the life of stephen a. douglas-第5章

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ing　slaves　within　them。

Webster　conclusively　answered　this　refined　sophistry；　pointing　out　that　slavery　was　merely　a　municipal　institution；　in　derogation　of　the　common　right　of　mankind；　against　the　native　instincts　of　humanity；　dependent　wholly　for　its　right　of　existence　upon　local　legislation；　and　that　the　real　demand　of　the　people　of　the　South　was　not　to　carry　their　slaves　into　the　new　Territories；　but　to　carry　with　them　the　slave　codes　of　their　several　States。

While　the　venerable　leaders　who　had　ruled　Congress　and　swayed　public　opinion　for　thirty　years　were　uttering　philosophic　disquisitions　on　constitutional　law　or　the　ethics　of　slavery；　Douglas　had　with　practical　sagacity　offered　an　amendment　to　the　Oregon　bill；　extending　the　line　of　the　Missouri　Compromise　to　the　Pacific。　　This　would　not　decide　the　great　moral　question　between　those　who　believed　slavery　an　unmixed　good　and　those　who　believed　it　the　sum　of　all　villainies。　But　he　thought　that　moral　ideas　had　no　place　in　politics。　　It　would　not　decide　the　great　question　of　constitutional　law　between　those　who；　like　Calhoun；　believed　slavery　the　creature　of　the　Federal　Constitution；　and　those；　who；　like　Webster；　believed　it　the　creature　of　local　municipal　law。　　But　it　promised　a　temporary　respite　to　the　vexed　question。　　He　had　already；　in　the　House；　advocated　the　extension　of　this　line　through　the　Western　Territories。　　He　believed　that　adhesion　to　this　venerable　Compromise；　now　as　sacred　as　the　Constitution　itself；　was　the　hope　of　the　future　and　succeeded　in　persuading　the　Senate　to　adopt　his　amendment　as　the　final　solution　of　the　vexed　problem。　　It　was　rejected　in　the　House　and　the　question　indefinitely　postponed。

In　the　Territories；　meanwhile；　events　moved　fast。　　While　Congress　had　been　wrangling　over　the　new　possessions；　gold　was　discovered　in　California。　　A　tumultuous　rush　of　people；　unparalleled　since　the　Crusades；　at　once　began　by　all　routes　from　every　region　to　the　new　El　Dorado。　　More　than　80；000　settlers　arrived　in　1849。　　A　spontaneous　movement　of　the　people　resulted　in　a　Constitutional　Convention；　which　met　at　Monterey　on　September　3d　of　that　year；　and　adopted　a　Constitution　which　forever　prohibited　slavery。　　It　was　submitted　to　a　vote　and　adopted　in　November。

Congress　met　on　December　3d　and　resumed　the　Sisyphean　labors　of　the　last　session。　　Douglas　was　chairman　of　the　Committee　on　Territories；　to　which　were　referred　all　measures　affecting　the　recent　acquisitionsaltogether　the　most　momentous　of　the　sessionwhich　stirred　the　deepest　passions　of　Congress　and　held　the　keenest　attention　of　the　people。　　In　the　early　days　of　December　he　submitted　to　his　Committee　two　bills。　　One　provided　for　the　immediate　admission　of　California；　the　other　for　the　establishment　of　governments　for　Utah　and　New　Mexico　and　the　adjustment　of　the　Texas　boundary。　　On　March　25th　they　were　reported　to　the　Senate。　　Meanwhile　Taylor；　in　a　special　message；　had　recommended　the　immediate　admission　of　California。　　Senator　Mason　had　introduced　a　bill　providing　more　effective　means　for　the　summary　return　of　fugitive　slaves；　in　effect　converting　the　population　of　the　free　States　into　a　posse　comitatus　charged　with　the　duty　of　hunting　down　the　fugitive　sand　returning　him　to　bondage。　　The　clash　of　arms　had　begun。　　Both　sides　were　passionately　in　earnest　and　resolved　to　encounter　the　utmost　extremity　rather　than　yield。　　The　Democrats　had　a　small　majority　in　the　Senate；　while　in　the　House　neither　party　had　a　majority。

The　Free　Soilers　held　the　balance　of　power；　but　by　a　refusal　to　cooperate　with　the　conservative　opponents　of　slavery　extension　left　the　control　of　the　House　in　the　hands　of　the　Democrats。　　The　chief　business　of　the　early　weeks　of　the　session　was　the　delivery　of　defiant　speeches　and　the　presentation　of　resolutions　defining　the　opinions　of　various　segments　of　distracted　parties　and　revealing　the　chasm　that　was　opening　between　the　friends　and　opponents　of　slavery。

