passages from an old volume of life-第20章

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e　sovereign　law　of　God；　it　is　to　be　expected　that　he　will　choose　to　be　represented　by　those　who　share　his　belief；　and　who　will　in　their　wider　sphere　do　all　they　legitimately　can　to　get　rid　of　the　wrong　in　which　they　find　themselves　and　their　constituents　involved。　　To　prevent　opinion　from　organizing　itself　under　political　forms　may　be　very　desirable；　but　it　is　not　according　to　the　theory　or　practice　of　self…government。　　And　if　at　last　organized　opinions　become　arrayed　in　hostile　shape　against　each　other；　we　shall　find　that　a　just　war　is　only　the　last　inevitable　link　in　a　chain　of　closely　connected　impulses　of　which　the　original　source　is　in　Him　who　gave　to　tender　and　humble　and　uncorrupted　souls　the　sense　of　right　and　wrong；　which；　after　passing　through　various　forms；　has　found　its　final　expression　in　the　use　of　material　force。　Behind　the　bayonet　is　the　law…giver's　statute；　behind　the　statute　the　thinker's　argument；　behind　the　argument　is　the　tender　conscientiousness　of　woman；　woman；　the　wife；　the　mother；who　looks　upon　the　face　of　God　himself　reflected　in　the　unsullied　soul　of　infancy。　　〃Out　of　the　mouths　of　babes　and　sucklings　hast　thou　ordained　strength；　because　of　thine　enemies。〃

The　simplest　course　for　the　malcontent　is　to　find　fault　with　the　order　of　Nature　and　the　Being　who　established　it。　　Unless　the　law　of　moral　progress　were　changed；　or　the　Governor　of　the　Universe　were　dethroned；　it　would　be　impossible　to　prevent　a　great　uprising　of　the　human　conscience　against　a　system；　the　legislation　relating　to　which；　in　the　words　of　so　calm　an　observer　as　De　Tocqueville；　the　Montesquieu　of　our　laws；　presents　〃such　unparalleled　atrocities　as　to　show　that　the　laws　of　humanity　have　been　totally　perverted。〃　　Until　the　infinite　selfishness　of　the　powers　that　hate　and　fear　the　principles　of　free　government　swallowed　up　their　convenient　virtues；　that　system　was　hissed　at　by　all　the　old…world　civilization。　　While　in　one　section　of　our　land　the　attempt　has　been　going　on　to　lift　it　out　of　the　category　of　tolerated　wrongs　into　the　sphere　of　the　world's　beneficent　agencies；　it　was　to　be　expected　that　the　protest　of　Northern　manhood　and　womanhood　would　grow　louder　and　stronger　until　the　conflict　of　principles　led　to　the　conflict　of　forces。　　The　moral　uprising　of　the　North　came　with　the　logical　precision　of　destiny；　the　rage　of　the　〃petty　tyrants〃　was　inevitable；　the　plot　to　erect　a　slave　empire　followed　with　fated　certainty；　and　the　only　question　left　for　us　of　the　North　was；　whether　we　should　suffer　the　cause　of　the　Nation　to　go　by　default；　or　maintain　its　existence　by　the　argument　of　cannon　and　musket；　of　bayonet　and　sabre。

The　war　in　which　we　are　engaged　is　for　no　meanly　ambitious　or　unworthy　purpose。　　It　was　primarily；　and　is　to　this　moment；　for　the　preservation　of　our　national　existence。　　The　first　direct　movement　towards　it　was　a　civil　request　on　the　part　of　certain　Southern　persons；　that　the　Nation　would　commit　suicide；　without　making　any　unnecessary　trouble　about　it。　　It　was　answered；　with　sentiments　of　the　highest　consideration；　that　there　were　constitutional　and　other　objections　to　the　Nation's　laying　violent　hands　upon　itself。　　It　was　then　requested；　in　a　somewhat　peremptory　tone；　that　the　Nation　would　be　so　obliging　as　to　abstain　from　food　until　the　natural　consequences　of　that　proceeding　should　manifest　themselves。　　All　this　was　done　as　between　a　single　State　and　an　isolated　fortress；　but　it　was　not　South　Carolina　and　Fort　Sumter　that　were　talking；　it　was　a　vast　conspiracy　uttering　its　menace　to　a　mighty　nation；　the　whole　menagerie　of　treason　was　pacing　its　cages；　ready　to　spring　as　soon　as　the　doors　were　opened；　and　all　that　the　tigers　of　rebellion　wanted　to　kindle　their　wild　natures　to　frenzy；　was　the　sight　of　flowing　blood。

