the life of stephen a. douglas-第13章

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d　the　pulpit　and　prostituted　the　sacred　desk　to　the　miserable　and　corrupting　influence　of　party　politics。　　He　afterwards　said　in　bitter　jest；　〃on　my　return　home　I　traveled　from　Boston　to　Chicago　in　the　light　of　fires　in　which　my　own　effigies　were　burning。〃

Congress　adjourned　early　in　August；　but　he　lingered　in　the　East　and　not　until　late　in　the　month　did　he　return　to　meet　his　constituents。　The　intensity　of　popular　indignation　at　the　North　was　a　disagreeable　surprise　to　him。　　In　Chicago　the　sentiment　was　openly　and　overwhelmingly　against　him。　　It　was　dangerous；　now　that　he　had　fought　his　way　up　to　the　head　of　his　party　and　seemed　assured　of　the　coveted　nomination；　to　permit　himself　to　be　discredited　at　home。

Four　years　before　he　had　conquered　the　hostile　city　by　a　speech；　and　he　resolved　again　to　subdue　its　insurgent　spirit。　　Meetings　of　disgusted　Democrats　and　indignant　Whigs　had　been　held　to　denounce　him。　　He　had　been　burned　in　effigy　on　the　streets。　　He　had　been　charged　with　loitering　in　the　East　afraid　to　meet　the　people　whom　he　had　betrayed。　　The　changes　were　rung　on　the　fact　that　his　middle　name　was　that　of　the　traitor；　Benedict　Arnold。　　When　he　entered　the　city　the　flags　on　building　and　vessels　were　hanging　mournfully　at　half…mast。　　At　sunset　the　bells　were　tolled　solemnly。　　It　was　truly　a　funereal　reception。　　Arrangements　were　made　for　him　to　address　the　people　on　the　night　of　September　1st　in　vindication　of　himself。　The　meeting　was　held　in　the　large　open　space　in　front　of　North　Market　Hall。　　The　crowd　was　enormous　and　ominously　sullen。　　The　roofs；　windows　and　balconies　of　all　adjacent　buildings　were　occupied。　There　was　not　a　cheer；　except　from　a　little　band　of　friends　in　front　of　him；　as　at　nearly　eight　o'clock　he　rose　to　speak。

The　memorable　scene　which　followed　illustrates　how　small　is　the　interval　that　separates　the　most　advanced　civilization　from　the　grossest　barbarism。　　He　began　his　speech；　but　was　soon　interrupted　by　a　storm　of　hisses　and　groans；　growing　louder　and　louder　until　it　seemed　that　the　whole　enormous　throng　was　pouring　out　its　execration　in　a　mingled　hiss　and　groan。　　He　waited　with　defiant　calmness　for　the　storm　to　subside　and　again　attempted　to　speak。　　He　told　them　with　manifest　vexation　that　he　had　returned　home　to　address　his　constituents　and　defend　his　course　and　that　he　intended　to　be　heard。　　Again　he　was　interrupted　by　the　overwhelming　hiss；　mingled　with　groans　and　coarse　insults。　　His　friends　fiercely　threatened　to　resent　the　outrage；　but　he　prudently　restrained　them。　　He　then　began　to　shout　defiance　and　rebukes　at　the　mob。　　His　combative　temper　was　stirred。　He　shook　his　head　and　brandished　his　fists　at　the　jeering　crowd。　His　friends　importuned　him　to　desist；　but　he　pushed　them　aside　and　again　and　again　returned　to　the　attack　with　stentorian　tones　and　vehement　gestures；　striving　to　outvoice　the　wild　tumult　and　compel　an　audience。

But　they　were　as　resolute　as　he　and　persistently　drowned　his　shouting。　　This　continued　nearly　three　hours。　　At　half…past　ten；　baffled；　mortified　and　angry；　he　withdrew。　　One　admiring　biographer　declares　that　he　yelled　to　the　mob　as　a　parting　valediction；　〃Abolitionists　of　Chicago；　it　is　now　Sunday　morning。　　I　will　go　to　church　while　you　go　to　the　devil　in　your　own　way。〃　　The　irrepressible　conflict　was　approaching　the　muscular　stage　of　its　development；　when　the　aroused　passions　of　the　people　must　find　some　other　vent　than　words；　when　the　game　of　politics　could　no　longer　be　safely　played　with　the　strongest　emotions　of　a　deeply　moral　race。

