the life of stephen a. douglas-第24章

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cted　decision。　　Douglas　had　hinted　it　in　the　Senate　long　before　it　was　announced。　　Pierce　and　Buchanan　had　proclaimed　it　before　the　Judges。　　〃We　cannot　absolutely　know　that　all　these　exact　adaptations　are　the　result　of　preconcert。　　But　when　we　see　a　lot　of　framed　timbers；　different　portions　of　which　we　know　have　been　gotten　out　at　different　times　and　different　place；　and　by　different　workmen；Stephen；　Franklin；　Roger　and　James；　for　instance；and　when　we　see　these　timbers　all　joined　together　and　see　they　exactly　make　the　frame　of　a　house　or　mill；　all　the　tenons　and　mortises　exactly　fitting；　*　*　*　*　*　we　find　it　impossible　not　to　believe　that　Stephen　and　Franklin　and　Roger　and　James　all　understood　one　another　from　the　beginning　and　all　worked　upon　a　common　plan　or　draft　drawn　up　before　the　first　blow　was　struck。〃

He　repelled　the　suggestion　made　in　some　quarters　that　the　Republicans　ought　to　cease　their　fight　on　Douglas　and　rally　to　his　support　in　his　contest　with　the　slavery　propagandists。　　He　reminded　them　that　the　very　essence　of　Republican　faith　was　hostility　to　slavery；　while　Douglas　frankly　declared　that　he　did　not　care　whether　it　was　voted　up　or　voted　down。　　The　cause　must　be　entrusted　to　those　whose　hearts　were　in　the　work　and　who　did　care　for　the　result。

On　the　9th　of　July　Douglas　returned　to　Chicago　and　received　a　royal　welcome。　　A　special　train　loaded　with　prominent　citizens　was　dispatched　to　meet　him。　　On　his　arrival　he　was　greeted　with　tumultuous　applause。　　He　addressed　the　vast　multitude　from　the　balcony　of　the　Tremont　House。　　Thirty　thousand　people　are　said　to　have　gathered　to　hear　him。　　He　was　profoundly　pleased　by　this　splendid　ovation　so　strikingly　in　contrast　with　the　reception　four　years　before；　when　his　neighbors　refused　even　to　hear　him　in　defense　of　his　course。　　Among　the　distinguished　visitors　on　the　speakers'　stand　sat　Lincoln。

After　thanking　his　audience　for　the　enthusiastic　reception；　he　plunged　into　the　subject　then　uppermost　in　the　public　mind　by　rehearsing　his　relation　to　the　whole　Kansas　problem。　　He　reminded　them　of　his　early　and　consistent　devotion　to　popular　sovereignty；　which　had　been　so　utterly　outraged　by　the　Lecompton　Constitution。　　He　assured　his　hearers；　however；　that　his　opposition　to　that　Constitution　arose　from　no　sentimental　morality　and　bore　no　relation　to　the　ethics　of　slavery。　　He　insisted；　not　that　it　be　good　or　just；　but　that　it　be　submitted　to　a　vote　of　the　settlers。

He　then　addressed　himself　to　Lincoln's　Springfield　speech。　　He　attacked　his　extreme　doctrines　with　characteristic　adroitness。　Lincoln's　speech　was　of　doubtful　prudence　as　a　campaign　argument。　It　really　foreboded　civil　war　or　a　peaceful　dissolution　of　the　Union。　　While　this　alternative　was；　perhaps；　inevitable；　political　expediency　forbade　its　avowal。　　Douglas　declared　the　necessary　result　of　his　philosophy　to　be　a　war　of　sections；　a　war　of　the　North　against　the　South；　of　the　free　States　against　the　slave　States；　to　be　continued　relentlessly　until　the　one　or　the　other　should　be　subdued　and　all　should　either　become　free　States　or　all　become　slave　States。　　But　this　was　not　the　true　theory　of　the　American　Union。　　The　States　differed　widely　in　soil；　climate；　resources；　tastes　and　habits。　　Their　laws　and　institutions　were　utterly　unlike。　New　Hampshire's　laws　were　unfit　for　South　Carolina；　those　of　New　York　were　not　suited　to　the　Pacific　Coast。　　Uniformity　in　local　and　domestic　affairs　would　be　destructive　of　State　rights；　State　sovereignty　and　personal　liberty。　　Uniformity　was　the　parent　of　despotism　the　world　over。　　The　only　way　of　attaining　Lincoln's　proposed　uniformity　would　be　to　abolish　State　legislatures；　blot　out　State　sovereignty　and　merge　the　States　into　one　consolidated　empire。　　But　diversity；　dissimilarity；　variety　in　all　their　local　and　domestic　institutions　was　the　great　safeguard　of　their　liberties。　He　insisted　on　reverently　bowing　to　the　Supreme　Court　as　the　authoritative　expounder　of　the　Constitution；　rather　than　appealing　from　it　to　a　tumultuous　town　meeting　where　constitutional　questions　arose。　　The　Federal　Government　was　founded　on　the　white　basis。　It　was　made　by　white　men；　for　the　benefits　of　white　men；　to　be　administered　by　white　men　in　such　manner　as　they　should　determine。　Let　each　State　decide　for　itself　how　it　would　treat　the　negroes　and　let　its　neighbors　alone。

