passages from an old volume of life-第15章

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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　humanity。　　You　have　only　to　see　who　are　our　friends　and　who　are　our　enemies　in　this　struggle；　to　decide　for　what　principles　we　are　combating。　　We　know　too　well　that　the　British　aristocracy　is　not　with　us。　　We　know　what　the　West　End　of　London　wishes　may　be　result　of　this　controversy。　　The　two　halves　of　this　Union　are　the　two　blades　of　the　shears；　threatening　as　those　of　Atropos　herself；　which　will　sooner　or　later　cut　into　shreds　the　old　charters　of　tyranny。　　How　they　would　exult　if　they　could　but　break　the　rivet　that　makes　of　the　two　blades　one　resistless　weapon！　　The　man　who　of　all　living　Americans　had　the　best　opportunity　of　knowing　how　the　fact　stood；　wrote　these　words　in　March；　1862：　〃That　Great　Britain　did；　in　the　most　terrible　moment　of　our　domestic　trial　in　struggling　with　a　monstrous　social　evil　she　had　earnestly　professed　to　abhor；　coldly　and　at　once　assume　our　inability　to　master　it；　and　then　become　the　only　foreign　nation　steadily　contributing　in　every　indirect　way　possible　to　verify　its　pre…judgment；　will　probably　be　the　verdict　made　up　against　her　by　posterity；　on　a　calm　comparison　of　the　evidence。〃

So　speaks　the　wise；　tranquil　statesman　who　represents　the　nation　at　the　Court　of　St。　James；　in　the　midst　of　embarrassments　perhaps　not　less　than　those　which　vexed　his　illustrious　grandfather；　when　he　occupied　the　same　position　as　the　Envoy　of　the　hated；　newborn　Republic。

〃It　cannot　be　denied；〃says　another　observer；　placed　on　one　of　our　national　watch…towers　in　a　foreign　capital；〃it　cannot　be　denied　that　the　tendency　of　European　public　opinion；　as　delivered　from　high　places；　is　more　and　more　unfriendly　to　our　cause〃；　〃but　the　people；〃　he　adds；　〃everywhere　sympathize　with　us；　for　they　know　that　our　cause　is　that　of　free　institutions；that　our　struggle　is　that　of　the　people　against　an　oligarchy。〃　　These　are　the　words　of　the　Minister　to　Austria；　whose　generous　sympathies　with　popular　liberty　no　homage　paid　to　his　genius　by　the　class　whose　admiring　welcome　is　most　seductive　to　scholars　has　ever　spoiled；　our　fellow…citizen；　the　historian　of　a　great　Republic　which　infused　a　portion　of　its　life　into　our　own；John　Lothrop　Motley。

It　is　a　bitter　commentary　on　the　effects　of　European；　and　especially　of　British　institutions；　that　such　men　should　have　to　speak　in　such　terms　of　the　manner　in　which　our　struggle　has　been　regarded。　　We　had；　no　doubt；　very　generally　reckoned　on　the　sympathy　of　England；　at　least；　in　a　strife　which；　whatever　pretexts　were　alleged　as　its　cause；　arrayed　upon　one　side　the　supporters　of　an　institution　she　was　supposed　to　hate　in　earnest；　and　on　the　other　its　assailants。　　We　had　forgotten　what　her　own　poet；　one　of　the　truest　and　purest　of　her　children；　had　said　of　his　countrymen；　in　words　which　might　well　have　been　spoken　by　the　British　Premier　to　the　American　Ambassador　asking　for　some　evidence　of　kind　feeling　on　the　part　of　his　government：

　　　　〃Alas　I　expect　it　not。　　We　found　no　bait　　　　　　To　tempt　us　in　thy　country。　　Doing　good；　　　　　　Disinterested　good；　is　not　our　trade。〃

We　know　full　well　by　this　time　what　truth　there　is　in　these　honest　lines。　　We　have　found　out；　too；　who　our　European　enemies　are；　and　why　they　are　our　enemies。　　Three　bending　statues　bear　up　that　gilded　seat；　which；　in　spite　of　the　time…hallowed　usurpations　and　consecrated　wrongs　so　long　associated　with　its　history；　is　still　venerated　as　the　throne。　　One　of　these　supports　is　the　pensioned　church；　the　second　is　the　purchased　army；　the　third　is　the　long…　suffering　people。　　Whenever　the　third　caryatid　comes　to　life　and　walks　from　beneath　its　burden；　the　capitals　of　Europe　will　be　filled　with　the　broken　furniture　of　palaces。　　No　wonder　that　our　ministers　find　the　privileged　orders　willing　to　see　the　ominous　republic　split　into　two　antagonistic　forces；　each　paralyzing　the　other；　and　standing　in　their　mighty　impotence　a　spectacle　to　courts　and　kings；　to　be　pointed　at　as　helots　who　drank　themselves　blind　and　giddy　out　of　that　broken　chalice　which　held　the　poisonous　draught　of　liberty！

We　know　our　enemies；　and　they　are　the　enemies　of　popular　rights。　　We　know　our　friends；　and　they　are　the　foremost　champions　of　political　and　social　progress。　　The　eloquent　voice　and　the　busy　pen　of　John　Bright　have　both　been　ours；　heartily；　nobly；　from　the　first；　the　man　of　the　people　has　been　true　to　the　cause　of　the　people。　　That　deep　and　generous　thinker；　who；　more　than　any　of　her　philosophical　writers；　represents　the　higher　thought　of　England；　John　Stuart　Mill；　has　spoken　for　us　in　tones　to　which　none　but　her　sordid　hucksters　and　her　selfish　land…graspers　can　refuse　to　listen。　　Count　Gasparin　and　Laboulaye　have　sent　us　back　the　echo　from　liberal　France；　France；　the　country　of　ideas；　whose　earlier　inspirations　embodied　themselves　for　us　in　the　person　of　the　youthful　Lafayette。　　Italy；would　you　know　on　which　side　the　rights　of　the　people　and　the　hopes　of　the　future　are　to　be　found　in　this　momentous　conflict；　what　surer　test；　what　ampler　demonstration　can　you　askthan　the　eager　sympathy　of　the　Italian　patriot　whose　name　is　the　hope　of　the　toiling　many；　and