hero tales from american history-第14部分

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atives　almost　to　madness；　despite　their　rule　which　prevented　the　reception　of　such　documents　when　offered。　Their　hatred　of　Mr。　Adams　is　something　difficult　to　conceive；　and　they　were　burning　to　break　him　down；　and；　if　possible；　drive　him　from　the　House。　On　February　6；　1837；　after　presenting　the　usual　petitions；　Mr。　Adams　offered　one　upon　which　he　said　he　should　like　the　judgment　of　the　Speaker　as　to　its　propriety；　inasmuch　as　it　was　a　petition　from　slaves。　In　a　moment　the　House　was　in　a　tumult；　and　loud　cries　of　〃Expel　him！〃　〃Expel　him！〃　rose　in　all　directions。　One　resolution　after　another　was　offered　looking　toward　his　expulsion　or　censure；　and　it　was　not　until　February　9；　three　days　later；　that　he　was　able　to　take　the　floor　in　his　own　defense。　His　speech　was　a　masterpiece　of　argument；　invective；　and　sarcasm。　He　showed；　among　other　things；　that　he　had　not　offered　the　petition；　but　had　only　asked　the　opinion　of　the　Speaker　upon　it；　and　that　the　petition　itself　prayed　that　slavery　should　not　be　abolished。　When　he　closed　his　speech；　which　was　quite　as　savage　as　any　made　against　him；　and　infinitely　abler；　no　one　desired　to　reply；　and　the　idea　of　censuring　him　was　dropped。

The　greatest　struggle；　however；　came　five　years　later；　when；　on　January　21；　1842；　Mr。　Adams　presented　the　petition　of　certain　citizens　of　Haverhill；　Massachusetts；　praying　for　the　dissolution　of　the　Union　on　account　of　slavery。　His　enemies　felt。　that　now；　at　last；　he　had　delivered　himself　into　their　hands。　Again　arose　the　cry　for　his　expulsion；　and　again　vituperation　was　poured　out　upon　him；　and　resolutions　to　expel　him　freely　introduced。　When　he　got　the　floor　to　speak　in　his　own　defense；　he　faced　an　excited　House；　almost　unanimously　hostile　to　him；　and　possessing；　as　he　well　knew；　both　the　will　and　the　power　to　drive　him　from　its　walls。　But　there　was　no　wavering　in　Mr。　Adams。　〃If　they　say　they　will　try　me；〃　he　said；　〃they　must　try　me。　If　they　say　they　will　punish　me；　they　must　punish　me。　But　if　they　say　that　in　peace　and　mercy　they　will　spare　me　expulsion；　I　disdain　and　cast　away　their　mercy；　and　I　ask　if　they　will　come　to　such　a　trial　and　expel　me。　I　defy　them。　I　have　constituents　to　go　to；　and　they　will　have　something　to　say　if　this　House　expels　me；　nor　will　it　be　long　before　the　gentlemen　will　see　me　here　again。〃　The　fight　went　on　for　nearly　a　fortnight；　and　on　February　7　the　whole　subject　was　finally　laid　on　the　table。　The　sturdy；　dogged　fighter；　single…handed　and　alone；　had　beaten　all　the　forces　of　the　South　and　of　slavery。　No　more　memorable　fight　has　ever　been　made　by　one　man　in　a　parliamentary　body；　and　after　this　decisive　struggle　the　tide　began　to　turn。　Every　year　Mr。　Adams　renewed　his　motion　to　strike　out　the　gag　rule；　and　forced　it　to　a　vote。　Gradually　the　majority　against　it　dwindled；　until　at　last；　on　December　3；　1844；　his　motion　prevailed。　Freedom　of　speech　had　been　vindicated　in　the　American　House　of　Representatives；　the　right　of　petition　had　been　won；　and　the　first　great　blow　against　the　slave　power　had　been　struck。

