the life of stephen a. douglas-第15章

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When　the　election　was　held　the　Republicans；　who　numbered　at　least　two…thirds　of　the　voters　of　the　Territory；　committed　the　blunder　of　refusing　to　vote。　　It　was　within　their　power　to　control　the　Convention　and　dictate　the　Constitution。　　But　their　bitter　experience　had　produced　utter　distrust　of　the　Federal　Government　and　silent　rebellion　against　it。　　They　had　organized　themselves　into　a　band　of　rebels　bent　on　maintaining　their　free　State。　　The　election　resulted　in　the　choice　of　a　majority　of　rabid　pro…slavery　delegates。

The　Convention　which　met　on　October　19th　produced　a　unique　Constitution；　declaring　that　the　right　of　property　was　before　and　higher　than　any　constitutional　sanction；　that　the　right　of　the　owner　of　a　slave　to　such　slave　and　his　increase　was　the　same　and　as　inviolable　as　the　right　of　the　owner　of　any　property　whatever；　and　provided　that　it　could　not　be　amended　before　1865；　and　then　could　not　interfere　with　slavery。　　With　exquisite　ingenuity　it　was　decided　to　call　an　election　on　December　21st　and　let　the　people　vote　on　the　question　whether　they　were　〃for　the　Constitution　with　slavery；〃　or　〃for　the　Constitution　with　no　slavery。〃　　No　vote　against　the　Constitution　was　permitted。　　To　make　assurance　doubly　sure；　it　was　provided　that；　if　〃the　Constitution　with　no　slavery〃　carried；　slavery　should　not　exist　in　the　State　except　that　the　right　of　property　in　slaves　then　in　the　Territory　should　in　no　measure　be　interfered　with。

Walker　denounced　it　as　a　fraud。　　Buchanan　in　his　feeble　way　intended　at　fist　to　support　him。　　But　the　Southern　hotspurs；　who　understood　the　vacillating　old　man；　threatened　secession　and　general　ruin　unless　he　adopted　their　program。　　He　yielded　and　threw　the　whole　influence　of　his　office　for　the　admission　of　the　State　with　this　Constitution。

But　this　was　too　much　for　the　patient　Northern　Democrats。　　Murmurs　of　criticism；　swelling　to　shouts　of　denunciation；　were　heard　in　the　North　without　much　regard　to　politics。　　Douglas；　who　was　in　Chicago　when　the　news　arrived　of　the　attempted　swindle；　immediately　denounced　it　and　promised　his　strenuous　opposition。　　The　situation　of　Kansas　was　tragical。　　But　that　of　Douglas　was　still　more　so。　　He　had　staked　his　standing　as　a　statesman　upon　the　establishment　of　the　right　of　the　settlers　to　mould　their　own　institutions　and　had　successfully　urged　the　election　of　Buchanan　on　the　solemn　pledge　that　the　principle　of　popular　sovereignty　would　be　faithfully　applied。　He　had　reached　the　parting　of　the　ways。　　At　the　last　election　Michigan　had　defeated　Cass　for　his　political　sins　and　elected　the　radical　Chandler　in　his　place。　　Would　Illinois'　patience　last　forever？　　Was　it　certain　that　the　cool；　deep…plotting　Lincoln　would　not　succeed　in　overthrowing　his　power　if　he　accepted　the　program　of　his　party？　He　must　stand　for　reelection　next　year　and　Illinois　sentiment　could　not　be　trifled　with　now。　　The　rebellion　of　Northern　Democrats　against　Southern　policies　was　not　limited　to　Michigan。　　If　he　would　be　President；　he　must　retain　his　Northern　Democratic　support。　　He　would　gladly　have　the　South；　but　he　must　have　Illinois。

Already　history　has　rendered　a　divided　verdict　upon　this　period　of　his　life。　　He　heartily　abhorred　the　Kansas　fraud　and　would　really　have　liked　to　see　the　people　given　a　fair　chance　to　make　a　government　for　themselves。　　He　believed　in　fair　play　and　despised　sharp　practice　and　pettifogging　tricks。　　He　had　the　sincere　faith　in　popular　wisdom　and　virtue　characteristic　of　the　West。　　His　cherished　doctrine　had　been　embodied　in　a　ghastly　abortion。　　His　pledge　to　the　people　had　been　shamelessly　broken。　　While　the　course　of　honor　happened　to　be　that　of　prudence；　Douglas　was　not　incapable　of　choosing　it　from　pure　and　unselfish　patriotism。

