the life of stephen a. douglas-第15章

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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　experiment　of　Squatter　Sovereignty　and　urging　speedy　admission　of　the　State。　　It　condemned　the　provision　of　the　law　referring　the　question　of　slavery　to　the　inhabitants　and　traced　the　entire　trouble　to　that　blunder。

Sumner　at　once　denounced　the　report　of　the　majority；　intimated　his　purpose　of　properly　setting　the　brand　of　falsehood　upon　it　in　a　subsequent　speech；　and　told　them　to　〃begin　their　game　with　loaded　dice。〃

Douglas　angrily　challenged　him　to　deny　a　single　fact　in　the　report　and　said　he　was　ready　to　overwhelm　him　with　proof。　　〃We　are　ready　to　meet　the　issue；〃　he　said；　〃and　there　will　be　no　dodging。　　We　intend　to　meet　it　boldly；　to　require　submission　to　the　laws　and　to　the　constituted　authorities；　to　reduce　to　subjection　those　who　resist　them；　and　to　punish　rebellion　and　treason。　　I　am　glad　that　a　defiant　spirit　is　exhibited　here；　we　accept　the　issue。〃

Two　days　later　Trumbull　spoke　in　unsparing　criticism　of　the　report　of　the　Committee。　　It　happened　that　Douglas　was　absent　when　he　began。　Word　was　carried　to　him　and　he　hurried　to　the　Senate。　　When　Trumbull　closed　and　the　usual　motion　to　adjourn　was　made；　he　protested　against　it　and　denounced　the　discourtesy　of　discussing　the　report　during　his　absence。　　He　was　vexed　especially　by　his　colleague's　exasperating　statement　that　was　a　〃life…long　Democrat　and　was　representing　the　Democracy　of　Illinois　in　the　Senate。〃　　He　assured　them　that　Trumbull　was　without　party　standing　in　that　state；　and　proposed　that　they　sign　a　joint　resignation；　thus　submitting　their　quarrel　to　the　people。　　But　there　was　a　deeper　wound　than　this　which　still　rankled；　and　he　turned　from　his　colleague　to　pour　out　his　wrath　on　Sumner　for　the　publication　of　the　〃Appeal　of　the　Independent　Democrats；〃　and　the　old　quarrel　between　them　was　rehearsed　anew　with　increasing　bitterness　on　both　sides。

On　the　20th　he　spoke　for　two　hours　and　a　half　in　defense　of　his　report。　　Charges　of　fraud；　violence　or　illegal　voting；　he　said；　were　made　in　but　seven　of　the　eighteen　election　districts　into　which　Kansas　was　divided；　although　ample　provisions　had　been　made　for　the　presentation　of　protests　to　the　Governor。　　A　large　majority　of　both　branches　of　the　legislature　were　elected　by　these　eleven　districts　where　no　complaints　were　made。　　At　least　a　quorum　must　have　been　legally　elected。　　The　minority　report　charged　that　on　the　day　of　the　territorial　election；　〃large　bodies　of　armed　men　from　the　State　of　Missouri　appeared　at　the　polls　in　most　of　the　districts；　and　by　most　violent　and　tumultuous　carriage　and　demeanor；　over…awed　the　defenseless　inhabitants　and　by　their　own　votes；　elected　a　large　majority　of　the　members　of　both　houses　of　said　Assembly。〃

But　the　report　contained　not　a　word　about　the　eleven　uncontested　districts　affected　by　this　invasion。　　In　the　eleven　uncontested　districts　the　judges　made　their　returns　in　due　form　and；　no　protests　nor　charges　of　fraud　or　illegal　voting　being　presented；　the　Governor　granted　certificates　of　election　as　a　matter　of　course。　The　minority　stated　that　in　many　districts　protest　had　not　been　made　because　the　inhabitants；　discouraged　and　intimidated　by　the　Missouri　invaders；　had　let　the　matter　pass。　　Yet　at　Lawrence　and　Leavenworth；　the　chief　centers　of　the　alleged　Missouri　violence　the　people　were　not　intimidated　from　contesting　the　election；　what　reason　was　there　to　suppose　that　elsewhere；　remote　from　the　scene　of　trouble；　they　were　so　completely　conquered　that　they　dared　not　protest　against　their　wrongs　and　petition　for　redress　of　their　grievances？

