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’’莉’’’裏’凱
(ANGELINA GRIMKE)
對奴隸’’證
Bearing Witness Against Slavery
’爲’方’’我’’今晚我有’任’’’對奴隸’’證’’’我親眼’見’’’我親眼’見’
’’莉’’’裏’凱(1805－1879)’’’’’薩’’’’羅’’’’裏斯’’’個’裕’擁有奴隸’’’族’’’’’’’’’’’’們’憎’奴隸’’’’’們’’’’’’成’公誼’教友’’’參’’奴’動’1836’’’’莉’’’裏’凱’’’’’’’方基督教婦’’’’’’’動Ⅸ’方’’參’’除奴隸’’戰鬥’’’’’’’’’羅’’’’’’’’’’’’警’說不’’們’’’’’’’’’’’們’
1838’5月16日’’’莉’’’裏’凱’’’’’國反對奴隸’’’’’’’’’言’僅’’天’’’’剛’著’’’奴’’’’奧’’韋爾’結’’’’’’’’’有’’’裏’’’’’示’揚言說’奴’動反對’’’毀’’’議’賓’’尼’禮堂’’’’’’’’天裏’禮堂’擠滿’喧囂’’’’有’’’’’方趕’’’’當’醫學’’方’’學生’’裏’凱’言’’’面’’’’’’’’用石塊投’禮堂’窗戶’第’天’議結’’’衆’
衝’禮堂’’它’之’’’
’們’問’“’方’奴隸’有什麽’’?”那麽請’們聽’!聽’!’面’’’’’’我們’奴隸’’’魂’’眼’’由’我們’集’而’’衝天’而’由’’’’犯不著’樣唾’橫飛’’’衝’’’’爲’’’友’日俱’’接’’’’集’’’’’’’揚’’’’’’平’寧’疆’’’遠方’反對我們’勢’’’’奴隸’’’’’’公民們’心’’’’’們’’問’“’方應該做’什麽?”我’’答’’首’’把奴隸’’’魂’’們’心中’’’’’’’’幫’’方’’改變’們’’’’’’’不論我們’’’境’’’’不論我們’手’’麽有限’’不論我們’’’’麽’不足’’都應當著手’動’’’’個國’’’’’們’不’’動’’教’’’不’’動’’’們’望’’’’’’望’’’個黨’’’望’’而’’’’’對奴隸’’及’’’有不’’’’問’’’不’’
’爲’方’’我’’今晚我有’任’’’對奴隸’’證’’’我親眼’見’’’我親眼’見’我’’它’’’’’’’’’’毛骨’’!我’’它’羽’’’’’’’’’我目’’它’’’’’’’’喪’’’毀滅著’間快樂’’我’未見’’個快樂’奴隸’誠’’我見’奴隸戴著’’’’’’’們’不快樂’快樂’’樂’有’’區’’’’個’剝奪’做’’’’’’’’’快樂’’’’奴隸們’有’’’樂’有’’’樂’’’望中’們說’“讓我們’’’喝’’’爲’天我們’’’’’”[’’’有’’窗戶扔石’’’’面’’鼎’’’場裏’’’亂’]
’們’’’’’’樣?’有’窗’都’’’’’樣?把’’禮堂’爲’平’’’樣?難’’’證’’我們錯’?難’’’證’’奴隸’’’個’’健’’’’?’’’們’’朝我們衝’’’攪亂我們’集’’對我們’’’’’’’奴隸們’’’’’’’比’算’’什麽?不’不’’’我們’’難中’’’’’我們’奴隸需’我們’我犧’’不’’’犧’’那麽我們’忘’’’們’“’我們’’’’”’’[喧’’’]我’謝’’’生’儘管’對’’動’’’還’續’’’’’’’’’’’還未’’’滅’’不’’’不’’’’’’’’’動’[’面’’次傳’’’喊’駡’’’場亂成’’’]
’心’’’’精’巧妙’它盡’切’’’’抗爲把’’’錯’’救’’’任’’’’我覺’’有’’切騷’’’證’’我們’做’’’’我們最’’選擇’’不’’樣’我們維’奴隸’’’友們’不’’’我們’言’’’’方’’’我們’’’’爲’應’我們’慰’’我們’’’觸動’’們’’’’我曾’次爲奴隸’’掩面Ｚ’’’’有聽說有誰’我’’覺’鳴’我’不曾’’有誰爲’’壓迫’’解’’’’’’’’野中’有聽’’號’’們’’’’’爲’做’實際’動’’喚’我’’’心不’’啊’’’我有曾聽說有’’’’’樣’’’’該’’我’麽’’鼓’’’’不’我當’爲什麽’有’樣’’覺’’而’’誘’’’圍中我’’’’’我’’情心日漸溫’’對奴隸’’憎’’’’’蒂’’’’我最’終’’離’’’’爲我’’不忍心聽’奴隸們’’號’’’我’’’賓’’’’’’心’’’裏我’’找’對奴隸’’情心’’我落’’’’裏’’們’藹’親’熱情’’’’’’們’心中’有奴隸’’身之’’我’’’’’’藏心’’我’’’’’’’羅’’’’個’’’’不平等’’方’’方輕風’’’’我’’’’耳’’’’’’鳴’’’’’’’’’’還夾雜著’禱’’’’’’駡’’我心’’’’’’’’’’’’切’’厭’’’’生’’’’接’教’’’’著精’’’’’我’喊’’“’們’耳不’’’’心’’’爲奴隸們’禱’那末我面’’們陌生’眼’對’們揭’奴隸’’殘酷’’’’有什麽’’’?’’’’’我’’覺’’麽不’樣啊’’望’不’’由必勝’’’’對’類’’’’’’我’’’’’我’像號角’樣高’’喊’’’我們’’民該做’什麽’’’’方’’’’’最終推翻奴隸’’[’喊’’窗戶’石’’’’]
我們’聽’有’間’樣’問’’“我們該做’什麽?”’’’機’’’’’’’’’’’’’們’’’動手’’我們’’’’’暴’’’面’我們’’懼’’’’駡’’’’中我們’爲’’’’’’們’’’喊’我敦’’個’’’有關’個問’’’’’’讀它們’還’把它們借給’們’’’不’’把’們’錢’’’’驕傲’’欲’’’’’’’我們’錢用’散播“’’民’’之心’’’’’’’’’煤’”’’我們’錢用’傳’我們’’’’喚醒基督’們’情’’’’
有’’說我們’“’’’傳單說’’不’’’”’那麽請問’爲什麽’們不’反駁我們’’言?’們做不’’’有’’’’方’懇’’不’’們’’我們’’我們’’’’樣’’’還有什麽’’證’我們’’’傳單說’’’爲’’’?