The　people　of　Kansas；　outraged　by　the　proceedings　of　the　Convention；　in　large　numbers　petitioned　the　Governor　to　call　a　special　session　of　the　legislature　to　remedy　the　wrong。　　He　summoned　it　to　meet　December　7th　and　it　at　once　ordered　the　whole　Constitution　submitted　to　the　people　on　January　4th。　　The　election　ordered　by　the　Convention　was　held　on　December　21st。　　The　free…State　people　declined　to　vote。　〃The　Constitution　with　slavery〃　carried　by　a　vote　of　6；143　to　589。　On　January　4th　the　pro…slavery　men　took　part　in　the　election　of　State　officers；　but　refused　to　vote　on　the　Constitution；　holding　that　the　legislature　had　no　power　to　submit　it。　　More　than　ten　thousand　votes　were　cast　against　the　Constitution　and　another　set　of　officers　for　an　imaginary　state　selected。

The　Constitution　was　sent　to　Buchanan　to　be　submitted　to　Congress。　This　was　the　beginning　of　Douglas'　official　relation　to　the　affair。

Congress　met　on　the　5th　of　December。　　When　Douglas　reached　Washington　he　called　on　the　President　to　discuss　the　program　for　the　winter。　He　told　him　that　it　would　never　do　to　send　the　Constitution　to　Congress　for　approval。　　It　violated　the　plighted　faith　of　the　President　and　his　party。　　His　advice　was　that　it　be　summarily　rejected。　　Buchanan　must　submit　it　and　recommend　its　approval。　　Douglas　told　him　he　would　denounce　it　in　the　Senate。　　The　President；　excited　and　alarmed；　rose　from　his　seat　and　said；　with　great　solemnity：

〃Mr。　Douglas；　I　desire　you　to　remember　that　no　Democrat　ever　yet　differed　from　an　Administration　of　his　own　choice　without　being　crushed；〃　then　he　bade　him　beware　of　the　fate　of　certain　noted　insurgents　in　the　old　Jackson…VanBuren　days。

〃Mr。　President；〃　replied　Douglas；　〃I　wish　you　to　remember　that　General　Jackson　is　dead。〃

On　the　8th　of　December　Buchanan　transmitted　his　first　message　to　Congress；　which　satisfied　the　world　that　he　had　abandoned　such　faint　convictions　as　he　had　theretofore　had　and　surrendered　unconditionally　to　the　South。　　He　confessed　that　he　had　formerly　pledged　himself　that　the　Constitution　should　be　submitted　to　a　vote　of　the　people。　But　he　said　he　had　reached　the　conclusion　that　the　only　question　upon　which　it　was　important　to　take　the　popular　judgement　was　that　of　slavery。　　This　question　could　not　be　more　clearly　or　distinctly　submitted　than　it　would　be　under　the　ordinance　of　the　Convention　on　December　21st。　　Should　the　Constitution　without　slavery　be　adopted；　it；　of　course　guarded　the　right　of　property　in　all　slaves　then　in　the　Territory；　but　that　was　only　common　justice。

It　was　a　great　day　in　Washington。　　As　a　leading　statesman　declared；　〃the　Administration　had　staked　their　all　upon　sustaining　the　Kansas　Constitution；　*　*　*　*　but　Douglas　was　against　it；　decidedly；　but　not　extravagantly。〃　　It　was　felt　that　a　great　storm　was　brewing；　but　of　so　uncertain　and　mysterious　a　character　that　no　one　knew　what　to　expect。　　Douglas；　who　had　theretofore　scoffed　at　moral　ideas　in　politics；　had　turned　stern　moralist；　though　still　protesting　his　old　cynical　indifference；　and　was　declaring　inexpiable　war　on　those　whose　champion　he　had　been　on　a　hundred　hard　fought　fields。　　And　strange　to　say；　the　allies　with　whom　he　was　now　to　join　hands；　were　Seward　and　Hale；　perhaps　even　Chase　and　Sumner。

When　the　message　was　read　on　the　8th；　he　moved　that　15；000　extra　copies　of　it　be　printed　for　the　use　of　the　Senate　and　announced　his　intention　to　attack　that　part　of　it　relating　to　Kansas。　　The　next　day　when　he　rose　to　speak　the　galleries　were　thronged　with　an　eager　multitude。　　He　congratulated　the　country　that　the　President　had　not　endorsed　the　Constitution　or　recommended　its　approval；　but　had　only　expressed　his　own　satisfaction　with　it。　　He　patronizingly　apologized　for　Buchanan's　error　in　supposing　that　the　Kansas…Nebraska　act　provided　only　for　the　submission　of　the　slavery　question　to　a　vote；　recalling　the　fact　that；　at　the　time　that　act　was　passed　he　was　representing　the　country　with　great　wisdom　and　distinction　at　a　foreign　court　and　had　never　given　the　matter　serious　thought。

