the life of stephen a. douglas-第2章

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This　was　a　really　memorable　body。　　Among　its　members　were　James　Shields；　afterwards　United　States　Senator；　John　Calhoun　of　Lecompton　fame；　W。　A。　Richardson；　afterwards　Democratic　leader　in　the　House　of　Representatives；　John　A。　McClernand；　destined　also　to　distinguish　service　in　Congress　and　still　more　distinguished　service　as　a　major　general　and　rival　in　arms　of　Grant　and　Sherman；　Abraham　Lincoln；　an　awkward　young　lawyer；　from　Springfield；　and　Douglas；　whose　fate　it　was　to　give　Lincoln　his　first　national　prominence　and　then　sink　eclipsed　by　the　rising　glory　of　his　great　rival。　　The　only　memorable　work　of　the　session　was　the　removal　of　the　Capital　from　Vandalia　to　Springfield；　and　the　authorization　of　twelve　millions　of　debt；　to　be　contracted　for　government　improvements。

Douglas；　who　had　opposed　these　extravagant　appropriations；　having　distinguished　himself　as　a　debater；　an　organizer　and　a　leader；　was；　a　few　days　after　the　adjournment；　appointed　Register　of　the　United　States　Land　Office　at　Springfield；　to　which　place　he　at　once　removed。

In　the　following　November　he　was　nominated　for　Congress。　　The　district；　which　included　the　entire　northern　part　of　the　State；　was　large　enough　for　an　empire；　with　sparse　population　and　wretched　means　of　communication。　　The　campaign　lasted　nine　months；　during　which；　having　resigned　the　office　of　the　Register；　he　devoted　himself　to　the　task　of　riding　over　the　prairies；　interviewing　the　voters　and　speaking　in　school　houses　and　village　halls。　　The　monotony　was　relieved　by　the　society　of　the　rival　candidate；　John　T。　Stuart；　who　as　Lincoln's　law　partner。　　Stuart　was　declared　elected　by　a　doubtful　majority　of　five；　and　Douglas；　after　soothing　his　wounded　feelings　by　apparently　well　founded　charges　of　an　unfair　count　and　threats　of　a　contest；　abandoned　it　in　disgust　and　returned　to　his　law　office。　　He　announced　his　determination　to　quit　politics　forever。

But　in　December；　1838；　the　legislature　began　a　session　at　the　old　Capital。　　The　Governor　declared　the　office　of　Secretary　of　State　vacant　and　appointed　John　A。　McClernand　to　fill　it。　　Field；　the　incumbent；　questioned　the　power　of　the　Governor　to　remove　him　and　declined　to　surrender　the　office。　　Quo　warranto　proceedings　were　instituted　by　McClernand；　with　Douglas　and　others　as　counsel。　　The　Supreme　Court　denied　the　Governor's　power　of　removal。　　The　Court　became　involved　in　the　partisan　battle　which　raged　with　genuine　Western　fervor　for　two　years。

In　the　early　weeks　of　1841；　a　bill　was　passed；　reorganizing　the　Judiciary；　providing　for　the　election　by　the　legislature　of　five　additional　Supreme　Judges；　and　imposing　the　duties　of　trial　Judges　upon　the　members　of　the　Court。　　Meanwhile；　Field　had　grown　weary　of　the　struggle　with　a　hostile　Governor　and　legislature；　and；　being　threatened　with　a　sweeping　change　of　the　Court；　resigned　in　January；　1841。　　The　Governor　appointed　Douglas　his　successor。　　Five　weeks　later　the　legislature　chose　him　Justice　of　the　Supreme　Court　and　presiding　Judge　of　the　Fifth　District。　　He　resigned　the　office　of　Secretary　and　began　his　judicial　career；　establishing　his　residence　at　Quincy。

