the life of stephen a. douglas-第12章

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al　correctness　of　details　of　their　arguments；　as　to　which　he　had　the　better　of　them；　having　fortified　himself　with　voluminous　documents；　and　elaborately　proved　the　inaccuracy　of　their　statements；　and　elaborately　proved　the　inaccuracy　of　their　statements；　which　gave　him　a　brilliant　opportunity　to　indulge　in　a　burst　of　indignation　and　in　his　wrath　at　the　errors　of　his　adversaries'　neglect；　the　awkward　moral　question　which；　was　the　core　of　the　controversy。　　He　intimated　that　Chase　and　Sumner　had　obtained　their　seats　in　the　Senate　by　questionable　compromises。　Chase　hotly　branded　the　statement　as　false。　　Sumner　contemptuously　denied　that　he　had　even　sought　the　position；　much　less　bargained　for　it。　　The　speech　was　closed　with　an　earnest　appeal　to　the　Senators　to　banish　the　subject　of　slavery　forever　and　refer　it　to　the　people　to　decide　for　themselves　as　they　did　other　questions；　with　assurance　that　this　would　result　in　a　satisfactory　settlement　of　the　vexed　problem　and　bring　abiding　peace　to　all。　　As　the　day　was　dawning　he　closed。

With　difficulty　the　presiding　officer　had　repressed　the　bursts　of　applause　in　the　crowded　galleries。　　Even　Seward；　moved　to　admiration　by　the　overwhelming　power　and　marvelous　skill　of　his　adversary；　impulsively　cried　out；　〃I　never　had　so　much　respect　for　him　as　I　have　to…night。〃

Amid　the　solemn　hush　of　anxious　expectancy　the　crowd　awaited　the　calling　of　the　roll。　　While　no　one　doubted　the　result；　all　listened　in　breathless　silence　to　the　voting　of　the　Senators　as　though　it　were　the　voice　of　doom。　　Fourteen　voted　no；　and　were　thirty…seven　voted　yes。　　The　Senate　adjourned　amid　the　loud　booming　of　cannon　at　the　Navy　Yard；　which　celebrated　the　great　victory。　　In　the　chill　gray　dawn；　as　they　stood　on　the　steps　of　the　Capitol　and　listened　to　the　exultant　booming　of　cannon；　Chase　said　to　Sumner：

〃They　celebrate　a　present　victory；　but　the　echoes　they　awake　will　never　rest　until　slavery　itself　shall　die。〃

The　bill　now　went　to　the　House；　where　its　management　was　entrusted　to　Douglas'　lieutenant；　Richardson；　chairman　of　the　Territorial　Committee。　　But　the　country　was　aroused。　　The　loud　storm　appalled　the　Northern　Members；　whose　votes　were　needed。　　Pierce　hesitated　until　goaded　on　by　his　Southern　counselors。　　The　attempt　to　refer　the　bill　to　the　Territorial　Committee　failed。　　It　was　referred　to　the　Committee　of　the　Whole　and　went　to　the　foot　of　a　long　calendar。　This　alarmed　Douglas；　who　now　spent　most　of　his　time　in　the　House　assisting　Richardson。　　The　Administration　brought　all　of　its　power　to　bear　on　the　refractory　Members；　and　on　the　8th　of　May　the　forces　were　ready　for　the　attack。　　The　House　resolved　itself　into　a　Committee　of　the　Whole；　laid　aside　all　previous　business　and　proceeded　to　the　consideration　of　the　bill。　　The　struggle　at　once　began　between　the　domineering　majority　and　the　rebellious　minority　and　continued　with　increasing　bitterness　all　day；　all　night　and　until　midnight　of　the　9th；　when　the　session　broke　up　in　angry　riot；　the　enraged　members　leaping　on　their　desks　and　shrieking　in　frenzy　or　striving　to　assault　each　other　with　deadly　weapons。

All　were　exhausted　by　the　long；　sleepless　strain；　and　many　were　drunk。　　Douglas　was　on　the　floor　during　most　of　the　session；　passing　about　swiftly　among　his　followers　and　directing　their　movements；　the　master…spirit　who　guided　the　storm　of　his　own　raising。　　At　midnight　the　House；　now　a　mere　bedlam；　adjourned。

The　struggle　dragged　along　from　day　to　day；　the　minority　stubbornly　contesting　every　inch；　and　the　majority；　under　the　personal　direction　of　Douglas；　hesitating　to　use　their　power。　　At　last；　on　May　22nd；　at　nearly　midnight；　the　final　vote　was　forced　and　the　bill　passed　by　a　majority　of　thirteen。　　Among　those　voting　against　it　was　Thomas　H。　Benton　of　Missouri；　now　a　Member　of　the　House；　after　his　thirty　years'　service　in　the　Senate。　　His　terse　characterization　is　more　generally　remembered　than　anything　else　said　against　it。　　Speaking　with　a　statesman's　contempt　of　the　explanatory　clause；　he　said　it　was　〃a　little　stump　speech　injected　in　the　belly　of　the　bill。〃






