the life of stephen a. douglas-第12章

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n　blackmail　was　levied　and　robberies　committed　by　marauders　〃acting　under　the　inspiration　of　the　Douglas　of　other　days；〃　and　compared　Douglas'　recent　speech　to　〃the　efforts　of　a　distinguished　logician　to　prove　that　Napoleon　Bonaparte　never　existed。〃

Douglas　answered　with　extreme　bitterness。　　He　declared　that　Sumner's　speech　had　been　got　up　like　a　Yankee　bedquilt　by　sewing　all　the　old　scraps　and　patches　together。　　He　pronounced　his　classic　quotations　obscene　and　indecent。

〃Is　it　his　object；〃　he　asked；　〃to　provoke　some　of　us　to　kick　him　as　we　would　a　dog　in　the　street？　　*　*　*　*　*　The　Senator　from　Massachusetts；〃　he　declared；　〃had　his　speech　written；　printed；　committed　to　memory；　and　practiced　every　night　before　the　glass；　with　a　negro　boy　to　hold　the　candle　and　watch　the　gestures。〃　　He　charged　Sumner　with　perjury　in　taking　the　senatorial　oath　to　his　personal　grievance　and　complained　that　he　had　been　burned　and　hung　in　effigy　under　the　advice　of　Sumner　and　his　brother　agitators　because　of　his　unswerving　devotion　to　the　Constitution。

〃I　wish；〃　he　said；　〃the　Senate　to　bear　in　mind　that　in　the　many　controversies　in　which　I　have　been　engaged　since　I　have　been　a　member　of　this　body；　I　never　had　one　in　which　I　was　not　first　assailed。　　I　have　always　stood　on　the　defensive。　　You　arrange　it　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　house　to　set　your　hounds　after　me　and　then　complain　when　I　cuff　them　over　the　head　and　send　them　back　yelping。　　I　never　made　an　attack　on　any　Senator；　I　have　only　repelled　attacks。〃　　He　warned　Sumner　that　Butler；　who　was　absent　during　the　speech；　would　return　to　speak　and　act　for　himself。

Sumner　briefly　replied；　defending　himself　against　the　charge　of　disloyalty　to　the　Constitution　in　his　unwillingness　to　support　its　fugitive　slave　clause；　by　quoting　Jackson's　famous　dictum　that　each　man　swears　to　support　the　Constitution　as　he　understands　it。　He　then　turned　on　Douglas　with　bitter　scorn。　　He　rebuked　him　for　his　coarse　personalities　unbecoming　a　Senator　and　a　gentleman。

〃Let　him　remember；〃　he　said；　〃that　the　bowie…knife　and　bludgeon　are　not　the　proper　emblems　of　senatorial　debate。　　Let　him　remember　that　the　swagger　of　Bob　Acres　and　the　ferocity　of　the　Malay　cannot　add　dignity　to　this　body。　　*　*　*　*　I　will　not　go　into　the　details　which　have　flowed　out　so　naturally　from　his　tongue。　　I　only　brand　them　to　his　face　as　false。　　I　say　also　to　that　Senator；　and　I　wish　him　to　bear　it　in　mind；　that　no　person　with　the　upright　form　of　man　can　be　allowed〃　　He　hesitated　in　doubt　whether　to　proceed。

〃Say　it；〃　exclaimed　Douglas。

〃I　will　say　it；〃　replied　Sumner。　　〃No　person　with　the　upright　form　of　man　can　be　allowed；　without　violation　of　all　decency；　to　switch　out　from　his　tongue　the　perpetual　stench　of　offensive　personality。　Sir；　that　is　not　a　proper　weapon　of　debate；　at　least　on　this　floor。　The　noisome；　squat　and　nameless　animal　to　which　I　now　refer　is　not　a　proper　model　for　an　American　Senator。　　Will　the　Senator　from　Illinois　take　notice？〃

〃I　will；〃　answered　Douglas；　〃and　therefore　will　not　imitate　you　in　that　capacity；　recognizing　the　force　of　the　illustration。〃

〃Again；〃　replied　Sumner；　〃the　Senator　has　switched　his　tongue　and　again　he　fills　the　Senate　with　its　offensive　odor。〃

Two　days　after　the　speech；　Preston　H。　Brooks；　a　relative　of　Butler；　who　represented　a　district　of　South　Carolina　in　the　House；　entered　the　Senate　Chamber　after　adjournment　and；　finding　Sumner　in　his　seat　writing；　approached　him　and　struck　him　down　with　a　heavy　cane。　　There　was　a　brief　struggle　in　which　Sumner　was　stunned　and　severely　injured。

