the anti-slavery crusade-第17部分
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ugitives from service or labor； but there is no respectable authority in support of the view that neither the spirit nor the letter of the law was violated by the supporters of the Underground Railroad。 This was a source of real weakness to anti…slavery leaders in politics。 It was always true that only a small minority of their numbers were actual violators of the law； yet such was their relation to the organized anti…slavery movement that responsibility attached to all。 The platform of the Liberty party for 1844 declared that the provisions of the Constitution for reclaiming fugitive slaves were dangerous to liberty and ought to be abrogated。 It further declared that the members of the party would treat these provisions as void； because they involved an order to commit an immoral act。 The platform thus explicitly committed the party to the support of the policy of rendering aid to fugitive slaves。 Four years later the platform of the Free…soil party contained no reference whatever to fugitive slaves； but that of 1852 denounced the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 as repugnant to the Constitution and the spirit of Christianity and denied its binding force on the American people。 The Republican platform of 1856 made no reference to the subject。 The Underground Railroad filled an insignificant place in the general plan for emancipation； even in the minds of the directors。 It was a lesser task preparatory to the great work。 As to the numbers of slaves who gained their freedom by means of it； there is a wide range of opinion。 Statements in Congress by Southern members that a hundred thousand had escaped must be regarded as gross exaggerations。 In any event the loss was confined chiefly to the border States。 Besides； it has been stated with some show of reason that the danger of servile insurrection was diminished by the escape of potential leaders。 》From the standpoint of the great body of anti…slavery men who expected to settle the slavery question by peaceable means； it was a calamity of the first magnitude that； just at the time when conditions were most favorable for transferring the active crusade from the general Government to the separate States； public attention should be directed to the one point at which the conflict was most acute and irrepressible。 Previous to 1850 there had been no general acrimonious debate in Congress on the rendition of fugitive slaves。 About half of those who had previously escaped from bondage had not taken the trouble to go as far as Canada； but were living at peace in the Northern States。 Few people at the North knew or cared anything about the details of a law that had been on the statute books since 1793。 Members of Congress were duly warned of the dangers involved in any attempt to enforce a more stringent law than the previous act which had proved a dead letter。 To those who understood the conditions； the new law also was doomed to failure。 So said Senator Butler of South Carolina。 An attempt to enforce it would be met by violence。 This prediction came true。 The twenty thousand potential victims residing in Northern States were thrown into panic。 Some rushed off to Canada； others organized means for protection。 A father and son from Baltimore came to a town in Pennsylvania to recover a fugitive。 An alarm was sounded； men； mostly colored； rushed to the protection of the one whose liberty was threatened。 Two Quakers appeared on the scene and warned the slavehunters to desist and upon their refusal one slave…hunter was instantly killed and the other wounded。 The fugitive was conveyed to a place of safety； and to the murderers no punishment was meted out； though the general Government made strenuous efforts to discover and punish them。 In New York； though Gerrit Smith and a local clergyman with a few assistants rescued a fugitive from the officers of the law and sent him to Canada； openly proclaiming and justifying the act； no attempt was made to punish the offenders。 After a dozen years of intense and ever…increasing excitement； when other causes of friction between North and South had apparently been removed and good citizens in the two sections were rejoicing at the prospect of an era of peace and harmony； public attention was concentrated upon the one problem of conduct which would not admit of peaceable legal adjustment。 Abolitionists had always been stigmatized as lawbreakers whose aim was the destruction of slavery in utter disregard of the rights of the States。 This charge was absolutely false； their settled program involved full recognition of state and municipal control over slavery。 Yet after public attention had become fixed upon conduct on the part of the abolitionists which was illegal； it was difficult to escape the implication that their whole course was illegal。 This was the tragic significance of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850。
CHAPTER IX。 BOOKS AS ANTI…SLAVERY WEAPONS Whittier offered up 〃thanks for the fugitive slave law； for it gave occasion for 'Uncle Tom's Cabin。'〃 Mrs。 Harriet Beecher Stowe had been mistress of a station on the Underground Railroad at Cincinnati； the storm…center of the West； and out of her experience she has transmitted to the world a knowledge of the elemental and tragic human experiences of the slaves which would otherwise have been restricted to a select few。 The mistress of a similar station in eastern Indiana； though she held novel reading a deadly sin； said： 〃'Uncle Tom's Cabin' is not a novel； it is a record of facts。 I myself have listened to the same stories。〃 The reading public in all lands soon became sympathetic participants in the labors of those who； in defiance of law； were lending a hand to the aspirants for liberty。 At the time of the publication of the story in book form in March； 1852； America was being profoundly stirred by the stories of fugitives who had escaped from European despotism。 Mrs。 Stowe refers to these incidents in her question： 〃When despairing Hungarian fugitives make their way； against all the search…warrants and authorities of their lawful governments to America； press and political cabinet ring with applause and welcome。 When despairing African fugitives do the same thingit iswhat IS it？〃 Little did she think that when the eloquence of the Hungarian refugee had been forgotten； the story of Eliza and Uncle Tom would ring throughout the world。 The book did far more than vindicate the conduct of those who rendered assistance to the fugitive from slavery； it let in daylight upon the essential nature of slavery。 Humane and just masters are shown to be forced into participation in acts which result in intolerable cruelty。 Full justice is done to the noble and admirable character of Southern slave…owners。 The author had been a guest in the home of the 〃Shelbys；〃 in Kentucky。 She had taken great pains to understand the Southern point of view on the subject of slavery； she had entered into the real trials and difficulties involved in any plan of emancipation。 St。 Clair； speaking to Miss Ophelia； his New England cousin； says： 〃If we emancipate； are you willing to educate？ How many families of your town would take in a negro man or woman； teach them； bear with them； and seek to make them Christians？ How many merchants would take Adolph； if I wanted to make him a clerk； or mechanics； if I wanted to teach him a trade？ If I wanted to put Jane and Rosa to a school； how many schools are there in the Northern States that would take them in？ How many families that would board them？ And yet they are as white as many a woman north or south。 You see； cousin； I want justice done us。 We are in a bad position。 We are the more obvious oppressors of the negro； but the unchristian prejudice of the north is an oppressor almost equally severe。〃 Throughout the book the idea is elaborated in many ways。 Miss Ophelia is introduced for the purpose of contrasting Northern ignorance and New England prejudice with the patience and forbearance of the better class of slave…owners of the South。 The genuine affection of an unspoiled child for negro friends is made especially emphatic。 Miss Ophelia objected to Eva's expressions of devotion to Uncle Tom。 Her father insists that his daughter shall not be robbed of the free utterance of her high regard； observing that 〃the child is the only true democrat。〃 There is only one Simon Legree in the book； and he is of New England extraction。 The story is as distinctly intended to inform Northern ignorance and to remove Northern prejudice as it is to justify the conduct of abolitionists。 What was the effect of the publication？ In European countries far removed from local partizan prejudice； it was immediately received as a great revelation of the spirit of liberty。 It was translated into twenty…three different languages。 So devoted were the Italians to the reading of the story that there was earnest effort to suppress its circulation。 As a drama it proved a great success； not only in America and England but in France and other countries as well。 More than a million copies of the story were sold in the British Empire。 Lord Palmerston avers that he had not read a novel for thirty years； yet he read Uncle Tom's Cabin three times and commended the book for the statesmanship displayed in it。 What is in the story to call forth such comme
