the life of stephen a. douglas-第16章

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These　senatorial　leaders　of　the　slavery　crusade　in　Kansas　were　the　victims　of　Sumner's　bitter　invective。　　He　referred　to　them　as　the　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho　Panza　of　slavery　and；　as　if　to　prove　that　this　comparison　was　not　a　mere　momentary　inspiration　of　playful　humor　but　the　elaboration　of　malignant　hate；　he　developed　the　parallel　to　its　minute　details。　　He　described　Douglas　in　his　speech　defending　his　report　as　〃piling　one　mass　of　elaborate　error　on　another　mass　and　constraining　himself　to　unfamiliar　decencies　of　speech。〃　　But　he　drew　hope　from　the　reflection　that　the　Illinois　Senator　〃is　but　mortal　man；　against　him　is　immortal　principle。　With　finite　power　he　wrestles　with　the　Infinite　and　he　must　fall。　Against　him　are　stronger　battalions　than　any　marshaled　by　mortal　arm；　the　inborn；　ineradicable；　invincible　sentiments　of　the　human　heart；　against　him　is　Nature　with　all　her　subtle　forces；　against　him　is　God。　　Let　him　try　to　subdue　these。〃　　He　compared　the　Kansas　troubles　to　the　barbarous　warfare　of　the　Scottish　Highlands　when　blackmail　was　levied　and　robberies　committed　by　marauders　〃acting　under　the　inspiration　of　the　Douglas　of　other　days；〃　and　compared　Douglas'　recent　speech　to　〃the　efforts　of　a　distinguished　logician　to　prove　that　Napoleon　Bonaparte　never　existed。〃

Douglas　answered　with　extreme　bitterness。　　He　declared　that　Sumner's　speech　had　been　got　up　like　a　Yankee　bedquilt　by　sewing　all　the　old　scraps　and　patches　together。　　He　pronounced　his　classic　quotations　obscene　and　indecent。

〃Is　it　his　object；〃　he　asked；　〃to　provoke　some　of　us　to　kick　him　as　we　would　a　dog　in　the　street？　　*　*　*　*　*　The　Senator　from　Massachusetts；〃　he　declared；　〃had　his　speech　written；　printed；　committed　to　memory；　and　practiced　every　night　before　the　glass；　with　a　negro　boy　to　hold　the　candle　and　watch　the　gestures。〃　　He　charged　Sumner　with　perjury　in　taking　the　senatorial　oath　to　his　personal　grievance　and　complained　that　he　had　been　burned　and　hung　in　effigy　under　the　advice　of　Sumner　and　his　brother　agitators　because　of　his　unswerving　devotion　to　the　Constitution。

〃I　wish；〃　he　said；　〃the　Senate　to　bear　in　mind　that　in　the　many　controversies　in　which　I　have　been　engaged　since　I　have　been　a　member　of　this　body；　I　never　had　one　in　which　I　was　not　first　assailed。　　I　have　always　stood　on　the　defensive。　　You　arrange　it　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　house　to　set　your　hounds　after　me　and　then　complain　when　I　cuff　them　over　the　head　and　send　them　back　yelping。　　I　never　made　an　attack　on　any　Senator；　I　have　only　repelled　attacks。〃　　He　warned　Sumner　that　Butler；　who　was　absent　during　the　speech；　would　return　to　speak　and　act　for　himself。

Sumner　briefly　replied；　defending　himself　against　the　charge　of　disloyalty　to　the　Constitution　in　his　unwillingness　to　support　its　fugitive　slave　clause；　by　quoting　Jackson's　famous　dictum　that　each　man　swears　to　support　the　Constitution　as　he　understands　it。　He　then　turned　on　Douglas　with　bitter　scorn。　　He　rebuked　him　for　his　coarse　personalities　unbecoming　a　Senator　and　a　gentleman。

〃Let　him　remember；〃　he　said；　〃that　the　bowie…knife　and　bludgeon　are　not　the　proper　emblems　of　senatorial　debate。　　Let　him　remember　that　the　swagger　of　Bob　Acres　and　the　ferocity　of　the　Malay　cannot　add　dignity　to　this　body。　　*　*　*　*　I　will　not　go　into　the　details　which　have　flowed　out　so　naturally　from　his　tongue。　　I　only　brand　them　to　his　face　as　false。　　I　say　also　to　that　Senator；　and　I　wish　him　to　bear　it　in　mind；　that　no　person　with　the　upright　form　of　man　can　be　allowed〃　　He　hesitated　in　doubt　whether　to　proceed。

〃Say　it；〃　exclaimed　Douglas。

〃I　will　say　it；〃　replied　Sumner。　　〃No　person　with　the　upright　form　of　man　can　be　allowed；　without　violation　of　all　decency；　to　switch　out　from　his　tongue　the　perpetual　stench　of　offensive　personality。　Sir；　that　is　not　a　proper　weapon　of　debate；　at　least　on　this　floor。　The　noisome；　squat　and　nameless　animal　to　which　I　now　refer　is　not　a　proper　model　for　an　American　Senator。　　Will　the　Senator　from　Illinois　take　notice？〃

