the anti-slavery crusade-第21部分

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！


A　deacon　in　one　of　the　churches　had　enlisted　a　company　of　seventy　bound　for　Kansas。　A　meeting　was　held　in　the　church　to　raise　money　to　defray　expenses。　The　leader　of　the　company　declared　that　they　also　needed　rifles　for　self…defense。　Forthwith　Professor　Silliman；　of　the　University；　subscribed　one　Sharp's　rifle；　and　others　followed　with　like　pledges。　Finally　Henry　Ward　Beecher；　who　was　the　speaker　of　the　occasion；　rose　and　promised　that；　if　twenty…five　rifles　were　pledged　on　the　spot；　Plymouth　Church　in　Brooklyn　would　be　responsible　for　the　remaining　twenty…five　that　were　needed。　He　had　already　said　in　a　previous　address　that　for　the　slaveholders　of　Kansas；　Sharp's　rifles　were　a　greater　moral　agency　than　the　Bible。　This　led　to　the　designation　of　the　weapons　as　〃Beecher's　Bibles。〃　Such　was　the　spirit　which　prevailed　in　the　two　sections　of　the　country。　President　Pierce　had　now　become　intensely　hostile　towards　the　free…state　inhabitants　of　Kansas。　Having　recognized　the　Legislature　elected　on　March　30；　1855；　as　the　legitimate　Government；　he　sent　a　special　message　to　Congress　on　January　24；　1856；　in　which　he　characterized　as　revolutionary　the　movement　of　the　free…state　men　to　organize　a　separate　Government　in　Kansas。　》From　the　President's　point　of　view；　the　emissaries　of　the　New　England　Emigrant　Aid　Association　were　unlawful　invaders。　In　this　position　he　not　only　had　the　support　of　the　South；　but　was　powerfully　seconded　by　Stephen　A。　Douglas　and　other　Northern　Democrats。　The　attitude　of　the　Administration　at　Washington　was　a　source　of　great　encouragement　to　Sheriff　Jones　and　his　associates；　who　were　anxious　to　wreak　their　vengeance　on　the　city　of　Lawrence　for　the　outcome　of　the　Wakarusa　War。　Jones　came　to　Lawrence　apparently　for　the　express　purpose　of　picking　a　quarrel；　for　he　revived　the　old　dispute　about　the　rescuing　party　of　the　previous　fall。　As　a　consequence　one　enraged　opponent　slapped　him　in　the　face；　and　at　last　an　unknown　assassin　entered　the　sheriff's　tent　by　night　and　inflicted　a　revolver　wound　in　his　back。　Though　the　citizens　of　Lawrence　were　greatly　chagrined　at　this　event　and　offered　a　reward　for　the　discovery　of　the　assailant；　the　attack　upon　the　sheriff　was　made　the　signal　for　drastic　procedure　against　the　town　of　Lawrence。　A　grand　jury　found　indictments　for　treason　against　Reeder；　Robinson；　and　other　leading　citizens　of　the　town。　The　United　States　marshal　gave　notice　that　he　expected　resistance　in　making　arrests　and　called　upon　all　law…abiding　citizens　of　the　Territory　to　aid　in　executing　the　law。　It　was　a　welcome　summons　to　the　pro…slavery　forces。　Not　only　local　militia　companies　responded　but　also　Buford's　company　and　various　companies　from　Missouri；　in　all　more　than　seven　hundred　men；　with　two　cannon。　It　had　always　been　the　set　purpose　of　the　free…state　men　not　to　resist　federal　authority　by　force；　unless　as　a　last　resort；　and　they　had　no　intention　of　opposing　the　marshal　in　making　arrests。　He　performed　his　duty　without　hindrance　and　then　placed　the　armed　troops　under　the　command　of　Sheriff　Jones；　who　proceeded　first　to　destroy　the　printing…press　of　the　town　of　Lawrence。　Then；　against　the　protest　of　the　marshal　and　Colonel　Buford；　the　vindictive　sheriff　trained　his　guns　upon　the　new　hotel　which　was　the　pride　of　the　city；　the　ruin　of　the　building　was　made　complete　by　fire；　while　a　drunken　mob　pillaged　the　town。　On　May　22；　1856；　the　day　following　the　attack　upon　Lawrence；　Charles　Sumner　was　struck　down　in　the　United　States　Senate　on　account　of　a　speech　made　in　defense　of　the　rights　of　Kansas　settlers。　The　two　events；　which　were　reported　at　the　same　time　in　the　daily　press；　furnished　the　key…note　to　the　presidential　campaign　of　that　year；　for　nominating　conventions　followed　in　a　few　days　and　〃bleeding　Kansas〃　was　the　all…absorbing　issue。　In　spite　of　the　destruction　of　property　in　Lawrence　and　the　arrest　of　the　leaders　of　the　free…state　party；　Kansas　had　not　been　plunged　into　a　state　of　civil　war。　The　free…state　party　had　fired　no　hostile　shot。　Governor　Robinson　and　his　associates　still　relied　upon　public　opinion　and　they　accepted　the　wanton　attack　upon　Lawrence　as　the　best　assurance　that　they　would　yet　win　their　cause　by　legal　means。　A　change；　however；　soon　took　place　which　is　associated　with　the　entrance　of　John　Brown　into　the　history　of　Kansas。　Brown　and　his　sons　were　living　at　Osawatomie；　some　thirty　miles　south　of　Lawrence。　They　were　present　at　the　Wakarusa　War　in　December；　1855；　and　were　on　their　way　to　the　defense　of　Lawrence　on　May　21；　1856；　when　they　were　informed　that　the　town　had　been　destroyed。　