戴维ˇ沃尔克
(DAVID WALKER)

沃尔克的呼吁书
Walker's Appeal

The Liberty Almanac (废奴主义出版品) 的封面

我们(美国的有色种族)是有史以来生活在这个世上最卑微、最可怜、最凄惨的人们。

这是一篇在美国历史上最爲声名赫赫的文章之一ˇ作者是戴维ˇ沃尔克(1785ˇ1830)。他的父亲是个奴隶ˇ母亲是自由人。他生于北卡罗莱纳州的威尔明顿市ˇ后来在波士顿定居ˇ并成长爲废奴运动的积极分子。他ˇ《自由日报》投稿ˇ该报是美国第一家黑人报纸。他同时还在滨水区经营一家旧服装店。1829年ˇ他写了题爲《分四篇刊出、附加一篇序言、对世界有色公民ˇˇ尤其是对美利坚合衆国的有色公民ˇˇ发出的沃尔克的呼吁书》的文章。

《呼吁书》谴责了奴隶制ˇ并预言它将给美国带来毁灭。沃尔克反对在利比里亚建立黑人殖民地的计划ˇ谴责白人牧师漠不关心的态度。他通过与水手朋友的关系ˇ将他的《呼吁书》传到了南方ˇ从而引起奴隶主们的盛怒。于是南方各州开始禁止废奴主义文学的传播ˇ并签以法律来禁止对奴隶的文化教育。沃尔克受到悬赏通辑ˇ但他拒绝逃亡。据信他说过ˇ“我的立场不会改变ˇ总有人要爲这个事业而牺牲的。”1830年6月。人们在他的店铺附近发ˇ了他的尸体ˇ据信是被毒死的。

在接下来的三十年里ˇ沃尔克的《呼吁书》由废奴主义者一版再版。以下是这篇文章的节选。

我在美国游历甚广ˇ在此过程中对ˇ状作了最爲细致的观察。观察的结果使我确信无疑ˇ我们(美国的有色种族)是有史以来生活在这个世上最卑微、最可怜、最凄惨的人们。我ˇ上帝祈祷ˇ让人们永远永远不要再这样生活下去了。人们告诉了我们关于古埃及的以色列人、古斯巴达的农奴和古罗马的奴隶的情况ˇ后者包括了几乎天底下的各个民族。他们在那些远古和野蛮的国度里受到的磨难ˇ与我们在这开明的基督教国家所受到的ˇ比ˇ的确是微乎其微了ˇˇ换句话说ˇ那些远古的野蛮国家不过具有奴隶制的名称和形式而已ˇ而虔信基督的美国人ˇ却将不幸和无边的苦难加以浓缩而保存了下来ˇ灌注到我们的先辈、我们自己和我们的后代身上去......

在对我的深临苦海的同胞们发出呼吁之际ˇ我心中十分明白ˇ我将受到那些此生最大的愿望就是使我们保持愚昧无知和凄凉悲惨的状况的人们的围攻ˇ受到那些坚信上苍本来就是将我们和我们的子女造就成爲他们和他们的子女当牛做马的人们的围攻。不仅如此ˇ我要说ˇ我不仅会被这样贪得无厌的家伙们举街示衆ˇ说我是一个无知、鲁莽和爱闹事的人ˇ给大衆的生活带来骚扰不安ˇ也许还会被投入监狱或处以极刑ˇ就因爲我将我们的苦难和暴君们的罪行公诸于衆。也有人劝我说ˇ我的许多同胞ˇ特别是那些愚昧地与奴隶主和恶霸们同穿一条裤子的人ˇ那些靠比他们更愚昧的同胞们的血汗辛劳而混口饭吃的人ˇˇ其中确实有不少人愚昧得只顾眼前利益ˇˇ他们会一哄而起诅咒我的。是的ˇ我们中的谨小慎微者有可能会机关算尽地断言我的努力是徒劳的ˇ他们会说我们的境况并不坏ˇ没有必要加以改善ˇ因爲我们做不到。这里ˇ我要问一个问题ˇˇ我们的境况不是不能再糟糕了吗?ˇˇ难道还会比这更糟更惨吗?如果我们的境况发生了变化ˇ虽然开头有可能ˇ得更糟ˇ难道不会朝好的方ˇ发展吗?这些变化会使我们更加沦落吗?它们会给我们带来什麽?压迫者们不敢使我们境况更糟ˇ因爲他们非常清楚ˇ要是他们这样做了ˇ他们自己也就完了。然而ˇ我要顶着所有可能加在我头上的罪名ˇ爲我撰写此文的动机ˇ上天呼吁ˇˇ上天知道我的目的是什麽ˇ这就是尽我所能ˇ在我的备受苦难、低微卑贱和执迷不醒的同胞们的心中唤起一种精神ˇ在这块自由共和国的土地上ˇ对我们的苦难和不幸的原因ˇ问个究竟ˇˇˇˇ……

