the life of stephen a. douglas-第28章

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tion　and　threatened　to　disrupt　the　party。

As　Douglas；　anxious　but　unfaltering；　rose　to　speak；　there　was　a　hush　in　the　crowded　Chamber。　　After　a　sneering　allusion　to　his　controversy　with　Black；　he　announced　his　purpose　to　defend　himself　against　the　attack　made　by　Davis。　　The　speech　occupied　two　days　in　its　delivery　and　was　a　unique　and　artistic　piece　of　senatorial　politics。　　It　was　addressed　less　to　the　Senate　than　to　the　adjourned　Charleston　Convention。　　He　exhaustively　proved　the　soundness　of　Democracy　and　repelled　the　charge　of　heresy　by　rehearsing　the　history　of　Democratic　Conventions　and　platforms　since　1848；　quoting　the　declarations　of　the　party　and　its　leaders　in　Convention；　on　the　platform　and　through　the　press。

Cass；　he　said；　the　author　of　the　now　deadly　doctrine　of　popular　sovereignty；　was　nominated　in　1848。　　The　Compromise　of　1850　embodied　that　principle。　　The　Kansas…Nebraska　struggle　was　settled　by　expressly　adopting　it。　　The　Cincinnati　platform；　on　which　all　Democrats　had　stood　for　four　years；　distinctly　affirmed　it。　　The　Charleston　Convention；　within　a　few　days；　had　reaffirmed　it。　　His　own　speeches　showed　that　he　had　adhered　to　it　constantly　from　the　beginning　of　his　career。　　The　change　was　not　in　him　but　in　the　Southern　wing　of　the　party。　　He　protested　that　he　did　not　desire　the　nomination　and　only　permitted　his　name　to　be　used　that　he　might　be　vindicated　against　the　presumptuous　efforts　of　a　little　coterie　to　cast　doubt　upon　his　Democracy　and　their　attempt　to　proscribe　him　as　a　heretic　might　be　rebuked。

The　most　hostile　critic　must　feel　some　sympathy　for　him　in　his　new　and　indefensible　position。　　His　now　heretical　opinions　had　but　recently　borne　the　authentic　stamp　of　Democracy。　　His　party；　following　its　real　sentiments　and　the　judicial　interpretation　of　the　Constitution；　had　silently　abandoned　its　old　creed　to　which　he　still　clung　with　tenacity　and　ardor。

Davis；　answering；　asked　him　the　blunt　question；　whether；　if　elected　President；　he　would　sign　a　bill　to　protect　slave　property　in　States；　Territories；　or　the　District　of　Columbia。　　He　declined　to　answer　suggesting　the　impropriety　of　declaring　in　advance　what　he　would　do　if　elected。

Congress　adjourned　on　June　25th。





Chapter　XVIII。　　A　Noontide　Eclipse。




While　events　in　Washington　in　the　spring　of　1860　were　full　of　historic　interest；　greater　and　more　memorable　events　were　occurring　in　Charleston。　　The　Democratic　Convention　met　in　that　city　on　April　23rd；　which　brought　to　the　surface　a　state　of　feeling　at　the　South　that　had　long　been　suspected　but　not　certainly　known。

There　was　but　one　prominent　candidate　in　the　field。　　Douglas　was　incomparably　the　most　eminent　Democratic　statesman　of　the　time。　According　to　the　settled　custom　of　the　party；　the　South；　which　did　not　ask　the　Presidency　itself；　should　have　supported　him。　　But　the　Southern　delegates　had　resolved　that　in　no　event　should　he　be　nominated　on　any　platform。

He　had　a　clear　majority　of　the　Convention。　　But　the　Democrats；　though　still　wearing　a　common　badge；　now　constituted　two　distinct　and　antagonistic　parties；　held　together　not　so　much　by　common　beliefs　as　by　habits；　traditions　and　sentimental　attachment　to　an　old　and　venerable　name。　　The　Northern　Democrats　were　wholly　estranged　from　those　of　the　South。　　The　two　sections　of　the　party　quarreled　about　the　platform；　yet　the　Southerners　cared　little　about　that　matter　if　they　could　name　the　candidate。　　They　did　not　demand　a　Southern　man；　for　he　could　not　be　elected。　　They　wanted　a　〃Northern　man　with　Southern　principles；〃　like　Pierce　or　Buchanan。　　Of　all　living　men　the　dexterous　and　domineering　Douglas　least　suited　their　demands。　　He　was　probably　the　only　man　who　could　have　carried　a　large　enough　Northern　vote　to　be　elected。　　But　they　could　not　forget　that　his　popularity　at　the　North　was；　in　part；　the　result　of　his　great　battle　against　the　South　which　had　caused　their　disastrous　defeat。

