the anti-slavery crusade-第6节

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dent　in　their　work。　Lundy　addressed　himself　almost　entirely　to　the　non…slaveholding　class；　while　all　of　Birney's　early　efforts　were　〃those　of　a　slaveholder　seeking　to　induce　his　own　class　to　support　the　policy　of　emancipation。　Though　a　Northern　man；　Lundy　found　his　chief　support　in　the　South　until　he　was　driven　out　by　persecution。　Birney　also　resided　in　the　South　until　he　was　forced　to　leave　for　the　same　reason。　The　two　men　were　in　general　accord　in　their　main　lines　of　policy：　both　believed　firmly　in　the　use　of　political　means　to　effect　their　objects；　both　were　at　first　colonizationists；　though　Lundy　favored　colonization　in　adjacent　territory　rather　than　by　deportation　to　Africa。　Women　were　not　a　whit　behind　men　in　their　devotion　to　the　cause　of　freedom。　Conspicuous　among　them　were　Sarah　and　Angelina　Grimke；　born　in　Charleston；　South　Carolina；　of　a　slaveholding　family　noted　for　learning；　refinement；　and　culture。　Sarah　was　born　in　the　same　year　as　James　G。　Birney；　1792；　Angelina　was　thirteen　years　younger。　Angelina　was　the　typical　crusader：　her　sympathies　from　the　first　were　with　the　slave。　As　a　child　she　collected　and　concealed　oil　and　other　simple　remedies　so　that　she　might　steal　out　by　night　and　alleviate　the　sufferings　of　slaves　who　had　been　cruelly　whipped　or　abused。　At　the　age　of　fourteen　she　refused　to　be　confirmed　in　the　Episcopal　Church　because　the　ceremony　involved　giving　sanction　to　words　which　seemed　to　her　untrue。　Two　years　later　her　mother　offered　her　a　present　of　a　slave　girl　for　a　servant　and　companion。　This　gift　she　refused　to　accept；　for　in　her　view　the　servant　had　a　right　to　be　free；　and；　as　for　her　own　needs；　Angelina　felt　quite　capable　of　waiting　upon　herself。　Of　her　own　free　will　she　joined　the　Presbyterian　Church　and　labored　earnestly　with　the　officers　of　the　church　to　induce　them　to　espouse　the　cause　of　the　slave。　When　she　failed　to　secure　cooperation；　she　decided　that　the　church　was　not　Christian　and　she　therefore　withdrew　her　membership。　Her　sister　Sarah　had　gone　North　in　1821　and　had　become　a　member　of　the　Society　of　Friends　in　Philadelphia。　In　Charleston；　South　Carolina；　there　was　a　Friends'　meeting…house　where　two　old　Quakers　still　met　at　the　appointed　time　and　sat　for　an　hour　in　solemn　silence。　Angelina　donned　the　Quaker　garb；　joined　this　meeting；　and　for　an　entire　year　was　the　third　of　the　silent　worshipers。　This　quiet　testimony；　however；　did　not　wholly　satisfy　her　energetic　nature；　and　when；　in　1830；　she　heard　of　the　imprisonment　of　Garrison　in　Baltimore；　she　was　convinced　that　effective　labors　against　slavery　could　not　be　carried　on　in　the　South。　With　great　sorrow　she　determined　to　sever　her　connection　with　home　and　family　and　join　her　sister　in　Philadelphia。　There　the　exile　from　the　South　poured　out　her　soul　in　an　Appeal　to　the　Christian　Women　of　the　South。　The　manuscript　was　handed　to　the　officers　of　the　Anti…　slavery　Society　in　the　city　and；　as　they　read；　tears　filled　their　eyes。　The　Appeal　was　immediately　printed　in　large　quantities　for　distribution　in　Southern　States。　Copies　of　the　Appeal　which　had　been　sent　to　Charleston　were　seized　by　a　mob　and　publicly　burned。　When　it　became　known　soon　afterwards　that　the　author　of　the　offensive　document　was　intending　to　return　to　Charleston　to　spend　the　winter　with　her　family；　there　was　intense　excitement；　and　the　mayor　of　the　city　informed　the　mother　that　her　daughter　would　not　be　permitted　to　land　in　Charleston　nor　to　communicate　with　any　one　there；　and　that；　if　she　did　elude　the　police　and　come　ashore；　she　would　be　imprisoned　and　guarded　until　the　departure　of　the　next　boat。　On　account　of　the　distress　which　she　would　cause　to　her　friends；　Miss　Grimke　reluctantly　gave　up　the　exercise　of　her　constitutional　right　to　visit　her　native　city　and　in　a　very　literal　sense　she　became　a　permanent　exile。　The　two　sisters　let　their　light　shine　among　Philadelphia　Quakers。　In　the　religious　meetings　negro　women　were　consigned　to　a　special　seat。　The　Grimkes；　having　first　protested　against　this　discrimination；　took　their　own　places　on　the　seat　with　the　colored　women。　In　Charleston；　Angelina　had　scrupulously　adhered　to　the　Quaker　garb　because　it　was　viewed　as　a　protest　against　slavery。　In　Philadelphia；　however；　no　such　meaning　was　attached　to　the　costume；　and　she　adopted　clothing　suited　to　the　climate　regardless　of　conventions。　A　series　of　parlor　talks　to　women　which　had　been　organized　by　the　sisters　grew　in　interest　until　the　parlors　became　inadequate；　and　the　speakers　were　at　last　addressing　large　audiences　of　women　in　the　public　meeting…places　of　Philadelphia。　