the life of stephen a. douglas-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


elonging　to　an　anterior　age；　but　a　statesman　who　could　bring　young　blood；　young　ideas　and　young　hearts　to　the　councils　of　the　Republic。

〃Your　mere　general；〃　it　continued；　〃whether　he　can　write　on　his　card　the　battle…fields　of　Mexico；　or　more　heroically　boast　of　his　prowess　in　a　militia　review；　your　mere　lawyer；　trained　in　the　quiddities　of　the　court；　without　a　political　idea　beyond　a　local　election；　your　mere　wire…puller　and　judicious　bottle…holder；　who　claims　preeminence　now　on　the　sole　ground　that　he　once　played　second　fiddle　to　better　men；　*　*　*　and　above　all；　your　beaten　horse；　whether　he　ran　for　a　previous　presidential　cup　as　first　or　second　or　nowhere　at　all　on　the　ticket；　none　of　these　will　do。　　The　Democratic　party　expects　a　new　man　*　*　*　*　of　sound　Democratic　pluck　and　world…wide　ideas　to　use　it　on。　　*　*　*　Let　the　Baltimore　Convention　give　to　this　young　generation　of　America　a　candidate　and　we　are　content。〃

The　candidate　thus　presumptuously　demanded　by　〃Young　America〃　was；　of　course；　Douglas。　　the　superannuated　statesmen；　incapable　of　grasping　difficulties；　trammeled　by　the　ideas　of　an　anterior　age　and　sinking　into　pitiable　senility；　were　clearly；　Cass；　Buchanan　and　Marcy。　　The　description　of　them　as　the　hero　of　a　militia…review；　the　mere　lawyer　with　his　quiddities；　the　political　wire…puller　playing　second　fiddle　to　better　men；　was　so　clear　that　greater　offense　could　not　have　resulted　from　the　use　of　their　names。

On　June　first；　1852；　while　Congress　was　still　sweltering　in　the　tropical　heat　of　the　Capital；　the　Democratic　Convention　met　at　Baltimore；　and　began　its　five　days　of　debating　and　balloting。　　There　was　a　general　belief　that　the　nominee　was　certain　to　be　elected。　The　Whigs　in　their　Compromise　measures　had　given　the　Democrats　substantially　what　they　wanted。　　The　chief　desire　of　the　latter　was　to　hold　fast　what　they　had　and　secure　the　administration　of　the　offices。　　They　proposed　no　reforms；　made　no　complaint　against　the　Administration。　　Their　platform　endorsed　its　chief　measure。　　It　pledged　the　party　to　the　Compromise；　including　the　Fugitive　Slave　Act；　and　to　〃resist　all　attempts　to　renew　the　agitation　of　the　slavery　question　in　congress　or　out　of　it；　under　whatever　shape　or　color　the　attempt　might　be　made。〃　　Like　most　political　platforms；　it　was　made　to　win　votes；　not　to　announce　moral　truths；　and　the　four　statesmen　who　were　competing　for　the　nomination　believed　that　platform　best　which　would　offend　the　fewest　prejudices。

The　speeches　were　delivered。　　the　first　ballot　gave　Cass　116；　Buchanan　93；　Marcy　37　and　Douglas　20　votes。　　Day　after　day　the　managers　of　the　three　veteran　politicians　plotted　and　counter…plotted　and　〃Young　America〃　shouted　for　Douglas。　　On　the　fourth　day　he　had　risen　to　second　rank　among　the　candidates；　having　91　votes；　while　Cass　had　93。　　On　the　fifth　day　the　four　distinguished　statesmen　were　dropped　and　Franklin　Pierce；　an　inoffensive　New　Hampshire　politician；　was　nominated。

The　Whig　convention　met　at　Baltimore　on　June　16th。　　Already　the　Whigs；　though　in　power；　were　demoralized。　　Their　mission；　never　very　glorious；　was　ended。　　In　the　North；　tinctured　with　the　old　Puritanism　and　sincere　reverence　for　the　primary　rights　of　man；　there　was　a　widely　diffused　feeling　that　a　party　responsible　for　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law　could　be　spared　without　great　loss　to　civilization。

In　the　South　slavery　had　definitely　placed　itself　under　the　protection　of　the　Democratic　party　as　the　more　reliable；　if　not　the　more　subservient；　of　the　two。　　There　was　an　appropriate　funereal　air　about　the　Convention　as　it　struggled　with　the　question　of　who　should　stand　on　its　platform　of　pitiful　negations。　　The　platform　solemnly　declared　that　the　Compromise　Acts；　including　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law；　were　acquiesced　in　by　the　Whig　party　as　a　settlement　of　the　dangerous　and　exciting　questions　which　they　embraced。　　It　insisted　upon　the　strict　enforcement　of　the　Compromise　and　deprecated　all　further　agitation　of　the　question　thus　settled。　　If　further　evidence　of　the　collapse　of　the　party　were　required；　it　was　furnished　by　the　attitude　and　character　of　the　candidates。　　Fillmore　was　a　passive　candidate。　　Webster；　his　Secretary　of　State；　was　an　eager　competitor。　　General　Scott；　though　without　experience　in　civil　affairs；　was　the　third　candidate　and　received　the　nomination。