The　Northern　delegates　insisted　on　merely　approving　the　Cincinnati　platform；　while　the　Southern　delegates；　who　hoped　to　render　Douglas'　candidacy　impossible；　insisted　on　radical　pro…slavery　declarations　and　a　denial　of　all　right　of　the　people　of　a　Territory　to　prevent　the　holding　of　slaves。　　After　a　fierce　struggle　the　Northern　platform　was　adopted　by　a　small　majority。　　Immediately　the　delegates　from　Alabama；　Mississippi；　South　Carolina；　Louisiana；　Florida；　Texas；　Arkansas　and　three…fourths　of　that　from　Georgia　refused　to　abide　by　it　and　withdrew。

The　seceders　organized　another　Convention；　adopted　the　radical　platform　which　had　been　rejected　and　adjourned　to　meet　at　Richmond　on　the　11th　of　June。

The　regular　Convention；　meanwhile；　found　itself　unable　to　do　anything。　The　settled　rule　required　a　vote　of　two…thirds　of　all　the　delegates　to　select　a　candidate。　　The　chairman　ruled　that　in　order　to　be　nominated　Douglas　must　have　two…thirds　of　all　the　delegates　elected；　notwithstanding　the　secession。　　This　required　202　votes。　　He　had　but　152　and　the　other　50　were　not　to　be　had。　　On　May　3rd；　after　57　ballots；　the　Convention　adjourned　to　meet　at　Baltimore　on　June　18th。　　Davis；　Toombs　and　the　other　leaders　of　the　Southern　junta　in　Congress　issued　an　address　approving　the　course　of　the　seceders　at　Charleston；　advising　them　to　take　no　action　at　Richmond；　but　to　await　the　result　of　the　Baltimore　Convention　and　expressing　the　conviction　that；　if　fair　concessions　were　not　made　to　the　South；　other　delegations　would　join　them。

They　accordingly　came　to　Baltimore　and　demanded　their　seats　in　that　Convention。　　But　some　of　the　States　had　elected　new　delegations　which　claimed　them。　　For　days　confusion　prevailed。　　Douglas　sent　two　messages　suggesting　that　his　candidacy　be　dropped。　　But　there　were　suppressed　by　his　friends；　who　inexorably　demanded　his　nomination。　Five　more　States　withdrew　and　the　chairman　resigned　and　joined　the　seceders。　　The　Convention　reorganized　itself　and　proceeded　to　ballot。　　Douglas　received　all　but　thirteen　votes；　less；　however；　than　the　required　two…thirds　of　all　the　delegates　elected。　　But　a　resolution　was　passed　declaring　him　nominated　on　the　ground　that　he　had　received　the　votes　of　two…thirds　of　all　delegates　present。　Senator　Fitzpatrick　of　Alabama　was　nominated　for　Vice…President　and　the　Convention　adjourned。　　He　declined　and　the　Committee　placed　Herschel　V。　Johnson　of　Georgia　in　his　place。

The　seceders；　joined　by　the　recent　recruits；　held　their　Convention　in　Baltimore　on　the　28th　of　June　and　nominated　John　C。　Breckenridge　of　Kentucky　for　President　and　Joseph　Lane　of　Oregon　for　Vice…President。

This　did　not　bring　about　a　new　condition；　but　revealed　one　which　had　existed　for　many　years。　　The　South　was　technically　right　in　it　demand　that　the　Convention　declare　itself　explicitly　in　favor　of　the　honest　and　faithful　maintenance　of　its　constitutional　rights　in　the　Territories。　　These　rights　had　been　vehemently　denied　by　the　Republicans；　but　triumphantly　established　on　a　solid　basis　by　the　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court。　　Douglas　had　quibbled　over　the　decision　and　explained　it　away　until　it　seemed　doubtful　whether　it　in　fact　settled　anything。　　The　platform　adopted　by　his　supporters　in　the　Convention　recited　the　differences　of　opinion　among　Democrats　as　to　the　exact　limits　of　the　powers　of　the　territorial　legislature　and　those　of　Congress　and　referred　the　question　again　to　the　Court　with　a　pledge　to　abide　by　its　decision。　　They　seemed　to　forget　that　the　whole　question　had　already　been　decided　in　the　most　sweeping　terms　in　favor　of　the　extreme　Southern　demands。　　It　is　not　impossible　that；　had　the　South　consented　tot　his　vague　and　disingenuous　platform　and　vigorously　supported　Douglas；　he　might　have　been　elected。　　But　〃the　South　was　implacable　towards　him　and　deliberately　resolved　to　accept　defeat　rather　than　secure　a　victory　under　his　lead。〃

