戴維‧沃爾克
(DAVID WALKER)

沃爾克的呼籲書
Walker's Appeal

The Liberty Almanac (廢奴主義出版品) 的封面

我們(美國的有色種族)是有史以來生活在這個世上最卑微、最可憐、最淒慘的人們。

這是一篇在美國歷史上最為聲名赫赫的文章之一，作者是戴維‧沃爾克(1785－1830)。他的父親是個奴隸，母親是自由人。他生於北卡羅萊納州的威爾明頓市，後來在波士頓定居，並成長為廢奴運動的積極分子。他向《自由日報》投稿，該報是美國第一家黑人報紙。他同時還在濱水區經營一家舊服裝店。1829年，他寫了題為《分四篇刊出、附加一篇序言、對世界有色公民──尤其是對美利堅合眾國的有色公民──發出的沃爾克的呼籲書》的文章。

《呼籲書》譴責了奴隸制，並預言它將給美國帶來毀滅。沃爾克反對在利比裡亞建立黑人殖民地的計劃，譴責白人牧師漠不關心的態度。他通過與水手朋友的關係，將他的《呼籲書》傳到了南方，從而引起奴隸主們的盛怒。於是南方各州開始禁止廢奴主義文學的傳播，並簽以法律來禁止對奴隸的文化教育。沃爾克受到懸賞通緝，但他拒絕逃亡。據信他說過：「我的立場不會改變；總有人要為這個事業而犧牲的。」1830年6月。人們在他的店舖附近發現了他的屍體，據信是被毒死的。

在接下來的三十年裏，沃爾克的《呼籲書》由廢奴主義者一版再版。以下是這篇文章的節選。

我在美國遊歷甚廣，在此過程中對現狀作了最為細緻的觀察。觀察的結果使我確信無疑：我們(美國的有色種族)是有史以來生活在這個世上最卑微、最可憐、最淒慘的人們。我向上帝祈禱：讓人們永遠永遠不要再這樣生活下去了。人們告訴了我們關於古埃及的以色列人、古斯巴達的農奴和古羅馬的奴隸的情況，後者包括了幾乎天底下的各個民族。他們在那些遠古和野蠻的國度裏受到的磨難，與我們在這開明的基督教國家所受到的相比，的確是微乎其微了──換句話說，那些遠古的野蠻國家不過具有奴隸制的名稱和形式而已；而虔信基督的美國人，卻將不幸和無邊的苦難加以濃縮而保存了下來，灌注到我們的先輩、我們自己和我們的後代身上去......

在對我的深臨苦海的同胞們發出呼籲之際，我心中十分明白，我將受到那些此生最大的願望就是使我們保持愚昧無知和淒涼悲慘的狀況的人們的圍攻，受到那些堅信上蒼本來就是將我們和我們的子女造就成為他們和他們的子女當牛做馬的人們的圍攻。不僅如此，我要說，我不僅會被這樣貪得無厭的傢夥們舉街示眾，說我是一個無知、魯莽和愛鬧事的人，給大眾的生活帶來騷擾不安，也許還會被投入監獄或處以極刑，就因為我將我們的苦難和暴君們的罪行公諸於眾。也有人勸我說，我的許多同胞，特別是那些愚昧地與奴隸主和惡霸們同穿一條褲子的人，那些靠比他們更愚昧的同胞們的血汗辛勞而混口飯吃的人──其中確實有不少人愚昧得只顧眼前利益──他們會一哄而起詛咒我的。是的，我們中的謹小慎微者有可能會機關算盡地斷言我的努力是徒勞的；他們會說我們的境況並不壞，沒有必要加以改善，因為我們做不到。這裏，我要問一個問題──我們的境況不是不能再糟糕了嗎?──難道還會比這更糟更慘嗎?如果我們的境況發生了變化，雖然開頭有可能顯得更糟，難道不會朝好的方向發展嗎?這些變化會使我們更加淪落嗎?它們會給我們帶來什麼?壓迫者們不敢使我們境況更糟，因為他們非常清楚，要是他們這樣做了，他們自己也就完了。然而，我要頂著所有可能加在我頭上的罪名，為我撰寫此文的動機向上天呼籲──上天知道我的目的是什麼，這就是盡我所能，在我的備受苦難、低微卑賤和執迷不醒的同胞們的心中喚起一種精神，在這塊自由共和國的土地上，對我們的苦難和不幸的原因，問個究竟！！！！……