’’’婦’’請允’我’’個’方婦’’身’’心’對’’’’切’戀’懇請’們著手’動’’’我’’’敦’’們’’請’’’’們’’’’投票’解’’樣那樣’問’’’’們還’有’種’’’’有’’請’’’們’’把’見傳’’立’機關’’’’請’’’’’’們’’任’’’們’說’“’’什麽用’’’方’’’’爲請’’之’而面’’白’’們’’’有關國’’’’報’’’’請’’中有’’’’’’’方婦’請’奴隸’問’’’那’’奴隸們’’揮’棍棒’’’’’立’’’中’握’奪’’’’們’’我們有請’’’’’’’我們’’不’’麽不’體統’’而’我們’’’賦予’我們’’’’’讓我們’用’’’’’’讓我們’’’雖’請’’’’’’之不’’’之高閣’’那’不公正’’’們由’請’’纏身還’不’’’’’’’’’讓我們’動’’’’’方’對我們’’措’切’視’’’’敵’’’說’’請’’’見成’’’’’’’有’由’疑’’有’由絕望’
’’國’婦’’’除’殖民’奴隸’方面’’引’’目’重’’用’’們’’’’’’’’’’’數’請’’最’’交
予’’’’’’除殘酷’’’’’’’殘酷’不’’它’替’’奴隸’’’交’請’’有’’竟’’’’’分之’’里’’們’爲’’’’’勞’嗎?讓’’’歷’’’答’’當’國婦’們’’樣’’請’’交給國’’’我們’立’’們’像’們’’國’僚’樣’’身而立’說’’“’塊’’’’有’婦’’不論’’’少’都’’我們’’’’我們該立’’’”讓我們’國’’們’熱忱’’心’’’’’’’’我們’快’伐’’’樣’當奴隸們還’’’’’’們’’解’’’我們’’心境’寧’’爲我們“做’’’’’及’’切’”
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Bearing Witness Against Slavery
Do you ask,
"What has the North to do with slavery?" Hear it, hear it! Those voices without
tell us that the spirit of slavery is here, and has been roused to wrath by our
Conventions; for surely liberty would not foam and tear herself with rage,
because her friends are multiplied daily, and meetings are held in quick
succession to set forth her virtues and extend her peaceful kingdom. This
opposition show's that slavery has done its deadliest work in the hearts of our
citizens. Do you ask, then, "What has the North to do?" I answer, cast out first
the spirit of slavery from your own hearts, and then lend your aid to convert
the South. Each one present has a work to do, be his or her situation what it
may, however limited their means or insignificant their supposed influence. The
great men of this country will not do this work; the Church will never do it. A
desire to please the world, to keep the favor of all parties and of all
conditions, makes them dumb on this and every other unpopular subject.
As a
Southerner, I feel that it is my duty to stand up here to-night and bear
testimony against slavery. I have seen it! I have seen it! I know it has horrors
that can never be described. I was brought up under its wing. I witnessed for
many years its demoralizing influences and its destructiveness to human
happiness. I have never seen a happy slave. I have seen him dance in his chains,
it is true, but he was not happy. There is a wide difference between happiness
and mirth. Man can not enjoy happiness while his manhood is destroyed. Slaves,
however, may be. and sometimes are mirthful. When hope is extinguished, they
say, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die." [Here stones were thrown at
the windows--a great noise without and commotion within.]
