a plea for captain john brown-第3节

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the　worshipper　into　a　stone　image　himself；　and　the　New…Englander　is

just　as　much　an　idolater　as　the　Hindoo。　　This　man　was　an　exception；

for　he　did　not　set　up　even　a　political　graven　image　between　him

and　his　God。



A　church　that　can　never　have　done　with　excommunicating　Christ　while

it　exists！　　Away　with　your　broad　and　flat　churches；　and　your　narrow

and　tall　churches！　　Take　a　step　forward；　and　invent　a　new　style

of　out…houses。　　Invent　a　salt　that　will　save　you；　and　defend　our

nostrils。



The　modern　Christian　is　a　man　who　has　consented　to　say　all　the

prayers　in　the　liturgy；　provided　you　will　let　him　go　straight　to

bed　and　sleep　quietly　afterward。　　All　his　prayers　begin　with　〃Now

I　lay　me　down　to　sleep；〃　and　he　is　forever　looking　forward　to　the

time　when　he　shall　go　to　his　〃long　rest。〃　　He　has　consented　to

perform　certain　old…established　charities；　too；　after　a　fashion；

but　he　does　not　wish　to　hear　of　any　new…fangled　ones；　he　doesn't

wish　to　have　any　supplementary　articles　added　to　the　contract；　to

fit　it　to　the　present　time。　　He　shows　the　whites　of　his　eyes　on　the

Sabbath；　and　the　blacks　all　the　rest　of　the　week。　　The　evil　is　not

merely　a　stagnation　of　blood；　but　a　stagnation　of　spirit。　　Many；

no　doubt；　are　well　disposed；　but　sluggish　by　constitution　and　by

habit；　and　they　cannot　conceive　of　a　man　who　is　actuated　by　higher

motives　than　they　are。　　Accordingly　they　pronounce　this　man　insane；

for　they　know　that　they　could　never　act　as　he　does；　as　long　as　they

are　themselves。



We　dream　of　foreign　countries；　of　other　times　and　races　of　men；　placing

them　at　a　distance　in　history　or　space；　but　let　some　significant

event　like　the　present　occur　in　our　midst；　and　we　discover；　often；

this　distance　and　this　strangeness　between　us　and　our　nearest

neighbors。　　They　are　our　Austrias；　and　Chinas；　and　South　Sea　Islands。

Our　crowded　society　becomes　well　spaced　all　at　once；　clean　and

handsome　to　the　eye；a　city　of　magnificent　distances。　　We　discover

why　it　was　that　we　never　got　beyond　compliments　and　surfaces　with

them　before；　we　become　aware　of　as　many　versts　between　us　and　them

as　there　are　between　a　wandering　Tartar　and　a　Chinese　town。　　The

thoughtful　man　becomes　a　hermit　in　the　thoroughfares　of　the

market…place。　　Impassable　seas　suddenly　find　their　level　between　us；

or　dumb　steppes　stretch　themselves　out　there。　　It　is　the　difference

of　constitution；　of　intelligence；　and　faith；　and　not　streams　and

mountains；　that　make　the　true　and　impassable　boundaries　between

individuals　and　between　states。　　None　but　the　like…minded　can　come

plenipotentiary　to　our　court。



I　read　all　the　newspapers　I　could　get　within　a　week　after　this　event；

and　I　do　not　remember　in　them　a　single　expression　of　sympathy　for

these　men。　　I　have　since　seen　one　noble　statement；　in　a　Boston

paper；　not　editorial。　　Some　voluminous　sheets　decided　not　to　print

the　full　report　of　Brown's　words　to　the　exclusion　of　other　matter。

It　was　as　if　a　publisher　should　reject　the　manuscript　of　the　New

Testament；　and　print　Wilson's　last　speech。　　The　same　journal　which

contained　this　pregnant　news；　was　chiefly　filled；　in　parallel

columns；　with　the　reports　of　the　political　conventions　that　were

being　held。　　But　the　descent　to　them　was　too　steep。　　They　should

have　been　spared　this　contrast；been　printed　in　an　extra；　at　least。

To　turn　from　the　voices　and　deeds　of　earnest　men　to　the　cackling

of　political　conventions！　　Office…seekers　and　speech…makers；　who

do　not　so　much　as　lay　an　honest　egg；　but　wear　their　breasts　bare

upon　an　egg　of　chalk！　　Their　great　game　is　the　game　of　straws；

or　rather　that　universal　aboriginal　game　of　the　platter；　at　which

the　Indians　cried　hub；　bub！　　Exclude　the　reports　of　religious　and

political　conventions；　and　publish　the　words　of　a　living　man。



But　I　object　not　so　much　to　what　they　have　omitted；　as　to　what　they

have　inserted。　　Even　the　Liberator　called　it　〃a　misguided；　wild；

and　apparently　insaneeffort。〃　　As　for　the　herd　of　newspapers　and

magazines；　I　do　not　chance　to　know　an　editor　in　the　country　who

will　deliberately　print　anything　which　he　knows　will　ultimately

and　permanently　reduce　the　number　of　his　subscribers。　　They　do　not

believe　that　it　would　be　expedient。　　How　then　can　they　print　truth？

If　we　do　not　say　pleasant　things；　they　argue；　nobody　will　attend

to　us。　　And　so　they　do　like　some　travelling　auctioneers；　who　sing

an　obscene　song；　in　order　to　draw　a　crowd　around　them。　　Republican