几年前ˇ我从一份南卡罗莱纳州的报纸上读到一段文章ˇ谈到土耳其人的野蛮。文章写道ˇ“土耳其人是世界上最野蛮的民族ˇˇ他们对待希腊人就ˇ对待野兽一样而不是作爲人来对待。”在同一张报纸上有一则广告ˇ“八个体格健壮的维吉尼亚和马里兰的黑人小伙子和四个黑人少女定爲今日卖给出价最高者ˇ”使我更加吃惊的是ˇ我看到这张人道的报纸上登了三个男人的图片ˇ在他们的背上烙有梅花印记ˇ并附有一则通告ˇ高价悬赏拿他们逮捕归案。我要说的是ˇ听这个国家的南部和西部人谈什麽野蛮ˇ的确很滑稽ˇ听来的确很使人感到可笑……

有色种族也是有知有觉的人ˇ我的呼吁特别是对你们而发出的。我们较无知的同胞们不能理会它的价值。因此我号召你们将眼光投ˇ你们同胞的不幸遭遇ˇ尽你们之所能给他们以啓迪ˇˇ行动起来ˇ啓迪你们的同胞们ˇˇˇ让我们的主看看你们能做些什麽把他们和你们自己从落魄中拯救出来。你们要做的事很多ˇ尽管你们可能认爲自己能做的是微不足道的。你们应该ˇ美国人和整个世界证明ˇ我们是人ˇ不是野兽ˇ而我们却一直被看作野兽ˇ成百上千万的我们也是被当作野兽对待的。记住ˇ你们在同胞们ˇ特别是在年轻人中所作的努力ˇ要达到的是教育和宗教的广泛传播……

我在我的上帝面前声明ˇ美国的布道者们怎麽看我们的我无法确知。他们有各种报纸和月刊源源不断地供他们ˇ用ˇ但在这些报刊杂志上你们很难发ˇ有关奴隶制的段落ˇ而奴隶制比起其它各种邪恶加在一起对这个国家的损伤也要大上千倍万倍。除非我们尽快采取措施ˇ否则奴隶制最终将使这个国家的政府颠覆灭亡ˇ因爲他们的杯子已快到了满溢的边缘了。ˇˇ也许他们会对此一笑了之ˇ或漠然视之ˇ但是我要告诉你们ˇ美国人ˇ除非你们改变你们的航ˇˇ否则你们和你们的国家就要完蛋了!!!!!因爲万能的上帝将把这个地球撕扯得面目全非!!!难道那非凡的圣书所说的不会降临到美国基督教徒身上吗?听听看吧ˇ美国人ˇˇ“他如果不是正义的ˇ就让他不正义吧ˇ他如果是ˇˇ的ˇ就让他ˇˇ吧ˇ他如果是正义的ˇ就让他正义吧ˇ他如果是神圣的ˇ就让他神圣吧。”我希望美国人听到这些ˇ但是恐怕他们由于已经如此严重地伤害了我们ˇ由于他们如此ˇ信我们的造物主把我们造出来是永远给他们作爲遗産来继承的ˇ因此他们已变得铁石心肠ˇ这样ˇ他们肯定要面临毁灭了。我这样说也许是严厉得使美国人纤弱的耳朵不堪接受ˇ然而ˇ美国人啊ˇ美国人ˇˇ我借上帝的名义告诫你们(不管你们是否能听到ˇ是否能忍受)ˇ悔悟吧ˇ改过吧ˇ不然你们就完了ˇˇ难道你们认爲你们可以ˇ希腊人、爱尔兰人等等派遣传教士和乐施行善ˇ由此而对世界上的其它人隐藏手上的血污ˇ使我们的主看不到我们的流血吗?难道他不会在屋顶上将你们犯下的罪行昭然于世吗?甚至于就在波士顿ˇ傲慢和偏见已达到了如此地步ˇ就在爲主而建造的教堂屋字里ˇ你们爲有色人种指定了小小的容身之处ˇ他们必须坐在那里ˇ否则就被赶出上帝的屋宇。布道者们对此装聋作哑ˇ更不用说爲他们走进篱笆、走上大道寻找以色列之屋迷失的羔羊并把它们带回它们的主耶ˇ身边了。在暴君和魔鬼的淫威下ˇ这个国家南部和西部的黑人生活在无比的不幸、愚昧、凄惨和贫困之中。美国的布道者们看不见他们ˇ但是都能够派遣传教士去皈依野蛮人。啊ˇ美国人ˇ美国人ˇˇ我ˇ上帝呼吁ˇˇ人类呼吁ˇ看哪ˇ你们已经危在旦夕了ˇ除非你们悔过自新ˇ不然很快就要灭亡了。

Walker's Appeal

Having travelled over a considerable portion of these United States, and having, in the course of my travels, taken the most accurate observations of things as they exist, the result of my observations has warranted the full and unshaken conviction, that we (coloured people of these United States) are the most degraded, wretched, and abject set of beings that ever lived since the world began; and I pray God that none like us ever may live again until time shall be no more. They tell us of the Israelites in Egypt, the Helots in Sparta, and of the Roman Slaves, which last were made up from almost every nation under heaven, whose sufferings under those ancient and heathen nations, were, in comparison with ours, under this enlightened and Christian nation, no more than a cypher--or, in other words, those heathen nations of antiquity, had but little more among them than the name and form of slavery; while wretchedness and endless miseries were reserved, apparently in a phial, to be poured out upon our fathers, ourselves and our children, by Christian Americans. ...