The　thirty…three　judges　appointed　by　the　Government　to　conduct　the　election　in　the　eleven　districts；　all　swore　that　the　returns　contained　a　true　statement　of　the　votes　polled　by　the　lawful　voters。　The　Governor；　two　weeks　after　giving　certificates　of　election；　issued　his　proclamation　commanding　the　members　to　assemble　on　the　2d　of　July。　　He　recognized　the　legitimacy　of　the　legislature　in　his　message；　invoking　the　Divine　blessing　on　it　and　recommending　the　passage　of　important　laws。　　But　he　afterward　quarreled　with　the　legislature。　　He　then　sought　to　repudiate　it　and　impeach　its　validity　by　charging　that　it　had　been　elected　by　Missouri　invaders。　The　only　evidence　before　the　Committee　tending　to　show　irregularities　in　the　election　was　the　hearsay　statement　of　the　Governor；　which　flatly　contradicted　his　solemn　official　declarations。　　The　legislature　itself　had　investigated　the　elections　of　all　members　against　whom　contests　were　filed　and　its　legitimacy　was　finally　and　conclusively　established。　　The　malcontents　having　failed　to　capture　the　legislature；　encouraged　by　Governor　Reeder　（who　had　meanwhile　been　relieved　from　office）；　instituted　their　rebellious　Topeka　movement　and；　in　defiance　of　the　law；　attempted　to　organize　a　State。

The　movement　was　revolutionary　and　intended　to　subvert　the　existing　Government。　　Only　two　laws　enacted　by　the　territorial　legislature　were　complained　of　as　unjust；that　relating　to　elections　and　that　relating　to　slaves。　　The　social；　domestic　and　pecuniary　relations　of　the　people　had　adjusted　themselves　to　this　body　of　laws　which　Congress　was　asked　to　annul；　and　these　friends　of　the　negro　who　had　organized　a　rebellious　State　government　in　his　behalf；　had　adopted　a　Constitution　which　forever　excluded　him　from　the　State。　　The　entire　trouble　in　Kansas；　he　continued；　rose　not　from　any　vice　inherent　in　the　law；　but　from　abuses　of　the　rights　given　by　it　to　the　people。　　The　law　simply　permitted　them　to　form　their　domestic　institutions　in　their　own　way。　　If　that　great　principle　had　been　permitted　free　operation；　there　would　have　been　no　violence　or　trouble　in　Kansas。　　The　good　order　reigning　in　Nebraska；　where　the　law　was　fairly　tried；　was　sufficient　proof　of　its　wisdom。

The　opponents　of　this　great　principle　had　insisted　on　moulding　the　State　of　Kansas　from　without。　　Having　failed　to　induce　Congress　to　interfere　in　the　internal　affairs　of　the　Territory；　they　then　sought　to　accomplish　their　purpose　by　means　of　a　society　organized　in　Washington　and　charted　in　Massachusetts；　with　several　millions　of　capital。　　They　had　deliberately　attempted　to　discredit　the　Kansas…Nebraska　bill　and　its　supporters；　in　order　to　influence　the　approaching　presidential　election。　　The　whole　responsibility　for　the　disturbance　in　Kansas　rested　upon　the　Massachusetts　Emigrant　Aid　Company　and　its　affiliated　societies。　　The　people　of　Missouri　never　contemplated　the　invasion　of　conquest　of　the　Territory。　　If　they　had　imitated　the　example　set　by　New　England；　they　had　done　it　on　the　principle　of　self…defense；　and　had　always　been　ready　to　abandon　their　counter…movement　as　soon　as　the　managers　of　the　New　England　invasion　ceased　their　efforts　to　shape　the　domestic　institutions　of　the　Territory　by　an　unwarranted　scheme　of　foreign　interference。　　When　the　cardinal　principle　of　self…government　should　be　recognized　as　binding　on　all；　there　would　be　an　end　of　the　slavery　controversy；　and　the　occupation　of　political　agitators；　whose　hopes　of　position　and　promotion　depended　upon　their　capacity　to　disturb　the　country；　would　be　gone。

The　debate　lingered　along　indecisively　through　the　Spring　weeks　and　the　Senators　poured　out　their　mutual　recriminations　with　increasing　bitterness。　　Personal　relations　among　them　were　seriously　strained。　Both　parties　were　conscious　that　their　constituents　shared　their　passions　and　applauded　their　acrimony。

On　the　19th　and　20th　of　May；　Sumner　delivered　his　philippic　on　〃The　Crime　Against　Kansas。〃　　The　title　of　the　speech　was　a　gratuitous　insult　to　the　power　which　had　held　sway　in　American　politics　for　fifty　years　and　learned　to　enjoy　that　sense　of　superiority　and　sacredness　which　characterized　the　hierarchy　in　the　middle　ages。　The　assaults　on　brother　Senators　were　brutal。　　Senator　Butler　of　South　Carolina；　a　polite；　formal　gentleman　of　the　old　school；　was　recognized　as　the　social　and　intellectual　head　of　the　Southern　aristocracy。　　Douglas；　though　forever　excluded　from　its　inner　circles；　was　an　efficient　and　useful　ally。

These　senatorial　leaders　of　the　slavery　crusade　in　Kansas　were　the　victims