thatthosewhohadfortunesinslaveswereamerehandful——justastodaythosewhohavefortunesinsteelorbeefaremerehandfuls。Butstilllessdidheknowhowentirelythisvastmajoritywhichhadsolittle，ifany，interestinslavery，hadgrowntofearanddistrusttheNorth。They，likehim，weresufferingfromanearhorizon。They，too，wereapplyingtheprinciple“Standwithanybodysolongashestandsright“Butforthem，standingrightmeantpreventingaviolentrevolutioninSouthernlife。Indifferentastheyweretoslavery，theywerewillingtogoalongwiththe“slave-barons“intheattempttoconsolidatetheSouthinamovementofdenial——adenialoftherightoftheNorth，eitherthroughAbolitionismorthroughtariff，todominatetheSouth。
IfonlyLincolnwithhissubtlemindcouldhavecomeintotouchwiththenegativesideoftheSouthernagitation!Itwastheotherside，thepositiveside，thatwasvocal。Withimmenseshrewdnesstheprofiteersofslaverysawanddevelopedtheiropportunity。TheyorganizedtheSouth。Theypreachedonalloccasions，inallconnections，theneedofallSouthernerstostandtogether，nomatterhowgreattheirdisagreements，inordertopreventtheimpoverishmentoftheSouthbyhostileeconomiclegislation。Duringthelate’fiftiestheirpropagandaforanall-Southernpolicy，madeslowbutconstantheadway。Butevenin1859theseideaswerestillfarfromcontrollingtheSouth。
AndthencameJohnBrown。ThedreadofslaveinsurrectionwaslaiddeepinSouthernrecollection。Thirtyyearsbefore，theNatTurnerRebellionhadfilledaportionofVirginiawithburnedplantationhousesamidwhoseruinslaythedeadbodiesofwhitewomen。Alittleearlier，anegroconspiracyatCharlestonplannedthemurderofwhitemenandtheparcelingoutofwhitewomenamongtheconspirators。AndJohnBrownhadcomeintoVirginiaattheheadofabandofstrangerscallingupontheslavestoriseandarm。
Herewasasupremeopportunity。ThepositiveSouthernforce，theslaveprofiteers，seizedatoncetheattitudeofchampionsoftheSouth。ItwaseasyenoughtoenlistthenegativeforceinashockedandoutrageddenunciationofeverythingNorthern。
AndtheNorthernextremistsdidallthatwasintheirpowertoaddfueltotheflame。EmersoncalledBrown“thisnewsaintwhohadmadethegallowsgloriousasthecross。“TheSoutherners，hearingthat，thoughtoftheconspiracytoparceloutthewhitewomenofCharleston。Earlyin1860itseemedasifthewholeSouthhadbutoneidea-topartcompanywiththeNorth。