the life of stephen a. douglas-第37章

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ive　to　every　idea　of　the　supremacy　of　the　laws　of　the　United　States；〃　and　announced　plainly　that　the　South　would　not　support　him　for　President。　　He　persistently　pressed　him　to　say　whether　he　meant　to　abide　by　the　Dred　Scott　decision。

The　Court；　answered　Douglas；　had　decided　that　neither　Congress　nor　the　territorial　legislature　could　prohibit　the　settler　from　bringing　his　slaves　to　a　Territory。　　〃In　other　words；　the　right　of　transit　is　clear；　the　right　of　entry　is　clear。　　*　*　*　You　have　the　same　right　to　hold　them　as　other　property；　subject　to　such　local　laws　as　the　legislature　may　constitutionally　enact。　　If　those　laws　render　it　impracticable　to　HOLD　your　property；　whether　it　be　your　horse　or　your　slave；　why；　it　is　your　misfortune。〃

He　had　reached　the　brink　of　the　abyss。　　The　South　was　preparing　for　treason　and　rebellion。　　Its　mood　was　altogether　too　tragic　to　be　even　amused　by　his　philosophic　refinements。　　It　rejected　them　now；　not　with　contempt；　but　with　horror。　　The　North；　too；　was　in　stern　mood。　　Its　abhorrence　of　slavery　had　intensified　with　constant　agitation。　　It　was　grimly　earnest　in　its　resolve　to　resist　all　further　extension　of　it　and　resented　the　indifference　of　the　statesman　who　did　not　care　whether　the　burning　crime　of　the　ages　was　voted　up　or　voted　down。

Douglas；　who　regarded　the　ethics　of　this　question　with　indifference　and　who　supremely　desired　to　conciliate　the　South　without　alienating　the　North；　blundered　in　plunging　into　this　debate。　　The　Southern　Senators　were　unanswerably　right。　　Since　the　Dred　Scott　decision　his　position　was　so　clearly　untenable　that　to　insist　upon　it　amid　conditions　so　threatening　seemed　to　them　the　most　intolerable　trifling。　　The　Republicans　looked　on　as　pleased　spectators　while　the　battle　raged　between　Northern　and　Southern　Democrats　and　the　party　was　hopelessly　torn　asunder。　　It　was　clear　the　part　of　prudence　to　restrain　his　impulsive　pugnacity　for　the　remaining　weeks　of　the　session。　　But　when　challenged　to　defend　himself　his　impatient　eagerness　to　speak　was　uncontrollable。





Chapter　XVII。　　Seeking　Reconciliation。




After　the　adjournment　he　devoted　himself　to　a　new　and　unfamiliar　task。　　He　prepared　an　article　for　Harper's　Magazine　on　the　slavery　question　and　its　relation　to　party　politics；　in　which　he　defended　his　position；　explained　his　philosophy　and　sought　to　throw　light　on　this　confused　subject。　　The　article　made　some　stir　at　the　time。　It　contained　nothing；　however；　which　he　had　not　already　said　much　better　in　his　speeches。　　He　was　not　a　man　of　literary　culture　or　habits。　　His　thought　was　brightest　and　his　eloquence　highest　when　the　battle　was　raging。

The　article　had　the　good　fortune　to　provoke　a　rather　elaborate　anonymous　reply　from　Jeremiah　S。　Black；　Buchanan's　Attorney…general。　Black　was　a　profound　lawyer　and　better　writer　than　Douglas。　　While　he　would　have　been　no　match　for　him　in　senatorial　debate　or　on　the　stump；　he　completely　eclipsed　him　as　a　literary　controversialist。　Moreover；　Black　was　standing　on　firm　ground；　simply　insisting　that　his　party　accept　the　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court　as　law　and　conform　its　conduct　to　it　without　evasion　or　pettifoggery；　while　Douglas　was　striving　to　stand　in　mid…air；　nullifying　the　decision　by　clever　tricks　and　condemning　as　anarchists　the　Republicans；　who　frankly　confessed　their　hostility　to　it。　　He　gravely　argued　that　Congress　could　grant　to　a　territorial　legislature　power　which　the　Constitution　denied　to　itself。　　Black's　answer　was　crushing　and　showed　conclusively　that　there　was　no　basis　in　either　law　or　logic　for　those　peculiar　doctrines　in　which　Douglas　differed　from　his　party。　　Black　judiciously　avoided　all　discussion　of　the　ethics　of　the　question；　confining　himself　to　an　examination　of　the　legal　basis　of　Douglas'　special　creed；　proving　clearly　that　it　had　been　utterly　swept　away。

