the life of stephen a. douglas-第12部分

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nd　angry；　he　withdrew。　　One　admiring　biographer　declares　that　he　yelled　to　the　mob　as　a　parting　valediction；　〃Abolitionists　of　Chicago；　it　is　now　Sunday　morning。　　I　will　go　to　church　while　you　go　to　the　devil　in　your　own　way。〃　　The　irrepressible　conflict　was　approaching　the　muscular　stage　of　its　development；　when　the　aroused　passions　of　the　people　must　find　some　other　vent　than　words；　when　the　game　of　politics　could　no　longer　be　safely　played　with　the　strongest　emotions　of　a　deeply　moral　race。

It　was　not　possible　to　treat　the　matter　lightly。　　Evidently　a　tide　of　fanatical　passion　had　set　against　him；　not　only　in　the　old　North；　but　in　the　new　Northwest；　the　field　of　his　undisputed　mastery。　It　was　necessary　to　bestir　himself　in　earnest　and　turn　back　this　rising　flood　which　threatened　to　engulf　him　just　as　he　came　in　sight　of　his　goal。　　The　symptoms　were　decidedly　bad。　　The　elections　thus　far　held　indicated　a　surprising　revolt　against　his　new　Democratic　gospel　of　popular　sovereignty。　　As　the　autumn　advanced　the　omens　grew　worse。　　New　Hampshire　and　Connecticut　had　already　manifested　their　disapproval。　　Iowa；　hitherto　staunchly　Democratic；　was　carried　by　the　Whigs。　　The　later　New　England　elections　showed　the　most　amazing　Democratic　defection。　　Pennsylvania　elected　to　Congress　twenty…one　pronounced　opponents　of　popular　sovereignty　and　slavery　extension。　　Ohio　and　Indiana　had　both　cast　their　votes　for　Pierce。　But　at　this　election　Ohio　rejected　the　revised　Democratic　platform　by　75；00　and　Indiana　by　13；000。

After　his　rebuff　in　Chicago　he　plunged　into　the　Illinois　campaign；　which　was　fought　on　the　Kansas…Nebraska　issue。　　In　the　northern　part　of　the　State　his　receptions　were　chilly　and　his　audiences　unfriendly；　sometime　indulging　in　boisterous　demonstrations　of　hostility。　　〃Burning　effigies；　effigies　suspended　by　robes；　banners　with　all　the　vulgar　mottoes　and　inscriptions　that　passion　and　prejudice　could　suggest；　were　displayed　at　various　points。　Whenever　he　attempted　to　speak；　the　noisy　demonstrations　which　had　proved　so　successful　in　Chicago　were　repeated。〃

But　as　he　moved　southward　the　people　became　more　cordial。　　The　great　center　of　political　activity　was　Springfield；　where　the　State　Fair；　lasting　through　the　first　week　of　October；　attracted　thousands　of　people；　and　the　politicians　assembled　to　make　speeches　and　plan　campaigns。　　He　spoke　on　October　3rd　at　the　State　House。　　The　most　important　matter　pending　was　the　choice　of　the　legislature　which　should　elect　a　Senator　to　succeed　his　colleague　Shields；　who　was　a　candidate　for　reelection。　　The　opposition　was　a　heterogeneous　compound　of　Whigs；　anti…Nebraska　Democrats　and　all　other　political　elements　opposed　to　the　revised　Democratic　creed。　　The　leading　candidates　of　this　fusion　party　for　Senator　were　Lyman　Trumbull；　a　Democrat　opposed　to　the　new　program　of　slavery　extension；　and　Abraham　Lincoln；　the　recognized　leader　of　the　Whig　party　of　the　State。　　It　was　expected　that　Lincoln　would　answer　Douglas　on　the　following　day。

This　political　tourney　held　in　the　little　Western　Capital　was　in　many　ways　a　rather　notable　event。　　The　great　question　of　human　slavery　had　now　definitely　passed　from　the　region　of　mere　moral　disquisition　into　that　of　active　statesmanship。　　It　had　become　the　decisive　practical　problem　of　the　time；　the　attempt　to　solve　which　was　revolutionizing　party　politics　and　sweeping　away　the　political　philosophy　of　the　past。　　The　opinions　of　men　on　this　question　were　determining　their　associations　and　directing　their　conduct；　regardless　of　minor　matters；　which　are　now　forgotten。　　The　South　was　united　for　the　support　and　extension　of　slavery。　　The　North　was　tending　to　unity　in　the　resolve　to　prevent　its　further　spread。　Already　the　new　generation　of　Southern　statesmen　were　plotting　to　divide　the　Union　and　were　bent　on　extending　the　slave　holding　States　across　the　continent；　believing　that　when　the　separation　occurred；　California　would　join　the　Southern　Confederation　and　thus　give　them　a　Republic　extending　from　ocean　to　ocean　and　controlling　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi。

The　first　step　in　this　plan　had　already　been　taken　by　opening　to　slavery　the　Territory　of　Kansas；　which　then　contained　a　large　part　of　Colorado。　　The　remaining　task　of　pushing　their　western　border　on　to　the　Pacific　seemed　comparatively　easy。　　Already　treason　was　festering　in　the　heart　of　the　South；　but　Douglas；　now　the　most　powerful　ally　of　these　plotting　traitors；　was　entirely　devoted　to　the　Union。　　He　neither　felt　nor　thought　deeply　on　any　question。　　The　symptoms　of　coming　revolution　were　merely　disclosures　of　political　strategy　to　him。　　The　South　held　out　the　bait　of　the　Presidency；　and　he　led　its　battle。　　In　his　attachment　to　the　Union　and　his　subordination　of　both　morals　and　statecraft　to　its　preservation　as　the　supreme　end；　he　was　a　faithful　echo　of　the　great　statesmen　of　the　preceding　age。　　But　a　generation　of　statesmen　had　appeared　in　the　North　with　a　large　and　growing　following　who　were　reluctantly　reaching　the　conclusion　that　the　primary　rights　of　man　were　even　more　sacred　than　the　Union。　　Political　expediency　was　not　their　ultimate　test　of　right。

