VOA慢速英语2014 南方各州组成新的国家

 

Southern States Form a New Nation 南方各州组成新的国家

From VOA Learning English, this is The Making of a Nation. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

And I’m Christopher Cruise.

South Carolina withdrew from the United States on December 20, 1860. South Carolina seceded¹ because a Republican, Abraham Lincoln, had been elected president. Republicans wanted to stop slavery from spreading.

But South Carolina and other southern states said they had a right to take property -- which, they believed, included slaves -- anywhere.

U.S. lawmakers debate

When South Carolina seceded, Abraham Lincoln had not yet taken office. James Buchanan was still president.  His advisors² were deeply divided about what to do.

The southern advisors wanted him to recognize South Carolina’s independence. They said the president should order all federal troops out of the state – especially out of Charleston Harbor.

But northern advisors said the president must not give up any federal property or rights. The attorney general and the secretary of state even threatened to resign if President Buchanan agreed to South Carolina's demands.

Buchanan finally agreed with his northern advisors. He said he would defend U.S. government property against all hostile action.

On the last day of 1860, he ordered the army to send federal troops and extra supplies to a military base in Charleston Harbor called Fort Sumter.

Congress tried to find a compromise that might prevent war. Lawmakers proposed a new line across the country. South of the line, slavery would be permitted. North of the line, slavery would be illegal.

Many Republicans supported the proposal. But at least one rejected the idea completely. Abraham Lincoln said there could be no compromise on extending slavery.

"If there is," he said, "then all our hard work is lost. If trouble comes, it is better to let it come now than at some later time."

The South writes a new constitution

The trouble came soon. By February 1, 1861, the southern states of Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas followed South Carolina out of the Union.

Their representatives met in Montgomery, Alabama. They agreed to create a new nation. It would be an independent republic called the Confederate States of America.

The convention approved a constitution for the new nation. The document was like the Constitution of the United States, but with major changes. The Confederate Constitution gave greater importance to the rights of states. And it said there could be no laws against slavery.

Jefferson DavisJefferson Davis

The convention named former United States senator Jefferson Davis to be president of the Confederate States of America.

Davis did not want civil war. But he was not afraid of it. He said: "Our separation from the old Union is complete. The time for compromise has passed. Should others try to change our decision with force, they will smell southern gunpowder³ and feel the steel of southern swords."

Jefferson Davis left his farm in Mississippi to become president of the Confederate States of America on February 11.

On that same day, Abraham Lincoln left his home in Illinois to become president of the United States.

1 seceded   

v.脱离，退出( secede的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The Republic of Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903. 巴拿马共和国于1903年脱离哥伦比亚。
• One of the states has seceded from the federation. 有一个州已从联邦中退出。 来自辞典例句

2 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

3 gunpowder   

n.火药

参考例句：

• Gunpowder was introduced into Europe during the first half of the 14th century.在14世纪上半叶，火药传入欧洲。
• This statement has a strong smell of gunpowder.这是一篇充满火药味的声明。