred　and　feathered。

Great　anger　was　aroused　by　the　detection　of　book…agents　who　were　distributing　a　furious　polemic　against　slavery；　〃The　Impending　Crisis　of　the　South：　How　to　Meet　It〃；　by　Hinton　Rowan　Helper；　a　Southerner　of　inferior　social　position　belonging　to　the　class　known　as　poor　whites。　　The　book　teemed　with　such　sentences　as　this；　addressing　slaveholders：　〃Do　you　aspire　to　become　victims　of　white　non…slave…holding　vengeance　by　day　and　of　barbarous　massacres　by　the　negroes　at　night？〃　　It　is　scarcely　strange；　therefore；　that　in　1859　no　Southerner　would　hear　a　good　word　of　anyone　caught　distributing　the　book。　And　yet；　in　the　midst　of　all　this　vehement　exaltation　of　slavery；　the　fight　to　prevent　a　reopening　of　the　slave　trade　went　bravely　on。　　Stephens；　writing　to　a　friend　who　was　correspondent　for　the　〃Southern　Confederacy〃；　in　Atlanta；　warned　him　in　April；　1860；　〃neither　to　advocate　disunion　or　the　opening　of　the　slave　trade。　The　people　here　at　present　I　believe　are　as　much　opposed　to　it　as　they　are　at　the　North；　and　I　believe　the　Northern　people　could　be　induced　to　open　it　sooner　than　the　Southern　people。〃

The　winter　of　1859…1860　witnessed　a　famous　congressional　battle　over　the　speakership。　　The　new　Congress　which　met　in　December　contained　109　Republicans；　101　Democrats；　and　27　Know…Nothings。　The　Republican　candidate　for　speaker　was　John　Sherman　of　Ohio。　　As　the　first　ballot　showed　that　he　could　not　command　a　majority；　a　Democrat　from　Missouri　introduced　this　resolution　〃Whereas　certain　members　of　this　House；　now　in　nomination　for　speaker；　did　endorse　the　book　hereinafter　mentioned；　resolved；　That　the　doctrines　and　sentiments　of　a　certain　book；　called　'The　Impending　Crisis　of　the　South：　How　to　Meet　It'；　are　insurrectionary　and　hostile　to　the　peace　and　tranquillity　of　the　country；　and　that　no　member　of　this　House；　who　has　indorsed　or　recommended　it；　is　fit　to　be　speaker　of　the　House。〃

During　two　months　there　were　strange　scenes　in　the　House；　while　the　clerk　acted　as　temporary　speaker　and　furious　diatribes　were　thundered　back　and　forth　across　the　aisle　that　separated　Republicans　from　Democrats；　with　a　passage　of　fisticuffs　or　even　a　drawn　pistol　to　add　variety　to　the　scene。　　The　end　of　it　all　was　a　deal。　　Pennington；　of　the　〃People's　Party〃　of　New　Jersey；　who　had　supported　Sherman　but　had　not　endorsed　Helper；　was　given　the　Republican　support；　a　Know…Nothing　was　made　sergeant…at…arms；　and　Know…Nothing　votes　added　to　the　Republican　votes　made　Pennington　speaker。　　In　many　Northern　cities　the　news　of　his　election　was　greeted　with　the　great　salute　of　a　hundred　guns；　but　at　Richmond　the　papers　came　out　in　mourning　type。

Two　great　figures　now　advanced　to　the　center　of　the　Congressional　stageJefferson　Davis；　Senator　from　Mississippi；　a　lean　eagle　of　a　man　with　piercing　blue　eyes；　and　Judah　P。　Benjamin；　Senator　from　Louisiana；　whose　perpetual　smile　cloaked　an　intellect　that　was　nimble；　keen；　and　ruthless。　　Both　men　were　destined　to　play　leading　roles　in　the　lofty　drama　of　revolution；　each　was　to　experience　a　tragic　ending　of　his　political　hope；　one　in　exile；　the　other　in　a　solitary　proscription　amid　the　ruins　of　the　society　for　which　he　had　sacrified　his　all。　　These　men；　though　often　spoken　of　as　mere　mouthpieces　of　Yancey；　were　in　reality　quite　different　from　him　both　in　temper　and　in　point　of　view。