On　the　night　of　October　16th　occurred　John　Brown's　mad　exploit　at　Harper's　Ferry。　　Congress　opened　on　December　5th。　　On　the　12th　of　January　Douglas'　heretical　opinions　on　the　right　of　the　people　to　exclude　slavery　from　the　Territories　were　called　in　question。　　The　Southern　Senators　pressed　upon　him　the　fact　that　he　had　agreed　to　abide　by　the　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court　on　the　disputed　question；　and；　now　that　the　South　had　been　sustained　by　the　decision；　he　had　virtually　repudiated　it　by　his　Illinois　speeches。　　No　man　holding　such　opinions；　they　declared；　was　a　sound　Democrat　or　could　possibly　receive　the　vote　of　a　Southern　State　at　the　Charleston　Convention。　They　justified　their　action　in　removing　him　from　his　chairmanship　of　the　Committee　on　Territories　by　a　rehearsal　of　his　heretical　opinions　and　announced　their　purpose　to　oppose　his　presidential　aspirations。　　He　defended　himself　against　this　irregular　attack　with　great　ability　and　courage；　maintaining　the　soundness　of　his　Democracy　and　imputing　heresy　to　his　accusers；　　who　were　seeking　to　debauch　the　ancient　Democratic　faith　by　infusing　into　it　their　late…invented　doctrines。　　At　last；　wearied　by　the　irregular　debate；　he　sarcastically　proposed　that；　as　his　health　was　poor；　they　all　make　their　attacks　upon　him　and　present　their　charges；　when　they　were　through　he　would　〃fire　at　the　lump〃　and　vindicate　every　word　he　had　said。

A　few　days　later　he　offered　a　resolution　to　instruct　the　Judiciary　Committee　to　prepare　a　bill　to　suppress　and　punish　conspiracies　in　one　State　to　invade　or　otherwise　molest　the　people　or　property　of　another；　and　addressed　the　Senate　upon　it。　　He　expressed　his　firm　and　deliberate　conviction　that　the　John　Brown　raid　at　Harper's　Ferry　was　the　natural；　logical；　inevitable　result　of　the　doctrines　and　teachings　of　the　Republican　party　as　explained　and　the　enforced　in　speeches　of　its　leaders　in　and　out　of　Congress。　　He　said　that　when　he　returned　home　in　1858　for　the　purpose　of　canvassing　Illinois　with　a　view　to　reelection；　he　had　to　meet　this　issue　of　the　irrepressible　conflict。　　Lincoln　had　already　proclaimed　the　existence　of　inexpiable　hostility　between　free　States　and　slave　States。　　Later；　Seward　had　announced　it　in　his　Rochester　speech。　　It　was　evidently　the　creed　of　his　party。　　The　Harper's　Ferry　outrage　was　a　natural　and　logical　consequence　of　these　pernicious　doctrines。　　John　Brown　was　simply　practicing　their　philosophy　at　Harper's　Ferry。　　The　causes　that　produced　this　invasion　were　still　in　active　operation。　　These　teachers　of　rebellion　were　disseminating　their　deadly　principles。　Let　Congress　pass　appropriate　laws　and　make　such　example　of　the　leaders　of　these　conspiracies　as　to　strike　terror　into　the　hearts　of　the　others　and　there　would　be　an　end　of　this　crusade。

With　all　his　courage　in　meeting　recent　attacks；　it　was　plain　that　his　only　hope　of　the　Presidency　lay　in　the　prospect　of　his　reconciliation　with　the　Southern　leaders。　　They　needed　his　help　to　prevent　the　Radicals；　Seward；　Chase　and　Lincoln；　from　carrying　the　next　election。　　He　needed　their　help　to　compass　the　nomination。　He　decided　without　lowering　his　standard　to　win　them　back　by　the　mere　efficiency　of　his　service。　　But　the　Southern　leaders　were　not　in　search　of　a　Northern　master。　　They　wanted　servants　in　the　high　places　of　Government　not　less　humble　than　the　blacks　who　tilled　their　plantations。　　They　instinctively　knew　that　he　was　not　and　could　not　be　such　a　servant。　　Rather　than　support　him　they　would　see　Seward　elected。　　He　at　least　frankly　avowed　his　hostility。　　If　they　elected　Douglas　and　he　declined　to　obey；　their　position　would　be　awkward。　　If　a　sectional　Republican　were　elected；　they　could　secede　and　set　up　an　independent　Government。

On　the　7th　of　May　Davis　spoke　in　support　of　a　series　of　radical　resolutions　introduced　by　him　on　February　2nd；　declaring　that　neither　Congress　nor　a　territorial　legislature　had　power　to　impair　the　Constitutional　right　of　any　citizen　of　the　United　States　to　take　his　slave　property　into　the　common　Territories　and　there　hold　it；　that　it　was　the　duty　of　Congress　to　protect　this　right；　and　that　the　inhabitants　had　no　power　either　by　direct　legislation　or　by　their　unfriendly　attitude　to　exclude　slavery　until　they　formed　a　State　Constitution。　　He　spoke　with　great　force　in　support　of　them。　He　ascribe　the　authorship　of　the　pernicious　heresy　of　squatter　sovereignt