〃I　will；〃　answered　Douglas；　〃and　therefore　will　not　imitate　you　in　that　capacity；　recognizing　the　force　of　the　illustration。〃

〃Again；〃　replied　Sumner；　〃the　Senator　has　switched　his　tongue　and　again　he　fills　the　Senate　with　its　offensive　odor。〃

Two　days　after　the　speech；　Preston　H。　Brooks；　a　relative　of　Butler；　who　represented　a　district　of　South　Carolina　in　the　House；　entered　the　Senate　Chamber　after　adjournment　and；　finding　Sumner　in　his　seat　writing；　approached　him　and　struck　him　down　with　a　heavy　cane。　　There　was　a　brief　struggle　in　which　Sumner　was　stunned　and　severely　injured。

When　the　assault　occurred　Douglas　was　in　the　reception　room　adjoining　the　Senate　Chamber　conversing　with　friends。　　A　messenger　ran　in　shouting　that　someone　was　beating　Mr。　Sumner。　　He　rose　intending　to　interfere　in　the　fray；　but；　recalling　their　unpleasant　relations；　returned　to　his　seat。　　When　the　violence　was　ended　he　went　to　the　Chamber　to　see　the　result。　　Sumner；　dazed；　bruised　and　bleeding；　had　been　helped　to　his　feet　and　was　leaning　against　a　chair。　　Douglas　cast　a　momentary　glance　at　the　victim　of　this　brutal　and　cowardly　outrage；　then　passed　on　without　comment。

On　the　day　before　the　assault；　the　Missouri　ruffians　had　sacked　the　town　of　Lawrence。　　On　the　day　following；　John　Brown's　Pottawotamie　adventure　occurred。　　A　crisis　was　at　hand　imperiously　demanding　more　effective　action　on　the　part　of　Congress。　　The　country　was　aroused；　alarmed　and　horrified。　　The　Conventions　were　to　be　held　in　June　and　it　was　necessary　that　the　Democrats　bestir　themselves　and　make　some　disposition　of　the　harassing　problem　of　Kansas。　The　existing　condition　in　the　hag…ridden　Territory　was　directly　chargeable　to　a　measure　whose　authorship　Douglas　had　boasted。　　There　was　danger　that　the　tragic　failure　of　his　masterpiece　of　state…craft　would　wreck　his　party　and　load　his　own　name　with　odium　which　even　his　rugged　vitality　could　not　throw　off。　　Such　uncontrollable　passion　had　been　stirred　by　his　pending　bill　that　it　seemed　prudent　to　quietly　drop　it。

On　the　24th　of　June；　Toombs　introduced　a　bill　providing　for　the　taking　of　a　census；　the　holding　of　an　election　of　delegates　to　a　Constitutional　Convention；　and　the　orderly　organization　of　a　State。　It　was　referred　to　Douglas'　Committee；　which　promptly　reported　back　an　amended　bill　so　infinitely　better　than　the　measures　thus　far　attempted　that　it　seemed　comparatively　just。　　It　provided　for　the　appointment　of　commissioners　to　prepare　lists　of　all　citizens　over　twenty…one　years　old　resident　in　the　Territory　since　the　4th　of　July；　who　were　to　vote　at　the　election；　also　for　the　holding　of　a　Convention；　the　drafting　of　a　Constitution　and　the　admission　of　the　State。

There　were　three　objections　to　the　bill。　　The　commissioners　were　to　be　appointed　by　President　Pierce。　　The　4th　of　July；　from　which　residence　must　date；　was　a　time　at　which　great　numbers　of　Northern　settlers　would　be　absent　from　the　Territory　on　account　of　the　turbulence　and　disorder　which　had　rendered　life　there　not　only　uncomfortable　but　unsafe。　　Moreover；　no　express　provision　was　made　for　submitting　the　Constitution　to　a　vote。　　However；　it　was　regarded　as　a　concession　to　the　demands　of　an　aroused　public；　clothed　with　the　power　of　promptly　and　authoritatively　expressing　its　disapproval。

But　there　were　those　in　the　Senate　who　feared　the　gift…bearing　Greeks　and　thought　it　well；　now　that　the　majority　had　shown　some　regard　for　public　opinion；　to　insist　upon　an　explicit　declaration　of　their　purpose　to　submit　the　slavery　question　to　the　people　of　the　Territory　fairly　and　without　juggling　tricks。　　On　the　2d　of　July；　Trumbull　offered　an　amendment　declaring　it　to　be　the　true　intent　and　meaning　of　the　bill　organizing　the　Territory　of　Kansas　to　confer　upon　the　inhabitants　〃full　power　at　any　time；　through　its　territorial　legislature；　to　exclude　slavery　from　said　Territory　or　to　recognize　and　regulate　it　therein。〃

This　amendment　seemed　with　utmost　fairness　to　declare　the　meaning　of　that　law　precisely　as　Douglas　expounded　it。　　But　the　South　had　already　taken　the　advanced　ground　that；　as　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　expressly　established　slavery；　it　was　not　within　the　power　of　Congress　or　its　cr