Davis；　who　was　destined　eventually　to　become　the　target　of　Yancey's　bitterest　enmity；　had　refused　ten　years　before　to　join　in　the　secession　movement　which　ignored　Calhoun's　doctrine　that　the　South　had　become　a　social　unit。　　Though　a　believer　in　slavery　under　the　conditions　of　the　moment；　Davis　had　none　of　the　passion　of　the　slave　baron　for　slavery　at　all　costs。　　Furthermore；　as　events　were　destined　to　show　in　a　startlingly　dramatic　way；　he　was　careless　of　South　Carolina's　passion　for　state　rights。　　He　was　a　practical　politician；　but　not　at　all　the　old　type　of　the　party　of　political　evasion；　the　type　of　Toombs。　　No　other　man　of　the　moment　was　on　the　whole　so　well　able　to　combine　the　elements　of　Southern　politics　against　those　more　negative　elements　of　which　Toombs　was　the　symbol。　　The　history　of　the　Confederacy　shows　that　the　combination　which　Davis　now　effected　was　not　as　thorough　as　he　supposed　it　was。　　But　at　the　moment　he　appeared　to　succeed　and　seemed　to　give　common　purpose　to　the　vast　majority　of　the　Southern　people。　　With　his　ally　Benjamin；　he　struck　at　the　Toombs　policy　of　a　National　Democratic　party。

On　the　day　following　the　election　of　Pennington；　Davis　introduced　in　the　Senate　a　series　of　resolutions　which　were　to　serve　as　the　Southern　ultimatum；　and　which　demanded　of　Congress　the　protection　of　slavery　against　territorial　legislatures。　　This　was　but　carrying　to　its　logical　conclusion　that　Dred　Scott　decision　which　Douglas　and　his　followers　proposed　to　accept。　　If　Congress　could　not　restrict　slavery　in　the　territories；　how　could　its　creature；　a　territorial　legislature　do　so？　　And　yet　the　Douglas　men　attempted　to　take　away　the　power　from　Congress　and　to　retain　it　for　the　territorial　legislatures。　　Senator　Pugh　of　Ohio　had　already　locked　horns　with　Davis　on　this　point；　and　had　attempted　to　show　that　a　territorial　Legislature　was　independent　of　Congress。　〃Then　I　would　ask　the　Senator　further；〃　retorted　the　logical　Davis；　〃why　it　is　he　makes　an　appropriation　to　pay　members　of　the　territorial　legislature；　how　it　is　that　he　invests　the　Governor　with　veto　power　over　their　acts；　and　how　it　is　that　he　appoints　judges　to　decide　upon　the　validity　of　their　acts。〃

In　the　Democratic　convention　which　met　at　Charleston　in　April；　1860；　the　waning　power　of　political　evasion　made　its　last　real　stand　against　the　rising　power　of　political　positivism。　　To　accept　Douglas　and　the　idea　that　somehow　territorial　legislatures　were　free　to　do　what　Congress　could　not　do；　or　to　reject　Douglas　and　endorse　Davis's　ultimatumthat　in　substance　was　the　issue。　　〃In　this　convention　where　there　should　be　confidence　and　harmony；〃　said　the　〃Charleston　Mercury〃；　〃it　is　plain　that　men　feel　as　if　they　were　going　into　a　battle。〃　　In　the　committee　on　resolutions　where　the　States　were　equally　represented；　the　majority　were　anti…Douglas；　they　submitted　a　report　affirming　Davis's　position　that　territorial　legislatures　had　no　right　to　prohibit　slavery　and　that　the　Federal　Government　should　protect　slavery　against　them。　The　minority　refused　to　go　further　than　an　approval　of　the　Dred　Scott　case　and　a　pledge　to　abide　by　all　future　decisions　of　the　Supreme　Court。　　After　both　reports　had　been　submitted；　there　followed　the　central　event　of　the　conventionthe　now　famous　speech　by　Yancey　which　repudiated　political　evasion　from　top　to　bottom；　frankly　defended　slavery；　and　demanded　either　complete　guarantees　for　its　continued　existence　or；　as　an　alternative；　Southern　independence。　　Pugh　instantly　replied　and　summed　up　Yancey's　speech　as　a　demand　upon　Northern　Democrats　to　say　that　slavery　was　right；　and　that　it　was　their　duty　not　only　to　let　slavery　alone　but　to　aid　in　extending　it。　　〃Gentlemen　of　the　South；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃you　mistake　usyou　mistake　uswe　will　not　do　it。〃