It　was　not　possible　to　treat　the　matter　lightly。　　Evidently　a　tide　of　fanatical　passion　had　set　against　him；　not　only　in　the　old　North；　but　in　the　new　Northwest；　the　field　of　his　undisputed　mastery。　It　was　necessary　to　bestir　himself　in　earnest　and　turn　back　this　rising　flood　which　threatened　to　engulf　him　just　as　he　came　in　sight　of　his　goal。　　The　symptoms　were　decidedly　bad。　　The　elections　thus　far　held　indicated　a　surprising　revolt　against　his　new　Democratic　gospel　of　popular　sovereignty。　　As　the　autumn　advanced　the　omens　grew　worse。　　New　Hampshire　and　Connecticut　had　already　manifested　their　disapproval。　　Iowa；　hitherto　staunchly　Democratic；　was　carried　by　the　Whigs。　　The　later　New　England　elections　showed　the　most　amazing　Democratic　defection。　　Pennsylvania　elected　to　Congress　twenty…one　pronounced　opponents　of　popular　sovereignty　and　slavery　extension。　　Ohio　and　Indiana　had　both　cast　their　votes　for　Pierce。　But　at　this　election　Ohio　rejected　the　revised　Democratic　platform　by　75；00　and　Indiana　by　13；000。

After　his　rebuff　in　Chicago　he　plunged　into　the　Illinois　campaign；　which　was　fought　on　the　Kansas…Nebraska　issue。　　In　the　northern　part　of　the　State　his　receptions　were　chilly　and　his　audiences　unfriendly；　sometime　indulging　in　boisterous　demonstrations　of　hostility。　　〃Burning　effigies；　effigies　suspended　by　robes；　banners　with　all　the　vulgar　mottoes　and　inscriptions　that　passion　and　prejudice　could　suggest；　were　displayed　at　various　points。　Whenever　he　attempted　to　speak；　the　noisy　demonstrations　which　had　proved　so　successful　in　Chicago　were　repeated。〃

But　as　he　moved　southward　the　people　became　more　cordial。　　The　great　center　of　political　activity　was　Springfield；　where　the　State　Fair；　lasting　through　the　first　week　of　October；　attracted　thousands　of　people；　and　the　politicians　assembled　to　make　speeches　and　plan　campaigns。　　He　spoke　on　October　3rd　at　the　State　House。　　The　most　important　matter　pending　was　the　choice　of　the　legislature　which　should　elect　a　Senator　to　succeed　his　colleague　Shields；　who　was　a　candidate　for　reelection。　　The　opposition　was　a　heterogeneous　compound　of　Whigs；　anti…Nebraska　Democrats　and　all　other　political　elements　opposed　to　the　revised　Democratic　creed。　　The　leading　candidates　of　this　fusion　party　for　Senator　were　Lyman　Trumbull；　a　Democrat　opposed　to　the　new　program　of　slavery　extension；　and　Abraham　Lincoln；　the　recognized　leader　of　the　Whig　party　of　the　State。　　It　was　expected　that　Lincoln　would　answer　Douglas　on　the　following　day。

This　political　tourney　held　in　the　little　Western　Capital　was　in　many　ways　a　rather　notable　event。　　The　great　question　of　human　slavery　had　now　definitely　passed　from　the　region　of　mere　moral　disquisition　into　that　of　active　statesmanship。　　It　had　become　the　decisive　practical　problem　of　the　time；　the　attempt　to　solve　which　was　revolutionizing　party　politics　and　sweeping　away　the　political　philosophy　of　the　past。　　The　opinions　of　men　on　this　question　were　determining　their　associations　and　directing　their　conduct；　regardless　of　minor　matters；　which　are　now　forgotten。　　The　South　was　united　for　the　support　and　extension　of　slavery。　　The　North　was　tending　to　unity　in　the　resolve　to　prevent　its　further　spread。　Already　the　new　generation　of　Southern　statesmen　were　plotting　to　divide　the　Union　and　were　bent　on　extending　the　slave　holding　States　across　the　continent；　believing　that　when　the　separation　occurred；　California　would　join　the　Southern　Confederation　and　thus　give　them　a　Republic　extending　from　ocean　to　ocean　and　controlling　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi。

The　first　step　in　this　plan　had　already　been　taken　by　opening　to　slavery　the　Territory　of　Kansas；　which　then　contained　a　large　part　of　Colorado。　　The　remaining　task　of　pushing　their　western　border　on　to　the　Pacific　seemed　comparatively　easy。　　Already　treason　was　festering　in　the　heart　of　the　South；　but　Douglas；　now　the　most　powerful　ally　of　these　plotting　traitors；　was　entirely　devoted　to　the　Union。　　He　neither　felt　nor　thought　deeply　on　any　question。　　The　symptoms　of　coming　revolution　were　merely　disclosures　of　political　strategy　to　him。　　The　South　held　out　the　bait　of　the　Presidency；　and　he　led　its　battle。　　In　his　attachment　to　the　Union　and　his　subordination　of　both　morals　and　statecraft　to　its　preservation　as　the　supreme　end；　he　was　a　faithful　echo　of　the　great　statesmen　of　the　preceding　age。　　But　a　generation　of　statesmen　had　appeared　in　the　North　with　a　large　and　growing　following　who　were　reluctantly　reaching　the　conclusion　that　the　primary　rights　of　man　were　even　more　sacred　than　the　Union。　　Political　expediency　was　not　their　ultimate　test　of　right。

Lincoln；　though　yet　comparatively　obscu