the life of stephen a. douglas-第3部分

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s　to　the　modern　Cockney；　or　the　Rome　of　Tiberius　to　the　present　inhabitant　of　the　Palentine　Hill。　　Only　sixty　years　have　passed；　but　with　them　has　passed　away　civilization；　with　its　modes　of　thought　and　sentiment；　its　ethics　and　its　politics。　　The　country　had　but　one　fifth　of　its　present　population。　　A　third　of　our　area　was　still　held　by　Mexico。　　Wealth　was　as　yet　the　poet's　dream　or　the　philosopher's　night…mare。　　Commerce　was　a　subordinate　factor　in　our　civilization。　　Agriculture　was　the　occupation　of　the　people　and　the　source　of　wealth。　　Cotton　was　king　not　only　in　the　field　of　business；　but　in　that　of　politics。　　The　world　still　maintained　its　attitude　of　patronizing　condescension　or　haughty　contempt　toward　the　dubious　experiment　of　〃broad　and　rampant　democracy。〃　　Dickens　had　just　written　his　shallow　twaddle　about　Yankee　crudeness　and　folly。　　Macaulay　was　soon　to　tell　us　that　our　Constitution　was　〃all　sail　and　no　anchor。〃　　DeTocqueville　had　but　recently　published　his　appreciative　estimate　of　the　New　World　civilization。　　Americans　knew　they　had　less　admiration　than　they　claimed　and　had　lurking　doubts　that　there　was　some　ground　for　the　ill…concealed　contempt　of　the　Old　World　toward　the　swaggering　giant　of　the　New；　and　a　fixed　resolve　to　proclaim　their　supreme　greatness　with　an　energy　and　persistence　that　would　drown　the　sneers　of　all　Europe。　　It　was　a　time　of　egotism；　bluster　and　brag　in　our　relation　to　the　foreign　world；　and　of　truckling　submission　in　our　home　politics　to　a　dominant　power；　long　since　so　completely　whirled　away　by　the　storm　of　revolution；　that　it　is　hard　to　realize　that　half　a　century　ago　the　strongest　bowed　to　its　will。

Douglas　was　in　no　sense　a　reformer　or　the　preacher　of　a　crusade。　He　was　ready　to　cheerfully　accept　the　ethics　of　the　time　without　criticism　or　question。　　Political　morality　was　at　its　nadir。　The　dominant　power　of　slavery　was　not　alone　responsible　for　this　depravity。　　The　country　was　isolated　from　the　world　and　little　influenced　by　foreign　thought。　　Its　energies　were　devoted　to　material　aggrandizement；　to　the　conquest　of　Nature　on　a　gigantic　scale；　to　the　acquisition　of　wealth。　　Since　the　settlement　of　the　Constitution　moral　problems　had　dropped　out　of　political　life　and　the　great　passions　of　the　heroic　age　had　died　away。　　Education　was　superficial。　Religion　was　emotional　and　spasmodic。　　Business　ethics　was　low。

Party　politics　was　in　a　chaotic　condition。　　The　Whig　organization　was　not　in　any　proper　sense　a　party　at　all。　　It　was　an　ill…assorted　aggregation　of　political　elements；　without　common　opinions　or　united　purposes；　whose　only　proper　function　was　opposition。　　It　was　so　utterly　incoherent；　its　convictions　so　vague　and　negative；　that　it　was　unable　even　to　draft　a　platform。　　Without　any　formal　declaration　of　principles　or　purposes　it　had　nominated　and　elected　Harrison　and　Tyler；　one　a　distinguished　soldier　and　respectable　Western　politician；　the　other　a　renegade　Virginia　Democrat；　whose　Whiggism　consisted　solely　of　a　temporary　quarrel　with　his　own　party。　　The　one　unanimous　opinion　of　the　party　was　that　it　was　better　for　themselves；　if　not　for　the　country；　that　the　Whigs　should　hold　the　offices。　　The　Democrats　had　been　in　control　of　the　Government　for　forty　years。　　Their　professed　principles　were　still　broadly　Jeffersonian。　　Their　platform　consisted　mainly　of　a　denial　of　all　power　in　the　Federal　Government　to　do　anything　or　prevent　anything；　the　extravagant　negations　borrowed　from　the　republican　philosophers　of　England　and　the　French　Revolutionists。

But　a　half　century　of　power　had　produced　a　marked　diversion　of　practice　from　principles；　and；　in　spite　of　its　open　abnegation　of　power；　the　Government　had　become　a　personal　despotism　under　Jackson；　which　had　vainly　struggled　to　perpetuate　itself　through　the　Administration　of　VanBuren。　　But　notwithstanding　the　absurd　discrepancy　of　their　practical　and　theoretical　politics；　the　Democrats　had　one　great　advantage　over　the　Whigs　in　having　a　large　and　influential　body　of　men　united　in　interest；　compelled　to　defend　themselves　against　aggression；　prepared　unflinchingly　to　take　the　initiative；　to　whom　politics　was　not　a　philosophic　theory　but　a　serious　matter　of　business。

The　slave…holding　aristocracy　of　the　South　was　the　only　united；　organized；　positive　political　force　in　the　country。　　With　the　personal　tastes　of　aristocrats　and　the　domestic　habits　of　despots；　they　were　staunchly　Democratic　in　their　politics　and　had　full　control　of　the　party。　　They　had　positive　purposes　and　aggressive　courage。　A　crisis　had　come　which　they　only　had　the　ability　and　energy　to　meet。　　The　control　of　affairs　was　in　the　hands　of　the　timid　Whigs。　Decisive　measures　were　needed。　　By　a　peaceful　revolution　they　seized　the　Government　out　of　the　hands　of　the　Whigs　in　the　midst　of　the　Administration　and　embarked　on　a　career　of　Democratic　conquest。

