the life of stephen a. douglas-第21章

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　and　strong　that　a　wavering　audience　must　have　been　swept　away　by　it。　　His　finely　modulated　voice　reached　with　ease　to　the　utmost　limits　of　the　crowds　as　he　thundered　out　his　decisive　arguments　or　condescended　to　compliment　his　aspiring　rival；　while　Lincoln　manifestly　labored　to　so　pitch　his　unmusical　voice　that　the　distant　listeners　could　hear；　and　was　never　betrayed　into　a　single　gracious　compliment　to　the　distinguished　Senator　whose　seat　he　aspired　to　fill。　　And　the　contestants；　however　great　their　posthumous　fame；　were　as　yet　merely　ambitious　politicians；　supremely　interested　in　winning　the　splendid　prize。　　To　Lincoln　the　possibility　of　a　seat　in　the　Senate　was　stimulus　enough。　　Douglas　was　in　mid　career；　assured　of　the　Presidency　in　the　near　future；　but　compelled　at　all　hazards　to　hold　the　ground　already　won。　　His　commanding　eminence　attracted　universal　attention　to　the　contest。　　He　must　not　only　win；　but　bear　himself　throughout　with　the　air　of　an　assured　conqueror。

With　all　their　disparity　of　rank　and　fame；　they　were　not　badly　matched；　and　all　the　substantial　advantages　of　the　situation　lay　with　Lincoln。　　The　greatness　of　Douglas'　fame　excited　sympathy　for　his　rival。　　Success　in　the　contest　would　give　power　and　prestige　to　Lincoln；　and　even　defeat　would　not　be　humiliating。　　Douglas　could　not　expect　much　glory　even　from　victory。　　Though　he　crushed　his　opponent　in　argument；　he　must　still　measure　himself　with　the　Douglas　of　the　Senate　and　not　fall　below　his　own　standard。　　In　his　contest　for　the　Senate；　he　must　remember　the　Presidency　and　shape　his　arguments　for　a　larger　audience　than　that　addressed　by　Lincoln。

During　the　period　of　the　debates　both　were　actively　engaged　in　the　State　campaign；　addressing　one　or　two　audiences　daily；　so　arranging　their　routes　as　to　meet　at　the　appointed　times　and　places。　　On　August　21st；　in　presence　of　a　vast　multitude；　Douglas　opened　the　first　debate　at　Ottawa。

〃Prior　to　1854；〃　he　said；　〃this　country　was　divided　into　two　great　political　parties；　known　as　the　Whig　and　Democratic　parties。　　Both　were　national　and　patriotic。　　*　*　*　Whig　principles　had　no　boundary　sectional　line；　*　*　*　but　applied　and　were　proclaimed　wherever　the　Constitution　ruled　or　the　American　flag　waved　over　American　soil。　So　it　was；　and　so　it　is；　with　the　great　Democratic　party；　which　from　the　days　of　Jefferson　to　this　period　has　proven　itself　to　be　the　historic　party　of　this　Nation。　　*　*　*　The　Whig　party　and　the　Democratic　party　jointly　adopted　the　Compromise　measures　of　1850　as　the　basis　of　a　proper　and　just　solution　of　this　slavery　question　in　all　its　forms。　　Clay　was　the　great　leader；　with　Webster　on　his　right　and　Cass　on　his　left；　and　sustained　by　the　patriots　in　the　Whig　and　Democratic　ranks。　　*　*　*　*　In　1851　the　Whig　party　and　the　Democratic　party　united　in　Illinois　in　approving　the　principles　of　the　Compromise　measures　of　1850。　　*　*　*　In　1852　the　Whig　party　in　Convention　at　Baltimore　declared　the　Compromise　measures　of　1850　a　suitable　adjustment　of　that　question。　　*　*　*　*　The　Democratic　Convention　assembled　in　Baltimore　the　same　year　and　adopted　the　Compromise　measures　of　1850　as　the　basis　of　Democratic　action。　　*　*　*　They　both　stood　on　the　same　platform　with　regard　to　the　slavery　question。　　That　platform　was　the　right　of　the　people　of　each　State　and　Territory　to　decide　their　local　and　domestic　institutions　for　themselves；　subject　only　to　the　Federal　Constitution。

