参考译文：
一次试图组建一支奴隶反叛大军的尝试失败了
1859年10月，一群反奴隶制的极端分子袭击了哈珀斯镇。哈珀斯镇是当时维吉尼亚州的一部分，现在属于西维吉尼亚州。这次袭击是由约翰.布朗领导的，他们占领了一家兵工厂和一座军火库，他们打算利用这些枪支和装备来武装一支反叛的奴隶大军。本周，我们向你讲述约翰.布朗占领哈珀斯镇之后的故事。
1859年，美国总统是詹姆士.布坎南。当布坎南得知约翰.布朗袭击哈珀斯镇的消息后，他立即采取了行动。他派遣一支海军向哈珀斯镇进发，这支海军由罗伯特.E.李上校指挥。约翰.布朗所领导的袭击队伍只有大约20个人，包括他的儿子，其中有两个儿子已经被当地民兵给杀害了。他和其他人一起撤到一座由砖石砌成的小建筑中，他们的这次袭击已经失败了。没有一个奴隶到哈珀斯镇来帮助约翰.布朗。他所带领的人中有几个在枪战开始时便拒绝投入战斗，并逃跑了。布朗无法理解，奴隶对为他们的自由而战所产生的恐惧。
布朗和他的起义队伍被包围在小石屋中，他们手中抓了一些人质，想借此换取他们的自由。
李上校给约翰.布朗写了一封信，要求他投降。他认为约翰.布朗不会和平地投降，所以他做好了进攻的准备，一旦布朗拒绝投降就进攻，他觉得这是确保人质生命安全的有效办法。正如他所料，布朗拒绝投降。他说，他和他的队伍有权得到自由。当布朗说这话时，就已经给了进攻的信号。海军发起了进攻，他们在小石屋的门上打开了一个洞，士兵们一个接一个从这个洞中进入小石屋，他们与小石屋中的人展开了白刃战。经过一番残酷的血战后，他们胜利了。约翰.布朗的起义失败了。
就在约翰.布朗被捕后几个小时，维吉尼亚州州长和三位国会议员到达了哈珀斯镇，他们想询问布朗。布朗在最后的战斗中受伤，由于失血过多而很虚弱，但他欢迎这样一个机会，使他能够解释他的行为。这些官员们首先问他，是从哪筹集这些钱来搞这次袭击的。布朗说，他的绝大多数钱是他自己筹集的，他拒绝说出那些给予他帮助的人的名字。随后，这些官员们又问布朗，为什么要来到哈珀斯镇。“我们来解放奴隶，”布朗说，“而且也只有这个目的。”他继续说到：“我认为你们违背了上帝的旨意，违反了人性，你们犯下了大罪。我认为任何人都有权来干涉你们，只要能够解放那些被你们用奴隶制所牢牢掌控的奴隶们，我认为我们的所作所为是正确的。你，所有的南方人，最好先解决这个问题，以免受到惩罚。你也许能够轻易地摆脱我，我差不多就要走了，但黑奴这个问题必将是要解决的。我的意思是，这个问题还远远没有得到解决。”
约翰.布朗的这次起义激化了美国国内有关奴隶制的争论。民主党人说，这次袭击是共和党人精心策划的。共和党领导人否认了这项指责，他们说，这次袭击只是一个疯子――约翰.布朗个人所为。不过，他们说，他搞这次袭击有了一个很好的理由：结束美国的奴隶制。南方报纸指控布朗，有些报纸说他的这次袭击就是一次战争行为，有些报纸要求将布朗以小偷和谋杀的罪名执行死刑。许多南方人说，所有的北方人都应该对这次袭击负责。他们认为所有的北方人都想在南方搞这样的奴隶起义，而南方人最担心的就是这样的奴隶起义。整个南方采取了许多新措施以阻止类似的事情发生，在一些地方宣布采取军事管制。奴隶主们威胁说，一旦发现有造反者，立即对他们采取鞭刑或绞死他们。
由于担心奴隶的造反，使南方人更加团结起来。几年来，富裕的奴隶主一直谈论让南方各州脱离联邦以确保他们自己的生活方式。但那些没有奴隶的人则反对这种分裂思想。约翰.布朗的袭击改变了这些人的想法。在约翰.布朗袭击哈珀斯镇后，南方人就只发出一种声音。所有的南方人宣布，他们将为保护他们的家乡免受奴隶造反或像约翰.布朗这样的人所领导的袭击而战斗。维吉尼亚的情绪特别高涨，因为这次袭击就发生在这个州。维吉尼亚州想立即惩治布朗，以给那些试图领导奴隶造反的人看看。
约翰.布朗是应该在联邦法院接受审判还是在州法院接受审判，还有些问题。布朗的袭击发生在两个州的边界，但他所占领的财产则属于联邦政府。维吉尼亚州州长决定在州法院审判布朗，他认为联邦法院如果审理此案将会拖延很长时间。他说，如果布朗不能立即得到审判，那么人们可能袭击监狱并可能杀死他。
布朗被关在距哈珀斯镇只有几公里的查尔斯镇，州法院提名两位律师为他辩护，一位医生替布朗检查身体，他报告说，布朗的伤并不严重，可以进行审判。在整个审判过程中，布朗一直躺在接受审判。约翰.布朗的辩护律师千方百计说明他家曾经有一个疯子，他们想证明布朗也是一个疯子。他们要求法院因其精神错乱而宣判其无罪。布朗对此表示抗议，他说，他的辩护律师只是为了拯救他的生命，他不需要这样的辩护。精神病这个问题也就放下了。
布朗的辩护律师随后又针对三项有罪指控进行辩论，认为约翰.布朗在这三项指控中没有犯罪。他们说，第一、他不应该受到背叛维吉尼亚罪的指控，因为他根本就不是维吉尼亚公民。第二、他不能接受阴谋策划奴隶造反的指控，因为他从来没有煽动奴隶反对他们的主人。第三、他不能接受谋杀的指控，因为他杀人只是为了自卫。这次审判持续了五天。陪审团认为约翰.布朗犯有这三项罪名。