President　Tyler；　having　quarreled　with　his　party；　eager　to　accomplish　something　striking　in　the　closing　hours　of　his　abortive　Administration；　with　unseemly　haste　rushed　through　the　annexation　of　Texas　under　a　joint　resolution　of　Congress。　　Mr。　Polk；　the　new　President；　did　not　hesitate　in　carrying　out　the　manifest　will　of　the　people　and　the　imperious　behest　of　his　party。　　The　South　was　clamoring　for　more　territory　for　the　extension　of　slavery。　　The　West　was　aggressive　and　eager　for　more　worlds　to　conquer。　　New　England；　impelled　by　hatred　of　slavery　and　jealousy　of　the　rising　importance　of　the　West；　opposed　the　entire　project　and　earnestly　protested　against　annexation。

In　the　feverish　dreams　of　the　slavery　propagandists　rose　chimerical　projects　of　conquest　and　expansion　at　which　a　Caesar　or　an　Alexander　would　have　stood　aghast。　　Mexico　and　Central　America　were　contemplated　as　possible　additions　to　the　magnificent　slave　empire　which　they　saw　rising　out　of　the　mists　of　the　future。　　They　began　to　talk　of　the　Caribbean　Sea　as　an　inland　lake；　of　Cuba　and　the　West　Indies　as　outlying　dependencies；　of　the　Pacific　as　their　western　coast；　and　of　the　States　that　should　thereafter　be　carved　out　of　South　America。　　The　enduring　foundation　of　this　tropical　empire　was　to　be　African　slavery；　and　the　governing　power　was　to　rest　permanently　in　the　hands　of　a　cultured　aristocracy　of　slave…holders。　　The　people　of　the　North…Atlantic　States　and　heir　descendents　in　the　Northwest；　who　churlishly　held　aloof　from　these　intoxicating　dreams；　were　to　be　treated　with　generous　justice　and　permitted　to　go　in　peace　or　continue　a　minor　adjunct　of　the　great　aristocratic　Republic。　　Already　the　irrepressible　conflict　had　begun。

Douglas　heartily　accepted　the　plans　of　his　party。　　He　was　by　temperament　an　ardent　expansionist；　a　firm　believer　in　the　manifest　destiny　of　his　country　to　rule　the　Western　Continent；　a　pronounced　type　of　exuberant　young　Americanism。　　He　was　an　unflinching　partisan　seeking　to　establish　himself　in　the　higher　councils　of　his　party；　which　was　committed　to　this　scheme　of　conquest。　　On　May　13th；　1846；　he　delivered　in　the　House　a　speech；　in　which　he　defended　the　course　of　the　Administration　in　regard　to　the　Mexican　War　and；　in　a　spirited　colloquy；　instructed　the　venerable　John　Quincy　Adams　in　the　principles　of　international　law。　　He　based　his　defense　of　the　war　upon　the　treaty　with　　Santa　Anna　recognizing　the　independence　of　Texas。　　Adams　suggested　that　at　the　time　of　its　execution　Santa　Anna　was　a　prisoner　incapable　of　making　a　treaty。　　Douglas　insisted　that；　even　though　a　captive；　he　was　a　de　facto　government　whose　acts　were　binding　upon　the　country；　and　to　establish　his　proposition　cited　the　case　of　Cromwell　who；　during　his　successful　usurpation；　bound　England　by　many　important　treaties。　　The　niceties　of　international　law　were　not　very　punctiliously　observed。　　His　arguments　were　warmly　received　by　men　already　resolved　on　a　career　of　conquest。

The　war　was　a　romantic　military　excursion　through　the　heart　of　Mexico。　　There　were　battles　between　the　triumphant　invaders　and　the　demoralized　natives；　which　were　believed　entitled　to　rank　among　the　supreme　achievements　of　genius　and　courage。　　Americans　had　not　yet　acquired　that　deep　knowledge　of　carnage；　those　stern　conceptions　of　war；　which　they　were　destined　soon　to　gain。　　Military　glory　and　imperial　conquest　have　rarely　been　so　cheaply　won。　　The　war　gave　enduring　fame　to　the　commanding　generals　and　shed　a　real　luster　over　the　lives　of　thousands　of　men。

The　material　results　were　stupendous。　　We　acquired　nearly　twelve　hundred　thousand　square　miles　of　territorya　region　one…third　larger　than　the　area　of　the　United　States　at　the　close　of　the　Revolution。　The　extravagant　dream　of　making　the　Pacific　the　western　boundary　of　the　Republic　was　realized　and　no　one　seriously　doubted　that　this　vast　domain　was　surrendered　to　slavery。





Chapter　IV。　　The　Compromise　of　1850。




Douglas　served　two　terms　in　the　House　and　was　again　elected　in　1846；　but　in　January　following　was　chosen　Senator；　taking　his　seat　on　March　4th；　1847。　　In　April　following　he　married　Martha　Denny　Martin；　daughter　of　a　wealthy　North　Carolina　planter　and　slave…owner。

The　Senate；　during　the　early　years　of　his　service；　was　in　its　intellectual　gifts　altogether　the　most　extraordinary　body　ever　assembled　in　the　United　States。　　Rarely；　if　ever；