the anti-slavery crusade-第11章

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uppress　abolition　societies。　When　a　committee　of　the　Massachusetts　Legislature　had　been　duly　organized　to　consider　the　documents　received　from　the　slave　States；　the　abolitionists　requested　the　privilege　of　a　hearing　before　the　committee。　Receiving　no　reply；　they　proceeded　to　formulate　a　statement　of　their　case；　but　before　they　could　publish　it；　they　were　invited　to　appear　before　the　joint　committee　of　the　two　houses。　The　public　had　been　aroused　by　the　issue　and　there　was　a　large　audience。　The　case　for　the　abolitionists　was　stated　by　their　ablest　speakers；　among　whom　was　William　Lloyd　Garrison。　They　labored　to　convince　the　committee　that　their　utterances　were　not　incendiary；　and　that　any　legislative　censure　directed　against　them　would　be　an　encouragement　to　mob　violence　and　the　persecution　which　was　already　their　lot。　After　the　defensive　arguments　had　been　fully　presented；　William　Goodell　took　the　floor　and　proceeded　to　charge　upon　the　Southern　States　which　had　made　these　demands　a　conspiracy　against　the　liberties　of　the　North。　In　the　midst　of　great　excitement　and　many　interruptions　by　the　chairman　of　the　committee；　he　quoted　the　language　of　Governor　McDuffie's　message；　and　characterized　the　documents　lying　on　the　table　before　him　as　〃fetters　for　Northern　freemen。〃　Then；　turning　to　the　committee；　he　began；　〃Mr。　Chairman；　are　you　prepared　to　attempt　to　put　them　on？〃but　the　sentence　was　only　half　finished　when　the　stentorian　voice　of　the　chairman　interrupted　him：　〃Sit　down；　sir！〃　and　he　sat　down。　The　committee　then　arose　and　left　the　room。　But　the　audience　did　not　rise；　they　waited　till　other　abolitionists　found　their　tongues　and　gave　expression　to　a　fixed　determination　to　uphold　the　liberties　purchased　for　them　by　the　blood　of　their　fathers。　The　Massachusetts　Legislature　did　not　comply　with　the　request　of　Governor　McDuffie　of　South　Carolina　to　take　the　first　step　towards　the　enslavement　of　all　laborers；　white　as　well　as　black。　And　Rhode　Island　refused　to　enact　into　law　the　pending　bill　for　the　suppression　of　anti…slavery　societies。　They　declined　to　violate　the　plain　requirements　of　their　Constitution　that　the　interests　of　slavery　might　be　promoted。　Not　many　years　later　they　were　ready　to　strain　or　break　the　Constitution　for　the　sake　of　liberty。　In　the　general　crusade　against　liberty　churches　proved　more　pliable　than　States。　The　authority　of　nearly　all　the　leading　denominations　was　directed　against　the　abolitionists。　The　General　Conference　of　the　Methodist　Episcopal　Church　passed　in　1836　a　resolution　censuring　two　of　their　members　who　had　lectured　in　favor　of　modern　abolitionism。　The　Ohio　Conference　of　the　same　denomination　had　passed　resolutions　urging　resistance　to　the　anti…slavery　movement。　In　June；　1836；　the　New　York　Conference　decided　that　no　one　should　be　chosen　as　deacon　or　elder　who　did　not　give　pledge　that　he　would　refrain　from　agitating　the　church　on　the　subject。　The　same　spirit　appeared　in　theological　seminaries。　The　trustees　of　Lane　Seminary；　near　Cincinnati；　Ohio；　voted　that　students　should　not　organize　or　be　members　of　anti…slavery　societies　or　hold　meetings　or　lecture　or　speak　on　the　subject。　Whereupon　the　students　left　in　a　body；　and　many　of　the　professors　withdrew　and　united　with　others　in　the　founding　of　an　anti…slavery　college　at　Oberlin。　A　persistent　attack　was　also　directed　against　the　use　of　the　United　States　mails　for　the　distribution　of　anti…slavery　literature。　Mob　violence　which　involved　the　post…office　began　as　early　as　1830；　when　printed　copies　of　Miss　Grimke's　Appeal　to　the　Christian　Women　of　the　South　were　seized　and　burned　in　Charleston。　In　1835　large　quantities　of　anti…slavery　literature　were　removed　from　the　Charleston　office　and　in　the　presence　of　the　assembled　citizens　committed　to　the　flames。　Postmasters　on　their　own　motion　examined　the　mails　and　refused　to　deliver　any　matter　that　they　deemed　incendiary。　Amos　Kendall；　Postmaster…General；　was　requested　to　issue　an　order　authorizing　such　conduct。　He　replied　that　he　had　no　legal　authority　to　issue　such　an　order。　Yet　he　would　not　recommend　the　delivery　of　such　papers。　