At　this　time　when　Angelina　was　making　effective　use　of　her　unrivaled　power　as　a　public　speaker；　she　received　in　1836　an　invitation　from　the　Anti…slavery　Society　of　New　York　to　address　the　women　of　that　city。　She　informed　her　sister　that　she　believed　this　to　be　a　call　from　God　and　that　it　was　her　duty　to　accept。　Sarah　decided　to　be　her　companion　and　assistant　in　the　work　in　the　new　field；　which　was　similar　to　that　in　Philadelphia。　Its　fame　soon　extended　to　Boston；　whence　came　an　urgent　invitation　to　visit　that　city。　It　was　in　Massachusetts　that　men　began　to　steal　into　the　women's　meetings　and　listen　from　the　back　seats。　In　Lynn　all　barriers　were　broken　down；　and　a　modest；　refined；　and　naturally　diffident　young　woman　found　herself　addressing　immense　audiences　of　men　and　women。　In　the　old　theater　in　Boston　for　six　nights　in　succession；　audiences　filling　all　the　space　listened　entranced　to　the　messenger　of　emancipation。　There　is　uniform　testimony　that；　in　an　age　distinguished　for　oratory；　no　more　effective　speaker　appeared　than　Angelina　Grimke。　It　was　she　above　all　others　who　first　vindicated　the　right　of　women　to　speak　to　men　from　the　public　platform　on　political　topics。　But　it　must　be　remembered　that　scores　of　other　women　were　laboring　to　the　same　end　and　were　fully　prepared　to　utilize　the　new　opportunity。　The　great　world　movement　from　slavery　towards　freedom；　from　despotism　to　democracy；　is　characterized　by　a　tendency　towards　the　equality　of　the　sexes。　Women　have　been　slaves　where　men　were　free。　In　barbarous　ages　women　have　been　ignored　or　have　been　treated　as　mere　adjuncts　to　the　ruling　sex。　But　wherever　there　has　been　a　distinct　contribution　to　the　cause　of　liberty　there　has　been　a　distinct　recognition　of　woman's　share　in　the　work。　The　Society　of　Friends　was　organized　on　the　principle　that　men　and　women　are　alike　moral　beings；　hence　are　equal　in　the　sight　of　God。　As　a　matter　of　experience；　women　were　quite　as　often　moved　to　break　the　silence　of　a　religious　meeting　as　were　the　men。　For　two　hundred　years　women　had　been　accustomed　to　talk　to　both　men　and　women　in　Friends'　meetings　and；　when　the　moral　war　against　slavery　brought　religion　and　politics　into　close　relation；　they　were　ready　speakers　upon　both　topics。　When　the　Grimke　sisters　came　into　the　church　with　a　fresh　baptism　of　the　Spirit；　they　overcame　all　obstacles　and；　with　a　passion　for　righteousness；　moral　and　spiritual　and　political；　they　carried　the　war　against　slavery　into　politics。　In　1833；　at　the　organization　of　the　American　Anti…Slavery　Society　in　Philadelphia；　a　number　of　women　were　present。　Lucretia　Mott；　a　distinguished　〃minister〃　in　the　Society　of　Friends；　took　part　in　the　proceedings。　She　was　careful　to　state　that　she　spoke　as　a　mere　visitor；　having　no　place　in　the　organization；　but　she　ventured　to　suggest　various　modifications　in　the　report　of　Garrison's　committee　on　a　declaration　of　principles　which　rendered　it　more　acceptable　to　the　meeting。　It　had　not　then　been　seriously　considered　whether　women　could　become　members　of　the　Anti…Slavery　Society；　which　was　at　that　time　composed　exclusively　of　men；　with　the　women　maintaining　their　separate　organizations　as　auxiliaries。　The　women　of　the　West　were　already　better　organized　than　the　men　and　were　doing　a　work　which　men　could　not　do。　They　were；　for　the　most　part；　unconscious　of　any　conflict　between　the　peculiar　duties　of　men　and　those　of　women　in　their　relations　to　common　objects。　The　〃library　associations〃　of　Indiana；　which　were　in　fact　effective　anti…slavery　societies；　were　to　a　large　extent　composed　of　women。　To　the　library　were　added　numerous　other　disguises；　such　as　〃reading　circles；〃　〃sewing　societies；〃　〃women's　clubs。〃　In　many　communities　the　appearance　of　men　in　any　of　these　enterprises　would　create　suspicion　or　even　raise　a　mob。　But　the　women　worked　on　quietly；　effectively；　and　unnoticed。　The　matron　of　a　family　would　be　provided　with　the　best　riding…horse　which　the　neighborhood　could　furnish。　Mounted　upon　her　steed；　she　would　sally　forth　in　the　morning；　meet　her　carefully　selected　friends　in　a　town　twenty　miles　away；　gain　information　as　to　what　had　been　accomplished；　give　information　as　to　the　work　in　other　parts　of　the　district；　distribute　new　literature；　confer　as　to　the　best　means　of　extending　their　labors；　and　return　in　the　afternoon。　The　father　of　such　a　family　was　quite　content　with　the　humbler　task　of　cooperation　by　supplying　the　sinews　of　war。　There　was　complete　equality　between　husband　and　wife　because　their　aims　were　identical　and　each　rendered　the　service　most　convenient　and　most　needed。　Women　did　what　men　could　not　do。　In　the　territory　of　the　enemy　the　men　were　reached　through　the　gradual　and