Chapter　VII。　　The　Brewing　Storm。




The　powerful　will　and　effective　energy　of　the　young　Senator　had　achieved　a　legislative　revolution。　　Perhaps；　like　Geethe's　apprentice；　he　had　called　into　action　powers　of　mischief　which　he　would　not　be　able　to　control。　　With　the　instincts　of　the　politician　he　had　sought　to　devise　a　fundamental　principle　to　meet　a　passing　exigency。　　He　had　cooked　his　breakfast　over　the　volcano。

The　whole　doctrine　of　popular　sovereignty　which　became　thenceforth　the　central　article　in　his　creed　did　such　violence　both　to　law　and　philosophy　as　to　discredit　the　acumen　of　any　statesman　who　seriously　believed　it。　　It　was　a　short　lived　doctrine；　speedily　repudiated　with　disgust　by　the　South；　in　whose　interest　it　had　been　invented；　and　rejected　as　a　legal　heresy　by　a　Supreme　Court　of　learned　advocates　of　slavery。　　It　is　hardly　possible　that　Douglas　believed　that　Congress　could　delegate　its　highest　duties　and　responsibilities　to　a　handful　of　chance　squatters　on　the　frontier。　　This　doctrine；　to　the　establishment　of　which　he　devoted　a　great　part　of　the　remaining　energies　of　his　life；　〃meant　that　Congress；　which　represented　the　political　wisdom　of　an　educated　people；　should　abdicate　its　constitutional　right　of　deciding　a　question　which　demanded　the　most　sagacious　statesmanship　in　favor　of　a　thousand；　or　perhaps　ten　thousand；　pioneers；　adventurers　and　fortune　seekers；　who　should　happen　to　locate　in　the　Territory。〃

The　proposition　to　give　the　squatters　actual　sovereignty　in　all　things　was　an　evident　reducto　ad　absurdium。　　And　yet　it　was　the　inevitable　result　of　Douglas'　reasoning。　　The　only　excuse　for　the　existence　of　territorial　governments　was　that　the　inhabitants　were　not　yet　ready　for　the　duties　of　self…government。　　Squatter　sovereignty　rested　on　the　assumption　that　there　was　no　such　period　of　immaturity；　and　hence　no　period　in　which　territorial　governments　were　justified。　The　clear　logic　of　the　doctrine　would　entitle　the　first　band　of　squatters　on　the　public　domain　to　organize　a　State。　　But　it　was　a　superficially　plausible　proposition　that　appealed　with　peculiar　power　to　the　uncritical　popular　prejudice。　　The　equality　of　men　and　the　right　of　self　government　were　the　central　truths　of　the　American　polity。　　The　sentimental　devotion　to　these　two　principles　was　passionate　and　universal。　　A　dogma　that　seemed　to　embody　them　was　a　rare　invention；　the　supreme　feat　of　the　highest　order　of　practical　political　genius。

But　the　omens　were　not　good。　　People　seemed　absurdly　in　earnest　about　this　harmless　political　maneuver。　　Throughout　the　North　rose　a　storm　of　vehement　protest；　not　merely　from　Abolitionists　and　Whigs　but　from　insurgent　Democrats；　which　resulted　in　the　consolidation　of　the　incoherent　anti…slavery　factions　into　the　Republican　party　and　its　early　conquest　of　the　Democratic　States　of　the　Northwest。　It　developed　later　that　the　Northern　Democracy　was　hopelessly　ruined　by　this　political　masterpiece　of　the　greatest　Northern　Democrat。

Lincoln；　who　had　been　quietly　maturing　in　modest　retirement；　was　roused　by　this　shock　and　began　that　memorable　battle　with　Douglas；　which　finally　lifted　the　obscure　lawyer　to　heights　above　the　great　Senator。　　A　resolution　endorsing　the　Nebraska　bill　was　pushed　through　the　Illinois　legislature　with　difficulty；　several　of　the　ablest　Democrats　denouncing　it　bitterly。　　Other　Northern　legislatures　either　protested　against　it　or　remained　ominously　silent。　　Throughout　the　North　pulpit　and　press　thundered　against　the　repeal　with　startling　disregard　of　party　affiliations。　　Three　thousand　New　England　clergymen　sent　a　petition　protesting　against　it　〃in　the　name　of　Almighty　God。〃　　The　clergy　of　New　York　denounced　it。　　The　ministers　of　Chicago　and　the　Northwest　sent　to　Douglas　a　remonstrance　with　a　request　that　he　present　it；　which　he　did。　　He　was　deeply　hurt　by　the　angry　protests　from　the　moral　guides　of　the　people。　　He　denounced　the　preachers　for　their　ignorant　meddling　in　political　affairs；　and　declared　with　great　warmth　that　they　had　desecrated　the　pulpit　and　prostituted　the　sacred　desk　to　the　miserable　and　corrupting　influence　of　party　poli