On　the　21st　of　January　the　rival　Whig　chiefs　of　the　Senate　held　a　confidential　conference。　　Clay　submitted　a　plan　of　compromise　covering　the　whole　field　of　controversy。　　Webster　promised　his　cordial　support。　　A　week　later　Clay　presented　the　first　draft　of　his　famous　slavery　Compromise。　　He　was　under　the　sincere　illusion　that　he　had　been　spared　by　Providence　that　he　might　save　his　country　in　this　great　exigency　and　that　his　bill　would　secure　long　years　of　peace　and　harmony。　　At　least；　as　many　of　them　were　old　men；　it　would　postpone　the　evil　day　until　they　had　been　safely　gathered　to　their　fathers；　and；　according　to　the　political　morals　of　the　age；　the　next　generation　must　take　care　of　itself。　　Douglas　moved　to　refer　the　resolutions　to　the　Committee　on　Territories；　but；　on　motion　of　Foote　of　Mississippi；　they　were　referred　to　a　select　Committee　of　Thirteen；　consisting　of　three　Northern　Whigs；　three　Southern　Whigs；　three　Southern　and　three　Northern　Democrats；　with　Clay　as　chairman。　Douglas　was　not　on　this　Committee。　　It　was　composed　of　old　Senators　whose　established　reputations　were　expected　to　give　credit　to　any　proposition　of　compromise。

On　May　8th　the　Committee　reported；　recommending　the　immediate　admission　of　California；　the　establishment　of　territorial　governments　in　New　Mexico　and　Utah　with　no　mention　of　the　slavery　question；　the　settlement　of　the　Texas　boundary　dispute　and　the　enactment　of　a　law　providing　for　the　more　effectual　return　of　fugitive　slaves。　　Substantially　it　was　Douglas'　two　bills　joined　together；　with　Mason's　Fugitive　Slave　bill　annexed。　　It　was　a　mass　of　unrelated　measures；　jumbled　together　for　the　illegitimate　purpose　of　compelling　support　of　the　whole　from　friends　of　the　several　parts。

Clay　spoke　for　two　days　in　support　of　his　great　masterpiece　of　compromising　statesmanship。　　He　insisted　that　it　should　be　accepted　by　all　for　the　reason　that　〃neither　party　made　any　concession　of　principle；　but　only　of　feeling　and　sentiment；〃　and　ingeniously　sought　to　soothe　the　anger　of　the　North　by　the　assurance　that　the　principle　of　popular　sovereignty　embodied　in　the　bill　was　not　only　eminently　just　and　in　harmony　with　the　spirit　of　our　institutions　but　entirely　harmless；　inasmuch　as　the　North　had　Nature　on　its　side；　facts　on　its　side　and　the　truth　staring　it　in　the　face　that　there　was　no　slavery　in　the　Territories；　proving　that　the　law　of　Nature　was　of　paramount　force。

On　March　4th　Calhoun　attempted　to　speak；　but　found　himself　unable　and　handed　his　speech　to　Mason　who　read　it　for　him。　　He　rejected　Clay's　Compromise　as　futile　and　denied　utterly　the　right　of　the　inhabitants　of　a　Territory　to　exclude　slavery。　　He　accused　the　North　of　having　pursued　a　course　of　systematic　hostility　to　Southern　institutions　since　the　close　of　the　Revolution；　and　cited　the　Ordinance　of　1787；　the　Missouri　Compromise　and　the　exclusion　of　slavery　from　Oregon　as　instances　of　Northern　aggression；　and　now；　he　said；　the　final　and　fatal　act　of　exclusion　was　attempted。　　He　denounced　the　action　of　the　people　of　California　in　organizing　a　State　without　congressional　authority　as　revolutionary　and　rebellious。　He　grimly　announced　that　the　South　had　no　concessions　to　make；　even　to　save　the　poor　wreck　of　a　once　glorious　Union。　　He　plainly　told　them　that　if　the　Union　was　to　be　saved　the　North　must　save　it。　　It　must　open　the　Territories　to　slavery。　　It　must　surrender　fugitive　slaves。　　It　must　cease　agitating　the　slavery　question。　　The　Constitution　must　be　amended　so　as　to　restore　to　the　South　the　power　of　protecting　itself。　　If　they　were　not　willing　to　do　these　acts　of　justice；　nor　that　the　South　should　depart　in　peace；　let　them　say　so；　that　it　might　know　what　to　do　when　the　question　was　reduced　to　one　of　submission　or　resistance。

Three　days　later　Webster　delivered　his　famous　7th　of　March　speech。　He　criticized　with　severity　the　Northern　Democracy　for　its　eager　and　officious　subserviency　to　the　South　throughout　the　whole　controversy　arising　out　of　the　Mexican　War；　hinting　that　it　had　been　even　more　eager　to　server　than　the　South　had　been　to　accept　its　service。　　He　said　that　the　Mexican　War　had　been　prosecuted　for　the　purpose　of　the　acquisition　of　territory　for　the　extension　of　slavery；　but　that　the　nature　of　the　country　had　defeated；　in　large　part；