This　was　the　last　serious　appearance　of　the　Whig　party　on　the　stage　of　national　politics。　　The　election　resulted　in　the　overwhelming　defeat　of　Scott　and　the　gradual　dissolution　of　the　party。





Chapter　VI。　　The　Repeal　of　the　Missouri　Compromise。




In　January；　1853；　Mrs。　Douglas　died。　　In　1856　he　married　Miss　Adele　Cutts　of　Washington；　a　Southern　lady　of　good　family。

He　was　reelected　Senator　in　1853　without　serious　opposition。　　He　had　hitherto　been　one　of　the　most　earnest　defenders　of　the　sacredness　of　the　Missouri　Compromise。　　He　had　strenuously　sought　to　extend　it　to　the　Pacific。　　In　1848　he　had　declared　it　as　inviolable　as　the　Constitution；　〃canonized　in　the　hearts　of　the　American　people　as　a　sacred　thing　which　no　ruthless　hand　would　ever　be　reckless　enough　to　disturb。〃　　But　events　had　moved　fast　and　he　moved　with　them；　adjusting　his　opinions　to　the　advancing　demands　of　the　dominant　wing　of　his　party。

During　half　a　century　the　people　of　the　South　had　been　in　control　of　the　Government；　but　Nature　and　advancing　civilization　had　been　steadily　against　them。　　They　had　won　a　brilliant　victory　in　the　Southwest；　but　found　it　barren。　　The　only　remaining　territory　in　which　they　could　hope　to　plant　slavery　was　that　stretching　westward　from　Missouri；　Iowa　and　Minnesota　to　the　borders　of　Utah　and　Oregon。　It　was　wholly　unorganized；　devoted　mainly　to　Indian　reservations。　The　plan　was　to　organize　this　region；　embracing　the　present　States　of　Kansas；　Nebraska；　South　Dakota；　North　Dakota；　Montana；　and　parts　of　Colorado　and　Wyoming；　into　a　Territory　to　be　called　Nebraska。　The　final　contest　between　freedom　and　slavery　for　the　possession　of　the　public　domain　was　now　to　be　waged。

The　South　was　at　this　time　in　peculiarly　favorable　situation。　　The　right　to　recover　runaway　slaves　was　secured。　　Both　the　political　parties　had　declared　in　favor　of　maintaining　and　faithfully　executing　the　Compromise。　　The　people　of　both　sections　were　in　favor　of　maintaining　and　faithfully　executing　the　Compromise。　　The　people　of　both　sections　were　in　favor　of　standing　by　their　bargain　in　good　faith；　the　South　enjoying　its　slavery　and　the　North　its　freedom　in　peace。　　There　is　no　apparent　reason　why　this　could　not　have　lasted　for　many　years。　　But　the　South　could　not　rest　easy　under　the　sense　of　increasing　hostility　to　slavery　and　wanted　to　entrench　it　more　strongly　against　assault。　　It　would　like　more　Senators　and　was　ready　to　stake　everything　on　the　capture　of　this　last　territory　out　of　which　new　States　could　be　carved。

Congress　met　for　a　memorable　session　on　December　5th；　1853。　　Douglas　was　chairman　of　the　Committee　on　Territories；　and　his　trusted　lieutenant；　Richardson；　was　chairman　of　the　Territorial　Committee　of　the　House。　　He　was　thus　in　position　to　control　the　legislation　of　deepest　importance　and　greatest　political　interest。　　During　the　closing　days　of　the　last　session　Richardson　had　pushed　through　the　House　a　bill　to　organize　the　Territory　of　Nebraska。　　It　was　reported　to　the　Senate；　referred　to　the　Committee　on　Territories　and　Douglas　attempted　in　vain　to　hurry　it　through。

Dodge　of　Iowa；　now　introduced　in　the　Senate　a　bill　for　the　organization　of　the　Territory　which　was　a　copy　of　the　House　bill　of　the　last　session。　　It　was　referred　to　the　Committee　on　Territories。　　Douglas　as　chairman　on　January　4th　reported　it　to　the　Senate　in　an　altered　form；　accompanied　by　an　elaborate　report。　　It　provided　that　when　the　Territory　or　any　part　of　it　should　be　admitted　as　a　State　it　should　be　with　or　without　slavery　as　its　Constitution　should　provide。　The　report　justified　this　non…committal　attitude　by　citing　the　similar　provisions　in　the　Utah　and　New　Mexico　bills。　　It　declared　it　a　disputed　point　whether　slavery　was　prohibited　in　Nebraska　by　valid　enactment。　　The　constitutional　power　of　Congress　to　regulate　the　domestic　affairs　of　the　Territories　was　doubted。　　The　Committee　declined