the life of stephen a. douglas-第8章

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er　be　disturbed　by　fanatical　agitation　of　moral　questions。

And　yet　there　were　murmurs　of　anger　against　the　detested　law。　　It　was　hard　to　compel　the　descendents　of　the　Puritans　to　hunt　down　the　fleeing　slaves　when　they　believed　that　the　curse　of　God　rested　on　the　institution　and　that　the　rights　of　the　fugitive　were　as　sacred　as　those　of　his　pursuers。　　There　were　outbreaks　of　defiance；　violent　rescues；　occasional　riots。　　But　resistance　was　sporadic。　　The　people　were　disposed　to　wash　their　hands　of　all　responsibility　for　the　law；　to　deprecate　its　existence；　but；　since　it　had　been　pronounced　a　final　Compromise；　to　pray　that　it　might　prove　so。　　In　the　South　the　general　opinion　was　that　the　danger　was　past　and　that　years　of　peace　were　in　prospect。　　Enthusiastic　meetings　approving　the　compromise　were　held　everywhere　outside　of　South　Carolina　and　Mississippi。

While　the　entire　moral　victory　of　the　Compromise　rested　with　the　people　of　the　South；　they　had　won　nothing　substantial　but　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law；　which　was　of　questionable　value。　　The　great　object　for　which　they　had　conspired；　sinned　and　fought　had　slipped　from　their　grasp。　　California　was　a　free　State。　　New　Mexico　with　indecent　haste　had　called　a　Convention；　adopted　a　Constitution　prohibiting　slavery；　and　now　demanded　admission。

The　Compromise；　however；　bade　fair　to　endure。　　Fillmore　in　his　annual　message　in　December　said；　with　perfect　truth；　that　a　great　majority　of　the　people　sympathized　in　its　spirit　and　purpose　and　were　prepared　in　all　respects　to　sustain　it。　　In　Congress　an　optimistic　feeling　prevailed。　　Clay　complacently　congratulated　the　country　on　the　general　acquiescence　in　the　law　and　said　that　it　had　encountered　but　little　resistance　outside　of　Boston。　　Douglas　assured　the　Senate　that　Illinois　in　good　faith　discharged　its　duty　under　the　late　Act。　　It　was　flanked　on　the　east　and　west　by　the　slave　States　of　Kentucky　and　Missouri。　　It　did　not　intend　to　become　a　free　negro　colony　by　offering　refuge　to　the　fleeing　slaves　of　neighboring　States　and；　not　relying　on　the　action　of　the　Federal　Government　alone　for　protection；　had　enacted　severe　laws　of　its　own　to　prevent　it。　　When　a　Judge　in　that　State　he　had　imposed　heavy　penalties　on　citizens　convicted　of　the　offense　of　harboring　fugitives　from　service。　　It　was　the　duty　of　all　citizens　to　sustain　and　execute　the　law；　a　duty　imposed　by　patriotism　and　loyalty　to　the　　Constitution。　But　there　was　an　organization　in　the　North　to　evade　and　resist　the　law；　with　men　of　talent；　genius；　energy；　daring　and　desperate　purpose　at　its　head。　　It　was　a　conspiracy　against　the　Government；　and　men　occupying　seats　in　the　Senate　were　responsible　for　the　outrages　the　Boston　mob　perpetrated　in　resistance　of　the　law。　　The　Abolitionists　were　arming　negroes　in　the　free　States　and　inciting　them　to　murder　anyone　who　attempted　to　seize　them　under　the　provisions　of　the　law。

Already　he　aspired　to　the　Presidency　and　began　to　jealously　guard　his　reputation　against　the　sinister　suspicions　which　in　those　days　haunted　the　ambitious　statesman。　　The　great　problem　which　then　taxed　the　ingenuity　of　the　aspiring　politician　was；　how　to　win　the　South　without　alienating　the　North；　or　how　to　hold　the　North　without　losing　the　South。　　Irreconcilable　differences　of　opinion　on　fundamental　questions；　deepening　ominously　into　passionate　hostility　of　sentiment；　were　already　manifesting　themselves。　　The　task　of　the　politician　was　to　steer　his　dangerous　course　between　this　Scylla　and　Charybdis。　If　he　gave　color　to　the　suspicion　that　he　even　tolerated　the　growing　anti…slavery　sentiment　of　the　North；　the　South　would　reject　him　with　horror。　　If　he　espoused　too　warmly　the　cause　that　had　become　so　dear　to　the　heart　of　the　South；　the　North；　goaded　by　its　over…sensitive　conscience；　would　spurn　him　with　disgust。　　In　the　existing　state　of　party　organization　the　highest　success　was　not　possible　without　at　least　partial　reconciliation　of　these　irreconcilable　forces。　　Northern　statesmen　could　not　hope　to　succeed　by　brave　appeals　to　the　passions　and　prejudices　of　the　South；　for　they　would　lose　their　home　constituencies；　the　worst　fatality　that　can　befall　an　American　politician。　　They　could　not　hope　to　succeed　by　brave　appeals　to　the　earnest　convictions　of　the　North；　for　they　had　not　yet　authority　as　affirmative　rules　of　political　conduct。