They　had；　in　fact；　repealed　the　Missouri　Compromise　and　justified　it　everywhere　on　the　ground　that　the　people　of　the　Territories　had　the　right　to　form　all　their　institutions　according　to　their　will。　The　President's　later　doctrine　was　in　error；　radical；　fundamental；　subversive　of　the　platform　on　which　he　was　elected。　　His　suggestion　that　the　Convention；　throughout　the　territorial　legislature；　had　the　implied　sanction　of　Congress；　was　without　foundation。　　The　Toombs　bill　expressly　authorizing　the　calling　of　a　Convention　had　recently　passed　the　Senate；　but　was　defeated　in　the　House；　clearly　indicating　that　Congress　disapproved　it。　　The　legislature　could　not　give　consent　for　Congress　which　it　had　itself　refused。　　The　Administration　of　Jackson　solemnly　decided　in　the　case　of　Arkansas　that　a　Territory　had　no　right　to　hold　a　Constitutional　Convention　until　Congress　passed　an　act　authorizing　it。　　The　Lecompton　Convention　differed　from　the　Topeka　Convention　only　in　this；　that　the　latter　was　called　in　opposition　to　the　will　of　the　legislature；　while　the　former　was　sanctioned　by　it。　　But　that　body　was　utterly　without　authority　in　the　matter　until　Congress　empowered　it　to　act。

When　the　delegates　to　this　Convention　were　elected　everyone　supposed　that　their　work　would　be　submitted　to　a　vote。　　The　President　and　his　Cabinet　so　understood　it。　　Governor　Walker　so　understood　it　and　pledged　his　own　word　and　that　of　the　President　that　it　would　be　submitted。　　A　form　of　submission　had　been　devised　such　that　all　men　might　come　forward　freely　and　vote　for　the　Constitution　and　no　man　was　permitted　to　vote　against　it。　　This　resembled　the　French　election　when　the　First　Consul　sent　the　soldiers　to　the　polls　telling　them　to　vote　just　as　they　pleased；　but　adding；　〃if　you　vote　for　Napoleon　all　is　well；　if　you　vote　against　him　you　will　be　shot。〃　The　objection　to　submitting　the　Constitution　to　a　vote　was　that　it　would　be　voted　down。

〃Sir；〃　he　said；　〃my　honor　is　pledged；　and　before　it　shall　be　tarnished　I　will　take　whatever　consequences　personal　to　myself　may　come；　but　never　ask　me　to　do　an　act　which　the　President　in　his　message　has　said　is　a　forfeiture　of　faith；　a　violation　of　honor。　　*　*　*　I　will　go　as　far　as　any　of　you　to　save　the　party。　　I　have　as　much　heart　in　the　great　cause　that　binds　us　together　as　any　man　living。　　I　will　sacrifice　anything　short　of　principle　and　honor　for　the　peace　of　the　party；　but　if　the　party　will　not　stand　by　its　principles；　its　faith；　its　pledges；　I　will　stand　there　and　abide　whatever　consequences　may　result　from　the　position。　　*　*　*　It　is　none　of　my　business　which　way　the　slavery　clause　is　decided。　　I　care　not　whether　it　is　voted　up　or　voted　down。〃

He　urged　the　wisdom　of　passing　a　fair　enabling　act　authorizing　the　people　to　hold　a　Constitutional　Convention　and　providing　for　the　submission　of　its　work　to　the　people　and　the　orderly　admission　of　the　State。　　〃But　if　this　Constitution　is　to　be　forced　down　our　throats；〃　he　continued；　〃in　violation　of　the　fundamental　principles　of　free　government；　under　a　mode　of　submission　that　is　a　mockery　and　an　insult；　I　will　resist　it　to　the　last。　　I　have　no　fear　of　any　party　associations　being　severed；　*　*　*　but　if　it　must　be；　if　I　cannot　act　with　you　and　preserve　my　faith　and　honor；　I　will　stand　on　the　great　principle　of　popular　sovereignty　which　declares　the　right　of　all　people　to　be　left　perfectly　free　to　form　and　regulate　their　institutions　in　their　own　way。〃

This　remarkable　speech　was　recognized