When　the　assault　occurred　Douglas　was　in　the　reception　room　adjoining　the　Senate　Chamber　conversing　with　friends。　　A　messenger　ran　in　shouting　that　someone　was　beating　Mr。　Sumner。　　He　rose　intending　to　interfere　in　the　fray；　but；　recalling　their　unpleasant　relations；　returned　to　his　seat。　　When　the　violence　was　ended　he　went　to　the　Chamber　to　see　the　result。　　Sumner；　dazed；　bruised　and　bleeding；　had　been　helped　to　his　feet　and　was　leaning　against　a　chair。　　Douglas　cast　a　momentary　glance　at　the　victim　of　this　brutal　and　cowardly　outrage；　then　passed　on　without　comment。

On　the　day　before　the　assault；　the　Missouri　ruffians　had　sacked　the　town　of　Lawrence。　　On　the　day　following；　John　Brown's　Pottawotamie　adventure　occurred。　　A　crisis　was　at　hand　imperiously　demanding　more　effective　action　on　the　part　of　Congress。　　The　country　was　aroused；　alarmed　and　horrified。　　The　Conventions　were　to　be　held　in　June　and　it　was　necessary　that　the　Democrats　bestir　themselves　and　make　some　disposition　of　the　harassing　problem　of　Kansas。　The　existing　condition　in　the　hag…ridden　Territory　was　directly　chargeable　to　a　measure　whose　authorship　Douglas　had　boasted。　　There　was　danger　that　the　tragic　failure　of　his　masterpiece　of　state…craft　would　wreck　his　party　and　load　his　own　name　with　odium　which　even　his　rugged　vitality　could　not　throw　off。　　Such　uncontrollable　passion　had　been　stirred　by　his　pending　bill　that　it　seemed　prudent　to　quietly　drop　it。

On　the　24th　of　June；　Toombs　introduced　a　bill　providing　for　the　taking　of　a　census；　the　holding　of　an　election　of　delegates　to　a　Constitutional　Convention；　and　the　orderly　organization　of　a　State。　It　was　referred　to　Douglas'　Committee；　which　promptly　reported　back　an　amended　bill　so　infinitely　better　than　the　measures　thus　far　attempted　that　it　seemed　comparatively　just。　　It　provided　for　the　appointment　of　commissioners　to　prepare　lists　of　all　citizens　over　twenty…one　years　old　resident　in　the　Territory　since　the　4th　of　July；　who　were　to　vote　at　the　election；　also　for　the　holding　of　a　Convention；　the　drafting　of　a　Constitution　and　the　admission　of　the　State。

There　were　three　objections　to　the　bill。　　The　commissioners　were　to　be　appointed　by　President　Pierce。　　The　4th　of　July；　from　which　residence　must　date；　was　a　time　at　which　great　numbers　of　Northern　settlers　would　be　absent　from　the　Territory　on　account　of　the　turbulence　and　disorder　which　had　rendered　life　there　not　only　uncomfortable　but　unsafe。　　Moreover；　no　express　provision　was　made　for　submitting　the　Constitution　to　a　vote。　　However；　it　was　regarded　as　a　concession　to　the　demands　of　an　aroused　public；　clothed　with　the　power　of　promptly　and　authoritatively　expressing　its　disapproval。

But　there　were　those　in　the　Senate　who　feared　the　gift…bearing　Greeks　and　thought　it　well；　now　that　the　majority　had　shown　some　regard　for　public　opinion；　to　insist　upon　an　explicit　declaration　of　their　purpose　to　submit　the　slavery　question　to　the　people　of　the　Territory　fairly　and　without　juggling　tricks。　　On　the　2d　of　July；　Trumbull　offered　an　amendment　declaring　it　to　be　the　true　intent　and　meaning　of　the　bill　organizing　the　Territory　of　Kansas　to　confer　upon　the　inhabitants　〃full　power　at　any　time；　through　its　territorial　legislature；　to　exclude　slavery　from　said　Territory　or　to　recognize　and　regulate　it　therein。〃

