the life of stephen a. douglas-第20章

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iction　to　the　uncritical　multitude。





Chapter　XI。　　Popular　Sovereignty　in　Congress。




While　the　Supreme　Court　was　dedicating　the　Territories　to　slavery　and　Douglas　was　preaching　local　nullification；　anarchy　continued　its　delirious　dance　in　Kansas。　　Guerilla　warfare　continued　to　vex　the　Territory　as　with　unconscious　humor　the　settlers　illustrated　the　doctrine　of　popular　sovereignty　in　practical　operation。

On　January　12th；　1857；　the　legislature　met　at　Lecompton。　　On　the　same　day　the　pro…slavery　party　held　a　convention　in　which　it　was　decided　that　it　was　useless　to　continue　the　struggle。　　But　the　more　active　and　determined　leaders　were　not　so　easily　discouraged　and　decided　with　the　aid　of　the　Administration　to　force　a　pro…slavery　Constitution　upon　the　people　and　drag　the　young　Commonwealth　into　the　Union　as　a　slave　State。　　By　the　middle　of　February　a　bill　passed　the　legislature　providing　for　the　holding　of　a　Constitutional　Convention。　　It　made　no　provision　for　submitting　the　Constitution　to　a　vote。　　Governor　Geary　vetoed　it。　　The　bill　was　at　once　passed　over　the　veto。　　The　election　of　delegates　to　the　Convention　was　set　for　the　15th　of　June。

Among　the　earliest　acts　of　the　new　President　was　the　appointment　of　Ex…Senator　Robert　J。　Walker　of　Mississippi　as　Governor　of　the　Territory。　　Before　going　to　his　post　of　duty；　Walker　visited　Douglas　at　Chicago　for　counsel　and　showed　him　his　inaugural　address；　in　which　he　declared　that　any　Constitution　adopted　must　be　submitted　to　a　vote　of　the　resident　citizens　of　the　Territory。　　Douglas　heartily　approved　this　and　with　all　sincerity　wished　the　new　Governor　God…speed　in　his　perilous　enterprise。　　Walker　arrived　late　in　May。　In　the　name　of　the　President　he　promised　that　the　election　of　delegates　to　the　Convention　should　be　free　from　fraud　and　violence　and　that　the　Constitution　should　be　fairly　submitted　to　a　vote。　Buchanan　assured　him　that　on　the　question　of　submitting　the　Constitution　to　the　bona　fide　resident　settlers　he　was　willing　to　stand　or　fall。

When　the　election　was　held　the　Republicans；　who　numbered　at　least　two…thirds　of　the　voters　of　the　Territory；　committed　the　blunder　of　refusing　to　vote。　　It　was　within　their　power　to　control　the　Convention　and　dictate　the　Constitution。　　But　their　bitter　experience　had　produced　utter　distrust　of　the　Federal　Government　and　silent　rebellion　against　it。　　They　had　organized　themselves　into　a　band　of　rebels　bent　on　maintaining　their　free　State。　　The　election　resulted　in　the　choice　of　a　majority　of　rabid　pro…slavery　delegates。

The　Convention　which　met　on　October　19th　produced　a　unique　Constitution；　declaring　that　the　right　of　property　was　before　and　higher　than　any　constitutional　sanction；　that　the　right　of　the　owner　of　a　slave　to　such　slave　and　his　increase　was　the　same　and　as　inviolable　as　the　right　of　the　owner　of　any　property　whatever；　and　provided　that　it　could　not　be　amended　before　1865；　and　then　could　not　interfere　with　slavery。　　With　exquisite　ingenuity　it　was　decided　to　call　an　election　on　December　21st　and　let　the　people　vote　on　the　question　whether　they　were　〃for　the　Constitution　with　slavery；〃　or　〃for　the　Constitution　with　no　slavery。〃　　No　vote　against　the　Constitution　was　permitted。　　To　make　assurance　doubly　sure；　it　was　provided　that；　if　〃the　Constitution　with　no　slavery〃　carried；　slavery　should　not　exist　in　the　State　except　that　the　right　of　property　in　slaves　then　in　the　Territory　should　in　no　measure　be　interfered　with。

Walker　denounced　it　as　a　fraud。　　Buchanan　in　his　feeble　way　intended　at　fist　to　support　him。　　But　the　Southern　hotspurs；　who　understood　the　vacillating　old　man；　threatened　secession　and　general　ruin　unless　he　adopted　their　program。　　He　yielded　and　threw　the　whole　influence　of　his　office　for　the　admission　of　the　State　with　this　Constitution。

