英语天堂-第142章

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scaped　fugitives　into　slavery；　as　a　duty　binding　on　good　citizens；—when　she　heard；　on　all　hands；　from　kind；　compassionate　and　estimable　people；　in　the　free　states　of　the　North；　deliberations　and　discussions　as　to　what　Christian　duty　could　be　on　this　head；—she　could　only　think；　These　men　and　Christians　cannot　know　what　slavery　is；　if　they　did；　such　a　question　could　never　be　open　for　discussion。　And　from　this　arose　a　desire　to　exhibit　it　in　a　living　dramatic　reality。　She　has　endeavored　to　show　it　fairly；　in　its　best　and　its　worst　phases。　In　its　best　aspect；　she　has；　perhaps；　been　sucomessful；　but；　oh！　who　shall　say　what　yet　remains　untold　in　that　valley　and　shadow　of　death；　that　lies　the　other　side？
To　you；　generous；　noble…minded　men　and　women；　of　the　South；—you；　whose　virtue；　and　magnanimity　and　purity　of　character；　are　the　greater　for　the　severer　trial　it　has　encountered；—to　you　is　her　appeal。　Have　you　not；　in　your　own　secret　souls；　in　your　own　private　conversings；　felt　that　there　are　woes　and　evils；　in　this　acomursed　system；　far　beyond　what　are　here　shadowed；　or　can　be　shadowed？　Can　it　be　otherwise？　Is　man　ever　a　creature　to　be　trusted　with　wholly　irresponsible　power？　And　does　not　the　slave　system；　by　denying　the　slave　all　legal　right　of　testimony；　make　every　individual　owner　an　irresponsible　despot？　Can　anybody　fall　to　make　the　inference　what　the　practical　result　will　be？　If　there　is；　as　we　admit；　a　public　sentiment　among　you；　men　of　honor；　justice　and　humanity；　is　there　not　also　another　kind　of　public　sentiment　among　the　ruffian；　the　brutal　and　debased？　And　cannot　the　ruffian；　the　brutal；　the　debased；　by　slave　law；　own　just　as　many　slaves　as　the　best　and　purest？　Are　the　honorable；　the　just；　the　high…minded　and　compassionate；　the　majority　anywhere　in　this　world？
The　slave…trade　is　now；　by　American　law；　considered　as　piracy。　But　a　slave…trade；　as　systematic　as　ever　was　carried　on　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　is　an　inevitable　attendant　and　result　of　American　slavery。　And　its　heart…break　and　its　horrors；　can　they　be　told？
The　writer　has　given　only　a　faint　shadow；　a　dim　picture；　of　the　anguish　and　despair　that　are；　at　this　very　moment；　riving　thousands　of　hearts；　shattering　thousands　of　families；　and　driving　a　helpless　and　sensitive　race　to　frenzy　and　despair。　There　are　those　living　who　know　the　mothers　whom　this　acomursed　traffic　has　driven　to　the　murder　of　their　children；　and　themselves　seeking　in　death　a　shelter　from　woes　more　dreaded　than　death。　Nothing　of　tragedy　can　be　written；　can　be　spoken；　can　be　conceived；　that　equals　the　frightful　reality　of　scenes　daily　and　hourly　acting　on　our　shores；　beneath　the　shadow　of　American　law；　and　the　shadow　of　the　cross　of　Christ。
And　now；　men　and　women　of　America；　is　this　a　thing　to　be　trifled　with；　apologized　for；　and　passed　over　in　silence？　Farmers　of　Massachusetts；　of　New　Hampshire；　of　Vermont；　of　Connecticut；　who　read　this　book　by　the　blaze　of　your　winter…evening　fire；—strong…hearted；　generous　sailors　and　ship…owners　of　Maine；—is　this　a　thing　for　you　to　countenance　and　encourage？　Brave　and　generous　men　of　New　York；　farmers　of　rich　and　joyous　Ohio；　and　ye　of　the　wide　prairie　states；—answer；　is　this　a　thing　for　you　to　protect　and　countenance？　And　you；　mothers　of　America；—you　who　have　learned；　by　the　cradles　of　your　own　children；　to　love　and　feel　for　all　mankind；—by　the　sacred　love　you　bear　your　child；　by　your　joy　in　his　beautiful；　spotless　infancy；　by　the　motherly　pity　and　tenderness　with　which　you　guide　his　growing　years；　by　the　anxieties　of　his　education；　by　the　prayers　you　breathe　for　his　soul’s　eternal　good；—I　beseech　you；　pity　the　mother　who　has　all　your　affections；　and　not　one　legal　right　to　protect；　guide；　or　educate；　the　child　of　her　bosom！　By　the　sick　hour　of　your　child；　by　those　dying　eyes；　which　you　can　never　forget；　by　those　last　cries；　that　wrung　your　heart　when　you　could　neither　help　nor　save；　by　the　desolation　of　that　empty　cradle；　that　silent　nursery；—I　beseech　you；　pity　those　mothers　that　are　constantly　made　childless　by　the　American　slave…trade！　And　say；　mothers　of　America；　is　this　a　thing　to　be　defended；　sympathized　with；　passed　over　in　silence？
Do　you　say　that　the　people　of　the　free　state　have　nothing　to　do　with　it；　and　can　do　nothing？　Would　to　God　this　were　true！　But　it　is　not　true。　The　people　of　the　free　states　have　defended；　encouraged；　and　participated；　and　are　more　guilty　for　it；　before　God；　than　the　South；　in　that　they　have　not　the　apology　of　education　or　custom。
