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The¡¡Life¡¡of¡¡Stephen¡¡A¡£¡¡Douglas

by¡¡William¡¡Gardner




Preface¡£




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Where¡¡party¡¡spirit¡¡is¡¡as¡¡despotic¡¡as¡¡it¡¡is¡¡among¡¡us£»¡¡it¡¡is¡¡difficult¡¡for¡¡any¡¡man¡¡who¡¡spends¡¡his¡¡life¡¡amid¡¡the¡¡storms¡¡of¡¡politics¡¡to¡¡get¡¡justice¡¡until¡¡the¡¡passions¡¡of¡¡his¡¡generation¡¡have¡¡been¡¡forgotten¡£¡¡Even¡¡then¡¡he¡¡is¡¡generally¡¡misjudgedcanonized¡¡as¡¡a¡¡saint£»¡¡with¡¡extravagant¡¡eulogy£»¡¡by¡¡those¡¡who¡¡inherit¡¡his¡¡party¡¡name£»¡¡and¡¡branded¡¡as¡¡a¡¡traitor¡¡or¡¡a¡¡demagogue¡¡by¡¡those¡¡who¡¡wear¡¡the¡¡livery¡¡of¡¡opposition¡£

Douglas¡¡has¡¡perhaps¡¡suffered¡¡more¡¡from¡¡this¡¡method¡¡of¡¡dealing¡¡with¡¡our¡¡political¡¡heroes¡¡than¡¡any¡¡other¡¡American¡¡statesman¡¡of¡¡the¡¡first¡¡class¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡died¡¡at¡¡the¡¡opening¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Civil¡¡War¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡proved¡¡to¡¡be¡¡a¡¡revolution¡¡which¡¡wrought¡¡deep¡¡changes¡¡in¡¡the¡¡character¡¡of¡¡the¡¡people¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡was¡¡the¡¡beginning¡¡of¡¡a¡¡new¡¡era¡¡in¡¡our¡¡national¡¡life¡£¡¡We¡¡are¡¡in¡¡constant¡¡danger¡¡of¡¡missing¡¡the¡¡real¡¡worth¡¡of¡¡men¡¡in¡¡these¡¡ante¡­bellum¡¡years¡¡because¡¡their¡¡modes¡¡of¡¡thought¡¡and¡¡feeling¡¡were¡¡not¡¡those¡¡of¡¡this¡¡generation¡£

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The¡¡grave¡¡questions¡¡arising¡¡from¡¡the¡¡War£»¡¡which¡¡disturbed¡¡our¡¡politics¡¡for¡¡twenty¡¡years£»¡¡the¡¡great¡¡economic¡¡questions¡¡which¡¡have¡¡agitated¡¡us¡¡for¡¡the¡¡past¡¡fifteen¡¡years£»¡¡bear¡¡slight¡¡relation¡¡to¡¡those¡¡dark¡¡problems¡¡with¡¡which¡¡Douglas¡¡and¡¡his¡¡contemporaries¡¡grappled¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡was¡¡on¡¡the¡¡wrong¡¡side¡¡of¡¡many¡¡struggles¡¡preliminary¡¡to¡¡the¡¡War¡£¡¡He¡¡was¡¡not¡¡a¡¡profound¡¡student¡¡of¡¡political¡¡economy£»¡¡hence¡¡is¡¡not¡¡an¡¡authority¡¡for¡¡any¡¡party¡¡in¡¡the¡¡perplexing¡¡questions¡¡of¡¡recent¡¡times¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡result¡¡is¡¡that¡¡the¡¡greatest¡¡political¡¡leader¡¡of¡¡the¡¡most¡¡momentous¡¡decade¡¡of¡¡our¡¡history¡¡is¡¡less¡¡known¡¡to¡¡us¡¡than¡¡any¡¡second¡­rate¡¡hero¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Revolution¡£

