威廉ˇ劳埃德ˇ加里森
(WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON)

《解放者》报发刊词
Prospectus for The Liberator

我不愿温文尔雅地思考、发言和写文章……我是诚切认真的ˇˇ我不会闪烁其辞ˇˇ我不会客套ˇˇ我将寸土不让ˇˇ我将使人们听到我的呼声。

威廉ˇ劳埃德ˇ加里森(1805ˇ1879)生于马萨诸塞州ˇ当过新闻记者、职业改革家ˇ不仅爲废奴主义运动ˇ也爲了争取妇女的权利、和平主义运动以及戒酒运动四处奔走呼号。1829年ˇ他与一个公谊会教友编辑了巴尔的摩的废奴运动报纸《普遍解放精神》报。1830年ˇ他写了一篇社论谴责一位纽伯里波特商人贩卖黑奴的行径而判诽谤罪入狱。一年以后ˇ他迁居波士顿ˇ创办了《解放者》报来推进废奴主义事业。加里森抨击奴隶制的罪恶ˇ呼吁立即解放黑奴。1832年ˇ他建立了新英格兰反对奴隶制协会ˇ一年后又创立美国反对奴隶制协会。加里森是个杰出的雄辩家ˇ总是一语中的地谴责社会的罪恶。他的同时代人认爲他是个极端主义分子和激进派人物ˇ而他们自己却情愿在奴隶制下长远地生活下去。加里森不愿这样。他靠自己炽烈的雄辩引起公衆道德意识上的愤慨ˇ使越来越多的美国人意识到奴隶制既非理所当然ˇ又不是正义的、值得维护的。

这篇《发刊词》刊登在1831年《解放者》报第一期上。

……近来ˇ爲了激励民衆的觉悟意识ˇ我四处奔走ˇ对于奴隶问题发表了一系列的讲演。所到之处都给予我新的例证ˇ与南方各州ˇ比较ˇ自由州的公衆情绪将掀起一场更爲巨大的变革波澜ˇˇ在新英格兰尤爲如此。我发ˇ在这些地方ˇ与奴隶主们自己的情绪ˇ比ˇ持轻蔑态度的更加强烈ˇ持反对态度的更加积极ˇ持贬斥态度的更加无情ˇ持有偏见的更加固执ˇ而漠不关心的也更加冷淡。当然ˇ个别情况会有例外。这种ˇ状使我苦恼ˇ却不使我气馁。我已下定决心。不顾一切风ˇˇ面ˇ举目在望的邦克山ˇ脚踏这片自由的诞生地ˇ在我们民族的心目中ˇ让解放的战旗高高飘扬。这面战旗业已展开ˇ愿她长久飞舞ˇ在时光的流逝中完好无损ˇ在仇敌铤而走ˇ的射击中枪弹不入ˇˇ是的ˇ直至每一根锁链都被砸开ˇ每一个奴隶都获得解放ˇ让南方的压迫者们发抖吧ˇ让他们的幕后策划者们发抖吧ˇ让他们北方的辩护者们发抖吧ˇ让所有残酷迫害黑人的仇敌们发抖吧ˇ

我认爲发表我的《发刊词》本是没有必要的ˇ因爲它已经家喻户ˇ。它所包含的原则将在这份报纸中切实遵循。但我要说明我不是爲了任何党派的观点而说话。在捍卫人权这ˇ伟大事业中ˇ我希望得到各教派和各党派的支持。

我赞同《美国独立宣言》中主张的“不证自明”的真理ˇ即“一切人生来就是平等的ˇ他们的创造者赋予他们某种不可剥夺的权利ˇˇ其中包括生存权、自由权以及追求幸福的权利”。因此我要爲我们的奴隶立即得到解放而努力奋斗。1829年7月4日ˇ我在公园街教堂作了讲演。当时我欠考虑地说我同意那种流行的但又是有害的关于逐渐废除奴隶制的观点。ˇ在ˇ我要利用这个机会彻底地、明确地收回我的话ˇ并且在此当衆祈求我的上帝的原谅ˇ我的国家的原谅ˇ我的受穷受难的奴隶同胞们的原谅ˇ原谅我说了这样充满怯弱、不公正和荒谬的情绪的话。我在1829年9月巴尔的摩《普遍解放精神》报上同样写过要收回我的话。这样ˇ我的良心总算得到了安宁。