〃In　1854　I　introduced　into　the　Senate　a　bill　to　organize　the　Territories　of　Kansas　and　Nebraska　on　that　principle　which　had　been　adopted　in　the　Compromise　measures　of　1850；　and　indorsed　by　the　Whig　party　and　the　Democratic　party　in　National　Convention　in　1852。　　*　*　*　Thus　you　see　that　up　to　1854；　when　the　Kansas…Nebraska　bill　was　brought　into　Congress　for　the　purpose　of　carrying　out　the　principles　which　both　parties　up　to　that　time　had　indorsed　and　approved；　there　was　no　division　of　opinion　in　this　country　in　regard　to　that　principle；　except　the　opposition　of　the　Abolitionists。　　In　the　House　of　Representatives　of　Illinois　upon　a　resolution　asserting　that　principle　every　Whig　and　every　Democrat　voted　in　the　affirmative。〃

In　1854　Lincoln；　the　leader　of　the　Whigs；　and　Trumbull；　one　of　the　Democratic　chiefs；　entered　into　an　arrangement　to　dissolve　the　old　Whig　and　Democratic　parties　and　to　unite　the　members　of　both　into　the　Abolition　party　under　the　name　and　guise　of　a　Republican　party。　　The　terms　were　that　Lincoln　should　have　Shield's　place　in　the　Senate；　then　about　to　become　vacant；　and　that　Trumbull　should　have　Douglas'　seat　when　his　term　expired。　　Lincoln　went　to　work　to　Abolitionize　the　old　Whig　party；　pretending　that　he　was　as　good　a　Whig　as　ever；　and　Trumbull　began　preaching　Abolitionism　in　milder　and　lighter　form；　hoping　to　Abolitionize　the　Democratic　party。　The　party　met　at　Springfield　in　October；　1854；　and　proclaimed　its　platform。　　This　document　christened　the　coalition　the　Republican　party。　　It　pledged　the　party　to　bring　the　administration　of　the　Government　back　to　the　control　of　first　principles；　to　restore　Kansas　and　Nebraska　to　the　position　of　free　Territories；　to　repeal　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law；　to　restrict　slavery　to　those　States　in　which　it　existed；　to　prohibit　the　admission　of　any　more　slave　States　into　the　Union；　to　abolish　slavery　in　the　District　of　Columbia；　to　exclude　it　from　all　the　Territories　and　resist　the　acquirement　of　more　unless　it　should　be　prohibited　therein。　　He　asked　Lincoln　to　answer　whether　he　stood　pledged　to　each　article　in　that　creed　and　would　carry　it　out。

〃I　ask　Abraham　Lincoln　to　answer　these　questions　in　order　that　when　I　trot　him　down　to　lower　Egypt　（Southern　Illinois）　I　may　put　the　same　questions　to　him。　　My　principles　are　the　same　everywhere。　I　can　proclaim　them　alike　in　the　North　and　the　South；　the　East　and　the　West。　　My　principles　will　apply　wherever　the　Constitution　prevails　and　the　American　flag　waves。　　I　desire　to　know　whether　Mr。　Lincoln's　principles　will　bear　transplanting　from　Ottawa　to　Jonesboro。　　I　put　these　questions　to　him　to…day　distinctly　and　ask　an　answer。　　I　have　a　right　to　an　answer；　for　I　quote　from　the　platform　of　the　Republican　party；　made　by　himself　and　others　at　the　time　that　party　was　formed　and　bargain　made　by　Lincoln　to　dissolve　and　kill　the　old　Whig　party　and　transfer　its　members；　bound　hand　and　foot　to　the　Abolition　party。　　*　*　*　I　mean　nothing　personally　disrespectful　or　unkind　to　Lincoln。　　I　have　known　him　for　nearly　twenty…five　years。　　There　were　many　points　of　sympathy　between　us　when　we　first　got　acquainted。　　We　were　both　comparatively　boys　and　both　struggling　with　poverty　in　a　strange　land。　　I　was　a　school　teacher　in　the　town　of　Winchester；　and　he　a　flourishing　grocery　keeper　in　the　town　of　Salem。　　*　*　*　I　made　as　good　a　school　teacher　as　I　could　and；　when　a　cabinet　maker；　I　made　a　good　bedstead　and　tables；　although　my　old　boss　said　I　succeeded　better　with　bureaus　and　secretaries　than　anything　else。　　*　*　*　Lincoln　was　then　just　as　good　at　telling　an　anecdote　as　now。　　He　could　beat　any　of　the　boys　wrestling　or　running　a　foot　race；　in　pitching　quoits　or　tossing　a　copper；　could　ruin　more　liquor　than　all　the　boys　of　the　town　together；　and　the　dignity　and　impartiality　with　which　he　presided　at　a　horse　race　or　a　fist　fight　excited　the　admiration　and　won　the　praise　of　everybody。〃

