abraham lincoln and the union-第4章

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e　only　really　national　party　and　contended　that　their　rivals；　the　Whigs　and　the　Know…Nothings；　were　merely　the　representatives　of　localities　or　classes。　Sectionalism　was　the　favorite　charge　which　the　Democrats　brought　against　their　enemies；　and　yet　it　was　upon　these　very　Democrats　that　the　slaveholders　had　hitherto　relied；　and　it　was　upon　certain　members　of　this　party　that　the　label；　〃Northern　men　with　Southern　principles；〃　had　been　bestowed。

The　label　was　not；　however；　altogether　fair；　for　the　motives　of　the　Democrats　were　deeply　rooted　in　their　own　peculiar　temperament。　In　the　last　analysis；　what　had　held　their　organization　together；　and　what　had　enabled　them　to　dominate　politics　for　nearly　the　span　of　a　generation；　was　their　faith　in　a　principle　that　then　appealed　powerfully；　and　that　still　appeals；　to　much　in　the　American　character。　　This　was　the　principle　of　negative　action　on　the　part　of　the　governmentthe　old　idea　that　the　government　should　do　as　little　as　possible　and　should　confine　itself　practically　to　the　duties　of　the　policeman。　　This　principle　has　seemed　always　to　express　to　the　average　mind　that　traditional　individualism　which　is　an　inheritance　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　race。　　In　America；　in　the　middle　of　the　nineteenth　century；　it　reenforced　that　tradition　of　local　independence　which　was　strong　throughout　the　West　and　doubly　strong　in　the　South。　　Then；　too；　the　Democratic　party　still　spoke　the　language　of　the　theoretical　Democracy　inherited　from　Jefferson。　And　Americans　have　always　been　the　slaves　of　phrases！

Furthermore；　the　close　alliance　of　the　Northern　party　machine　with　the　South　made　it；　generally；　an　object　of　care　for　all　those　Northern　interests　that　depended　on　the　Southern　market。　　As　to　the　Southerners；　their　relation　with　this　party　has　two　distinct　chapters。　　The　first　embraced　the　twenty　years　preceding　the　Compromise　of　1850；　and　may　be　thought　of　as　merging　into　the　second　during　three　or　four　years　following　the　great　equivocation。　In　that　period；　while　the　antislavery　crusade　was　taking　form；　the　aim　of　Southern　politicians　was　mainly　negative。　　〃Let　us　alone；〃　was　their　chief　demand。　　Though　aggressive　in　their　policy；　they　were　too　far…sighted　to　demand　of　the　North　any　positive　course　in　favor　of　slavery。　　The　rise　of　a　new　type　of　Southern　politician；　however；　created　a　different　situation　and　began　a　second　chapter　in　the　relation　between　the　South　and　the　Democratic　party　machine　in　the　North。　　But　of　that　hereafter。

Until　1854；　it　was　the　obvious　part　of　wisdom　for　Southerners　to　cooperate　as　far　as　possible　with　that　party　whose　cardinal　idea　was　that　the　government　should　come　as　near　as　conceivable　to　a　system　of　non…interference；　that　it　should　not　interfere　with　business；　and　therefore　oppose　a　tariff；　that　it　should　not　interfere　with　local　government；　and　therefore　applaud　states　rights；　that　it　should　not　interfere　with　slavery；　and　therefore　frown　upon　militant　abolition。　　Its　policy　was；　to　adopt　a　familiar　phrase；　one　of　masterly　inactivity。　　Indeed　it　may　well　be　called　the　party　of　political　evasion。　　It　was　a　huge；　loose　confederacy　of　differing　political　groups；　embracing　paupers　and　millionaires；　moderate　anti…slavery　men　and　slave　barons；　all　of　whom　were　held　together　by　the　unreliable　bond　of　an　agreement　not　to　tread　on　each　other's　toes。

Of　this　party　Douglas　was　the　typical　representative；　both　in　strength　and　weakness。　　He　had　all　its　pliability；　its　good　humor；　its　broad　and　easy　way　with　things；　its　passion　for　playing　politics。　　Nevertheless；　in　calling　upon　the　believers　in　political　evasion　to　consent　for　this　once　to　reverse　their　principle　and　to　endorse　a　positive　action；　he　had　taken　a　great　risk。　　Would　their　sporting　sense　of　politics　as　a　gigantic　game　carry　him　through　successfully？　　He　knew　that　there　was　a　hard　fight　before　him；　but　with　the　courage　of　a　great　political　strategist；　and　proudly　confident　in　his　hold　upon　the　main　body　of　his　party；　he　prepared　for　both　the　attacks　and　the　defections　that　were　inevitable。