我知道许多人反对我的言辞激烈ˇ但难道我没有理由这样做吗?真理是严厉的ˇ因此我要严厉ˇ正义是毫不妥协的ˇ因此我也毫不妥协。对于这个问题ˇ我不愿温文尔雅地思考、发言和写文章。不!不ˇ你们可以对一个家中起火的人温吞吞地报警ˇ叫他慢慢地把妻子从死神的手中夺回来ˇ让做母亲的慢慢地将落入火海的婴儿救出来ˇˇ但是ˇ你们不要劝我在当前的这个事业中采取温文尔雅的态度。我是诚肯认真的ˇˇ我不会闪烁其辞ˇˇ我不会客套ˇˇ我将寸土不让ˇˇ我将使人们听到我的呼声。人们的冷漠已足能使每座雕ˇ从底座上跳下来而加快死者复活的进程了。

有人说ˇ我采取粗俗漫駡的言辞和骤然激烈的手段ˇ在这场解放事业中不过是装腔作势而已。这ˇ指控不能成立。在这个问题上ˇ我的影ˇ力ˇˇ虽则并不起眼ˇˇˇ此时此刻却已经达到了ˇ当程度。在未来的日子里ˇ我的影ˇ将会发展ˇ它将是有益而不是有害的ˇ是一声祝福而不是一道诅咒。我们的子孙后代将会证明我是对的。我诚心感谢上帝ˇ他使我无视“使人落入ˇ阱的恐惧”ˇ使我能传播他的简朴而又强大的真理……

Prospectus for The Liberator

. . . During my recent tour for the purpose of exciting the minds of the people by a series of discourses on the subject of slavery, every place that I visited gave fresh evidence of the fact, that a greater revolution in public sentiment was to be effected in the free states--and particularly in New-England--than at the south. I found contempt more bitter, opposition more active, detraction more relentless, prejudice more stubborn, and apathy more frozen, than among the slave owners themselves. Of course, there were individual exceptions to the contrary. This state of things afflicted, but did not dishearten me. I determined, at every hazard, to lift up the standard of emancipation in the eyes of the nation, within sight of Bunker Hill and in the birth place of liberty. That standard is now unfurled; and long may it float, unhurt by the spoliations of time or the missiles of a desperate foe--yea, till every chain be broken, and every bondman set free! Let southern oppressors tremble--let their secret abettors tremble--let their northern apologists tremble--let all the enemies of the persecuted blacks tremble.

    I deem the publication of my original Prospectus unnecessary, as it has obtained a wide circulation. The principles therein inculcated will be steadily pursued in this paper, excepting that I shall not array myself as the political partisan of any man. In defending the great cause of human rights, I wish to derive the assistance of all religions and of all parties.

    Assenting to the "self-evident truth" maintained in the American Declaration of Independence, "that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights--among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," I shall strenuously contend for the immediate enfranchisement of our slave population. In Park-street Church, on the Fourth of July, 1829, in an address on slavery, I unreflectingly assented to the popular but pernicious doctrine of gradual abolition. I seize this opportunity to make a full and unequivocal recantation, and thus publicly to ask pardon of my God, of my country, and of my brethren the poor slaves, for having uttered a sentiment so full of timidity, injustice and absurdity. A similar recantation, from my pen, was published in the Genius of Universal Emancipation at Baltimore, in September, 1829. My conscience is now satisfied.

    I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice. On this subject, I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation. No! no! Tell a man whose house is on fire, to give a moderate alarm; tell him to moderately rescue his wife from the hands of the ravisher: tell the mother to gradually extricate her babe from the fire into which it has fallen;--but urge me not to use moderation in a cause like the present. I am in earnest--I will not equivocate--I will not excuse--I will not retreat a single inch--AND I WILL BE HEARD. The apathy of the people is enough to make every statue leap from its pedestal, and to hasten the resurrection of the dead.

    It is pretended, that I am retarding the cause of emancipation, by the coarseness of my invective, and the precipitancy of my measures. The charge is not true. On this question my influence,--humble as it is,--is felt at this moment to a considerable extent, and shall be felt in coming years--not perniciously, but beneficially--not as a curse, but as a blessing; and posterity will bear testimony that I was right. I desire to thank God, that he enables me to disregard "the fear of man which bringeth a snare." and to speak his truth in its simplicity and power....