As　if　to　show　how　coldly　and　calmly　all　this　had　been　calculated　beforehand　by　the　conspirators；　to　make　sure　that　no　absence　of　malice　aforethought　should　degrade　the　grand　malignity　of　settled　purpose　into　the　trivial　effervescence　of　transient　passion；　the　torch　which　was　literally　to　launch　the　first　missile；　figuratively；　to　〃fire　the　southern　heart〃　and　light　the　flame　of　civil　war；　was　given　into　the　trembling　hand　of　an　old　white…headed　man；　the　wretched　incendiary　whom　history　will　handcuff　in　eternal　infamy　with　the　temple…burner　of　ancient　Ephesus。　　The　first　gun　that　spat　its　iron　insult　at　Fort　Sumter；　smote　every　loyal　American　full　in　the　face。　　As　when　the　foul　witch　used　to　torture　her　miniature　image；　the　person　it　represented　suffered　all　that　she　inflicted　on　his　waxen　counterpart；　so　every　buffet　that　fell　on　the　smoking　fortress　was　felt　by　the　sovereign　nation　of　which　that　was　the　representative。　　Robbery　could　go　no　farther；　for　every　loyal　man　of　the　North　was　despoiled　in　that　single　act　as　much　as　if　a　footpad　had　laid　hands　upon　him　to　take　from　him　his　father's　staff　and　his　mother's　Bible。　　Insult　could　go　no　farther；　for　over　those　battered　walls　waved　the　precious　symbol　of　all　we　most　value　in　the　past　and　most　hope　for　in　the　future；the　banner　under　which　we　became　a　nation；　and　which；　next　to　the　cross　of　the　Redeemer；　is　the　dearest　object　of　love　and　honor　to　all　who　toil　or　march　or　sail　beneath　its　waving　folds　of　glory。

Let　us　pause　for　a　moment　to　consider　what　might　have　been　the　course　of　events　if　under　the　influence　of　fear；　or　of　what　some　would　name　humanity；　or　of　conscientious　scruples　to　enter　upon　what　a　few　please　themselves　and　their　rebel　friends　by　calling　a　〃wicked　war〃；　if　under　any　or　all　these　influences　we　had　taken　the　insult　and　the　violence　of　South　Carolina　without　accepting　it　as　the　first　blow　of　a　mortal　combat；　in　which　we　must　either　die　or　give　the　last　and　finishing　stroke。

By　the　same　title　which　South　Carolina　asserted　to　Fort　Sumter；　Florida　would　have　challenged　as　her　own　the　Gibraltar　of　the　Gulf；　and　Virginia　the　Ehrenbreitstein　of　the　Chesapeake。　　Half　our　navy　would　have　anchored　under　the　guns　of　these　suddenly　alienated　fortresses；　with　the　flag　of　the　rebellion　flying　at　their　peaks。　〃Old　Ironsides〃　herself　would　have　perhaps　sailed　out　of　Annapolis　harbor　to　have　a　wooden　Jefferson　Davis　shaped　for　her　figure…head　at　Norfolk；for　Andrew　Jackson　was　a　hater　of　secession；　and　his　was　no　fitting　effigy　for　the　battle…ship　of　the　red…handed　conspiracy。　With　all　the　great　fortresses；　with　half　the　ships　and　warlike　material；　in　addition　to　all　that　was　already　stolen；　in　the　traitors'　hands；　what　chance　would　the　loyal　men　in　the　Border　States　have　stood　against　the　rush　of　the　desperate　fanatics　of　the　now　triumphant　faction？　　Where　would　Maryland；　Kentucky；　Missouri；　Tennessee；saved；　or　looking　to　be　saved；　even　as　it　is；　as　by　fire；have　been　in　the　day　of　trial？　　Into　whose　hands　would　the　Capital；　the　archives；　the　glory；　the　name；　the　very　life　of　the　nation　as　a　nation；　have　fallen；　endangered　as　all　of　them　were；　in　spite　of　the　volcanic　outburst　of　the　startled　North　which　answered　the　roar　of　the　first　gun　at　Sumter？　　Worse　than　all；　are　we　permitted　to　doubt　that　in　the　very　bosom　of　the　North　itself　there　was　a　serpent；　coiled　but　not　sleeping；　which　only　listened　for　the　first　word　that　made　it　safe　to　strike；　to　bury　its　fangs　in　the　heart　of　Freedom；　and　blend　its　golden　scales　in　close　embrace　with　the　deadly　reptile　of　the　cotton…fields。　　Who　would　not　wish　that　he　were　wrong　in　such　a　suspicion？　yet　who　can　forget　the　mysterious　warnings　that　the　allies　of　the　rebels　were　to　be　found　far　north　of　the　fatal　boundary　line；　and　that　it　was　in　their　own　streets；　against　their　own　brothers；　that　the　champions　of　liberty　were　to　defend　her　sacred　heritage？

Not　to　have　fought；　then；　after　the　supreme　indignity　and　outrage　we　had　suffered；　would　have　been　to　provoke　every　further　wrong；　and　to　furnish　the　means　for　its　commission。　　It　would　have　been　to　placard　ourselves　on　the　walls　of　the　shattered　fort；　as　the　spiritless　race　the　proud　labor…thieves　called　us。　　It　would　have　been　to　die　as　a　nation　of　freemen；　and　to　have　given　all　we　had　left　of　our　rights　into　the　hands　of　alien　tyrants　in　league　with　home…bred　traitors。

Not　to　have　fought　would　have　been　to　be　false　to　liberty　everywhere；　and　to　human