But　this　was　too　much　for　the　patient　Northern　Democrats。　　Murmurs　of　criticism；　swelling　to　shouts　of　denunciation；　were　heard　in　the　North　without　much　regard　to　politics。　　Douglas；　who　was　in　Chicago　when　the　news　arrived　of　the　attempted　swindle；　immediately　denounced　it　and　promised　his　strenuous　opposition。　　The　situation　of　Kansas　was　tragical。　　But　that　of　Douglas　was　still　more　so。　　He　had　staked　his　standing　as　a　statesman　upon　the　establishment　of　the　right　of　the　settlers　to　mould　their　own　institutions　and　had　successfully　urged　the　election　of　Buchanan　on　the　solemn　pledge　that　the　principle　of　popular　sovereignty　would　be　faithfully　applied。　He　had　reached　the　parting　of　the　ways。　　At　the　last　election　Michigan　had　defeated　Cass　for　his　political　sins　and　elected　the　radical　Chandler　in　his　place。　　Would　Illinois'　patience　last　forever？　　Was　it　certain　that　the　cool；　deep…plotting　Lincoln　would　not　succeed　in　overthrowing　his　power　if　he　accepted　the　program　of　his　party？　He　must　stand　for　reelection　next　year　and　Illinois　sentiment　could　not　be　trifled　with　now。　　The　rebellion　of　Northern　Democrats　against　Southern　policies　was　not　limited　to　Michigan。　　If　he　would　be　President；　he　must　retain　his　Northern　Democratic　support。　　He　would　gladly　have　the　South；　but　he　must　have　Illinois。

Already　history　has　rendered　a　divided　verdict　upon　this　period　of　his　life。　　He　heartily　abhorred　the　Kansas　fraud　and　would　really　have　liked　to　see　the　people　given　a　fair　chance　to　make　a　government　for　themselves。　　He　believed　in　fair　play　and　despised　sharp　practice　and　pettifogging　tricks。　　He　had　the　sincere　faith　in　popular　wisdom　and　virtue　characteristic　of　the　West。　　His　cherished　doctrine　had　been　embodied　in　a　ghastly　abortion。　　His　pledge　to　the　people　had　been　shamelessly　broken。　　While　the　course　of　honor　happened　to　be　that　of　prudence；　Douglas　was　not　incapable　of　choosing　it　from　pure　and　unselfish　patriotism。

The　people　of　Kansas；　outraged　by　the　proceedings　of　the　Convention；　in　large　numbers　petitioned　the　Governor　to　call　a　special　session　of　the　legislature　to　remedy　the　wrong。　　He　summoned　it　to　meet　December　7th　and　it　at　once　ordered　the　whole　Constitution　submitted　to　the　people　on　January　4th。　　The　election　ordered　by　the　Convention　was　held　on　December　21st。　　The　free…State　people　declined　to　vote。　〃The　Constitution　with　slavery〃　carried　by　a　vote　of　6；143　to　589。　On　January　4th　the　pro…slavery　men　took　part　in　the　election　of　State　officers；　but　refused　to　vote　on　the　Constitution；　holding　that　the　legislature　had　no　power　to　submit　it。　　More　than　ten　thousand　votes　were　cast　against　the　Constitution　and　another　set　of　officers　for　an　imaginary　state　selected。

The　Constitution　was　sent　to　Buchanan　to　be　submitted　to　Congress。　This　was　the　beginning　of　Douglas'　official　relation　to　the　affair。

Congress　met　on　the　5th　of　December。　　When　Douglas　reached　Washington　he　called　on　the　President　to　discuss　the　program　for　the　winter。　He　told　him　that　it　would　never　do　to　send　the　Constitution　to　Congress　for　approval。　　It　violated　the　plighted　faith　of　the　President　and　his　party。　　His　advice　was　that　it　be　summarily　rejected。　　Buchanan　must　submit　it　and　recommend　its　approval。　　Douglas　told　him　he　would　denounce　it　in　the　Senate。　　The　President；　excited　and　alarmed；　rose　from　his　seat　and　said；　with　great　solemnity：

〃Mr。　Douglas；　I　desire　you　to　remember　that　no　Democrat　ever　yet　differed　from　an　Administration　of　his　own　choice　without　being　crushed；〃　then　he　bade　him　beware　of　the　fate　of　certain　noted　insurgents　in　the　old　Jackson…VanBuren　days。

〃Mr。　President；〃　replied　Douglas；　〃I　wish　you　to　remember　that　General　Jackson　is　dead。〃

On　the　8th　of　December　Buchanan　transmitted　his　first　message　to　Congress；　which　satisfied　the　world　that　he　had　abandoned　such　faint　convictions　as　he　had　theretofore　had　and　surrendered　unconditionally　to　the　South。　　He　confessed　that　he　had　formerly　pledged　himself　that　the　Constitution　should　be　submitted　to　a　vote　of　the　people。　But　he　said　he　had　reached　the　conclusion　that　the　only　question　upon　which　it　was　important　to　take　the　popular　judgement　was　that　of　slavery。　　This　question　could　not　be　more　clearly　or　distinctly　submitted　than　it　would　be　under　the　ordinance　of　the　Convention　on　December　21st。　　Should　the　Constitution　without　slavery　be　adopted；　it；　of　course　guarded　the