    I am fully aware, in making this appeal to my much afflicted and suffering brethren, that I shall not only be assailed by those whose greatest earthly desires are to keep us in abject ignorance and wretchedness, and who are of the firm conviction that Heaven has designed us and our children to be slaves and beasts of burden to them and their children. I say, I do not only expect to be held up to the public as an ignorant, impudent and restless disturber of the public peace, by such avaricious creatures, as well as a mover of insubordination--and perhaps put in prison or to death, for giving a superficial exposition of our miseries, and exposing tyrants. But I am persuaded, that many of my brethren, particularly those who are ignorantly in league with slave-holders or tyrants, who acquire their daily bread by the blood and sweat of their more ignorant brethren--and not a few of those too, who are too ignorant to see an inch beyond their noses, will rise up and call me cursed--Yea, the jealous ones among us will perhaps use more abject subtlety, by affirming that this work is not worth perusing, that we are well situated, and there is no use in trying to better our condition, for we cannot. I will ask one question here.--Can our condition be any worse?--Can it be more mean and abject? If there are any changes, will they not be for the better, though they may appear for the worse at first? Can they get us any lower? Where can they get us? They are afraid to treat us worse, for they know well, the day they do it they are gone. But against all accusations which may or can be preferred against me, I appeal to Heaven for my motive in writing--who knows what my object is, if possible, to awaken in the breasts of my afflicted, degraded and slumbering brethren, a spirit of inquiry and investigation respecting our miseries and wretchedness in this Republican Land of Liberty!!!!!. . .

    I saw a paragraph, a few years since, in a South Carolina paper, which, speaking of the barbarity of the Turks, said: "The Turks are the most barbarous people in the world--they treat the Greeks more like brutes than human beings." And in the same paper was an advertisement, which said: "Eight well built Virginia and Maryland Negro fellows and four wenches will positively be sold this day, to the highest bidder!" And what astonished me still more was, to see in this same humane paper!! the cuts of three men, with clubs and budgets on their backs, and an advertisement offering a considerable sum of money for their apprehension and delivery. I declare, it is really amusing to hear the Southerners and Westerners of this country talk about barbarity, that it is positively enough to make a man smile. . . .

    Men of colour, who are also of sense, for you particularly is my Appeal designed. Our more ignorant brethren are not able to penetrate its value. I call upon you therefore to cast your eyes upon the wretchedness of your brethren, and to do your utmost to enlighten them--go to work and enlighten your brethren!--Let the Lord see you doing what you can to rescue them and yourselves from degradation. There is a great work for you to do, as trifling as some of you may think of it. You have to prove to the Americans and the world, that we are Men, and not brutes, as we have been represented, and by millions treated. Remember, to let the aim of your labours among your brethren, and particularly the youths, be the dissemination of education and religion. . . .

    What the American preachers can think of us, I aver this day before my God, I have never been able to define. They have newspapers and monthly periodicals, which they receive in continual succession, but on the pages of which, you will scarcely ever find a paragraph respecting slavery, which is ten thousand times more injurious to this country than all the other evils put together; and which will be the final overthrow of its government, unless something is very speedily done; for their cup is nearly full. --Perhaps they will laugh at or make light of this; but I tell you Americans! that unless you speedily alter your course, you and your Country are gone!!!!! For God Almighty will tear up the very face of the earth!!! Will not that very remarkable passage of Scripture be fulfilled on Christian Americans? Hear it Americans!! "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still:--and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." I hope that the Americans may hear, but I am afraid that they have done us so much injury, and are so firm in the belief that our Creator made us to be an inheritance to them forever, that their hearts will be hardened, so that their destruction may be sure. This language, perhaps, is too harsh for the American's delicate ears. But O Americans! Americans!! I warn you in the name of the Lord (whether you will hear, or forbear,) to repent and reform, or you are ruined!!! Do you think that our blood is hiding from the Lord, because you can hide it from the rest of the world, by sending out missionaries, and by your charitable deeds to the Greeks, Irish, etc.? Will he not publish your secret crimes on the house top? Even here in Boston, pride and prejudice have got to such a pitch, that in the very houses erected to the Lord, they have built little places for the reception of coloured people, where they must sit during meeting, or keep away from the house of God, and the preachers say nothing about it--much less go into the hedges and highways seeking the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and try to bring them in to their Lord and Master. There are not a more wretched, ignorant, miserable and abject set of beings in all the world than the blacks in the southern and western sections of this country, under tyrants and devils. The preachers of America can not see them, but they can send out missionaries to convert the heathens, notwithstanding. . . . O Americans! Americans!! I call God--I call angels--I call men, to witness, that your destruction is at hand, and will be speedily consummated unless you repent.