法官问布朗，在最后宣判之前是否还有什么要陈述的。布朗陈述了。他公开说，他并没想打算发动奴隶起义，他说，他只是想解放一些奴隶，并将他们带到加拿大去。布朗的陈述很有力，但却不是真的。事实上，他打算组织一支奴隶军队去为他们的自由而战，他根据整个南方的奴隶应该起来反对他们的主人并加入他的组织这样一个信念而采取行动的。布朗的陈述没有改变法官的意见，法官说他没有找到什么理由质疑陪审团认为他有罪的裁决，他判布朗绞刑。
有一位布朗的支持者试图将布朗从监狱中解救出来，提出了好几个计划，但一个计划也没有实施。
布朗自己并不想逃跑，他说，他被绞死比活着更能够为摧毁奴隶制做贡献。约翰.布朗在1859年12月2日被绞死。他的死在全国民众中掀起了波澜。在北方，人们哀悼他，有一个人这样写道：“过去一至两个月所发生的事情对北方人树立起反对奴隶制的作用比此前所发生的一切而产生的作用都要大，比此前所写的所有反对奴隶制的小册子和书籍所起的作用都要大。”在南方，人们在欢呼，但他们在欢呼布朗受到惩治的同时，还夹杂着对那些赞扬布朗的人的愤怒。当整个国家准备迎接总统大选年的到来时，南方人重新许诺要保卫他们的奴隶制，不惜脱离联邦。
欲知后事如何，请看下周分解。
简评：
令布朗感到不解的是，明明是为奴隶解放而斗争，明明是为奴隶的自由而斗争，可是，作为奴隶自己，却并不买帐，并没有奴隶参加布朗的起义，布朗原先所设想的结果没有出现。失败也就理所当然的。
为什么奴隶会这样？那时因为，奴隶就是奴隶，他没有得到就有的教育，他看不到他自己的未来，他不知道怎么办？当有人要求怎么做时，他能做的只有害怕。因此，奴隶不参加布朗的起义也就在情理之中了。
这就告诉我们，当你要改变某一阶层的社会地位时，靠他们自己是不可能的，必须通过外力才能实现最终的目的。
约翰.布朗，为了奴隶的解放，为了自己心中的信念，他反对辩护律师为了救他的生命而设计的辩护词，他放弃了逃跑。他说，他的死要比他的活更有助于奴隶的解放。这是一种什么样的境界？
一根火柴，点燃了两堆干柴，不同观念、不同利益，在此终于出现了全面的，不可调和的冲突。这是一场你死我活的斗争。在这个时候，再谈什么妥协，很难。因为现在面临的是单项选择，非此即彼。
像奴隶解放这种关乎人类尊严、关乎他人的生存权利的大事，是绝不能靠妥协来解决的。
A Failed Attempt to Raise a Rebel Armyof Slaves
In October of eighteenfifty-nine, a group of anti-slavery extremists attacked the town ofHarpers Ferry. Harpers Ferry was part of Virginia then; today it islocated in West Virginia. The attackers were led by John Brown.They seized a gun factory and a federal supply center wheremilitary equipment was kept. They planned to use the guns andequipment to organize a rebel army of slaves. This week in ourseries, we tell what happened to John Brown after he seized HarpersFerry.
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Marines attack the engine house at HarpersFerry |
The president of theUnited States in eighteen fifty-nine was James Buchanan. WhenBuchanan learned of the attack, he wanted immediate action. He senta force of Marines to Harpers Ferry, under the command of ArmyColonel Robert E. Lee. John Brown had attacked with about twentymen. Several, including two of his sons, had been killed by localmilitia. He and his remaining men withdrew to a small brickbuilding. The attack had failed. Not one slave had come to HarpersFerry to help Brown. The few whom his men had freed had refused tofight when the shooting started. Brown could not understand thefear that kept the slaves from fighting for their freedom.
