the life of stephen a. douglas-第3章

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unties　in　the　western　part　of　the　State。　　O。　H。　Browning　of　Quincy；　a　lawyer　of　ability；　destined　to　a　distinguished　political　career　and　to　succeed　to　Douglas'　vacant　seat　in　the　Senate　twenty　years　later；　was　the　Whig　candidate。　They　held　a　long　series　of　joint　discussions；　addressed　scores　of　audiences　and　so　exhausted　themselves　that　both　were　prostrated　with　serious　sickness　after　the　campaign。　　The　questions　discussed　are　as　completely　obsolete　as　the　political　issues　of　the　ante…diluvians。　　Douglas　was　elected　by　a　small　majority。

He　was　in　Washington　at　the　opening　of　Congress　and　entered　upon　his　eventful　and　brilliant　career　on　that　elevated　theatre；　though　he　was　as　yet　only　the　crude　material　out　of　which　a　statesman　might　be　evolved。　　He　was　a　vigorous；　pushing　Western　politician；　with　half　developed　faculties　and　vague；　unlimited　ambition；　whose　early　congressional　service　gave　small　promise　of　the　great　leader　of　after　years。

The　famous　description　of　him　contained　in　the　Adams　diary　relates　to　this　period　of　his　life。　　The　venerable　ex…President；　then　a　Member　of　the　House；　mentions　him　as　the　homunculus　Douglas　and　with　acrid　malevolence　describes　him　as　raving　out　his　hour　in　abusive　invectives；　his　face　convulsed；　his　gesticulation　frantic；　and　lashing　himself　into　such　heat　that　if　his　body　had　been　made　of　combustible　matter　it　would　have　burned　out。

〃In　the　midst　of　his　roaring；〃　he　declares；　〃to　save　himself　from　choking；　he　stripped　off　and　cast　away　his　cravat；　unbuttoned　his　waistcoat　and　had　the　air　and　aspect　of　a　half…naked　pugilist。〃　With　all　its　extravagance　and　exaggeration；　it　is　impossible　to　doubt　the　substantial　truth　of　this　charicature。　　Adams　did　not　live　to　see　the　young　Member　become　the　most　powerful　debater；　the　most　accomplished　political　leader　and　most　influential　statesman　of　the　great　and　stirring　period　that　ensued。

The　time　was　strange；　as　difficult　of　comprehension　to　the　generation　that　has　grown　up　since　the　War　as　the　England　of　Hengist　and　Horsa　is　to　the　modern　Cockney；　or　the　Rome　of　Tiberius　to　the　present　inhabitant　of　the　Palentine　Hill。　　Only　sixty　years　have　passed；　but　with　them　has　passed　away　civilization；　with　its　modes　of　thought　and　sentiment；　its　ethics　and　its　politics。　　The　country　had　but　one　fifth　of　its　present　population。　　A　third　of　our　area　was　still　held　by　Mexico。　　Wealth　was　as　yet　the　poet's　dream　or　the　philosopher's　night…mare。　　Commerce　was　a　subordinate　factor　in　our　civilization。　　Agriculture　was　the　occupation　of　the　people　and　the　source　of　wealth。　　Cotton　was　king　not　only　in　the　field　of　business；　but　in　that　of　politics。　　The　world　still　maintained　its　attitude　of　patronizing　condescension　or　haughty　contempt　toward　the　dubious　experiment　of　〃broad　and　rampant　democracy。〃　　Dickens　had　just　written　his　shallow　twaddle　about　Yankee　crudeness　and　folly。　　Macaulay　was　soon　to　tell　us　that　our　Constitution　was　〃all　sail　and　no　anchor。〃　　DeTocqueville　had　but　recently　published　his　appreciative　estimate　of　the　New　World　civilization。　　Americans　knew　they　had　less　admiration　than　they　claimed　and　had　lurking　doubts　that　there　was　some　ground　for　the　ill…concealed　contempt　of　the　Old　World　toward　the　swaggering　giant　of　the　New；　and　a　fixed　resolve　to　proclaim　their　supreme　greatness　with　an　energy　and　persistence　that　would　drown　the　sneers　of　all　Europe。　　It　was　a　time　of　egotism；　bluster　and　brag　in　our　relation　to　the　foreign　world；　and　of　truckling　submission　in　our　home　politics　to　a　dominant　power；　long　since　so　completely　whirled　away　by　the　storm　of　revolution；　that　it　is　hard　to　realize　that　half　a　century　ago　the　strongest　bowed　to　its　will。

