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They¡¡were¡¡democrats£»¡¡but¡¡not¡¡after¡¡the¡¡simple£»¡¡elementary¡¡manner¡¡of¡¡the¡¡democrats¡¡at¡¡the¡¡opening¡¡of¡¡the¡¡century¡£¡¡¡¡In¡¡the¡¡North£»¡¡there¡¡had¡¡come¡¡to¡¡life¡¡a¡¡peculiar¡¡phase¡¡of¡¡idealism¡¡that¡¡had¡¡touched¡¡democracy¡¡with¡¡mysticism¡¡and¡¡had¡¡added¡¡to¡¡it¡¡a¡¡vague¡¡but¡¡genuine¡¡romance¡£¡¡¡¡This¡¡new¡¡vision¡¡of¡¡the¡¡destiny¡¡of¡¡the¡¡country¡¡had¡¡the¡¡practical¡¡effect¡¡of¡¡making¡¡the¡¡Northerners¡¡identify¡¡themselves¡¡in¡¡their¡¡imaginations¡¡with¡¡all¡¡mankind¡¡and¡¡in¡¡creating¡¡in¡¡them¡¡an¡¡enthusiastic¡¡desire£»¡¡not¡¡only¡¡to¡¡give¡¡to¡¡every¡¡American¡¡a¡¡home¡¡of¡¡his¡¡own£»¡¡but¡¡also¡¡to¡¡throw¡¡open¡¡the¡¡gates¡¡of¡¡the¡¡nation¡¡and¡¡to¡¡share¡¡the¡¡wealth¡¡of¡¡America¡¡with¡¡the¡¡poor¡¡of¡¡all¡¡the¡¡world¡£¡¡In¡¡very¡¡truth£»¡¡it¡¡was¡¡their¡¡dominating¡¡passion¡¡to¡¡give¡¡¡¨land¡¡to¡¡the¡¡landless¡£¡¨¡¡¡¡Here¡¡was¡¡the¡¡clue¡¡to¡¡much¡¡of¡¡their¡¡attitude¡¡toward¡¡the¡¡South¡£¡¡¡¡Most¡¡of¡¡these¡¡Northern¡¡dreamers¡¡gave¡¡little¡¡or¡¡no¡¡thought¡¡to¡¡slavery¡¡itself£»¡¡but¡¡they¡¡felt¡¡that¡¡the¡¡section¡¡which¡¡maintained¡¡such¡¡a¡¡system¡¡so¡¡committed¡¡to¡¡aristocracy¡¡that¡¡any¡¡real¡¡friendship¡¡with¡¡it¡¡was¡¡impossible¡£
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It¡¡was¡¡at¡¡the¡¡moment¡¡when¡¡thinking¡¡men¡¡were¡¡asking¡¡these¡¡questions¡¡that¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡nimblest¡¡of¡¡politicians¡¡took¡¡the¡¡center¡¡of¡¡the¡¡stage¡£¡¡¡¡Stephen¡¡A¡£¡¡Douglas¡¡was¡¡far¡sighted¡¡enough¡¡to¡¡understand¡¡the¡¡land¡hunger¡¡of¡¡the¡¡time¡£¡¡¡¡One¡¡is¡¡tempted¡¡to¡¡add¡¡that¡¡his¡¡ear¡¡was¡¡to¡¡the¡¡ground¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡statement¡¡will¡¡not£»¡¡however£»¡¡go¡¡unchallenged£»¡¡for¡¡able¡¡apologists¡¡have¡¡their¡¡good¡¡word¡¡to¡¡say¡¡for¡¡Douglas¡£¡¡¡¡Though¡¡in¡¡the¡¡main£»¡¡the¡¡traditional¡¡view¡¡of¡¡him¡¡as¡¡the¡¡prince¡¡of¡¡political¡¡jugglers¡¡still¡¡holds¡¡its¡¡own£»¡¡let¡¡us¡¡admit¡¡that¡¡his¡¡bold£»¡¡rough¡¡spirit£»¡¡filled¡¡as¡¡it¡¡was¡¡with¡¡political¡¡daring£»¡¡was¡¡not¡¡without¡¡its¡¡strange¡¡vein¡¡of¡¡idealism¡£¡¡¡¡And¡¡then¡¡let¡¡us¡¡repeat¡¡that¡¡his¡¡ear¡¡was¡¡to¡¡the¡¡ground¡£¡¡¡¡Much¡¡careful¡¡research¡¡has¡¡indeed¡¡been¡¡expended¡¡in¡¡seeking¡¡to¡¡determine¡¡who¡¡originated¡¡the¡¡policy¡¡which£»¡¡about¡¡1853£»¡¡Douglas¡¡decided¡¡to¡¡make¡¡his¡¡own¡£¡¡¡¡There¡¡has¡¡also¡¡been¡¡much¡¡dispute¡¡about¡¡his¡¡motives¡£¡¡Most¡¡of¡¡us£»¡¡however£»¡¡see¡¡in¡¡his¡¡course¡¡of¡¡action¡¡an¡¡instance¡¡of¡¡playing¡¡the¡¡game¡¡of¡¡politics¡¡with¡¡an¡¡audacity¡¡that¡¡was¡¡magnificent¡£
