the anti-slavery crusade-第24章

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on　and　they　accepted　the　wanton　attack　upon　Lawrence　as　the　best　assurance　that　they　would　yet　win　their　cause　by　legal　means。　A　change；　however；　soon　took　place　which　is　associated　with　the　entrance　of　John　Brown　into　the　history　of　Kansas。　Brown　and　his　sons　were　living　at　Osawatomie；　some　thirty　miles　south　of　Lawrence。　They　were　present　at　the　Wakarusa　War　in　December；　1855；　and　were　on　their　way　to　the　defense　of　Lawrence　on　May　21；　1856；　when　they　were　informed　that　the　town　had　been　destroyed。　Three　days　after　this　event　Brown　and　his　sons　with　two　or　three　others　made　a　midnight　raid　upon　their　pro…slavery　neighbors　living　in　the　Pottawatomie　valley　and　slew　five　men。　The　authors　of　this　deed　were　not　certainly　known　until　the　publication　of　a　confession　of　one　of　the　party　in　1879；　twenty　years　after　the　chief　actor　had　won　the　reputation　of　a　martyr　to　the　cause　of　liberty。　The　Browns；　however；　were　suspected　at　the　time；　warrants　were　out　for　their　arrest；　and　their　homes　were　destroyed。　For　more　than　three　months　after　this　incident；　Kansas　was　in　a　state　of　war；　in　fact；　two　distinct　varieties　of　warfare　were　carried　on。　Publicly　organized　companies　on　both　sides　engaged　in　acts　of　attack　and　defense；　while　at　the　same　time　irresponsible　secret　bands　were　busy　in　violent　reprisals；　in　plunder　and　assassination。　In　both　of　these　forms　of　warfare；　the　free…state　men　proved　themselves　fully　equal　to　their　opponents；　and　Governor　Shannon　was　entirely　unable　to　cope　with　the　situation。　It　is　estimated　that　two　hundred　men　were　slain　and　two　million　dollars'　worth　of　property　was　destroyed。　The　state　of　affairs　in　Kansas　served　to　win　many　Northern　Democrats　to　the　support　of　the　Republicans。　The　Administration　at　Washington　was　held　responsible　for　the　violence　and　bloodshed。　The　Democratic　leaders　in　the　political　campaign；　determined　now　upon　a　complete　change　in　the　Government　of　the　Territory；　appointed　J。　W。　Geary　as　Governor　and　placed　General　Smith　in　charge　of　the　troops。　The　new　incumbents；　both　from　Pennsylvania；　entered　upon　their　labors　early　in　September；　and　before　the　October　state　elections　Geary　was　able　to　report　that　peace　reigned　throughout　the　Territory。　A　prompt　reaction　in　favor　of　the　Democrats　followed。　Buchanan；　their　presidential　candidate；　rejoiced　in　the　fact　that　order　had　been　restored　by　two　citizens　of　his　own　State。　It　was　now　very　generally　conceded　that　Kansas　would　become　a　free　State；　and　intimate　associates　of　Buchanan　assured　the　public　that　he　was　himself　of　that　opinion　and　that　if　elected　he　would　insure　to　the　free…state　party　evenhanded　justice。　Thousands　of　voters　were　thus　won　to　Buchanan's　support。　There　was　a　general　distrust　of　the　Republican　candidate　as　a　man　lacking　political　experience；　and　a　strong　conservative　reaction　against　the　idea　of　electing　a　President　by　the　votes　of　only　one　section　of　the　country。　At　the　election　in　November；　Buchanan　received　a　majority　of　sixty　of　the　electoral　votes　over　Fremont；　but　in　the　popular　vote　he　fell　short　of　a　majority　by　nearly　400；000。　Fillmore；　candidate　of　the　Whig　and　the　American　parties；　received　874；000　votes。　There　was　still　profound　distrust　of　the　administration　of　the　Territory　of　Kansas；　and　the　free…state　settlers　refused　to　vote　at　the　election　set　for　the　choosing　of　a　new　territorial　Legislature　in　October。　The　result　was　another　pro…slavery　assembly。　Governor　Geary；　however；　determined　to　secure　and　enforce　just　treatment　of　both　parties。　He　was　at　once　brought　into　violent　conflict　with　the　Legislature　in　an　experience　which　was　almost　an　exact　counterpart　of　that　of　Governor　Reeder；　and　Washington　did　not　support　his　efforts　to　secure　fair　dealings。　A　pro…slavery　deputation　visited　President　Pierce　in　February；　1857；　and　returned　with　the　assurance　that　Governor　Geary　would　be　removed。　Without　waiting　for　the　President　to　act；　Geary　resigned　in　disgust　on　the　4th　of　March。　Of　the　three　Governors　whom　President　Pierce　appointed；　two　became　active　supporters　of　the　free…state　party　and　a　third；　Governor　Shannon；　fled　from　the　territory　in　mortal　terror　lest　he　should　be　slain　by　members　of　the　party　which　he　had　tried　to　serve。