This　appointment　to　the　bench　was　one　of　the　most　fortunate　incidents　in　his　busy　and　feverish　life。　　He　was　not　twenty…eight　years　old。　Adroit；　nimble…witted　and　irrepressibly　energetic　as　he　was；　he　had　not　yet　developed　much　solid　strength。　　His　stock　of　knowledge　was　scanty　and　superficial。　　From　force　of　circumstances　he　had　devoted　little　time　to　calm　thought　or　serious　study。　　Early　convinced　that　all　truth　lay　on　the　surface；　patent　to　him　who　had　eyes　to　see；　he　had　plunged　into　the　storm　of　life　and；　by　his　aggressive　and　overmastering　energy；　had　conquered　a　place　for　himself　in　the　world。　　He　was　an　experienced　politician；　a　famous　campaign　orator；　and　a　Justice　of　the　Supreme　Court　at　a　period　when　most　boys　are　awkwardly　finding　their　way　into　the　activities　of　the　world。　　The　younger　Pitt　was　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer　at　twenty…three；　but　he　was　the　son　of　Chatham；　nurtured　in　statesmanship　from　the　cradle。　　the　younger　Adams　was　Minister　to　the　Hague　at　twenty…five；　but　he　was　already　a　ripe　scholar　and　heir　to　his　father's　great　fame。　　Douglas　was　a　penniless　adventurer；　a　novus　homo；　with　none　of　those　accidents　of　fortune　which　sometimes　give　early　success　to　gifted　men。

The　opportunity　afforded　the　young　Judge　to　extend　his　knowledge　and　mingle　on　terms　of　equality　with　the　masters　of　his　profession　was　such　as　rarely　falls　to　the　lot　of　a　half…educated　man　of　twenty…eight。　　He　did　not　become　an　eminent　Judge；　yet　he　left　the　bench；　after　three　years'　service；　with　marked　improvement　in　the　solidity　and　dignity　of　his　character。





Chapter　III。　　Member　of　Congress。




The　legislature　met　in　December；　1842；　to　chose　a　Senator。　　Douglas　still　lacked　six　months　of　the　thirty　years　required；　but　came　within　five　votes　of　the　election。

In　the　following　spring　he　received　the　Democratic　nomination　for　Congress　and　resigned　his　judgeship　to　enter　the　campaign。　　The　District　included　eleven　large　counties　in　the　western　part　of　the　State。　　O。　H。　Browning　of　Quincy；　a　lawyer　of　ability；　destined　to　a　distinguished　political　career　and　to　succeed　to　Douglas'　vacant　seat　in　the　Senate　twenty　years　later；　was　the　Whig　candidate。　They　held　a　long　series　of　joint　discussions；　addressed　scores　of　audiences　and　so　exhausted　themselves　that　both　were　prostrated　with　serious　sickness　after　the　campaign。　　The　questions　discussed　are　as　completely　obsolete　as　the　political　issues　of　the　ante…diluvians。　　Douglas　was　elected　by　a　small　majority。

He　was　in　Washington　at　the　opening　of　Congress　and　entered　upon　his　eventful　and　brilliant　career　on　that　elevated　theatre；　though　he　was　as　yet　only　the　crude　material　out　of　which　a　statesman　might　be　evolved。　　He　was　a　vigorous；　pushing　Western　politician；　with　half　developed　faculties　and　vague；　unlimited　ambition；　whose　early　congressional　service　gave　small　promise　of　the　great　leader　of　after　years。

The　famous　description　of　him　contained　in　the　Adams　diary　relates　to　this　period　of　his　life。　　The　venerable　ex…President；　then　a　Member　of　the　House；　mentions　him　as　the　homunculus　Douglas　and　with　acrid　malevolence　describes　him　as　raving　out　his　hour　in　abusive　invectives；　his　face　convulsed；　his　gesticulation　frantic；　and　lashing　himself　into　such　heat　that　if　his　body　had　been　made　of　combustible　matter　it　would　have　burned　out。

〃In　the　midst　of　his　roaring；〃　he　declares；　〃to　save　himself　from　choking；　he　stripped　off　and　cast　away　his　cravat；　unbuttoned　his　waistcoat　and　had　the　air　and　aspect　of　a　half…naked　pugilist。〃　With　all　its　extravagance　and　exaggeration；　it　is　impossible　to　doubt　the　substantial　truth　of　this　charicature。　　Adams　did　not　live　to　see　the　young　Member　become　the　most　powerful　debater；　the　most　accomplished　political　leader　and　most　influential　statesman　of　the　great　and　stirring　period　that　ensued。

The　time　was　strange；　as　difficult　of　comprehension　to　the　generation　that　has　grown　up　since　the　War　as　the　England　of　Hengist　and　Horsa　is　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　b