His¡¡conduct¡¡may¡¡well¡¡have¡¡been¡¡the¡¡result¡¡of¡¡a¡¡combination¡¡of¡¡motives¡¡which¡¡included¡¡a¡¡desire¡¡to¡¡retain¡¡the¡¡favor¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Northwest£»¡¡a¡¡wish¡¡to¡¡pave¡¡the¡¡way¡¡to¡¡his¡¡candidacy¡¡for¡¡the¡¡Presidency£»¡¡the¡¡intention¡¡to¡¡enlist¡¡the¡¡aid¡¡of¡¡the¡¡South¡¡as¡¡well¡¡as¡¡that¡¡of¡¡his¡¡own¡¡locality£»¡¡and¡¡perhaps¡¡the¡¡hope¡¡that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡performing¡¡a¡¡service¡¡of¡¡real¡¡value¡¡to¡¡his¡¡country¡£¡¡¡¡That¡¡is£»¡¡he¡¡saw¡¡that¡¡the¡¡favor¡¡of¡¡his¡¡own¡¡Northwest¡¡would¡¡be¡¡lavished¡¡upon¡¡any¡¡man¡¡who¡¡opened¡¡up¡¡to¡¡settlement¡¡the¡¡rich¡¡lands¡¡beyond¡¡Iowa¡¡and¡¡Missouri¡¡which¡¡were¡¡still¡¡held¡¡by¡¡the¡¡Indians£»¡¡and¡¡for¡¡which¡¡the¡¡Westerners¡¡were¡¡clamoring¡£¡¡¡¡Furthermore£»¡¡they¡¡wanted¡¡a¡¡railroad¡¡that¡¡would¡¡reach¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Pacific¡£¡¡¡¡There¡¡were£»¡¡however£»¡¡local¡¡entanglements¡¡and¡¡political¡¡cross¡purposes¡¡which¡¡involved¡¡the¡¡interests¡¡of¡¡the¡¡free¡¡State¡¡of¡¡Illinois¡¡and¡¡those¡¡of¡¡the¡¡slave¡¡State¡¡of¡¡Missouri¡£
Douglas's¡¡great¡¡stroke¡¡was¡¡a¡¡programme¡¡for¡¡harmonizing¡¡all¡¡these¡¡conflicting¡¡interests¡¡and¡¡for¡¡drawing¡¡together¡¡the¡¡West¡¡and¡¡the¡¡South¡£¡¡¡¡Slaveholders¡¡were¡¡to¡¡be¡¡given¡¡what¡¡at¡¡that¡¡moment¡¡they¡¡wanted¡¡mostan¡¡opportunity¡¡to¡¡expand¡¡into¡¡that¡¡territory¡¡to¡¡the¡¡north¡¡and¡¡west¡¡of¡¡Missouri¡¡which¡¡had¡¡been¡¡made¡¡free¡¡by¡¡the¡¡Compromise¡¡of¡¡1820£»¡¡while¡¡the¡¡free¡¡Northwest¡¡was¡¡to¡¡have¡¡its¡¡railroad¡¡to¡¡the¡¡coast¡¡and¡¡also¡¡its¡¡chance¡¡to¡¡expand¡¡into¡¡the¡¡Indian¡¡country¡£¡¡¡¡Douglas¡¡thus¡¡became¡¡the¡¡champion¡¡of¡¡a¡¡bill¡¡which¡¡would¡¡organize¡¡two¡¡new¡¡territories£»¡¡Kansas¡¡and¡¡Nebraska£»¡¡but¡¡which¡¡would¡¡leave¡¡the¡¡settlers¡¡in¡¡each¡¡to¡¡decide¡¡whether¡¡slavery¡¡or¡¡free¡¡labor¡¡should¡¡prevail¡¡within¡¡their¡¡boundaries¡£¡¡¡¡This¡¡territorial¡¡scheme¡¡was¡¡accepted¡¡by¡¡a¡¡Congress¡¡in¡¡which¡¡the¡¡Southerners¡¡and¡¡their¡¡Northern¡¡allies¡¡held¡¡control£»¡¡and¡¡what¡¡is¡¡known¡¡as¡¡the¡¡Kansas¡Nebraska¡¡Bill¡¡was¡¡signed¡¡by¡¡President¡¡Pierce¡¡on¡¡May¡¡30£»1854¡£*