CHAPTER　XI。　CHARLES　SUMNER　The　real　successor　to　John　Quincy　Adams　as　the　protagonist　of　the　anti…slavery　cause　in　Congress　proved　to　be　not　Seward　but　Charles　Sumner　of　Massachusetts。　This　newcomer　entered　the　Senate　without　previous　legislative　experience　but　with　an　unusual　equipment　for　the　role　he　was　to　play。　A　graduate　of　Harvard　College　at　the　age　of　nineteen；　he　had　entered　upon　the　study　of　law　in　the　newly　organized　law　school　in　which　Joseph　Story　held　one　of　the　two　professorships。　He　was　admitted　to　the　bar　in　1834；　but　three　years　later　he　left　his　slender　law　practice　for　a　long　period　of　European　travel。　This　three　years'　sojourn　brought　him　into　intimate　touch　with　the　leading　spirits　in　arts；　letters；　and　public　life　in　England　and　on　the　Continent；　and　thus　ripened　his　talents　to　their　full　maturity。　He　returned　to　his　law　practice　poor　in　pocket　but　rich　in　the　possession　of　lifelong　friendships　and　happy　memories。　Sumner's　political　career　did　not　begin　until　1847；　when　as　a　Whig　he　not　only　opposed　any　further　extension　of　slavery　but　strove　to　commit　his　party　to　the　policy　of　emancipation　in　all　the　States。　Failing　in　this　attempt；　Sumner　became　an　active　Free…Boiler　in　1848。　He　was　twice　a　candidate　for　Congress　on　the　Free…soil　ticket　but　failed　of　election。　In　1851　he　was　elected　to　the　United　States　Senate　by　a　coalition　between　his　party　and　the　Democrats。　This　is　the　only　public　office　he　ever　held；　but　he　was　continuously　reelected　until　his　death　in　1874。　John　Quincy　Adams　had　addressed　audiences　trained　in　the　old　school；　which　did　not　defend　slavery　on　moral　grounds。　Charles　Sumner　faced　audiences　of　the　new　school；　which　upheld　the　institution　as　a　righteous　moral　order。　This　explains　the　chief　difference　in　the　attitude　of　the　two　leaders。　Sumner；　like　Adams；　began　as　an　opponent　of　pro…slavery　aggression；　but　he　went　farther：　he　attacked　the　institution　itself　as　a　great　moral　evil。　As　a　constitutional　lawyer　Sumner　is　not　the　equal　of　his　predecessor；　Daniel　Webster。　He　is　less　original；　less　convincing　in　the　enunciation　of　broad　general　principles。　He　appears　rather　as　a　special　pleader　marshaling　all　available　forces　against　the　one　institution　which　assailed　the　Union。　In　this　particular　work；　he　surpassed　all　others；　for；　with　his　unbounded　industry；　he　permitted　no　precedent；　no　legal　advantage；　no　incident　of　history；　no　fact　in　current　politics　fitted　to　strengthen　his　cause；　to　escape　his　untiring　search。　He　showed　a　marvelous　skill　in　the　selection；　arrangement；　and　presentation　of　his　materials；　and　for　his　models　he　took　the　highest　forms　of　classic　forensic　utterance。　Sumner　exhibited　the　ordinary　aloofness　and　lack　of　familiarity　with　actual　conditions　in　the　South　which　was　characteristic　of　the　New　England　abolitionist。　He　perceived　no　race　problem；　no　peculiar　difficulty　in　the　readjustments　of　master　and　slave　which　were　involved　in　emancipation；　and　he　ignored　all　obstacles　to　the　accomplishment　of　his　ends。　Webster's　arraignment　of　South　Carolina　was　directed　against　an　alleged　erroneous　dogma　and　only　incidentally　affected　personal　morality。　The　reaction；　therefore；　was　void　of　bitter　resentment。　Sumner's　charges　were　directed　against　alleged　moral　turpitude；　and　the　classic　form　and　scrupulous　regard　for　parliamentary　rules　which　he　observed　only　added　to　the　feeling　of　personal　resentment　on　the　part　of　his　opponents。　Some　of　the　defenders　of　slavery　were　themselves　devoted　students　of　the　classics；　but　they　found　that　the　orations　of　Demosthenes　furnished　nothing　suited　to　their　purpose。　The　result　was　a　humiliating　exhibition　of　weakness；　personal　abuse；　and　vindictiveness　on　their　part。　There　was　a　conspiracy　of　silence　on　the　slavery　question　in　1852。　Each　of　the　national　parties　was　definitely　committed　to　the　support　of　the　compromise　and　especially　to　the　faithful　observance　of　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law。　Free…soilers　had　distinctly　declined　in　numbers　and　influence　during　the　four　preceding　years。　Only　a　handful　of　member