What is a
mob? what would the breaking of every window be? What would the levelling of
this hall be? Any evidence that we are wrong, or that slavery is a good and
wholesome institution? What if the mob should now burst in upon us, break up our
meeting, and commit violence upon our persons, would that be anything compared
with what the slaves endure? No, no; and we do not remember them, "as bound with
them," if we shrink in the time of peril, or feel unwilling to sacrifice
ourselves, if need be, for their sake. [Great noise.] I thank the Lord that
there is yet life enough left to feel the truth, even though it rages at it;
that conscience is not so completely seared as to be unmoved by the truth of the
living God. [Another outbreak of the mob and confusion in the house.]
How
wonderfully constituted is the human mind! How it resists, as long as it can,
all efforts to reclaim it from error! I feel that all this disturbance is but an
evidence that our efforts are the best that could have been adopted, or else the
friends of slavery would not care for what we say and do. The South know what we
do. I am thankful that they are reached by our efforts. Many times have I wept
in the land of my birth over the system of slavery. I knew of none who
sympathized in my feelings; I was unaware that any efforts were made to deliver
the oppressed; no voice in the wilderness was heard calling on the people to
repent and do works meet for repentance, and my heart sickened within me. Oh,
how should I have rejoiced to know that such efforts as these were being made. I
only wonder that I had such feelings. But in the midst of temptation I was
preserved, and my sympathy grew warmer, and my hatred of slavery more
inveterate, until at last I have exiled myself from my native land, because I
could no longer endure to hear the wailing of the slave.
I fled to
the land of Penn; for here, thought I, sympathy for the slave will surely be
found. But I found it not. The people were kind and hospitable, but the slave
had no place in their thoughts. I therefore shut up my grief in my own heart. I
remembered that I was a Carolinian, from a State which framed this iniquity by
law. Every Southern breeze wafted to me the discordant tones of weeping and
wailing, shrieks and groans, mingled with prayers and blasphemous curses. My
heart sank within me at the abominations in the midst of which I had been born
and educated. What will it avail, cried I, in bitterness of spirit, to expose to
the gaze of strangers the horrors and pollutions of slavery, when there is no
ear to hear nor heart to feel and pray for the slave? But how different do I
feel now! Animated with hope, nay, with an assurance of the triumph of liberty
and good-will to man, I will lift up my voice like a trumpet, and show this
people what they can do to influence the Southern mind and overthrow slavery.
[Shouting, and stones against the windows.]
We often
hear the question asked, "What shall we do?" Here is an opportunity. Every man
and every woman present may do something, by showing that we fear not a mob, and
in the midst of revilings and threatenings, pleading the cause of those who are
ready to perish. Let me urge every one to buy the books written on this subject;
read them, and lend them to your neighbors. Give your money no longer for things
which pander to pride and lust, but aid in scattering "the living coals of truth
upon the naked heart of the nation"; in circulating appeals to the sympathies of
Christians in behalf of the outraged slave.
But it is
said by some, our "books and papers do not speak the truth"; why, then, do they
not contradict what we say? They can not. Moreover, the South has entreated,
nay, commanded us, to be silent; and what greater evidence of the truth of our
publications could be desired?
Women of
Philadelphia! allow me as a Southern woman, with much attachment to the land of
my birth, to entreat you to come up to this work. Especially, let me urge you to
petition. Men may settle this and other questions at the ballot-box, but you
have no such right. It is only through petitions that you can reach the
Legislature. It is, therefore, peculiarly your duty to petition. Do you say, "It
does no good!" The South already turns pale at the number sent. They have read
the reports of the proceedings of Congress, and there have seen that among other
petitions were very many from the women of the North on the subject of slavery.
Men who hold the rod over slaves rule in the councils of the nation; and they
deny our right to petition and remonstrate against abuses of our sex and our
kind. We have these rights, however, from our God. Only let us exercise them,
and, though often turned away unanswered, let us remember the influence of
importunity upon the unjust judge, and act accordingly. The fact that the South
looks jealously upon our measures shows that they are effectual. There is,
therefore, no cause for doubting or despair.
It was
remarked in England that women did much to abolish slavery in her colonies. Nor
are they now idle. Numerous petitions from them have recently been presented to
the Queen to abolish apprenticeship, with its cruelties, nearly equal to those
of the system whose place it supplies. One petition, two miles and a quarter
long, has been presented. And do you think these labors will be in vain? Let the
history of the past answer. When the women of these States send up to Congress
such a petition our legislators will arise, as did those of England, and say:
"When all the maids and matrons of the land are knocking at our doors we must
legislate." Let the zeal and love, the faith and works of our English sisters
quicken ours; that while the slaves continue to suffer, and when they shout for
deliverance, we may feel the satisfaction of "having done what we could."
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