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Lincoln£»¡¡though¡¡yet¡¡comparatively¡¡obscure£»¡¡was¡¡destined¡¡soon¡¡to¡¡become¡¡the¡¡leader¡¡of¡¡this¡¡new¡¡school¡¡of¡¡ethical¡¡statesmen£»¡¡as¡¡distinguished¡¡from¡¡the¡¡old¡¡school¡¡of¡¡political¡¡temporizers¡¡and¡¡opportunists¡¡to¡¡which¡¡Douglas¡¡belonged¡£¡¡¡¡Lincoln£»¡¡as¡¡Douglas¡¡well¡¡knew£»¡¡was¡¡a¡¡man¡¡of¡¡finer¡¡intellectual¡¡gifts¡¡than¡¡any¡¡of¡¡the¡¡great¡¡senatorial¡¡triumvirate¡¡whom¡¡he¡¡had¡¡successfully¡¡met¡£¡¡¡¡His¡¡moral¡¡feelings¡¡were¡¡tuned¡¡to¡¡as¡¡high¡¡a¡¡key¡¡as¡¡Sumner's¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡had¡¡a¡¡firmer¡¡grasp¡¡of¡¡the¡¡central¡¡truths¡¡of¡¡the¡¡new¡¡politico¡­moral¡¡creed¡¡than¡¡Chase¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡had¡¡more¡¡tact¡¡and¡¡sagacity¡¡than¡¡Seward¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡had¡¡more¡¡patience¡¡with¡¡temporary¡¡error£»¡¡more¡¡serene¡¡faith¡¡in¡¡the¡¡health¡¡and¡¡sanity¡¡of¡¡human¡¡nature¡¡than¡¡any¡¡of¡¡the¡¡three¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡was¡¡a¡¡greater¡¡master¡¡of¡¡the¡¡art¡¡of¡¡popular¡¡oratory¡¡than¡¡any¡¡of¡¡them¡£¡¡¡¡Above¡¡all¡¡he¡¡had¡¡the¡¡power£»¡¡dangerous¡¡to¡¡Douglas£»¡¡of¡¡seizing¡¡the¡¡most¡¡ingenious¡¡and¡¡artfully¡¡concealed¡¡sophism¡¡and¡¡good¡¡naturedly¡¡dragging¡¡it¡¡to¡¡the¡¡light¡£¡¡Endowed¡¡with¡¡the¡¡most¡¡exuberant¡¡flow¡¡of¡¡genial¡¡humor£»¡¡he¡¡was¡¡yet¡¡sternly¡¡earnest¡¡in¡¡his¡¡belief¡¡in¡¡the¡¡inviolable¡¡sanctity¡¡of¡¡moral¡¡right¡£¡¡¡¡During¡¡his¡¡recent¡¡years¡¡he¡¡had¡¡read¡¡much¡¡and¡¡thought¡¡deeply¡£¡¡He¡¡had¡¡mastered¡¡a¡¡style¡¡rarely¡¡equaled¡¡in¡¡clearness£»¡¡simplicity¡¡and¡¡power¡£¡¡¡¡Without¡¡the¡¡prejudices¡¡and¡¡entanglements¡¡of¡¡a¡¡past¡¡political¡¡career£»¡¡he¡¡entered¡¡the¡¡arena¡¡in¡¡the¡¡ripeness¡¡of¡¡his¡¡slow¡­maturing¡¡powers¡£¡¡¡¡Not¡¡only¡¡his¡¡temperament¡¡and¡¡intellect¡¡but¡¡his¡¡experience¡¡and¡¡training¡¡admirably¡¡fitted¡¡him¡¡for¡¡the¡¡high¡¡task¡¡which¡¡he¡¡was¡¡destined¡¡to¡¡perform¡£

When¡¡Douglas¡¡opened¡¡his¡¡speech¡¡at¡¡the¡¡State¡¡House£»¡¡he¡¡unconsciously¡¡lent¡¡new¡¡importance¡¡to¡¡Lincoln¡¡by¡¡announcing¡¡that¡¡he¡¡understood¡¡that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡to¡¡answer¡¡him£»¡¡and¡¡requesting¡¡him¡¡to¡¡come¡¡forward¡¡and¡¡arrange¡¡terms¡¡for¡¡the¡¡debate¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡Lincoln¡¡was¡¡not¡¡present¡¡and¡¡he¡¡plunged¡¡into¡¡his¡¡argument£»¡¡defending¡¡the¡¡Kansas¡­Nebraska¡¡bill£»¡¡his¡¡own¡¡course¡¡and¡¡that¡¡of¡¡his¡¡party¡£¡¡¡¡Lincoln¡¡spoke¡¡the¡¡next¡¡day¡¡and¡¡among¡¡his¡¡most¡¡eager¡¡listeners¡¡was¡¡Douglas£»¡¡who¡¡occupied¡¡a¡¡seat¡¡in¡¡front¡¡and¡¡was¡¡generously¡¡invited¡¡to¡¡reply¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡speech£»¡¡four¡¡hours¡¡long£»¡¡was¡¡an¡¡agreeable¡¡surprise¡¡to¡¡Lincoln's¡¡friends£»¡¡a¡¡startling¡¡revelation¡¡to¡¡Douglas¡¡and¡¡an¡¡astonishing¡¡event¡¡to¡¡the¡¡crowd£»¡¡who¡¡recognized¡¡in¡¡the¡¡awkward¡¡country¡¡lawyer¡¡a¡¡dangerous¡¡antagonist¡¡for¡¡the¡¡great¡¡Senator£»¡¡the¡¡incomparable¡¡master¡¡of¡¡the¡¡art¡¡of¡¡political¡¡debate¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡realized¡¡that¡¡this¡¡obscure¡¡adversary¡¡had¡¡clutched¡¡him¡¡with¡¡a¡¡power¡¡never¡¡felt¡¡in¡¡his¡¡great¡¡struggles¡¡with¡¡the¡¡giants¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Senate¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡indicated¡¡his¡¡sense¡¡of¡¡the¡¡importance¡¡of¡¡the¡¡contest¡¡by¡¡devoting¡¡two¡¡hours¡¡to¡¡a¡¡reply¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡chief¡¡interest¡¡of¡¡this¡¡meeting¡¡now¡¡is¡¡in¡¡the¡¡new¡¡prominence¡¡which¡¡it¡¡gave¡¡to¡¡Lincoln¡£¡¡The¡¡long¡¡duel¡¡lasted¡¡intermittently¡¡through¡¡four¡¡years£»¡¡and¡¡finally¡¡gave¡¡Lincoln¡¡such¡¡fame¡¡that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡chose¡¡over¡¡Seward¡¡and¡¡Chase¡¡to¡¡lead¡¡the¡¡anti¡­slavery¡¡forces¡¡which¡¡they¡¡had¡¡roused¡¡from¡¡lethargy¡¡and¡¡organized¡¡into¡¡unity¡£