If　the　mothers　of　the　free　states　had　all　felt　as　they　should；　in　times　past；　the　sons　of　the　free　states　would　not　have　been　the　holders；　and；　proverbially；　the　hardest　masters　of　slaves；　the　sons　of　the　free　states　would　not　have　connived　at　the　extension　of　slavery；　in　our　national　body；　the　sons　of　the　free　states　would　not；　as　they　do；　trade　the　souls　and　bodies　of　men　as　an　equivalent　to　money；　in　their　mercantile　dealings。　There　are　multitudes　of　slaves　temporarily　owned；　and　sold　again；　by　merchants　in　northern　cities；　and　shall　the　whole　guilt　or　obloquy　of　slavery　fall　only　on　the　South？
Northern　men；　northern　mothers；　northern　Christians；　have　something　more　to　do　than　denounce　their　brethren　at　the　South；　they　have　to　look　to　the　evil　among　themselves。
But；　what　can　any　individual　do？　Of　that；　every　individual　can　judge。　There　is　one　thing　that　every　individual　can　do；—they　can　see　to　it　that　they　feel　right。　An　atmosphere　of　sympathetic　influence　encircles　every　human　being；　and　the　man　or　woman　who　feels　strongly；　healthily　and　justly；　on　the　great　interests　of　humanity；　is　a　constant　benefactor　to　the　human　race。　See；　then；　to　your　sympathies　in　this　matter！　Are　they　in　harmony　with　the　sympathies　of　Christ？　or　are　they　swayed　and　perverted　by　the　sophistries　of　worldly　policy？
Christian　men　and　women　of　the　North！　still　further；—you　have　another　power；　you　can　pray！　Do　you　believe　in　prayer？　or　has　it　become　an　indistinct　apostolic　tradition？　You　pray　for　the　heathen　abroad；　pray　also　for　the　heathen　at　home。　And　pray　for　those　distressed　Christians　whose　whole　chance　of　religious　improvement　is　an　acomident　of　trade　and　sale；　from　whom　any　adherence　to　the　morals　of　Christianity　is；　in　many　cases；　an　impossibility；　unless　they　have　given　them；　from　above；　the　courage　and　grace　of　martyrdom。
But；　still　more。　On　the　shores　of　our　free　states　are　emerging　the　poor；　shattered；　broken　remnants　of　families；—men　and　women；　escaped；　by　miraculous　providences　from　the　surges　of　slavery；—feeble　in　knowledge；　and；　in　many　cases；　infirm　in　moral　constitution；　from　a　system　which　confounds　and　confuses　every　principle　of　Christianity　and　morality。　They　come　to　seek　a　refuge　among　you；　they　come　to　seek　education；　knowledge；　Christianity。
What　do　you　owe　to　these　poor　unfortunates；　oh　Christians？　Does　not　every　American　Christian　owe　to　the　African　race　some　effort　at　reparation　for　the　wrongs　that　the　American　nation　has　brought　upon　them？　Shall　the　doors　of　churches　and　school…houses　be　shut　upon　them？　Shall　states　arise　and　shake　them　out？　Shall　the　church　of　Christ　hear　in　silence　the　taunt　that　is　thrown　at　them；　and　shrink　away　from　the　helpless　hand　that　they　stretch　out；　and；　by　her　silence；　encourage　the　cruelty　that　would　chase　them　from　our　borders？　If　it　must　be　so；　it　will　be　a　mournful　spectacle。　If　it　must　be　so；　the　country　will　have　reason　to　tremble；　when　it　remembers　that　the　fate　of　nations　is　in　the　hands　of　One　who　is　very　pitiful；　and　of　tender　compassion。
Do　you　say；　“We　don’t　want　them　here；　let　them　go　to　Africa”？
That　the　providence　of　God　has　provided　a　refuge　in　Africa；　is；　indeed；　a　great　and　noticeable　fact；　but　that　is　no　reason　why　the　church　of　Christ　should　throw　off　that　responsibility　to　this　outcast　race　which　her　profession　demands　of　her。
To　fill　up　Liberia　with　an　ignorant；　inexperienced；　half…barbarized　race；　just　escaped　from　the　chains　of　slavery；　would　be　only　to　prolong；　for　ages；　the　period　of　struggle　and　conflict　which　attends　the　inception　of　new　enterprises。　Let　the　church　of　the　north　receive　these　poor　sufferers　in　the　spirit　of　Christ；　receive　them　to　the　educating　advantages　of　Christian　republican　society　and　schools；　until　they　have　attained　to　somewhat　of　a　moral　and　intellectual　maturity；　and　then　assist　them　in　their　passage　to　those　shores；　where　they　may　put　in　practice　the　lessons　they　have　learned　in　America。
There　is　a　body　of　men　at　the　north；　comparatively　small；　who　have　been　doing　this；　and；　as　the　result；　this　country　has　already　seen　examples　of　men；　formerly　slaves；　who　have　rapidly　acquired　property；　reputation；　and　education。　Talent　has　been　developed；　which；　considering　the　circumstances；　is　certainly　remarkable；　and；　for　moral　traits　of　honesty；　kindness；　tenderness　of　feeling；—for　heroic　efforts　and　self…denials；　endured　for　the　ransom　of　brethren　and　friends　yet　in　slavery；—they　have　been　remarkable　to　a　degree　that；　considering　the　influence　under　which　they　were　born；　is　surprising。
The　writer　has　lived；　for　many　years；　on　the　frontier…line　of　slave　states；　and　has　had　great　opportunities　of　observation　among　those　who　formerly　were　slaves。　They　have　been　in　her　family　as　servants；　and；　in　default　of