Four　years　later　Mr。　Adams　fell；　stricken　with　paralysis；　at　his　place　in　the　House；　and　a　few　hours　afterward；　with　the　words；　〃This　is　the　last　of　earth；　I　am　content；〃　upon　his　lips；　he　sank　into　unconsciousness　and　died。　It　was　a　fit　end　to　a　great　public　career。　His　fight　for　the　right　of　petition　is　one　to　be　studied　and　remembered；　and　Mr。　Adams　made　it　practically　alone。　The　slaveholders　of　the　South　and　the　representatives　of　the　North　were　alike　against　him。　Against　him；　too；　as　his　biographer；　Mr。　Morse；　says；　was　the　class　in　Boston　to　which　he　naturally　belonged　by　birth　and　education。　He　had　to　encounter　the　bitter　resistance　in　his　own　set　of　the　〃conscienceless　respectability　of　wealth；〃　but　the　great　body　of　the　New　England　people　were　with　him；　as　were　the　voters　of　his　own　district。　He　was　an　old　man；　with　the　physical　infirmities　of　age。　His　eyes　were　weak　and　streaming；　his　hands　were　trembling；　his　voice　cracked　in　moments　of　excitement；　yet　in　that　age　of　oratory；　in　the　days　of　Webster　and　Clay；　he　was　known　as　the　〃old　man　eloquent。〃　It　was　what　he　said；　more　than　the　way　he　said　it；　which　told。　His　vigorous　mind　never　worked　more　surely　and　clearly　than　when　he　stood　alone　in　the　midst　of　an　angry　House；　the　target　of　their　hatred　and　abuse。　His　arguments　were　strong；　and　his　large　knowledge　and　wide　experience　supplied　him　with　every　weapon　for　defense　and　attack。　Beneath　the　lash　of　his　invective　and　his　sarcasm　the　hottest　of　the　slaveholders　cowered　away。　He　set　his　back　against　a　great　principle。　He　never　retreated　an　inch；　he　never　yielded；　he　never　conciliated；　he　was　always　an　assailant；　and　no　man　and　no　body　of　men　had　the　power　to　turn　him。　He　had　his　dark　hours；　he　felt　bitterly　the　isolation　of　his　position；　but　he　never　swerved。　He　had　good　right　to　set　down　in　his　diary；　when　the　gag　rule　was　repealed；　〃Blessed；　forever　blessed；　be　the　name　of　God。〃



FRANCIS　PARKMAN

He　told　the　red　man's　story；　far　and　wide　　He　searched　the　unwritten　annals　of　his　race；　He　sat　a　listener　at　the　Sachem's　side；　　He　tracked　the　hunter　through　his　wild…wood　chase。

High　o'er　his　head　the　soaring　eagle　screamed；　　The　wolfs　long　howl　rang　nightly；　through　the　vale　Tramped　the　lone　bear；　the　panther's　eyeballs　gleamed；　　The　bison's　gallop　thundered　on　the　gale。

Soon　o'er　the　horizon　rose　the　cloud　of　strife；　　Two　proud；　strong　nations　battling　for　the　prize：　Which　swarming　host　should　mould　a　nation's　life；　　Which　royal　banner　flout　the　western　skies。

Long　raged　the　conflict；　on　the　crimson　sod　　Native　and　alien　joined　their　hosts　in　vain；　The　lilies　withered　where　the　lion　trod；　　Till　Peace　lay　panting　on　the　ravaged　plain。

A　nobler　task　was　theirs　who　strove　to　win　　The　blood…stained　heathen　to　the　Christian　fold；　To　free　from　Satan's　clutch　the　slaves　of　sin；　　These　labors；　too；　with　loving　grace　he　told。

Halting　with　feeble　step；　or　bending　o'er　　The　sweet…breathed　roses　which　he　loved　so　well；　While　through　long　years　his　burdening　cross　he　bore；　　From　those　firm　lips　no　coward　accents　fell。

A　brave　bright　memory！　His　the　stainless　shield　　No　shame　defaces　and　no　envy　mars！　When　our　far　future's　record　is　unsealed；　　His　name　will　shine　among　its　morning　stars。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Holmes。


FRANCIS　PARKMAN　（1822…1893）

The　stories　in　this　volume　deal；　for　the　most　part；　with　single　actions；　generally　with　deeds　of　war　and　feats　of　arms。　In　this　one　I　desire　to　give　if　possible　the　impression；　for　it　can　be　no　more　than　an　impression；　of　a　life　which　in　its　conflicts　and　its　victories　manifested　throughout　heroic　qualities。　Such　qualities　can　be　shown　in　many　ways；　and　the　field　of　battle　is　only　one　of　the　fields　of　human　endeavor　where　heroism　can　be　displayed。