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Chapter¡¡VIII¡£¡¡¡¡Decline¡¡of¡¡Popular¡¡Sovereignty¡£




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The¡¡Senate¡¡consisted¡¡of¡¡thirty¡­four¡¡Democrats£»¡¡twelve¡¡Whigs¡¡and¡¡thirteen¡¡Republicans¡£¡¡¡¡Douglas¡¡was¡¡the¡¡recognized¡¡leader¡¡of¡¡the¡¡majority£»¡¡without¡¡whose¡¡presence¡¡they¡¡were¡¡unwilling¡¡to¡¡take¡¡any¡¡decisive¡¡action¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡he¡¡was¡¡detained¡¡by¡¡sickness¡¡and¡¡did¡¡not¡¡take¡¡his¡¡seat¡¡until¡¡February¡¡11th¡£

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It¡¡is¡¡impossible¡¡to¡¡read¡¡this¡¡report£»¡¡which¡¡was¡¡prepared¡¡by¡¡himself£»¡¡without¡¡admiring¡¡his¡¡subtle¡¡art¡¡and¡¡consummate¡¡skill¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡argued¡¡away¡¡the¡¡power¡¡of¡¡Congress¡¡to¡¡impose¡¡restrictions¡¡on¡¡new¡¡States¡¡applying¡¡for¡¡their¡¡admission£»¡¡other¡¡than¡¡that¡¡the¡¡Constitution¡¡be¡¡republican¡¡in¡¡form£»¡¡and¡¡insisted¡¡that¡¡the¡¡people¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Territories¡¡must¡¡be¡¡left¡¡perfectly¡¡free¡¡to¡¡form¡¡their¡¡own¡¡institutions¡¡and¡¡were¡¡entitled¡¡to¡¡admission¡¡as¡¡matter¡¡of¡¡right¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡traced¡¡the¡¡trouble¡¡to¡¡the¡¡pernicious¡¡activity¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Emigrant¡¡Aid¡¡Company£»¡¡which¡¡had¡¡attempted¡¡to¡¡force¡¡New¡¡England¡¡institutions¡¡and¡¡customs¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡Territory¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡accused¡¡this¡¡Company¡¡of¡¡systematic¡¡colonization¡¡and¡¡drew¡¡a¡¡moving¡¡picture¡¡of¡¡the¡¡march¡¡of¡¡these¡¡political¡¡colonists¡¡across¡¡Missouri£»¡¡pouring¡¡out¡¡their¡¡denunciations¡¡of¡¡slavery£»¡¡exhibiting¡¡their¡¡hostility¡¡to¡¡the¡¡institutions¡¡of¡¡that¡¡State£»¡¡until¡¡at¡¡last¡¡the¡¡people¡¡in¡¡alarm¡¡resolved¡¡on¡¡defense¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡admitted¡¡that¡¡there¡¡might¡¡be¡¡some¡¡cause¡¡for¡¡regret¡¡over¡¡the¡¡occasional¡¡errors¡¡and¡¡excesses¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Missourians£»¡¡but¡¡it¡¡must¡¡not¡¡be¡¡forgotten¡¡that¡¡they¡¡were¡¡defending¡¡their¡¡internal¡¡prosperity¡¡and¡¡domestic¡¡security¡¡against¡¡the¡¡invasion¡¡of¡¡New¡¡England¡¡fanatics£»¡¡who¡¡were¡¡bringing¡¡in¡¡their¡¡grain¡¡¡¨the¡¡horrors¡¡of¡¡servile¡¡insurrection¡¡and¡¡intestine¡¡war¡£¡¨

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Collamer¡¡of¡¡Vermont¡¡presented¡¡the¡¡minority¡¡report£»¡¡condemning¡¡the¡¡violence¡¡of¡¡the¡¡friends¡¡of¡¡slavery£»¡¡deploring¡¡the¡¡fearful¡¡results¡¡of¡¡the¡¡

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