It¡¡is¡¡not¡¡of¡¡much¡¡importance¡¡now¡¡to¡¡any¡¡one¡¡whether¡¡Douglas¡¡is¡¡loved¡¡or¡¡hated£»¡¡admired¡¡or¡¡despised¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡is¡¡of¡¡some¡¡importance¡¡that¡¡he¡¡be¡¡understood¡£

I¡¡have¡¡derived¡¡this¡¡narrative¡¡mainly¡¡from¡¡original¡¡sources¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡biography¡¡written¡¡during¡¡his¡¡life¡­time¡¡by¡¡his¡¡friend¡¡Sheahan£»¡¡and¡¡that¡¡published¡¡two¡¡years¡¡after¡¡his¡¡death¡¡by¡¡his¡¡admirer£»¡¡Flint£»¡¡are¡¡chiefly¡¡drawn¡¡on¡¡for¡¡the¡¡brief¡¡account¡¡of¡¡his¡¡early¡¡life¡£¡¡The¡¡history¡¡of¡¡his¡¡career¡¡in¡¡Congress¡¡has¡¡been¡¡gathered¡¡from¡¡the¡¡Congressional¡¡record£»¡¡the¡¡account¡¡of¡¡Conventions¡¡from¡¡contemporary¡¡reports£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡Debates¡¡with¡¡Lincoln¡¡from¡¡the¡¡authorized¡¡publication¡£

I¡¡have¡¡not¡¡consciously¡¡taken¡¡any¡¡liberty¡¡with¡¡any¡¡text¡¡quoted£»¡¡except¡¡to¡¡omit¡¡superfluous¡¡words£»¡¡which¡¡omissions¡¡are¡¡indicated¡¡by¡¡asterisks¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡have¡¡not¡¡attempted¡¡to¡¡pronounce¡¡judgement¡¡on¡¡Douglas¡¡or¡¡his¡¡contemporaries£»¡¡but¡¡to¡¡submit¡¡the¡¡evidence¡£¡¡¡¡Not¡¡those¡¡who¡¡write£»¡¡but¡¡those¡¡who¡¡read£»¡¡pass¡¡final¡¡judgement¡¡on¡¡the¡¡heroes¡¡of¡¡biography¡£





Chapter¡¡I¡£¡¡¡¡Youth¡£




Stephen¡¡Arnold¡¡Douglas¡¡was¡¡born¡¡at¡¡Brandon£»¡¡Vermont£»¡¡on¡¡the¡¡23rd¡¡of¡¡April£»¡¡1813¡£¡¡¡¡His¡¡father¡¡was¡¡a¡¡physician£»¡¡descended¡¡from¡¡Scotch¡¡ancestors£»¡¡who¡¡had¡¡settled¡¡in¡¡Connecticut¡¡before¡¡the¡¡Revolution¡£¡¡his¡¡mother¡¡was¡¡the¡¡daughter¡¡of¡¡a¡¡prosperous¡¡Vermont¡¡farmer¡£¡¡¡¡Before¡¡he¡¡was¡¡three¡¡months¡¡old¡¡his¡¡father£»¡¡whose¡¡only¡¡fortune¡¡was¡¡his¡¡practice£»¡¡suddenly¡¡died¡£¡¡¡¡A¡¡bachelor¡¡brother¡¡of¡¡the¡¡widow¡¡took¡¡the¡¡family¡¡to¡¡his¡¡home¡¡near¡¡Brandon£»¡¡where¡¡they¡¡lived¡¡for¡¡fifteen¡¡years¡£¡¡¡¡When¡¡not¡¡needed¡¡at¡¡more¡¡important¡¡work¡¡Stephen¡¡attended¡¡the¡¡common¡¡school¡£¡¡¡¡but¡¡the¡¡serious¡¡business¡¡of¡¡life¡¡was¡¡tilling¡¡his¡¡uncle's¡¡fields¡£

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Chapter¡¡II¡£¡¡¡¡Apprenticeship¡£




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