The Negro and the Nation

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Permission to use Heritage History documents or images for commercial purposes, or more information about our collection of traditional history resources can be obtained by contacting us at [email protected] Original Copyright 1906 by George S. Merriam 2 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 EMANCIPATION BEGUN ............................................ 115 TABLE OF CONTENTS EMANCIPATION ACHIEVED ...................................... 119 RECONSTRUCTION: EXPERIMENTS AND IDEALS ..... 123 HOW SLAVERY GREW IN AMERICA ............................ 4 RECONSTRUCTION: THE FIRST PLAN ...................... 126 THE ACTS OF THE FATHERS ........................................ 7 CONGRESS AND THE "BLACK CODES" .................... 130 CONFLICT AND COMPROMISE ................................... 13 RECONSTRUCTION: THE SECOND PLAN .................. 136 THE WIDENING RIFT ................................................. 16 RECONSTRUCTION: THE FINAL PLAN ...................... 141 CALHOUN AND GARRISON ......................................... 24 RECONSTRUCTION: THE WORKING OUT ................ 145 BIRNEY, CHANNING, AND WEBSTER ......................... 30 THREE TROUBLED STATES ...................................... 152 THE UNDERLYING FORCES ........................................ 34 RECONSTRUCTION: THE LAST ACT ......................... 158 THE MEXICAN WAR .................................................. 36 REGENERATION ........................................................ 162 HOW DEAL WITH THE TERRITORIES? ....................... 40 ARMSTRONG ............................................................. 166 THE COMPROMISE OF 1850 ....................................... 42 EVOLUTION .............................................................. 170 A LULL AND A RETROSPECT ...................................... 46 EBB AND FLOW ......................................................... 175 SLAVERY AS IT WAS ................................................... 48 LOOKING FORWARD ................................................ 179 THE STRUGGLE FOR KANSAS .................................... 54 "FREMONT AND FREEDOM" ...................................... 59 THREE TYPICAL SOUTHERNERS ................................ 63 SOME NORTHERN LEADERS ...................................... 67 DRED SCOTT AND LECOMPTON ................................. 70 JOHN BROWN ............................................................. 75 ABRAHAM LINCOLN ................................................... 81 THE ELECTION OF 1860 ............................................. 86 FACE TO FACE ............................................................ 92 HOW THEY DIFFERED ................................................ 96 WHY THEY FOUGHT ................................................... 98 ON NIAGARA'S BRINK—AND OVER ........................ 103 THE CIVIL WAR ....................................................... 110 Original Copyright 1906 by George S. Merriam 3 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 CHAPTER I play so active a part in private and without a prompter." There followed a long and leisurely call at Mount Vernon, and Bernard, in his volume of travels which did not see the light HOW SLAVERY GREW IN AMERICA for nearly a century, has given a most graphic and winning picture of Washington in his every-day aspect and familiar An English traveler, riding along the banks of the conversation. To the actor's keen eye, acquainted with the best Potomac in mid-July, 1798, saw ahead of him on the road an society of his time, the near approach showed no derogation old-fashioned chaise, its driver urging forward his slow horse from the greatness which the story of his deeds conveyed. with the whip, until a sharp cut made the beast swerve, and the "Whether you surveyed his face, open yet well defined, chaise toppled over the bank, throwing out the driver and the dignified but not arrogant, thoughtful but benign; his frame, young lady who was with him. The traveler—it was John towering and muscular, but alert from its good proportions— Bernard, an actor and a man of culture and accomplishments, every feature suggested a resemblance to the spirit it encased, spurred forward to the rescue. As he did so he saw another and showed simplicity in alliance with the sublime. The horseman put his horse from a trot to a gallop, and together impression, therefore, was that of a most perfect whole." they reached the scene of action, extricated the woman and revived her from her swoon with water from a brook; then The talk ran a various course. Washington incidentally righted the horse and chaise, helped to restore the half-ton of praised the New Englanders, "the stamina of the Union and its baggage to its place; learned the story of the couple—a New greatest benefactors." The Englishman acknowledged a tribute Englander returning home with his Southern bride—and saw to his own country, but Washington with great good humor them safely started again. Then the two rescuers, after their responded, "Yes, yes, Mr. Bernard, but I consider your country half-hour of perspiring toil in a broiling sun, addressed the cradle of free principles, not their arm-chair." He had themselves courteously to each other; the Virginian dusted the proceeded a little way in a eulogy of American liberty, when a coat of the Englishman, and as Mr. Bernard returned the favor black servant entered the room with a jug of spring water. he noticed him well,—"a tall, erect, well-made man, evidently Bernard smiled, and Washington quickly caught his look and advanced in years, but who appeared to have retained all the answered it: "This may seem a contradiction, but I think you vigor and elasticity resulting from a life of temperance and must perceive that it is neither a crime nor an absurdity. When exercise. His dress was a blue coat, buttoned to the chin, and we profess, as our fundamental principle, that liberty is the buckskin breeches." The two men eyed each other, half inalienable right of every man, we do not include madmen or recognizing, half perplexed, till with a smile the Virginian idiots; liberty in their hands would become a scourge. Till the exclaimed, "Mr. Bernard, I believe?" and, claiming mind of the slave has been educated to perceive what are the acquaintance from having seen him on the stage and heard of obligations of a state of freedom, and not confound a man's him from friends, invited him to come and rest at his house with a brute's, the gift would insure its abuse. We might as near by, to which he pointed. That familiar front, the now well be asked to pull down our old warehouses before trade wholly familiar face and form,—"Mount Vernon! Have I the has increased to demand enlarged new ones. Both houses and honor of addressing General Washington?" With a charming slaves were bequeathed to us by Europeans, and time alone smile Washington offered his hand, replying, "An odd sort of can change them; an event which, you may believe me, no introduction, Mr. Bernard; but I am pleased to find you can man desires more heartily than I do. Not only do I pray for it on the score of human dignity, but I can clearly foresee that Original Copyright 1906 by George S. Merriam 4 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 nothing but the rooting out of slavery can perpetuate the Europe for a thousand years; till by slow evolution, by existence of our Union, by consolidating it in a common bond occasional bloody revolt, by steady advance in the intelligence of principle." and power of the laborer, compelling for him a higher status, These words of Washington, with the incident that the serf became a hired laborer and thence a citizen throughout supplies their background, are an epitome of the view and Europe. attitude of that great man toward slavery. Before measuring The recrudescence of slavery came

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