Three　days　after　this　event　Brown　and　his　sons　with　two　or　three　others　made　a　midnight　raid　upon　their　pro…slavery　neighbors　living　in　the　Pottawatomie　valley　and　slew　five　men。　The　authors　of　this　deed　were　not　certainly　known　until　the　publication　of　a　confession　of　one　of　the　party　in　1879；　twenty　years　after　the　chief　actor　had　won　the　reputation　of　a　martyr　to　the　cause　of　liberty。　The　Browns；　however；　were　suspected　at　the　time；　warrants　were　out　for　their　arrest；　and　their　homes　were　destroyed。　For　more　than　three　months　after　this　incident；　Kansas　was　in　a　state　of　war；　in　fact；　two　distinct　varieties　of　warfare　were　carried　on。　Publicly　organized　companies　on　both　sides　engaged　in　acts　of　attack　and　defense；　while　at　the　same　time　irresponsible　secret　bands　were　busy　in　violent　reprisals；　in　plunder　and　assassination。　In　both　of　these　forms　of　warfare；　the　free…state　men　proved　themselves　fully　equal　to　their　opponents；　and　Governor　Shannon　was　entirely　unable　to　cope　with　the　situation。　It　is　estimated　that　two　hundred　men　were　slain　and　two　million　dollars'　worth　of　property　was　destroyed。　The　state　of　affairs　in　Kansas　served　to　win　many　Northern　Democrats　to　the　support　of　the　Republicans。　The　Administration　at　Washington　was　held　responsible　for　the　violence　and　bloodshed。　The　Democratic　leaders　in　the　political　campaign；　determined　now　upon　a　complete　change　in　the　Government　of　the　Territory；　appointed　J。　W。　Geary　as　Governor　and　placed　General　Smith　in　charge　of　the　troops。　The　new　incumbents；　both　from　Pennsylvania；　entered　upon　their　labors　early　in　September；　and　before　the　October　state　elections　Geary　was　able　to　report　that　peace　reigned　throughout　the　Territory。　A　prompt　reaction　in　favor　of　the　Democrats　followed。　Buchanan；　their　presidential　candidate；　rejoiced　in　the　fact　that　order　had　been　restored　by　two　citizens　of　his　own　State。　It　was　now　very　generally　conceded　that　Kansas　would　become　a　free　State；　and　intimate　associates　of　Buchanan　assured　the　public　that　he　was　himself　of　that　opinion　and　that　if　elected　he　would　insure　to　the　free…state　party　evenhanded　justice。　Thousands　of　voters　were　thus　won　to　Buchanan's　support。　There　was　a　general　distrust　of　the　Republican　candidate　as　a　man　lacking　political　experience；　and　a　strong　conservative　reaction　against　the　idea　of　electing　a　President　by　the　votes　of　only　one　section　of　the　country。　At　the　election　in　November；　Buchanan　received　a　majority　of　sixty　of　the　electoral　votes　over　Fremont；　but　in　the　popular　vote　he　fell　short　of　a　majority　by　nearly　400；000。　Fillmore；　candidate　of　the　Whig　and　the　American　parties；　received　874；000　votes。　There　was　still　profound　distrust　of　the　administration　of　the　Territory　of　Kansas；　and　the　free…state　settlers　refused　to　vote　at　the　election　set　for　the　choosing　of　a　new　territorial　Legislature　in　October。　The　result　was　another　pro…slavery　assembly。　Governor　Geary；　however；　determined　to　secure　and　enforce　just　treatment　of　both　parties。　He　was　at　once　brought　into　violent　conflict　with　the　Legislature　in　an　experience　which　was　almost　an　exact　counterpart　of　that　of　Governor　Reeder；　and　Washington　did　not　support　his　efforts　to　secure　fair　dealings。　A　pro…slavery　deputation　visited　President　Pierce　in　February；　1857；　and　returned　with　the　assurance　that　Governor　Geary　would　be　removed。　Without　waiting　for　the　President　to　act；　Geary　resigned　in　disgust　on　the　4th　of　March。　Of　the　three　Governors　whom　President　Pierce　appointed；　two　became　active　supporters　of　the　free…state　party　and　a　third；　Governor　Shannon；　fled　from　the　territory　in　mortal　terror　lest　he　should　be　slain　by　members　of　the　party　which　he　had　tried　to　serve。

CHAPTER　XI。　CHARLES　SUMNER　The　real　successor　to　John　Quincy　Adams　as　the　protagonist　of　the　anti…slavery　cause　in　Congress　proved　to　be　not　Seward　but　Charles　Sumner　of　Massachusetts。　This　newcomer　entered　the　Senate　without　previous　legislative　experience　but　with　an　unusual　equipment　for　the　role　he　was　to　play。　A　graduate　of　Harvard　College　at　the　age　of　nineteen；　he　had　entered　upon　the　study　of　law　in　the　newly　organized　law　school　in　which　Joseph　Story　held　one　of　the　two　professorships。　He　was　admitted　to　the　bar　in　1834；　but　three　years　later　he　left　his　slender　law　practice　for　a　long　period　of　European　travel。　This　three　years'　sojourn　brought　him　into　intimate　touch　with　the　leading　spirits　in　arts；　letters；　and　public　life　in　England　and　on　the　Continent；　and　thus　ripened　his　talents　to　their　full　maturity。　He　returned　to　his　law　practice　poor　in　pocket　but　rich　in　the　possession　of　lifelong　friendships　and　happy　memories。　Sumner's　political　career　did　not　begin