*The¡¡origin¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Kansas¡Nebraska¡¡Bill¡¡has¡¡been¡¡a¡¡much¡¡discussed¡¡subject¡¡among¡¡historians¡¡in¡¡recent¡¡years¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡older¡¡view¡¡that¡¡Douglas¡¡was¡¡simply¡¡playing¡¡into¡¡the¡¡hands¡¡of¡¡the¡¡¡¨slavepower¡¨¡¡by¡¡sacrificing¡¡Kansas£»¡¡is¡¡no¡¡longer¡¡tenable¡£¡¡¡¡This¡¡point¡¡has¡¡been¡¡elaborated¡¡by¡¡Allen¡¡Johnson¡¡in¡¡his¡¡study¡¡of¡¡Douglas¡¡£¨¡¨Stephen¡¡A¡£¡¡Douglas£º¡¡a¡¡Study¡¡in¡¡American¡¡Politics¡¨£©¡£¡¡¡¡In¡¡his¡¡¡¨Repeal¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Missouri¡¡Compromise¡¨£»¡¡P¡£O¡£¡¡Ray¡¡contends¡¡that¡¡the¡¡legislation¡¡of¡¡1854¡¡originated¡¡in¡¡a¡¡factional¡¡controversy¡¡in¡¡Missouri£»¡¡and¡¡that¡¡Douglas¡¡merely¡¡served¡¡the¡¡interests¡¡of¡¡the¡¡proslavery¡¡group¡¡led¡¡by¡¡Senator¡¡David¡¡R¡£¡¡Atchinson¡¡of¡¡Missouri¡£¡¡¡¡Still¡¡another¡¡point¡¡of¡¡view¡¡is¡¡that¡¡presented¡¡in¡¡the¡¡¡¨Genesis¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Kansas¡Nebraska¡¡Act£»¡¨¡¡by¡¡F¡£¡¡H¡£¡¡Hodder£»¡¡who¡¡would¡¡explain¡¡not¡¡only¡¡the¡¡division¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Nebraska¡¡Territory¡¡into¡¡Kansas¡¡and¡¡Nebraska£»¡¡but¡¡the¡¡object¡¡of¡¡the¡¡entire¡¡bill¡¡by¡¡the¡¡insistent¡¡efforts¡¡of¡¡promoters¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Pacific¡¡railroad¡¡scheme¡¡to¡¡secure¡¡a¡¡right¡¡of¡¡way¡¡through¡¡Nebraska¡£¡¡¡¡This¡¡project¡¡involved¡¡the¡¡organization¡¡of¡¡a¡¡territorial¡¡government¡¡and¡¡the¡¡repeal¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Missouri¡¡Compromise¡£¡¡¡¡Douglas¡¡was¡¡deeply¡¡interested¡¡in¡¡the¡¡western¡¡railroad¡¡interests¡¡and¡¡carried¡¡through¡¡the¡¡necessary¡¡legislation¡£
CHAPTER¡¡II¡£¡¡THE¡¡PARTY¡¡OF¡¡POLITICAL¡¡EVASION
In¡¡order¡¡to¡¡understand¡¡Douglas¡¡one¡¡must¡¡understand¡¡the¡¡Democratic¡¡party¡¡of¡¡1854¡¡in¡¡which¡¡Douglas¡¡was¡¡a¡¡conspicuous¡¡leader¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡Democrats¡¡boasted¡¡that¡¡they¡¡were¡¡the¡¡only¡¡really¡¡national¡¡party¡¡and¡¡contended¡¡that¡¡their¡¡rivals£»¡¡the¡¡Whigs¡¡and¡¡the¡¡Know¡Nothings£»¡¡were¡¡