After　Lincoln　and　Trumbull　had　formed　their　combination　to　Abolitionize　the　old　parties　and　put　themselves　into　the　Senate；　he　said；　Trumbull　broke　faith　by　demanding　Shield's　place　for　himself　when　it　fell　vacant　and　leaving　Lincoln　to　fight　for　Douglas'　seat　two　years　later。　　Trumbull　was　stumping　the　State　for　Lincoln　in　order　to　quiet　him。　　Lincoln　was　opposed　to　the　Dred　Scott　decision　and　would　not　submit　to　it　because　it　deprived　the　negro　of　the　rights　and　privileges　of　citizenship。

〃Do　you　desire；〃　he　asked；　〃to　*　*　*　allow　the　free　negroes　to　flow　in　and　cover　your　prairies　with　black　settlements？　　Do　you　desire　to　turn　this　beautiful　State　into　a　free　negro　colony；　in　order　that　when　Missouri　abolishes　slavery　she　can　send　one　hundred　thousand　emancipated　slaves　into　Illinois　to　become　citizens　and　voters　on　an　equality　with　yourselves？　　*　*　*　Mr。　Lincoln；　following　the　example　and　lead　of　all　the　little　Abolition　orators　who　go　around　and　lecture　in　the　basements　of　schools　and　churches；　reads　from　the　Declaration　of　Independence　that　all　men　were　created　equal；　and　then　asks；　'How　can　you　deprive　the　negro　of　that　equality　which　God　and　the　Declaration　of　Independence　awards　him？'〃　*　*　*

〃Now　I　do　not　believe　that　the　Almighty　ever　intended　the　negro　to　be　the　equal　of　the　white　man。　　If　he　did　he　has　been　a　long　time　demonstrating　the　fact。　　For　thousands　of　years　the　negro　has　been　a　race　upon　the　earth　and　during　all　that　time；　in　all　latitudes　and　climates；　wherever　he　has　wandered　or　been　taken；　he　has　been　inferior　to　the　race　which　he　there　met。　　He　belongs　to　an　inferior　race　and　must　always　occupy　an　inferior　position。　　The　question；　what　rights　and　privileges　shall　be　conferred　on　the　negro；　is　one　which　each　State　and　Territory　must　decide　for　itself。　　This　doctrine　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　of　uniformity　among　the　institutions　of　the　different　States；　is　a　new　doctrine；　never　dreamed　of　by　Washington；　Madison　or　the　founders　of　this　Government。　　Mr。　Lincoln　and　the　Republican　party　set　themselves　up　as　wiser　than　these　men　who　made　this　Government　which　has　flourished　for　seventy　years　under　the　principle　of　popular　sovereignty；　recognizing　the　right　of　each　state　to　do　as　it　pleased。　　Under　that　principle　we　have　grown　from　a　nation　of　three　or　four　millions　to　a　nation　of　about　thirty　millions　of　people；　we　have　crossed　the　Allegheny　Mountains　and　filled　up　the　whole　Northwest；　turning　the　prairie　into　a　garden　and　building　up　churches　and　schools；　thus　spreading　civilization　and　Christianity　where　before　there　was　nothing　but　savage　barbarism。

〃Under　that　principle　we　have　become；　from　a　feeble　nation；　the　most　powerful　on　the　face　of　the　earth；　and　if　we　only　adhere　to　that　principle；　we　can　go　forward　increasing　in　territory；　in　power；　in　strength　and　in　glory；　until　the　Republic　of　America　shall　be　the　North　Star　that　shall　guide　the　friends　of　freedom　throughout　the　civilized　world。　　*　*　*　I　believe　that　this　new　doctrine　preached　by　Mr。　Lincoln　and　his　party　will　dissolve　the　Union　if　it　succeeds。　They　are　trying　to　array　all　the　Northern　States　in　one　body　against　the　South；　to　excite　a　sectional　war　between　the　free　States　and　the　slave　States；　in　order　that　the　one　or　the　other　may　be　driven　to　the　wall。〃

When　the　applause　subsided；　Lincoln　rose　to　reply。　　Addressing　himself　first　to　the　personal　matters　contained　in　Douglas'　speech；　he　denied　the　charge　of　a　secret　bargain　between　himself　and　Trumbull　dividing　the　two　seats　in　the　Senate　between　them。　　〃All　I　have　to　say　upon　that　subject　is；　that　I　think　no　mannot　even　Judge　Douglascan　prove　it；　because　it　is　not　true。〃　　He　denied　utterly　that　he　had　anything　to　do　with　the　Republican　platform　drafted　by　the　party　leaders　in　1854；　having　refused　to　meet　with　the　committee　or　take　any　part　in　the　organization。

〃I　have　no　means；〃　he　said；　〃　of　totally　disproving　such　charges　as　this。　　I　cannot　prove　a　negative；　but　have　a　righ