〃We　owe；〃　said　he；　〃an　obligation　to　the　laws；　but　a　higher　one　to　the　communities　in　which　we　live；　and　if　the　former　be　perverted　to　destroy　the　latter；　it　is　patriotism　to　disregard　them。　Entertaining　these　views；　I　cannot　sanction；　and　will　not　condemn；　the　step　you　have　taken。〃　This　is　an　early　instance　of　the　appeal　to　the　〃higher　law〃　in　the　pro…slavery　controversy。　The　higher　law　was　invoked　against　the　freedom　of　the　press。　The　New　York　postmaster　sought　to　dissuade　the　Anti…slavery　Society　from　the　attempt　to　send　its　publications　through　the　mails　into　Southern　States。　In　reply　to　a　request　for　authorization　to　refuse　to　accept　such　publications；　the　Postmaster…General　replied：　〃I　am　deterred　from　giving　an　order　to　exclude　the　whole　series　of　abolition　publications　from　the　Southern　mails　only　by　a　want　of　legal　power；　and　if　I　were　situated　as　you　are；　I　would　do　as　you　have　done。〃　Mr。　Kendall's　letters　to　the　postmasters　of　Charleston　and　New　York　were　written　in　July　and　August；　1835。　In　December　of　the　same　year；　presumably　with　full　knowledge　that　a　member　of　his　Cabinet　was　encouraging　violations　of　law　in　the　interest　of　slavery；　President　Jackson　undertook　to　supply　the　need　of　legal　authorization。　In　his　annual　message　he　made　a　savage　attack　upon　the　abolitionists　and　recommended　to　Congress　the　〃passing　of　such　a　law　as　will　prohibit；　under　severe　penalties；　the　circulation　in　the　Southern　States；　through　the　mail；　of　incendiary　publications。〃　This　part　of　the　President's　message　was　referred　to　a　select　committee；　of　which　John　C。　Calhoun　was　chairman。　The　chairman's　report　was　against　the　adoption　of　the　President's　recommendation　because　a　subject　of　such　vital　interest　to　the　States　ought　not　to　be　left　to　Congress。　The　admission　of　the　right　of　Congress　to　decide　what　is　incendiary；　asserted　the　report；　carries　with　it　the　power　to　decide　what　is　not　incendiary　and　hence　Congress　might　authorize　and　enforce　the　circulation　of　abolition　literature　through　the　mails　in　all　the　States。　The　States　should　themselves　severally　decide　what　in　their　judgment　is　incendiary；　and　then　it　would　become　the　duty　of　the　general　Government　to　give　effect　to　such　state　laws。　The　bill　recommended　was　in　harmony　with　this　view。　It　was　made　illegal　for　any　deputy　postmaster　〃to　deliver　to　any　person　whatsoever；　any　pamphlet；　newspaper；　handbill；　or　other　printed　paper；　or　pictorial　representation　touching　the　subject　of　slavery；　where　by　the　laws　of　the　said　State；　territory；　or　district　their　circulation　is　prohibited。〃　The　bill　was　defeated　in　the　Senate　by　a　small　margin。　Altogether　there　was　an　enlightening　debate　on　the　whole　subject。　The　exposure　of　the　abuse　of　tampering　with　the　mail　created　a　general　reaction；　which　enabled　the　abolitionists　to　win　a　spectacular　victory。　Instead　of　a　law　forbidding　the　circulation　of　anti…slavery　publications；　Congress　enacted　a　law　requiring　postal　officials　under　heavy　penalties　to　deliver　without　discrimination　all　matter　committed　to　their　charge。　This　act　was　signed　by　President　Jackson；　and　Calhoun　himself　was　induced　to　admit　that　the　purposes　of　the　abolitionists　were　not　violent　and　revolutionary。　Henceforth　abolitionists　enjoyed　their　full　privileges　in　the　use　of　the　United　States　mail。　An　even　more　dramatic　victory　was　thrust　upon　the　abolitionists　by　the　inordinate　violence　of　their　opponents　in　their　attack　upon　the　right　of　petition。　John　Quincy　Adams；　who　became　their　distinguished　champion；　was　not　himself　an　abolitionist。　When；　as　a　member　of　the　lower　House　of　Congress　in　1831；　he　presented　petitions　from　certain　citizens　of　Pennsylvania；　presumably　Quakers；　requesting　Congress　to　abolish　slavery　and　the　slave…trade　in　the　District　of　Columbia；　he　refused　to　countenance　their　prayer；　and　expressed　the　wish　that　the　memorial　might　be　referred　without　debate。　At　the　very　time　when　a　New　England　ex…President　was　thus　advising　abolitionists　to　desist　from　sending　petitions　to　Congress；　the　Virginia　Legislature　was　engaged　in　the　memorable　debate　upon　a　similar　petition　from　Virginia　Quakers；　in　which　most　radical　abolition　senti