幾年前，我從一份南卡羅萊納州的報紙上讀到一段文章，談到土耳其人的野蠻。文章寫道：「土耳其人是世界上最野蠻的民族──他們對待希臘人就像對待野獸一樣而不是作為人來對待。」在同一張報紙上有一則廣告：「八個體格健壯的維吉尼亞和馬裡蘭的黑人小夥子和四個黑人少女定為今日賣給出價最高者！」使我更加吃驚的是，我看到這張人道的報紙上登了三個男人的圖片，在他們的背上烙有梅花印記，並附有一則通告，高價懸賞拿他們逮捕歸案。我要說的是，聽這個國家的南部和西部人談什麼野蠻，的確很滑稽，聽來的確很使人感到可笑……

有色種族也是有知有覺的人，我的呼籲特別是對你們而發出的。我們較無知的同胞們不能理會它的價值。因此我號召你們將眼光投向你們同胞的不幸遭遇，盡你們之所能給他們以啟迪──行動起來，啟迪你們的同胞們！──讓我們的主看看你們能做些什麼把他們和你們自己從落魄中拯救出來。你們要做的事很多，儘管你們可能認為自己能做的是微不足道的。你們應該向美國人和整個世界證明：我們是人，不是野獸，而我們卻一直被看作野獸，成百上千萬的我們也是被當作野獸對待的。記住，你們在同胞們，特別是在年輕人中所作的努力，要達到的是教育和宗教的廣泛傳播……

我在我的上帝面前聲明，美國的佈道者們怎麼看我們的我無法確知。他們有各種報紙和月刊源源不斷地供他們享用，但在這些報刊雜誌上你們很難發現有關奴隸制的段落，而奴隸制比起其他各種邪惡加在一起對這個國家的損傷也要大上千倍萬倍。除非我們儘快採取措施，否則奴隸制最終將使這個國家的政府顛覆滅亡，因為他們的杯子已快到了滿溢的邊緣了。──也許他們會對此一笑了之，或漠然視之，但是我要告訴你們，美國人！除非你們改變你們的航向，否則你們和你們的國家就要完蛋了!!!!!因為萬能的上帝將把這個地球撕扯得面目全非!!!難道那非凡的聖書所說的不會降臨到美國基督教徒身上嗎?聽聽看吧，美國人！！「他如果不是正義的，就讓他不正義吧；他如果是齷齪的，就讓他齷齪吧；他如果是正義的，就讓他正義吧；他如果是神聖的，就讓他神聖吧。」我希望美國人聽到這些，但是恐怕他們由於已經如此嚴重地傷害了我們，由於他們如此相信我們的造物主把我們造出來是永遠給他們作為遺產來繼承的，因此他們已變得鐵石心腸，這樣，他們肯定要面臨毀滅了。我這樣說也許是嚴厲得使美國人纖弱的耳朵不堪接受，然而，美國人啊，美國人！！我借上帝的名義告誡你們(不管你們是否能聽到，是否能忍受)，悔悟吧，改過吧，不然你們就完了！！難道你們認為你們可以向希臘人、愛爾蘭人等等派遣傳教士和樂施行善，由此而對世界上的其他人隱藏手上的血污，使我們的主看不到我們的流血嗎?難道他不會在屋頂上將你們犯下的罪行昭然於世嗎?甚至於就在波士頓，傲慢和偏見已達到了如此地步：就在為主而建造的教堂屋字裏，你們為有色人種指定了小小的容身之處；他們必須坐在那裏，否則就被趕出上帝的屋宇。佈道者們對此裝聾作啞，更不用說為他們走進籬笆、走上大道尋找以色列之屋迷失的羔羊並把它們帶回它們的主耶穌身邊了。在暴君和魔鬼的淫威下，這個國家南部和西部的黑人生活在無比的不幸、愚昧、淒慘和貧困之中。美國的佈道者們看不見他們，但是都能夠派遣傳教士去皈依野蠻人。啊，美國人！美國人！！我向上帝呼籲，向人類呼籲，看哪，你們已經危在旦夕了；除非你們悔過自新，不然很快就要滅亡了。

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.