Douglas　was　in　no　sense　a　reformer　or　the　preacher　of　a　crusade。　He　was　ready　to　cheerfully　accept　the　ethics　of　the　time　without　criticism　or　question。　　Political　morality　was　at　its　nadir。　The　dominant　power　of　slavery　was　not　alone　responsible　for　this　depravity。　　The　country　was　isolated　from　the　world　and　little　influenced　by　foreign　thought。　　Its　energies　were　devoted　to　material　aggrandizement；　to　the　conquest　of　Nature　on　a　gigantic　scale；　to　the　acquisition　of　wealth。　　Since　the　settlement　of　the　Constitution　moral　problems　had　dropped　out　of　political　life　and　the　great　passions　of　the　heroic　age　had　died　away。　　Education　was　superficial。　Religion　was　emotional　and　spasmodic。　　Business　ethics　was　low。

Party　politics　was　in　a　chaotic　condition。　　The　Whig　organization　was　not　in　any　proper　sense　a　party　at　all。　　It　was　an　ill…assorted　aggregation　of　political　elements；　without　common　opinions　or　united　purposes；　whose　only　proper　function　was　opposition。　　It　was　so　utterly　incoherent；　its　convictions　so　vague　and　negative；　that　it　was　unable　even　to　draft　a　platform。　　Without　any　formal　declaration　of　principles　or　purposes　it　had　nominated　and　elected　Harrison　and　Tyler；　one　a　distinguished　soldier　and　respectable　Western　politician；　the　other　a　renegade　Virginia　Democrat；　whose　Whiggism　consisted　solely　of　a　temporary　quarrel　with　his　own　party。　　The　one　unanimous　opinion　of　the　party　was　that　it　was　better　for　themselves；　if　not　for　the　country；　that　the　Whigs　should　hold　the　offices。　　The　Democrats　had　been　in　control　of　the　Government　for　forty　years。　　Their　professed　principles　were　still　broadly　Jeffersonian。　　Their　platform　consisted　mainly　of　a　denial　of　all　power　in　the　Federal　Government　to　do　anything　or　prevent　anything；　the　extravagant　negations　borrowed　from　the　republican　philosophers　of　England　and　the　French　Revolutionists。

But　a　half　century　of　power　had　produced　a　marked　diversion　of　practice　from　principles；　and；　in　spite　of　its　open　abnegation　of　power；　the　Government　had　become　a　personal　despotism　under　Jackson；　which　had　vainly　struggled　to　perpetuate　itself　through　the　Administration　of　VanBuren。　　But　notwithstanding　the　absurd　discrepancy　of　their　practical　and　theoretical　politics；　the　Democrats　had　one　great　advantage　over　the　Whigs　in　having　a　large　and　influential　body　of　men　united　in　interest；　compelled　to　defend　themselves　against　aggression；　prepared　unflinchingly　to　take　the　initiative；　to　whom　politics　was　not　a　philosophic　theory　but　a　serious　matter　of　business。

The　slave…holding　aristocracy　of　the　South　was　the　only　united；　organized；　positive　political　force　in　the　country。　　With　the　personal　tastes　of　aristocrats　and　the　domestic　habits　of　despots；　they　were　staunchly　Democratic　in　their　politics　and　had　full　control　of　the　party。　　They　had　positive　purposes　and　aggressive　courage。　A　crisis　had　come　which　they　only　had　the　ability　and　energy　to　meet。　　The　control　of　affairs　was　in　the　hands　of　the　timid　Whigs。　Decisive　measures　were　needed。　　By　a　peaceful　revolution　they　seized　the　Government　out　of　the　hands　of　the　Whigs　in　the　midst　of　the　Administration　and　embarked　on　a　career　of　Democratic　conquest。

President　Tyler；　having　quarreled　with　his　party；　eager　to　accomplish　something　striking　in　the　closing　hours　of　his　abortive　Administration；　with　unseemly　haste　rushed　through　the　annexation　of　Texas　under　a　joint　resolution　of　Congress。　　Mr。　Polk；　the　new　President；　did　not　hesitate　in　carrying　out　the　manifest　will　of　the　people　and　the　imperious　behest　of　his　party。　　The　South　was　clamoring　for　more　territory　for　the　extension　of　slavery。　　The　West　was　aggressive　and　eager　for　more　worlds　to　conquer。　　New　England；　impelled　by　hatred　of　slavery　and　jealousy　of　the　rising　importance　of　the　West；　opposed　the　entire　project　and　earnestly　protested　against　annexation。

In　the　feverish　dreams　of　the　slavery　propagandists　rose　chimerical　projects　of　conquest　and　expansion　at　which　a　Caesar　or　an　Alexander　would　have　stood　aghast。　　Mexico　and　Central　America　were　contemplated　as　possible　additions　to　the　magnificent　slave　empire　which　they　saw　rising　out　of　the　mists　of　the　future。　　They　began　to　talk　of　the　Caribbean　Sea　as　an　inland　lake；　of　Cuba　and　the　West　Indies　as　outlying　dependencies；　of　the　Pacific　as　their　western　coast；　and　of　the　States　that　should　thereafter　be　carved　out　of　South　America。　　The　enduring　foundation　of　this　tropical　empire　was　to　be　African　slavery；　and　the　governing　power　was　to　rest　permanently　in　the