abraham lincoln and the union-第9节

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nse　fields；　its　forests；　its　great　empty　spaces　filled　with　glowing　sunshine。　　He　tried　to　possess　his　troubled　soul　with　the　severe　intellectual　ardor　of　the　law。　　But　his　gift　of　second　sight　would　not　rest。　He　could　not　overcome　his　intuition　that；　for　all　the　peace　and　dreaminess　of　the　outward　world；　destiny　was　upon　him。　　Looking　out　from　his　spiritual　seclusion；　he　beheld　what　seemed　to　him　complete　political　confusion；　both　local　and　national。　　His　despairing　mood　found　expression　a　little　later　in　the　words：　〃Indeed　if　we　were　now　to　have　a　Southern　convention　to　determine　upon　the　true　policy　of　the　South　either　in　the　Union　or　out　of　it；　I　should　expect　to　see　just　as　much　profitless　discussion；　disagreement；　crimination；　and　recrimination　amongst　the　members　of　it　from　different　states　and　from　the　same　state；　as　we　witness　in　the　present　House　of　Representatives　between　Democrats；　Republicans；　and　Americans。〃

Among　the　sources　of　confusion　Stephens　saw；　close　at　home；　was　the　Southern　battle　over　the　reopening　of　the　slave　trade。　　The　reality　of　that　issue　had　been　made　plain　in　May；　1859；　when　the　Southern　commercial　congress　at　Vicksburg　entertained　at　the　same　time　two　resolutions：　one；　that　the　convention　should　urge　all　Southern　States　to　amend　their　constitutions　by　a　clause　prohibiting　the　increase　of　African　slavery；　the　other；　that　the　convention　urge　all　the　Legislatures　of　Southern　States　to　present　memorials　to　Congress　asking　the　repeal　of　the　law　against　African　slave　trade。　　Of　these　opposed　resolutions；　the　latter　was　adopted　on　the　last　day　of　the　convention*；　though　the　moderates　fought　hard　against　it。

*It　is　significant　that　the　composition　of　these　Southern　commercial　congresses　and　the　Congress　of　the　whole　Southern　people　was　strikingly　different　in　personnel。　　Very　few　members　of　the　commercial　congresses　reappear　in　the　Confederate　Congress。


The　split　between　Southern　moderates　and　Southern　radicals　was　further　indicated　by　their　differing　attitudes　toward　the　adventurers　from　the　United　States　in　Central　America。　　The　Vicksburg　Convention　adopted　resolutions　which　were　thinly　veiled　endorsements　of　southward　expansion。　　In　the　early　autumn　another　Nicaraguan　expedition　was　nipped　in　the　bud　by　the　vigilance　of　American　naval　forces。　　Cobb；　prime　factor　in　the　group　of　Southern　moderates　as　well　as　Secretary　of　the　Treasury；　wrote　to　Buchanan　expressing　his　satisfaction　at　the　event；　mentioning　the　work　of　his　own　department　in　bringing　it　about；　and　also　alluding　to　his　arrangments　to　prevent　slave　trading　off　the　Florida　coast。

But　the　spirit　of　doubt　was　strong　even　among　the　moderates。　Douglas　was　the　target。　　Stephens　gives　a　glimpse　of　it　in　a　letter　written　during　his　last　session　in　Congress。　　〃Cobb　called　on　me　Saturday　night；〃　he　writes。　　〃He　is　exceedingly　bitter　against　Douglas。　　I　joked　him　a　good　deal；　and　told　him　he　had　better　not　fight；　or　he　would　certainly　be　whipped；　that　is；　in　driving　Douglas　out　of　the　Democratic　party。　　He　said　that　if　Douglas　ever　was　restored　to　the　confidence　of　the　Democracy　of　Georgia；　it　would　be　over　his　dead　body　politically。　　This　shows　his　excitement；　that　is　all。　　I　laughed　at　him；　and　told　him　he　would　run　his　feelings　and　his　policy　into　the　ground。〃　　The　anger　of　Cobb；　who　was　himself　a　confessed　candidate　for　the　Democratic　nomination；　was　imperiling　the　Democratic　national　machine　which　Toombs　was　still　struggling　so　resolutely　to　hold　together。　　Indeed；　as　late　as　the　autumn　of　1859　the　machine　still　held　together。

Then　came　the　man　of　destiny；　the　bolt　from　the　blue；　the　end　of　the　chapter。　　A　marvelous　fanatica　sort　of　reincarnation　of　the　grimmest　of　the　Covenantersby　one　daring　act　shattered　the　machine　and　made　impossible　any　further　coalition　on　the　principle　of　〃nothing　doing。〃　　This　man　of　destiny　was　John　Brown；　whose　attack　on　Harper's　Ferry　took　place　October　16th；　and　whose　execution　by　the　authorities　of　Virginia　on　the　charges　of　murder　and　treason　occurred　on　the　2nd　of　December。