The　Republicans；　meanwhile；　had　held　their　memorable　Convention　at　Chicago；　where；　on　May　18th；　Lincoln　had　been　nominated。　　When　the　news　arrived　in　Washington；　it　made　a　great　stir。　　The　Republican　Senators　and　Members　gathered　around　Douglas　to　hear　his　judgement　of　the　new　statesman　who　had　risen　in　the　West。

〃Gentlemen；〃　he　said；　〃　you　have　nominated　a　very　able　and　a　very　honest　man。〃

On　the　adjournment　of　Congress；　disregarding　the　decorous　custom　of　seventy　years；　he　entered　the　campaign；　making　speeches　in　his　own　behalf。　　He　knew　from　the　outset　that　with　only　a　fraction　of　his　party　at　his　back；　his　chances　of　election　were　slight。　　But　he　fought　on　fiercely；　partly　from　temperament　and　partly　from　conviction　that　he　ought；　if　possible；　to　prevent　Lincoln's　election。　　Besides；　there　was　a　shadowy　possibility　of　an　election　by　the　House　of　Representatives。　　At　times　his　old　Democratic　enthusiasm　returned。　He　told　one　audience　that　had　his　party　given　him　undivided　support　he　would　have　carried　every　State　in　the　Union　against　Lincoln；　except　two。

He　was　sincerely　alarmed　for　the　safety　of　the　Union　in　case　of　Lincoln's　election；　which　he　believed　probable。　　He　urged　upon　the　South　the　duty　of　submitting　to　the　result　whatever　it　might　be。　At　Norfolk；　Virginia；　he　was　asked　whether；　if　Lincoln　was　elected；　the　Southern　States　would　be　justified　in　seceding　from　the　Union？

To　this　he　said；　〃I　answer　emphatically；　No！　　The　election　of　a　man　to　the　Presidency　*　*　*　in　conformity　with　the　Constitution　*　*　*　would　not　justify　any　attempt　at　dissolving　this　glorious　Confederacy。〃

He　further　told　them　that　if　Lincoln　were　elected　he　would　aid　him　to　the　extent　of　his　power　in　maintaining　the　supremacy　of　the　laws　against　all　resistance　to　them　from　whatever　quarter；　and　that　it　would　be　the　President's　duty　to　treat　all　attempts　to　break　up　the　Union　as　Jackson　treated　the　nullifiers　in　1832。　　His　candidacy　was　obviously　hopeless。　　He　exerted　himself　to　avert　the　coming　storm。　　Lincoln　received　one　million　eight　hundred　and　sixty…seven　thousand　votes；　Douglas　one　million　two　hundred　and　ninety…one　thousand；　and　Brekenridge　eight　hundred　and　fifty　thousand。　　Of　the　three　hundred　and　three　electoral　votes　Douglas　received　but　twelve。　Lincoln　had　an　electoral　majority　over　all　opposing　candidates。

On　the　13th　of　November；　South　Carolina　called　a　Convention　to　consider　the　dangers　incident　to　her　position　in　the　Federal　Union　which；　on　December　20th；　unanimously　adopted　an　ordinance　of　secession。　Three　weeks　later　Mississippi　declared　herself　out　of　the　Union　and　was　promptly　followed　by　Florida；　Alabama　and　Georgia。　　By　the　20th　of　May　eleven　States　had　seceded。　　The　President　looked　on　it　as　a　lawsuit　between　the　States　and　exhausted　his　very　respectable　legal　learning　and　ingenuity　in　proving　that　he　had　no　power　to　raise　his　hand　in　defense　of　the　country。　　It　may　be　that　the　lawyer；　with　his　quiddits　and　quillets；　had　survived　the　man。　　It　may　be　that　he　had　so　long　breathed　the　atmosphere　of　treason　in　the　Cabinet　counsels　that　he　was　tinctured　with　the　widely　prevalent　pestilence。　　It　is　much　more　likely　that　the　timorous　old　man；　finding　his　term　of　office　ending　amid　universal　ruin；　his　friends　and　masters　rushing　into　mad　rebellion　against　his　Government；　weakly　adopted　that　famous　sentiment　of　the　French　King：　　〃It　will　outlast　my　time。〃

Congress　met　on　the　third　of　December。　　In　his　m