Lincoln；　though　yet　comparatively　obscure；　was　destined　soon　to　become　the　leader　of　this　new　school　of　ethical　statesmen；　as　distinguished　from　the　old　school　of　political　temporizers　and　opportunists　to　which　Douglas　belonged。　　Lincoln；　as　Douglas　well　knew；　was　a　man　of　finer　intellectual　gifts　than　any　of　the　great　senatorial　triumvirate　whom　he　had　successfully　met。　　His　moral　feelings　were　tuned　to　as　high　a　key　as　Sumner's。　　He　had　a　firmer　grasp　of　the　central　truths　of　the　new　politico…moral　creed　than　Chase。　　He　had　more　tact　and　sagacity　than　Seward。　　He　had　more　patience　with　temporary　error；　more　serene　faith　in　the　health　and　sanity　of　human　nature　than　any　of　the　three。　　He　was　a　greater　master　of　the　art　of　popular　oratory　than　any　of　them。　　Above　all　he　had　the　power；　dangerous　to　Douglas；　of　seizing　the　most　ingenious　and　artfully　concealed　sophism　and　good　naturedly　dragging　it　to　the　light。　Endowed　with　the　most　exuberant　flow　of　genial　humor；　he　was　yet　sternly　earnest　in　his　belief　in　the　inviolable　sanctity　of　moral　right。　　During　his　recent　years　he　had　read　much　and　thought　deeply。　He　had　mastered　a　style　rarely　equaled　in　clearness；　simplicity　and　power。　　Without　the　prejudices　and　entanglements　of　a　past　political　career；　he　entered　the　arena　in　the　ripeness　of　his　slow…maturing　powers。　　Not　only　his　temperament　and　intellect　but　his　experience　and　training　admirably　fitted　him　for　the　high　task　which　he　was　destined　to　perform。

When　Douglas　opened　his　speech　at　the　State　House；　he　unconsciously　lent　new　importance　to　Lincoln　by　announcing　that　he　understood　that　he　was　to　answer　him；　and　requesting　him　to　come　forward　and　arrange　terms　for　the　debate。　　But　Lincoln　was　not　present　and　he　plunged　into　his　argument；　defending　the　Kansas…Nebraska　bill；　his　own　course　and　that　of　his　party。　　Lincoln　spoke　the　next　day　and　among　his　most　eager　listeners　was　Douglas；　who　occupied　a　seat　in　front　and　was　generously　invited　to　reply。　　The　speech；　four　hours　long；　was　an　agreeable　surprise　to　Lincoln's　friends；　a　startling　revelation　to　Douglas　and　an　astonishing　event　to　the　crowd；　who　recognized　in　the　awkward　country　lawyer　a　dangerous　antagonist　for　the　great　Senator；　the　incomparable　master　of　the　art　of　political　debate。　　He　realized　that　this　obscure　adversary　had　clutched　him　with　a　power　never　felt　in　his　great　struggles　with　the　giants　of　the　Senate。　　He　indicated　his　sense　of　the　importance　of　the　contest　by　devoting　two　hours　to　a　reply。　　The　chief　interest　of　this　meeting　now　is　in　the　new　prominence　which　it　gave　to　Lincoln。　The　long　duel　lasted　intermittently　through　four　years；　and　finally　gave　Lincoln　such　fame　that　he　was　chose　over　Seward　and　Chase　to　lead　the　anti…slavery　forces　which　they　had　roused　from　lethargy　and　organized　into　unity。

The　Illinois　campaign　continued　with　great　spirit　and　Douglas　had　the　mortification　of　seeing　what　he　regarded　as　a　wave　of　fanaticism　engulf　the　State。　　The　anti…Nebraska　fusion　carried　the　legislature；　defeated　Shields　and；　after　a　brief　contest　between　Trumball；　the　anti…Nebraska　Democrat；　and　Lincoln；　the　anti…slavery　Whig；　elected　the　former　Senator。





Chapter　VIII。　　Decline　of　Popular　Sovereignty。




Congress　had　confessed　its　incompetency　to　deal　with　the　Kansas　problem　and　referred　it　to　the　decision　of　rude　squatters　on　the　frontier。　　They　dealt　with　this　grave　congressional　question　in　characteristic　fashion。　　An　Emigrant　Aid　Society；　organized　in　Massachusetts；　was　among　the　means　adopted　by　the　North　to　colonize　the　Territory　and　mold　its　institutions。　　The　adventurous　frontiersmen　of　western　Missouri　were　chiefly　relied　on　by　the　South　to　shape　the　new　State。　　The　Emigrant　Society　founded　the　town　of　Lawrence　and　established　there　a　formidable　anti…slavery　colony。　　The　Missouri　squatters　organized　a　〃Self…Defensive　Association〃　and　attempted　to　drive　out　the　Northern　settlers。　　Elections　were　held　by　the　colonists　from　the　North　and　their　Missouri　neighbors　in　which　the　Missourians　outnumbered　their　rivals　and　captured　the　territorial　government。　　The　N