editors；　obliged　to　get　their　sentences　ready　for　the　morning

edition；　and　accustomed　to　look　at　everything　by　the　twilight　of

politics；　express　no　admiration；　nor　true　sorrow　even；　but　call　these

men　〃deluded　fanatics；〃〃mistaken　men；〃〃insane；〃　or　〃crazed。〃

It　suggests　what　a　sane　set　of　editors　we　are　blessed　with；　not

〃mistaken　men〃；　who　know　very　well　on　which　side　their　bread　is

buttered；　at　least。



A　man　does　a　brave　and　humane　deed；　and　at　once；　on　all　sides；　we

hear　people　and　parties　declaring；　〃I　didn't　do　it；　nor　countenance

him　to　do　it；　in　any　conceivable　way。　　It　can't　be　fairly　inferred

from　my　past　career。〃　　I；　for　one；　am　not　interested　to　hear　you

define　your　position。　　I　don't　know　that　I　ever　was；　or　ever　shall

be。　　I　think　it　is　mere　egotism；　or　impertinent　at　this　time。　　Ye

needn't　take　so　much　pains　to　wash　your　skirts　of　him。　　No　intelligent

man　will　ever　be　convinced　that　he　was　any　creature　of　yours。　　He

went　and　came；　as　he　himself　informs　us；　〃under　the　auspices　of

John　Brown　and　nobody　else。〃　　The　Republican　party　does　not　perceive

how　many　his　failure　will　make　to　vote　more　correctly　than　they

would　have　them。　　They　have　counted　the　votes　of　Pennsylvania　&　Co。；

but　they　have　not　correctly　counted　Captain　Brown's　vote。　　He　has

taken　the　wind　out　of　their　sails；the　little　wind　they　had；and

they　may　as　well　lie　to　and　repair。



What　though　he　did　not　belong　to　your　clique！　　Though　you　may　not

approve　of　his　method　or　his　principles；　recognize　his　magnanimity。

Would　you　not　like　to　claim　kindredship　with　him　in　that；　though

in　no　other　thing　he　is　like；　or　likely；　to　you？　　Do　you　think　that

you　would　lose　your　reputation　so？　　What　you　lost　at　the　spile；

you　would　gain　at　the　bung。



If　they　do　not　mean　all　this；　then　they　do　not　speak　the　truth；

and　say　what　they　mean。　　They　are　simply　at　their　old　tricks　still。



〃It　was　always　conceded　to　him；〃　says　one　who　calls　him　crazy；　〃that

he　was　a　conscientious　man；　very　modest　in　his　demeanor；　apparently

inoffensive；　until　the　subject　of　Slavery　was　introduced；　when　he

would　exhibit　a　feeling　of　indignation　unparalleled。〃



The　slave…ship　is　on　her　way；　crowded　with　its　dying　victims；　new

cargoes　are　being　added　in　mid…ocean　a　small　crew　of　slaveholders；

countenanced　by　a　large　body　of　passengers；　is　smothering　four

millions　under　the　hatches；　and　yet　the　politician　asserts　that　the

only　proper　way　by　which　deliverance　is　to　be　obtained；　is　by　〃the

quiet　diffusion　of　the　sentiments　of　humanity；〃　without　any　〃outbreak。〃

As　if　the　sentiments　of　humanity　were　ever　found　unaccompanied　by

its　deeds；　and　you　could　disperse　them；　all　finished　to　order；　the

pure　article；　as　easily　as　water　with　a　watering…pot；　and　so　lay

the　dust。　　What　is　that　that　I　hear　cast　overboard？　　The　bodies

of　the　dead　that　have　found　deliverance。　　That　is　the　way　we　are

〃diffusing〃　humanity；　and　its　sentiments　with　it。



Prominent　and　influential　editors；　accustomed　to　deal　with　politicians；

men　of　an　infinitely　lower　grade；　say；　in　their　ignorance；　that

he　acted　〃on　the　principle　of　revenge。〃　　They　do　not　know　the　man。

They　must　enlarge　themselves　to　conceive　of　him。　　I　have　no　doubt

that　the　time　will　come　when　they　will　begin　to　see　him　as　he

was。　　They　have　got　to　conceive　of　a　man　of　faith　and　of　religious

principle；　and　not　a　politician　or　an　Indian；　of　a　man　who　did　not

wait　till　he　was　personally　interfered　with　or　thwarted　in　some

harmless　business　before　he　gave　his　life　to　the　cause　of　the

oppressed。



If　Walker　may　be　considered　the　representative　of　the　South；　I　wish

I　could　say　that　Brown　was　the　representative　of　the　North。　　He

was　a　superior　man。　　He　did　not　value　his　bodily　life　in　comparison

with　ideal　things。　　He　did　not　recognize　unjust　human　laws；

but　resisted　them　as　he　was　bid。　　For　once　we　are　lifted　out　of

the　trivialness　and　dust　of　politics　into　the　region　of　truth　and

manhood。　　No　man　in　America　has　ever　stood　up　so　persistently　and

effectively　for　the　dignity　of　human　nature；　knowing　himself　for　a

man；　and　the　equal　of　any　and　all　governments。　　In　that　sense　he

was　the　most　American　of　us　all。　　He　needed　no　babbling　lawyer；

making　false　issues；　to　defend　him。　　He　was　more　than　a　match　for

all　the　judges　that　American　voters；　or　office…holders　of　whatever

grade；　can　create。　　He　could　not　have　been　tried　by　a　jury　of

his　peers；　because　his　peers　did　not　exist。　　When　a　man　stands　up

serenely　against　t