The　incident　filled　the　South　with　consternation。　　The　prompt　condemnation　of　it　by　many　Republican　leaders　did　not　offset；　in　the　minds　of　Southerners；　the　fury　of　praise　accorded　by　others。　The　South　had　a　ghastly　tradition　derived　chiefly　from　what　is　known　as　Nat　Turner's　Rebellion　in　Virginia；　a　tradition　of　the　massacre　of　white　women　and　children　by　negroes。　　As　Brown　had　set　opt　to　rouse　a　slave　rebellion；　every　Southerner　familiar　with　his　own　traditions　shuddered；　identifying　in　imagination　John　Brown　and　Nat　Turner。　　Horror　became　rage　when　the　Southerners　heard　of　enthusiastic　applause　in　Boston　and　of　Emerson's　description　of　Brown　as　〃that　new　saint〃　who　was　to　〃make　the　gallows　glorious　like　the　cross。〃　　In　the　excitement　produced　by　remarks　such　as　this；　justice　was　not　done　to　Lincoln's　censure。　　In　his　speech　at　Cooper　Institute　in　New　York；　in　February；　1860；　Lincoln　had　said：　〃John　Brown's　effort。。。in　its　philosophy　corresponds　with　the　many　attempts　related　in　history　at　the　assassination　of　kings　and　emperors。　　An　enthusiast　broods　over　the　oppression　of　a　people；　until　he　fancies　himself　commissioned　by　Heaven　to　liberate　them。　He　ventures　the　attempt　which　ends　in　little　else　than　in　his　own　execution。〃　　A　few　months　afterwards；　the　Republican　national　convention　condemned　the　act　of　Brown　as　〃among　the　gravest　of　crimes。〃

An　immediate　effect　of　the　John　Brown　episode　was　a　passionate　outburst　from　all　the　radical　press　of　the　South　in　defense　of　slavery。　　The　followers　of　Yancey　made　the　most　of　their　opportunity。　　The　men　who　voted　at　Vicksburg　to　reopen　the　slave　trade　could　find　no　words　to　measure　their　hatred　of　every　one　who；　at　this　moment　of　crisis；　would　not　declare　slavery　a　blessing。　Many　of　the　men　who　opposed　the　slave　traders　also　felt　that；　in　the　face　of　possible　slave　insurrection；　the　peril　of　their　families　was　the　one　paramount　consideration。　　Nevertheless；　it　is　easy　for　the　special　pleader　to　give　a　wrong　impression　of　the　sentiment　of　the　time。　　A　grim　desire　for　self…preservation　took　possession　of　the　South；　as　well　as　a　deadly　fear　of　any　person　or　any　thing　that　tended　directly　or　indirectly　to　incite　the　blacks　to　insurrection。　　Northerners　of　abolitionist　sympathies　were　warned　to　leave　the　country；　and　in　some　cases　they　were　tarred　and　feathered。

Great　anger　was　aroused　by　the　detection　of　book…agents　who　were　distributing　a　furious　polemic　against　slavery；　〃The　Impending　Crisis　of　the　South：　How　to　Meet　It〃；　by　Hinton　Rowan　Helper；　a　Southerner　of　inferior　social　position　belonging　to　the　class　known　as　poor　whites。　　The　book　teemed　with　such　sentences　as　this；　addressing　slaveholders：　〃Do　you　aspire　to　become　victims　of　white　non…slave…holding　vengeance　by　day　and　of　barbarous　massacres　by　the　negroes　at　night？〃　　It　is　scarcely　strange；　therefore；　that　in　1859　no　Southerner　would　hear　a　good　word　of　anyone　caught　distributing　the　book。　And　yet；　in　the　midst　of　all　this　vehement　exaltation　of　slavery；　the　fight　to　prevent　a　reopening　of　the　slave　trade　went　bravely　on。　　Stephens；　writing　to　a　friend　who　was　correspondent　for　the　〃Southern　Confederacy〃；　in　Atlanta；　warned　him　in　April；　1860；　〃neither　to　advocate　disunion　or　the　opening　of　the　slave　trade。　The　people　here　at　present　I　believe　are　as　much　opposed　to　it　as　they　are　at　the　North；　and　I　believe　the　Northern　people　could　be　induced　to　open　it　sooner　than　the　Southern　people。〃

The　winter　of　1859…1860　witnessed　a　famous　congressional　battle　over　the　speakership。　　The　new　Congress　which　met　in　December　contained　109　Republicans；　101　Democrats；　and　27　Know…Nothings。　The　Republican　candidate　for　speaker　was　John　Sherman　of　Ohio。　　As　the　first　ballot　showed　that　he　could　not　command　a　majority；　a　Democrat　from　Missouri　introduced　this　resolution　〃Whereas　certain　members　of　this　House；　now　in　nomination　for　speaker；　did　endorse　the　book　hereinafter　mentioned；　resolved；　That　the　doctrines　and　sentiments　of　a　certain　book；　called　'The　Impending　Crisis　of　the　South：　How　to　Meet　It'；　are　insurrectionary　and　hostile　to　the　peace　and　tranquillity　of　the　country；　and　that　no　member　of　this　House；　who　has　indorsed　or　recommended　it；　is　fit　to　be　speaker　of　the　House。〃

During　two　months　there　were　strange　scenes　in　the　House；　while　the　clerk　acted　as　temporary　speaker　and　furious　diatribes　were　thundered　back　and　forth　across　the　aisle　that　separated　Republicans　from　Democrats；　with　a　passage　of　fisticuffs　or　even　a　drawn　pistol　to　add　variety　to　the　scene。　　The　end　of　it　all　was　a　deal。　　Pennington；　of　the　〃People's　Party〃　of　New　Jersey；　who　had　supported　Sherman　but　had　not　endorsed　Helper；　was　given　the　Republican　support；　a　Know…Nothing　was　made　sergeant…at…arms；　and　Know…Nothing　votes　added　to　the　Republican　votes　made　Pennington　speaker。　　In　many　Northern　cities　the　news　of　his　election　was　greeted　with　the　great　salute　of　a　hundred　guns；　but　at　Richmond　the　papers　came　out　in　mourning　type。

Two　great　figures　now　advanced　to　the　center　of　the　Congressional　stageJefferson　Davis；　Senator　from　Mississippi；　a　lean　eagle　of　a　man　with　piercing　blue　eyes；　and　Judah　P。　Benjamin；　Senator　from　Louisiana；　whose　perpetual　sm