Francis　Parkman　was　born　in　Boston　on　September　16；　1822。　He　came　of　a　well…known　family；　and　was　of　a　good　Puritan　stock。　He　was　rather　a　delicate　boy；　with　an　extremely　active　mind　and　of　a　highly　sensitive；　nervous　organization。　Into　everything　that　attracted　him　he　threw　himself　with　feverish　energy。　His　first　passion；　when　he　was　only　about　twelve　years　old；　was　for　chemistry；　and　his　eager　boyish　experiments　in　this　direction　were　undoubtedly　injurious　to　his　health。　The　interest　in　chemistry　was　succeeded　by　a　passion　for　the　woods　and　the　wilderness；　and　out　of　this　came　the　longing　to　write　the　history　of　the　men　of　the　wilderness；　and　of　the　great　struggle　between　France　and　England　for　the　control　of　the　North　American　continent。　All　through　his　college　career　this　desire　was　with　him；　and　while　in　secret　he　was　reading　widely　to　prepare　himself　for　his　task；　he　also　spent　a　great　deal　of　time　in　the　forests　and　on　the　mountains。　To　quote　his　own　words；　he　was　〃fond　of　hardships；　and　he　was　vain　of　enduring　them；　cherishing　a　sovereign　scorn　for　every　physical　weakness　or　defect；　but　deceived；　moreover；　by　the　rapid　development　of　frame　and　sinew；　which　flattered　him　into　the　belief　that　discipline　sufficiently　unsparing　would　harden　him　into　an　athlete；　he　slighted　the　precautions　of　a　more　reasonable　woodcraft；　tired　old　foresters　with　long　marches；　stopped　neither　for　heat　nor　for　rain；　and　slept　on　the　earth　without　blankets。〃　The　result　was　that　his　intense　energy　carried　him　beyond　his　strength；　and　while　his　muscles　strengthened　and　hardened；　his　sensitive　nervous　organization　began　to　give　way。　It　was　not　merely　because　he　led　an　active　outdoor　life。　He　himself　protests　against　any　such　conclusion；　and　says　that　〃if　any　pale　student　glued　to　his　desk　here　seek　an　apology　for　a　way　of　life　whose　natural　fruit　is　that　pallid　and　emasculate　scholarship；　of　which　New　England　has　had　too　many　examples；　it　will　be　far　better　that　this　sketch　had　not　been　written。　For　the　student　there　is；　in　its　season；　no　better　place　than　the　saddle；　and　no　better　companion　than　the　rifle　or　the　oar。〃

The　evil　that　was　done　was　due　to　Parkman's　highly　irritable　organism；　which　spurred　him　to　excess　in　everything　he　undertook。　The　first　special　sign　of　the　mischief　he　was　doing　to　himself　and　his　health　appeared　in　a　weakness　of　sight。　It　was　essential　to　his　plan　of　historical　work　to　study　not　only　books　and　records　but　Indian　life　from　the　inside。　Therefore；　having　graduated　from　college　and　the　law…school；　he　felt　that　the　time　had　come　for　this　investigation；　which　would　enable　him　to　gather　material　for　his　history　and　at　the　same　time　to　rest　his　eyes。　He　went　to　the　Rocky　Mountains；　and　after　great　hardships；　living　in　the　saddle；　as　he　said；　with　weakness　and　pain；　he　joined　a　band　of　Ogallalla　Indians。　With　them　he　remained　despite　his　physical　suffering；　and　from　them　he　learned；　as　he　could　not　have　learned　in　any　other　way；　what　Indian　life　really　was。

The　immediate　result　of　the　journey　was　his　first　book；　instinct　with　the　freshness　and　wildness　of　the　mountains　and　the　prairies；　and　called　by　him　〃The　Oregon　Trail。〃　Unfortunately；　the　book　was　not　the　only　outcome。　The　illness　incurred　during　his　journey　from　fatigue　and　exposure　was　followed　by　other　disorders。　The　light　of　the　sun　became　insupportable；　and　his　nervous　vous　system　was　entirely　deranged。　His　sight　was　now　so　impaired　that　he　was　almost　blind