This　amendment　seemed　with　utmost　fairness　to　declare　the　meaning　of　that　law　precisely　as　Douglas　expounded　it。　　But　the　South　had　already　taken　the　advanced　ground　that；　as　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　expressly　established　slavery；　it　was　not　within　the　power　of　Congress　or　its　creature；　the　territorial　legislature；　to　abolish　it。　　This　was　not　the　creed　of　the　Northern　Democracy；　which　had　embraced　the　popular　sovereignty　doctrine　of　Douglas　and　Cass。　　To　abandon　that　doctrine　was　to　alienate　the　Northern　Democrats　and　lose　the　presidential　election。　　To　carry　it　out　in　good　faith　was　to　surrender　Kansas　and　the　remaining　Territories　to　anti…slavery　institutions；　for　it　was　already　evident　that　popular　sovereignty　meant　free　States。　　It　was　at　no　time　a　part　of　the　serious　political　philosophy　of　the　South；　but　the　ingenious　invention　of　the　Northern　leaders　to　hold　their　following。　　The　South　had　permitted　is　Northern　allies　to　give　currency　to　the　doctrine；　but　the　more　sagacious　saw　that　it　was　a　failure　and　were　preparing；　when　the　election　was　over；　to　cast　it　aside　and　announce　the　true　Southern　dogma；　that　no　sovereignty　except　that　of　a　State　could　forbid　slavery　anywhere　in　the　Union。

Already　the　Dred　Scott　case　was　pending　in　the　Supreme　Court　and　had　been　once　argued；　but　the　decision　was　reserved　until　the　elections　were　over　and　the　new　President　inaugurated。　　Well　informed　Southern　statesmen　did　not　doubt　that　this　ultra　doctrine　of　their　party　would　receive　the　authoritative　sanction　of　that　tribunal　and　the　temporary　scaffolding　of　popular　sovereignty　would　then　be　summarily　kicked　aside。　　They　could　not　afford　to　adopt　Trumbull's　declaration　of　power　in　the　Territory　to　abolish　slavery；　for　they　secretly　expected　to　establish　that　it　had　no　such　power。　　They　could　not　afford　to　frankly　declare　against　it　while　still　courting　the　Northern　Democrats。　　Benjamin；　who　was　an　accomplished　lawyer；　and　with　the　lawyer's　instincts　depended　more　on　constitutional　defenses　than　on　wavering　popular　majorities；　moved　to　add　the　words　〃subject　only　to　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States。〃　　Now　that　the　Constitution　had　become　the　bulwark　of　slavery；　there　was　nervous　dread　that　Congress　and　the　people　might　forget　that　it　was　the　supreme　law　to　which　all　legislation　was　subject。　　Douglas　earnestly　objected　to　Trumbull's　amendment。　　He　protested　against　it　as　wholly　unnecessary。　　He　also　voted　against　it　as　did　the　great　majority　of　the　Senators。

The　bill　passed　the　Senate　by　a　vote　of　33　to　12；　but　the　House　declined　to　consider　it；　and　on　the　3d　passed　an　act　to　admit　Kansas　under　the　Topeka　Constitution。　　No　compromise　of　differences　so　radical　was　possible。　　Douglas　remarked　truly　to　his　biographer　that　〃it　was　evident　during　all　the　proceedings　that　the　Republicans　were　as　anxious　to　keep　the　Kansas　question　open　as　the　Democrats　were　to　close　it；　in　view　of　the　approaching　presidential　election。〃





Chapter　IX。　　The　Conventions　of　1856。




Douglas　was　now　at　the　zenith　of　his　success；　master　of　all　his　resources；　the　most　admired；　dreaded　and　powerful　man　in　American　public　life。　　History　must　inexorably　condemn　much　of　his　most　brilliant　and　successful　work；　but　the　very　emphasis　of　its　condemnation　is　an　involuntary　tribute　to　the　matchless　efficiency　of　the　man。　　At　this　period　he　was　the　most　masterful　and　commanding　personage　of　purely　civil　character　that　has　〃strutted　his　hour　upon　the　stage〃　of　American　politics。　　The　cabinet　maker's　apprentice；　the　village　schoolmaster；　the　Western　lawyer；　had；　by　sheer　force；　established　his　right　to　this　position　of　real　master　of　his　country。　　A　weak　President　was　cringing　at　his　feet。　　He　had　overcome　the　brilliant　and　powerful　opposition　in　the　Senate。　　The　aristocratic　South；　which　instinctively　dreaded　and　despised　a　plebeian；　was　paying　him　temporary　homage。

He　was　barely　43　years　old。　　So　strenuous　and　effective　had　been　his　youth　that　people　hesitated　to　set　bounds　to　his　future　possibilities。　　So　strongly　had　his　overmastering　force　impressed　the　popular　imagination　that　the　sobriquet；　〃Little　Giant；〃　suggested　by　his　small　stature　and　enormous　energy；　had　become　household　words。　　He　had　come　to　Washington　fifteen　years　before；　a　crude；　coarse；　blustering　youth；　as　described　by　the　accomplished　Adams　whose　social　ideals　were　bo