The　charge　of　dodging　a　vote　on　the　Fugitive　Slave　bill　had　annoyed　Douglas　deeply。　　Any　doubt　cast　upon　his　fidelity　to　the　South　in　its　contest　with　the　rising　anti…slavery　sentiment　would　be　disastrous。　　It　was　extremely　distrustful　of　Northern　politicians　and　ready　to　take　alarm　on　the　slightest　occasion。　　When　the　session　was　but　three　weeks　old　he　spoke；　defending　himself　against　a　series　of　political　charges　and　boasting　his　partisan　virtues　in　a　way　that　plainly　proclaimed　the　candidate　and　savored　strongly　of　the　stump。　　He　explained　that　he　had　been　called　to　New　York　on　urgent　private　business　on　the　day　of　the　passage　of　the　law　and　that　on　his　return　he　was　taken　seriously　ill　and　confined　to　his　bed　during　the　latter　part　of　the　session　and　for　weeks　after　adjournment。　　He　claimed　credit　for　having　written　the　original　Compromise　bills　which　Clay's　Committee　joined　together　with　a　wafer　and　reported　as　its　own。　　He　denied　vehemently　having　favored　the　Wilmot　Proviso；　excluding　slavery　from　all　territory　acquired　from　Mexico；　and　declared　that　he　had　sought　to　extend　the　Missouri　Compromise　line　to　the　Pacific。　　He　said　that　the　legislature　of　Illinois　had　instructed　him　to　vote　for　the　exclusion　of　slavery　from　the　Territories；　and　that；　while　he　had　cast　the　vote　of　his　State　according　to　instructions；　he　had　protested　against　it；　and　the　vote　cast　was　that　of　the　legislature。　　He　regarded　the　slavery　question　as　settled　forever　and　had　resolved　to　make　no　more　speeches　on　it。　　He　assured　them　that　the　Democratic　party　was　as　good　a　Union　party　as　he　wanted；　and　protested　against　new　tests　of　party　fidelity　and　all　interpolations　of　new　matter　into　the　old　creed。　　He　conjured　them　to　avoid　the　slavery　question；　with　the　intimation　that；　if　they　did　so；　it　would　disappear　from　Federal　politics　forever。

Already　the　approaching　presidential　nominations　were　casting　their　shadows　over　the　political　arena。　　Though　not　yet　thirty…nine；　Douglas　was　as　eager　for　the　Democratic　nomination　as　Webster　at　seventy　was　for　that　of　the　Whigs。

His　picturesque　youthfulness；　energy　and　aggressiveness；　so　strikingly　in　contrast　with　the　old　age；　conservatism　and　timidity　of　the　generation　of　statesmen　with　whom　he　now　came　in　competition；　aroused　to　the　highest　pitch　the　enthusiasm　of　the　younger　Democrats。　It　is　not　impossible　that　he　could　have　been　nominated　but　for　his　own　imprudence　and　that　of　his　counselors；　who　seem　to　have　been　more　richly　endowed　with　enthusiasm　than　wisdom。　　To　make　sure　of　getting　him　before　the　people　in　the　most　dramatic　way；　and　at　an　early　stage；　they　brought　out　in　the　January　number　of　the　〃Democratic　Review〃　a　sensational　article　which　immediately　gave　him　great　prominence　as　a　presidential　candidate　and　solidified　against　him　an　opposition　which　assured　his　defeat。

This　famous　article　said　that　a　new　time　was　at　hand；　calling　for　new　men；　sturdy；　clear…headed　and　honest　men。　　The　Republic　must　have　them　even　if　it　must　seek　them　in　the　forests　of　Virginia　or　in　the　illimitable　West。　　It　was　necessary　to　have　a　more　progressive　Democratic　Administration　than　theretofore。　　The　statesmen　of　a　previous　generation；　with　their　antipathies；　claims；　greatness　or　inefficiency；　must　get　out　of　the　way。　　Age　was　to　be　honored；　but　senility　was　pitiable。　　Statesmen　of　the　old　generation　were　out　of　harmony　with　either　the　Northern　or　Southern　wing　of　the　party。　Those　who　were　not　so　were　men　incapable　of　grasping　the　difficulties　of　the　times；　of　fathoming　its　ideas　or　controlling　its　policy。　It　had　been　in　the　power　of　these　superannuated　leaders　to　do　much　good；　but　their　unfortunate　lack　of　discreet　and　progressive　statesmanship　had　ruined　the　party。　　The　next　nominee　for　the　Presidency　must　not　be　trammeled　with　ideas　belonging　to　an　anterior　age；　but　a　statesman　who　could　bring　young　blood；　young　ideas　and　young　hear