Defections；　indeed；　began　at　once。　　Even　before　the　bill　had　been　passed；　the　〃Appeal　of　the　Independent　Democrats〃　was　printed　in　a　New　York　paper；　with　the　signatures　of　members　of　Congress　representing　both　the　extreme　anti…slavery　wing　of　the　Democrats　and　the　organized　Free…Soil　party。　　The　most　famous　of　these　names　were　those　of　Chase　and　Sumner；　both　of　whom　had　been　sent　to　the　Senate　by　a　coalition　of　Free…Soilers　and　Democrats。　　With　them　was　the　veteran　abolitionist；　Giddings　of　Ohio。　　The　〃Appeal〃　denounced　Douglas　as　an　〃unscrupulous　politician〃　and　sounded　both　the　warcries　of　the　Northern　masses　by　accusing　him　of　being　engaged　in　〃an　atrocious　plot　to　exclude　from　a　vast　unoccupied　region　immigrants　from　the　Old　World　and　free　laborers　from　our　own　States。〃

The　events　of　the　spring　and　summer　of　1854　may　all　be　grouped　under　two　headsthe　formation　of　an　antiNebraska　party；　and　the　quick　rush　of　sectional　patriotism　to　seize　the　territory　laid　open　by　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Act。　　The　instantaneous　refusal　of　the　Northerners　to　confine　their　settlement　to　Nebraska；　and　their　prompt　invasion　of　Kansas；　the　similar　invasion　from　the　South；　the　support　of　both　movements　by　societies　organized　for　that　purpose；　the　war　in　Kansas　all　the　details　of　this　thrilling　story　have　been　told　elsewhere。*　The　political　story　alone　concerns　us　here。

*See　Jesse　Macy；　〃The　Anti…Slavery　Crusade〃。　（In　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃。）


When　the　fight　began　there　were　four　parties　in　the　field：　the　Democrats；　the　Whigs；　the　Free…Soilers；　and　the　Know…Nothings。

The　Free…Soil　party；　hitherto　a　small　organization；　had　sought　to　make　slavery　the　main　issue　in　politics。　　Its　watchword　was　〃Free　soil；　free　speech；　free　labor；　and　free　men。〃　　It　is　needless　to　add　that　it　was　instantaneous　in　its　opposition　to　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Act。

The　Whigs　at　the　moment　enjoyed　the　greatest　prestige；　owing　to　the　association　with　them　of　such　distinguished　leaders　as　Webster　and　Clay。　　In　1854；　however；　as　a　party　they　were　dying；　and　the　very　condition　that　had　made　success　possible　for　the　Democrats　made　it　impossible　for　the　Whigs；　because　the　latter　stood　for　positive　ideas；　and　aimed　to　be　national　in　reality　and　not　in　the　evasive　Democratic　sense　of　the　term。　　For；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　on　analysis　all　the　greater　issues　of　the　day　proved　to　be　sectional。　　The　Whigs　would　not；　like　the　Democrats；　adopt　a　negative　attitude　toward　these　issues；　nor　would　they　consent　to　become　merely　sectional。　　Yet　at　the　moment　negation　and　sectionalism　were　the　only　alternatives；　and　between　these　millstones　the　Whig　organization　was　destined　to　be　ground　to　bits　and　to　disappear　after　the　next　Presidential　election。

Even　previous　to　1854；　numbers　of　Whigs　had　sought　a　desperate　outlet　for　their　desire　to　be　positive　in　politics　and　had　created　a　new　party　which　during　a　few　years　was　to　seem　a　reality　and　then　vanish　together　with　its　parent。　　The　one　chance　for　a　party　which　had　positive　ideas　and　which　wished　not　to　be　sectional　was　the　definite　abandonment　of　existing　issues　and　the　discovery　of　some　new　issue　not　connected　with　sectional　feeling。　　Now；　it　happened　that　a　variety　of　causes；　social　and　religious；　had　brought　about　bad　blood　between　native　and　foreigner；　in　some　of　the　great　cities；　and　upon　the　issue　involved　in　this　condition　the　failing　spirit　of　the　Whigs　fastened。　　A　secret　society　which　had　been　formed　to　oppose　the　naturalization　of　foreigners　quickly　became　a　recognized　political　party。　　As　the　members　of　the　Society　answered　all　questions　with　〃I　do　not　know；〃　they　came　to　be　called　〃Know…Nothings；〃　though　they　called　themselves　〃Americans。〃　　In　those　states　where　the　Whigs　had　been　strongest　Massachusetts；　New　York；　and　Pennsylvaniathis　last　attempt　to　apply　their　former　temper；　though　not　their　principles；　had　for　a　moment　some　success；　but　it　could　not　escape　the　fierce　division　which　was　forced　on　the　country　by　Douglas。　　As　a　result；　it　rapidly　split　into　factions；　one　of　which　merged　with　the　enemies　of　Douglas；　while　the　other　was　lost　among　his　supporters。

What　would　the　great　dying　Whig　party　leave　behind　it？　　This　wa