In　the　full　convention；　where　the　representation　of　the　States　was　not　equal；　the　Douglas　men；　after　hot　debate；　forced　the　adoption　of　the　minority　report。　　Thereupon　the　Alabama　delegation　protested　and　formally　withdrew　from　the　convention；　and　other　delegations　followed。　　There　was　wild　excitement　in　Charleston；　where　that　evening　in　the　streets　Yancey　addressed　crowds　that　cheered　for　a　Southern　republic。　　The　remaining　history　of　the　Democratic　nominations　is　a　matter　of　detail。　　The　Charleston　convention　adjourned　without　making　nominations。　　Each　of　its　fragments　reorganized　as　a　separate　convention；　and　ultimately　two　Democratic　tickets　were　put　into　the　field；　with　Breckinridge　of　Kentucky　as　the　candidate　on　the　Yancey　ticket　and　Douglas　on　the　other。

While　the　Democrats　were　thus　making　history　through　their　fateful　break…up　into　separate　parties；　a　considerable　number　of　the　so…called　best　people　of　the　country　determined　that　they　had　nowhere　politically　to　lay　their　heads。　　A　few　of　the　old　Whigs　were　still　unable　to　consort　either　with　Republicans　or　with　Democrats；　old　or　new。　　The　Know…Nothings；　likewise；　though　their　number　had　been　steadily　melting　away；　had　not　entirely　disappeared。　　To　unite　these　political　remnants　in　any　definite　political　whole　seemed　beyond　human　ingenuity。　　A　common　sentiment；　however；　they　did　havea　real　love　of　the　Union　and　a　real　unhappiness；　because　its　existence　appeared　to　be　threatened。　　The　outcome　was　that　they　organized　the　Constitutional　Union　Party；　nominating　for　President　John　Bell　of　Tennessee；　and　for　Vice　President　Edward　Everett　of　Massachusetts。　　Their　platform　was　little　more　than　a　profession　of　love　of　the　Union　and　a　condemnation　of　sectional　selfishness。

This　Bell　and　Everett　ticket　has　a　deeper　significance　than　has　generally　been　admitted。　　It　reveals　the　fact　that　the　sentiment　of　Union；　in　distinction　from　the　belief　in　the　Union；　had　become　a　real　force　in　American　life。　　There　could　be　no　clearer　testimony　to　the　strength　of　this　feeling　than　this　spectacle　of　a　great　congregation　of　moderate　people；　unable　to　agree　upon　anything　except　this　sentiment；　stepping　between　the　sectional　parties　like　a　resolute　wayfarer　going　forward　into　darkness　along　a　perilous　strand　between　two　raging　seas。　　That　this　feeling　of　Union　was　the　same　thing　as　the　eager　determination　of　the　Republicans；　in　1860；　to　control　the　Government　is　one　of　those　historical　fallacies　that　have　had　their　day。　　The　Republican　party　became；　in　time　and　under　stress　of　war；　the　refuge　of　this　sentiment　and　proved　sufficiently　far…sighted　to　merge　its　identity　temporarily　in　the　composite　Union　party　of　1864。　　But　in　1860　it　was　still　a　sectional　party。　　Among　its　leaders　Lincoln　was　perhaps　the　only　Unionist　in　the　same　sense　as　Bell　and　Everett。

Perhaps　the　truest　Unionists　of　the　North；　outside　the　C