the anti-slavery crusade-第23节

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r　was　preparing　to　speak　upon　the　burning　question；　and　his　friends　had　already　expressed　anxiety　for　his　personal　safety。　For　the　larger　part　of　two　days；　May　19　and　20；　1856；　he　held　the　reluctant　attention　of　the　Senate。　For　the　delivery　of　this　speech　he　chose　a　time　which　was　most　opportune。　The　crime　against　Kansas　had；　in　a　sense；　culminated　in　March　of　the　previous　year；　but　the　settlers　had　refused　to　submit　to　the　Government　set　up　by　hostile　invaders。　They　had　armed　themselves　for　the　defense　of　their　rights；　had　elected　a　Governor　and　a　Legislature　by　voluntary　association；　had　called　a　convention；　and　had　adopted　a　constitution　preparatory　to　admission　to　the　Union。　That　constitution　was　now　before　the　Senate　for　approval。　President　Pierce；　Stephen　A。　Douglas；　and　all　the　Southern　leaders　had　decided　to　treat　as　treasonable　acts　the　efforts　of　Kansas　settlers　to　secure　an　orderly　government。　Their　plans　for　the　arrest　of　the　leaders　were　well　advanced　and　the　arrests　were　actually　made　on　the　day　after　Sumner　had　concluded　his　speech。　A　paragraph　in　the　address　is　prophetic　of　what　occurred　within　a　week。　Douglas　had　introduced　a　bill　recognizing　the　Legislature　chosen　by　the　Missourians　as　the　legal　Government　and　providing　for　the　formation　of　a　constitution　under　its　initiative　at　some　future　date。　After　describing　this　proposed　action　as　a　continuation　of　the　crime　against　Kansas；　Sumner　declared：　〃Sir；　you　cannot　expect　that　the　people　of　Kansas　will　submit　to　the　usurpation　which　this　bill　sets　up　and　bids　them　bow　before；　as　the　Austrian　tyrant　set　up　the　ducal　hat　in　the　Swiss　market…place。　If　you　madly　persevere；　Kansas　will　not　be　without　her　William　Tell；　who　will　refuse　at　all　hazards　to　recognize　the　tyrannical　edict；　and　this　will　be　the　beginning　of　civil　war。〃　To　keep　historical　sequence　clear　at　this　point；　all　thought　of　John　Brown　should　be　eliminated；　for　he　was　then　unknown　to　the　public。　It　must　be　remembered　that　Governor　Robinson　and　the　free…state　settlers　were；　as　Sumner　probably　knew；　prepared　to　resist　the　general　Government　as　soon　as　there　should　be　a　clear　case　of　outrage　for　which　the　Administration　at　Washington　could　be　held　directly　responsible。　Such　a　case　occurred　when　the　United　States　marshal　placed　federal　troops　in　the　hands　of　Sheriff　Jones　to　assist　in　looting　the　town　of　Lawrence。　Governor　Robinson　no　longer　had　any　scruples　in　advising　forcible　resistance　to　all　who　used　force　to　impose　upon　Kansas　a　Government　which　the　people　had　rejected。　In　the　course　of　his　address　Sumner　compared　Senators　Butler　and　Douglas　to　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho　Panza；　saying：　〃The　Senator　from　South　Carolina　has　read　many　books　of　chivalry；　and　believes　himself　a　chivalrous　knight；　with　sentiments　of　honor　and　courage。　Of　course　he　has　chosen　a　mistress　to　whom　he　has　made　his　vows；　and　who；　though　ugly　to　others；　is　always　lovely　to　him；　though　polluted　in　the　sight　of　the　world；　is　chaste　in　his　sight。　I　mean　the　harlot　Slavery。　Let　her　be　impeached　in　character；　or　any　proposition　be　made　to　shut　her　out　from　the　extension　of　her　wantonness；　and　no　extravagance　of　manner　or　hardihood　of　assertion　is　then　too　great　for　the　Senator。〃　When　Sumner　concluded；　the　gathering　storm　broke　forth。　Cass　of　Michigan；　after　saying　that　he　had　listened　to　the　address　with　equal　surprise　and　regret；　characterized　it　as　〃the　most　unAmerican　and　unpatriotic　that　ever　grated　on　the　ears　of　the　members　of　that　high　body。〃　Douglas　and　Mason　were　personal　and　abusive。　Douglas；　recalling　Sumner's　answer　to　Senator　Butler's　question　whether　he　would　assist　in　returning　a　slave；　renewed　the　charge　made　two　years　earlier　that　Sumner　had　violated　his　oath　of　office。　This　attack　called　forth　from　Sumner　another　attempt　to　defend　the　one　weak　point　in　his　speech　of　1852；　for　he　was　always　irritated　by　reference　to　this　subject；　and　at　the　same　time　he　enjoyed　a　fine　facility　in　the　use　of　language　which　irritated　others。　One　utterance　in　Douglas's　reply　to　Sumner　is　of　special　significance　in　view　of　what　occurred　two　days　later：　〃Is　it　his　object　to　provoke　some　of　us　to　kick　him　as　we　would　a　dog　in　the　street；　that　he　may　get　sympathy　upon　the　just　chastisement？〃　Two　days　later　Sumner　was　sitting　alone　at　his　desk　in　the　Senate　chamber　after　adjournment　when　Preston　Brooks；　a　nephew　of　Senator　Butler　and　a　member　of　the　lower　House；　entered　and　accosted　him　with　the　statement　that　he　had　read　Sumner's　speech　twice　and　that　it　was　a　libel　on　South　Carolina　and　upon　a　kinsman　of　his。　