north america-2-第13节
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decadence of so vast a population; but I do say that the Southern States of America have not been able to keep pace with their Northern brethren; that they have fallen behind in the race; and; feeling that the struggle is too much for them; have therefore resolved to part。 The reasons put forward by the South for secession have been trifling almost beyond conception。 Northern tariffs have been the first; and perhaps foremost。 Then there has been a plea that the national exchequer has paid certain bounties to New England fishermen; of which the South has paid its share; getting no part of such bounty in return。 There is also a complaint as to the navigation lawsmeaning; I believe; that the laws of the States increase the cost of coast traffic by forbidding foreign vessels to engage in the trade; thereby increasing also the price of goods and confining the benefit to the North; which carries on the coasting trade of the country; and doing only injury to the South; which has none of it。 Then last; but not least; comes that grievance as to the Fugitive Slave Law。 The law of the land as a wholethe law of the nationrequires the rendition from free States of all fugitive slaves。 But the free States will not obey this law。 They even pass State laws in opposition to it; 〃Catch your own slaves;〃 they say; 〃and we will not hinder you; at any rate we will not hinder you officially。 Of non…official hinderance you must take your chance。 But we absolutely decline to employ our officers to catch your slaves。〃 That list comprises; as I take it; the amount of Southern official grievances。 Southern people will tell you privately of others。 They will say that they cannot sleep happy in their beds; fearing lest insurrection should be roused among their slaves。 They will tell you of domestic comfort invaded by Northern falsehood。 They will explain to you how false has been Mrs。 Beecher Stowe。 Ladies will fill your ears and your hearts too with tales of the daily efforts they make for the comfort of their 〃people;〃 and of the ruin to those efforts which arises from the malice of the abolitionists。 To all this you make some answer with your tongue that is hardly truefor in such a matter courtesy forbids the plain truth。 But your heart within answers truly; 〃Madam; dear madam; your sorrow is great; but that sorrow is the necessary result of your position。〃 As to those official reasons; in what fewest words I can use I will endeavor to show that they come to nothing。 The tariffand a monstrous tariff it then waswas the ground put forward by South Carolina for secession when General Jackson was President and Mr。 Calhoun was the hero of the South。 Calhoun bound himself and his State to take certain steps toward secession at a certain day if that tariff were not abolished。 The tariff was so absurd that Jackson and his government were forced to abandon itwould have abandoned it without any threat from Calhoun; but under that threat it was necessary that Calhoun should be defied。 General Jackson proposed a compromise tariff; which was odious to Calhounnot on its own behalf; for it yielded nearly all that was asked; but as being subversive of his desire for secession。 The President; however; not only insisted on his compromise; but declared his purpose of preventing its passage into law unless Calhoun himself; as Senator; would vote for it。 And he also declared his purpose not; we may presume; officiallyof hanging Calhoun; if he took that step toward secession which he had bound himself to take in the event of the tariff not being repealed。 As a result of all this Calhoun voted for the compromise; and secession for the time was beaten down。 That was in 1832; and may be regarded as the commencement of the secession movement。 The tariff was then a convenient reason; a ground to be assigned with a color of justice because it was a tariff admitted to be bad。 But the tariff has been modified again and again since that; and the tariff existing when South Carolina seceded in 1860 had been carried by votes from South Carolina。 The absurd Morrill tariff could not have caused secession; for it was passed; without a struggle; in the collapse of Congress occasioned by secession。 The bounty to fishermen was given to create sailors; so that a marine might be provided for the nation。 I need hardly show that the national benefit would accrue to the whole nation for whose protection such sailors were needed。 Such a system of bounties may be bad; but if so; it was bad for the whole nation。 It did not affect South Carolina otherwise than it affected Illinois; Pennsylvania; or even New York。 The navigation laws may also have been bad。 According to my thinking such protective laws are bad; but they created no special hardship on the South。 By any such a theory of complaint all sections of all nations have ground of complaint against any other section which receives special protection under any law。 The drinkers of beer in England should secede because they pay a tax; whereas the consumers of paper pay none。 The navigation laws of the States are no doubt injurious to the mercantile interests of the States。 I at least have no doubt on the subject。 But no one will think that secession is justified by the existence of a law of questionable expediency。 Bad laws will go by the board if properly handled by those whom they pinch; as the navigation laws went by the board with us in England。 As to that Fugitive Slave Law; it should be explained that the grievance has not arisen from the loss of slaves。 I have heard it stated that South Carolina; up to the time of the secession; had never lost a slave in this waythat is; by Northern opposition to the Fugitive Slave Law; and that the total number of slaves escaping successfully into the Northern States; and there remaining through the non…operation of this law; did not amount to five in the year。 It has not been a question of property; but of feeling。 It has been a political point; and the South has conceivedand probably conceived trulythat this resolution on the part of Northern States to defy the law with reference to slaves; even though in itself it might not be immediately injurious to Southern property; was an insertion of the narrow end of the wedge。 It was an action taken against slaveryan action taken by men of the North against their fellow…countrymen in the South。 Under such circumstances; the sooner such countrymen should cease to be their fellows the better it would be for them。 That; I take it; was the argument of the South; or at any rate that was its feeling。 I have said that the reasons given for secession have been trifling; and among them have so estimated this matter of the Fugitive Slave Law。 I mean to assert that the ground actually put forward is triflingthe loss; namely; of slaves to which the South has been subjected。 But the true reason pointed at in thisthe conviction; namely; that the North would not leave slavery alone; and would not allow it to remain as a settled institutionwas by no means trifling。 It has been this conviction on the part of the South that the North would not live in amity with slaverywould continue to fight it under this banner or under that; would still condemn it as disgraceful to men and rebuke it as impious before Godwhich has produced rebellion and civil war; and will ultimately produce that division for which the South is fighting and against which the North is fighting; and which; when accomplished; will give the North new wings; and will leave the South without political greatness or commercial success。 Under such circumstances I cannot think that rebellion on the part of the South was justified by wrongs endured; or made reasonable by the prospect of wrongs to be inflicted。 It is disagreeable; that having to live with a wife who is always rebuking one for some special fault; but the outside world will not grant a divorce on that account; especially if the outside world is well aware that the fault so rebuked is of daily occurrence。 〃If you do not choose to be called a drunkard by your wife;〃 the outside world will say; 〃it will be well that you should cease to drink。〃 Ah! but that habit of drinking; when once acquired; cannot easily be laid aside。 The brain will not work; the organs of the body will not perform their functions; the blood will not run。 The drunkard must drink till he dies。 All that may be a good ground for divorce; the outside world will say; but the plea should be put in by the sober wife; not by the intemperate husband。 But what if the husband takes himself off without any divorce; and takes with him also his wife's property; her earnings; that on which he has lived and his children? It may be a good bargain still for her; the outside world will say; but she; if she be a woman of spirit; will not willingly put up with such wrongs。 The South has been the husband drunk with slavery; and the North has been the ill…used wife。 Rebellion; as I have said; is often justifiable but it is; I think; never justifiable on the part of a paid servant of that government against which it is raised。 We must; at any rate; feel that this is true of men in high placesas regards those men to whom by reason of their offices it should specially belong