Brown and his men weretrapped inside the brick building. They held a few hostages whomthey hoped to exchange for their freedom.
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A drawing of the inside of the engine house justbefore it was seized by Marines |
Colonel Lee wrote amessage to John Brown demanding his surrender. He did not thinkBrown would surrender peaceably. So, he planned to attack as soonas Brown rejected the message. He felt this was the surest way tosave the lives of the hostages. As expected, Brown refused tosurrender. He said he and his men had the right to go free. As soonas Brown spoke, the signal was given. The Marines attacked. Theybroke open a small hole in the door of the brick building. One byone, the Marines moved through the hole. They fought hand-to-handagainst the men inside. After a brief fight, they won. John Brown'srebellion was crushed.
A few hours after Brownwas captured, the Governor of Virginia and three Congressmenarrived in Harpers Ferry. They wanted to question Brown. Brown hadbeen wounded in the final attack. He was weak from the loss ofblood. But he welcomed the chance to explain his actions. Theofficials first asked where Brown got the money to organize hisraid. Brown said he raised most of it himself. He refused to givethe names of any of his supporters. Then the officials asked whyBrown had come to Harpers Ferry. "We came to free the slaves,"Brown said, "and only that."
The raid on Harpers Ferryincreased the bitterness of the national dispute over slavery.Members of the Democratic Party called the raid a plot by theRepublican Party. Republican leaders denied the charge. They saidthe raid was the work of one man -- one madman -- John Brown.Still, they said, he had acted for good reason: to end slavery inAmerica. Southern newspapers condemned Brown. Some said his raidwas an act of war. Some demanded that he be executed as a thief andmurderer. Many southerners said all of the North was responsiblefor the raid. They believed all northerners wanted a slaverebellion in the South. And it was such a rebellion thatsoutherners feared more than anything else. New measures wereapproved throughout the South to prevent this. Military law wasdeclared in some areas. Slave owners threatened to beat or hang anyNegro who even looked rebellious.
The fear of a slaverebellion united the people of the South. For years, rich slaveowners had talked of taking the southern states out of the Union tosave their way of life. But those who had no slaves opposed theidea of disunion. John Brown's raid changed that. After his attackon Harpers Ferry, the south spoke with one voice. All southernersdeclared that they would fight to protect their homes from a Negrorebellion or from another attack by men like Brown. Feelings wereespecially high in Virginia, the state in which the raid tookplace. Virginians wanted Brown punished quickly to show what wouldhappen to anyone who tried to lead a Negro rebellion.
There was some questionwhether Brown should be tried in a federal court or a state court.Brown's raid took place within the borders of a state. But theproperty he seized belonged to the federal government. The Governorof Virginia decided to try Brown in a state court. He believed afederal court trial would take too long. If Brown were not broughtto trial quickly, he said, people might attack the jail and killhim.
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John Brown |
Brown was being held inCharles Town, a few kilometers from Harpers Ferry. The court therenamed two lawyers to defend him. A doctor examined Brown. Hereported that Brown's wounds were not serious enough to prevent thetrial from starting. Brown lay in a bed in the courtroom throughoutthe trial. John Brown's lawyers tried to show that his family had ahistory of madness. They tried to prove that Brown, too, was mad.They asked the court to declare him innocent because of insanity.Brown protested. He said the lawyers were just trying to save hislife. He did not want such a defense. The matter of insanity wasdropped.
Brown's lawyers thenargued that he was not guilty of the three crimes with which he wascharged. First, they said, he could not be guilty of treasonagainst Virginia, because he was not a citizen of Virginia. Second,he could not be guilty of plotting a slave rebellion, because hehad never incited slaves against their owners. And third, he couldnot be guilty of murder, because he had killed only inself-defense. The trial lasted five days. The jury found John Brownguilty of all three charges.
The judge asked Brown ifhe wanted to make a statement before being sentenced. Brown did. Hedeclared that he had not planned to start a slave rebellion. Hesaid he only wanted to free some slaves and take them to Canada.Brown's statement was strong. But it was not true. He had, in fact,planned to organize an army of slaves to fight for their freedom.He acted in the belief that slaves throughout the south would riseup against their owners and join him. Brown's words did not movethe judge. He said he could find no reason to question the jury'sdecision that Brown was guilty. He sentenced Brown to behanged.
One of Brown's supportersattempted to find a way to free Brown from jail. Several plans wereproposed. None were tried.
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A drawing of John Brown as he is about to behanged |
Brown himself did not wantto escape. He said he could do more to destroy slavery by hangingthan by staying alive. John Brown was executed on December second,eighteen fifty-nine. His death created a wave of public emotionthroughout the country. In the North, people mourned. One manwrote: "The events of the last month or two have done more to buildnorthern opposition to slavery than anything which has everhappened before, than all the anti-slavery pamphlets and books thathave ever been written."
That will be our storynext week.
http://www.21voa.com/path.asp?url=/200907/se-nation-91-james-buchanan-part-8-02-july-09_0.Mp3
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