Thereupon　Brooks　followed　his　words　by　striking　Sumner　on　the　head　with　a　cane。　Though　the　Senator　was　dazed　and　blinded　by　the　unexpected　attack；　his　assailant　rained　blow　after　blow　until　he　had　broken　the　cane　and　Sumner　lay　prostrate　and　bleeding　at　his　feet。　Brooks's　remarks　in　the　House　of　Representatives　almost　a　month　after　the　event　leave　no　doubt　of　his　determination　to　commit　murder　had　he　failed　to　overcome　his　antagonist　with　a　cane。　He　had　also　taken　the　precaution　to　have　two　of　his　friends　ready　to　prevent　any　interference　before　the　punishment　was　completed。　Toombs　of　Georgia　witnessed　a　part　of　the　assault　and　expressed　approval　of　the　act；　and　everywhere　throughout　the　South；　in　the　public　press；　in　legislative　halls；　in　public　meetings；　Brooks　was　hailed　as　a　hero。　The　resolution　for　his　expulsion　introduced　in　the　House　received　the　support　of　only　one　vote　from　south　of　Mason　and　Dixon's　Line。　A　large　majority　favored　the　resolution；　but　not　the　required　two…thirds　majority。　Brooks；　however；　thought　best　to　resign　but　was　triumphantly　returned　to　his　seat　with　only　six　votes　against　him。　Nothing　was　left　undone　to　express　Southern　gratitude；　and　he　received　gifts　of　canes　innumerable　as　symbols　of　his　valor。　Yet　before　his　death；　which　occurred　in　the　following　January；　he　confessed　to　his　friend　Orr　that　he　was　sick　of　being　regarded　as　the　representative　of　bullies　and　disgusted　at　receiving　testimonials　of　their　esteem。　With　similar　unanimity　the　North　condemned　and　resented　the　assault　that　had　been　made　upon　Sumner。　From　party　considerations；　if　for　no　other　reasons；　Democrats　regretted　the　event。　Republicans　saw　in　the　brutal　attack　and　in　the　manner　of　its　reception　in　the　South　another　evidence　of　the　irrepressible　conflict　between　slavery　and　freedom。　They　were　ready　to　take　up　the　issue　so　forcibly　presented　by　their　fallen　leader。　A　part　of　the　regular　order　of　exercises　at　public　meetings　of　Republicans　was　to　express　sympathy　with　their　wounded　champion　and　with　the　Kansas　people　of　the　pillaged　town　of　Lawrence；　and　to　adopt　ways　and　means　to　bring　to　an　end　the　Administration　which　they　held　responsible　for　these　outrages。　Sumner；　though　silenced；　was　eloquent　in　a　new　and　more　effective　way。　A　half　million　copies　of　〃The　Crime　against　Kansas〃　were　printed　and　circulated。　On　the　issue　thus　presented；　Northern　Democrats　became　convinced　that　their　defeat　at　the　pending　election　was　certain；　and　their　leaders　instituted　the　change　in　their　program　which　has　been　described　in　a　previous　chapter。　They　had　made　an　end　of　the　war　in　Kansas　and　drew　from　their　candidate　for　the　Presidency　the　assurance　that　just　treatment　should　at　last　be　meted　out　to　harassed　Kansas。　Though　Sumner's　injuries　were　at　first　regarded　as　slight；　they　eventually　proved　to　be　extremely　serious。　After　two　attempts　to　resume　his　place　in　the　Senate；　he　found　that　he　was　unable　to　remain；　yet　when　his　term　expired；　he　was　almost　unanimously　reelected。　Much　of　his　time　for　three　and　a　half　years　he　spent　in　Europe。　In　December；　1859；　he　seemed　sufficiently　recovered　to　resume　senatorial　duties；　but　it　was　not　until　the　following　June　that　he　again　addressed　the　Senate。　On　that　occasion　he　delivered　his　last　great　philippic　against　slavery。　The　subject　under　discussion　was　still　the　admission　of　Kansas　as　a　free　State；　and；　as　he　remarked　in　his　opening　sentences；　he　resumed　the　discussion　precisely　where　he　had　left　off　more　than　four　years　before。　Sumner　had　assumed　the　task　of　uttering　a　final　word　against　slavery　as　barbarism　and　a　barrier　to　civilization。　He　spoke　under　the　impelling　power　of　a　conviction　in　his　God…given　mission　to　utilize　a　great　occasion　to　the　full　and　for　a　noble　end。　For　this　work　his　whole　life　had　been　a　preparation。　Accustomed　from　early　youth　to　spend　ten　hours　a　day　with　books　on　law；　history；　and　classic　literature；　he　knew　as　no　other　man　then　knew　what　aid　the　past　could　offer　to　the　struggle　for　freedom。　The　bludgeon　of　the　would…be　assassin　had　not　impaired　his　memory；　and　four　years　of　enforced　leisure　enabled　him　to　fulfill　his　highest　ideals　of　perfect　oratorical　form。　Personalities　he　eliminated　from　this　final　address；　and　blemishes　he　pruned　away。　In　his　earlier　speeches　he　had　been　limited　by　the　demands　of　the　particular　question　under　discussion；　but　in　〃The　Barbarism　of　Slavery〃　he　was　free　to　deal　with　the　general　subject；　and　he　utilized　incidents　in　American　slavery　to　demonstrate　the　general　upward　trend　of　history。　The　orator　was　sustained　by　the　full　consciousness　that　his　utterances　were　in　harmony　with　the　grand　sweep　of　historic　truth　as　well　as　with　the　spirit　of　the　present　age。　Sumner　w