〃The　issues　between　Mr。　Lincoln　and　myself；〃　he　said；　〃are　made　up；　*　*　*　*。　　He　goes　for　uniformity　in　our　domestic　institutions；　for　a　war　of　sections；　until　one　or　the　other　shall　be　subdued。　　I　go　for　*　*　*　the　right　of　the　people　to　decide　for　themselves。　　On　the　other　hand　Mr。　Lincoln　goes　for　a　warfare　on　the　Supreme　Court。　*　*　*　*　I　yield　obedience　to　the　decisions　of　that　Court。　　*　*　*　*　I　am　opposed　to　negro　equality。　　I　repeat　that　this　nation　is　a　white　people；　*　*　*　*　a　people　that　have　established　this　Government　for　themselves　and　their　posterity。　　*　*　*　*　I　am　opposed　to　taking　any　step　that　recognizes　the　negro　man　*　*　*　as　the　equal　of　the　white　man。　　I　am　opposed　to　giving　him　a　voice　in　the　administration　of　the　Government。〃

The　reception　was　recognized　by　the　politicians　of　both　parties　as　a　great　success。　　It　was　a　brilliant　opening　of　the　senatorial　campaign。　　The　Republicans　were　anxious　to　counteract　it。　　On　the　following　evening　Lincoln　spoke　at　the　same　place。　　He　had　a　large　and　enthusiastic　audience。　　But　he　was　not　an　impromptu　orator　at　all　comparable　to　Douglas。　　While　his　carefully　prepared　Springfield　speech　was　decidedly　better　than　Douglas'　dashing　address　in　Chicago；　his　unprepared　speech　was　by　no　means　equal　to　it。　　The　marked　disparity　between　the　two　speeches　must　have　intensified　the　suspicion　among　Lincoln's　friends　that　he　was　no　match　for　his　rival　on　the　stump。

On　the　16th　of　July　Douglas　again　spoke　to　a　vast　multitude　at　Bloomington。　　He　made　an　artful　appeal　for　the　Whig　vote　by　a　well　turned　compliment　to　〃Kentucky's　great　and　gallant　statesman；　John　J。　Crittenden；〃　who　proposed　to　refer　the　whole　question　back　to　the　people　of　Kansas　and　thus　〃showed　himself　a　worthy　successor　of　the　immortal　Clay。〃　　The　Republicans　had　〃endorsed　the　great　principle　of　the　Kansas…Nebraska　bill；〃　they　had　〃come　to　the　Douglas　platform　in　supporting　the　Crittenden…Montgomery　bill。〃　　The　compromise　of　1850　embodied　the　principle　that　every　people　ought　to　have　the　privilege　of　forming　and　regulating　their　own　institutions　to　suit　themselves。　　Each　State　had　that　right　and　no　reason　existed　why　it　should　not　be　extended　to　the　Territories。　　The　Illinois　House　of　Representatives　by　an　almost　unanimous　vote　had　asserted　that　the　principle　embodied　in　the　measures　of　1850　was　the　birth…right　of　free　men；　the　gift　of　heaven；　a　principle　vindicated　by　our　Revolutionary　fathers；　that　no　limitation　should　ever　be　placed　upon　it　either　in　the　organization　of　a　territorial　government　or　the　admission　of　a　State　into　the　Union。　　In　conformity　with　that　principle　he　had　brought　in　the　Kansas…Nebraska　bill；　for　which　Lincoln　and　his　friends　were　seeking　his　defeat。

〃I　have　known　Lincoln　well；〃　he　said；　〃for　a　quarter　of　a　century。　I　have　known　him　as　you　all　know　him；　a　kind…hearted；　amiable　gentleman；　a　right　good　fellow；　a　worthy　citizen；　of　eminent　ability　as　a　lawyer；　and；　I　have　no　doubt；　sufficient　ability　to　make　a　good　Senator。〃

He　examined　Lincoln's　〃house　divided…against…itself〃　philosophy；　pointing　out　that　the　house　had　been　divided　for　nearly　seventy　years　and　still　stood。

〃How　is　Lincoln；　if　elected　Senator；　going　to　carry　out　that　principle　which　he　says　is　essential　to　the　existence　of　this　Union；　that　slavery　must　be　abolished　in　all　the　States；　or　must　be　established　in　all？　　*　*　*　*　He　invites；　by　his　proposition；　a　war　between　Illinois　and　Kentucky；　a　war　between　the　free　States　and　the　slave　States；　a　war　between　the　North　and　the　South；　for　the　purpose　of　either　exterminating　slavery　in　every　Southern　State；　or　planting　it　in　every　Northern　State。　　*　*　*　*　*　What　man　in　Illinois　would　not　lose　the　last　drop　if　his　heart's　blood　before　he　would　submit　to　the　institution　of　slavery　being　forced　upon　us　by　the　other　States　against　our　will？　　*　*　*　What　Southern　man　would　not　shed　the　la