abraham lincoln and the union- 第3部分

It　was　at　the　moment　when　thinking　men　were　asking　these　questions　that　one　of　the　nimblest　of　politicians　took　the　center　of　the　stage。　　Stephen　A。　Douglas　was　far…sighted　enough　to　understand　the　land…hunger　of　the　time。　　One　is　tempted　to　add　that　his　ear　was　to　the　ground。　　The　statement　will　not；　however；　go　unchallenged；　for　able　apologists　have　their　good　word　to　say　for　Douglas。　　Though　in　the　main；　the　traditional　view　of　him　as　the　prince　of　political　jugglers　still　holds　its　own；　let　us　admit　that　his　bold；　rough　spirit；　filled　as　it　was　with　political　daring；　was　not　without　its　strange　vein　of　idealism。　　And　then　let　us　repeat　that　his　ear　was　to　the　ground。　　Much　careful　research　has　indeed　been　expended　in　seeking　to　determine　who　originated　the　policy　which；　about　1853；　Douglas　decided　to　make　his　own。　　There　has　also　been　much　dispute　about　his　motives。　Most　of　us；　however；　see　in　his　course　of　action　an　instance　of　playing　the　game　of　politics　with　an　audacity　that　was　magnificent。

His　conduct　may　well　have　been　the　result　of　a　combination　of　motives　which　included　a　desire　to　retain　the　favor　of　the　Northwest；　a　wish　to　pave　the　way　to　his　candidacy　for　the　Presidency；　the　intention　to　enlist　the　aid　of　the　South　as　well　as　that　of　his　own　locality；　and　perhaps　the　hope　that　he　was　performing　a　service　of　real　value　to　his　country。　　That　is；　he　saw　that　the　favor　of　his　own　Northwest　would　be　lavished　upon　any　man　who　opened　up　to　settlement　the　rich　lands　beyond　Iowa　and　Missouri　which　were　still　held　by　the　Indians；　and　for　which　the　Westerners　were　clamoring。　　Furthermore；　they　wanted　a　railroad　that　would　reach　to　the　Pacific。　　There　were；　however；　local　entanglements　and　political　cross…purposes　which　involved　the　interests　of　the　free　State　of　Illinois　and　those　of　the　slave　State　of　Missouri。

Douglas's　great　stroke　was　a　programme　for　harmonizing　all　these　conflicting　interests　and　for　drawing　together　the　West　and　the　South。　　Slaveholders　were　to　be　given　what　at　that　moment　they　wanted　mostan　opportunity　to　expand　into　that　territory　to　the　north　and　west　of　Missouri　which　had　been　made　free　by　the　Compromise　of　1820；　while　the　free　Northwest　was　to　have　its　railroad　to　the　coast　and　also　its　chance　to　expand　into　the　Indian　country。　　Douglas　thus　became　the　champion　of　a　bill　which　would　organize　two　new　territories；　Kansas　and　Nebraska；　but　which　would　leave　the　settlers　in　each　to　decide　whether　slavery　or　free　labor　should　prevail　within　their　boundaries。　　This　territorial　scheme　was　accepted　by　a　Congress　in　which　the　Southerners　and　their　Northern　allies　held　control；　and　what　is　known　as　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Bill　was　signed　by　President　Pierce　on　May　30；1854。*

*The　origin　of　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Bill　has　been　a　much　discussed　subject　among　historians　in　recent　years。　　The　older　view　that　Douglas　was　simply　playing　into　the　hands　of　the　〃slavepower〃　by　sacrificing　Kansas；　is　no　longer　tenable。　　This　point　has　been　elaborated　by　Allen　Johnson　in　his　study　of　Douglas　（〃Stephen　A。　Douglas：　a　Study　in　American　Politics〃）。　　In　his　〃Repeal　of　the　Missouri　Compromise〃；　P。O。　Ray　contends　that　the　legislation　of　1854　originated　in　a　factional　controversy　in　Missouri；　and　that　Douglas　merely　served　the　interests　of　the　proslavery　group　led　by　Senator　David　R。　Atchinson　of　Missouri。　　Still　another　point　of　view　is　that　presented　in　the　〃Genesis　of　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Act；〃　by　F。　H。　Hodder；　who　would　explain　not　only　the　division　of　the　Nebraska　Territory　into　Kansas　and　Nebraska；　but　the　object　of　the　entire　bill　by　the　insistent　efforts　of　promoters　of　the　Pacific　railroad　scheme　to　secure　a　right　of　way　through　Nebraska。　　This　project　involved　the　organization　of　a　territorial　government　and　the　repeal　of　the　Missouri　Compromise。　　Douglas　was　deeply　interested　in　the　western　railroad　interests　and　carried　through　the　necessary　legislation。



CHAPTER　II。　THE　PARTY　OF　POLITICAL　EVASION

In　order　to　understand　Douglas　one　must　understand　the　Democratic　party　of　1854　in　which　Douglas　was　a　conspicuous　leader。　　The　Democrats　boasted　that　they　were　the　only　really　national　party　and　contended　that　their　rivals；　the　Whigs　and　the　Know…Nothings；　were　merely　the　representatives　of　localities　or　classes。　Sectionalism　was　the　favorite　charge　which　the　Democrats　brought　against　their　enemies；　and　yet　it　was　upon　these　very　Democrats　that　the　slaveholders　had　hitherto　relied；　and　it　was　upon　certain　members　of　this　party　that　the　label；　〃Northern　men　with　Southern　principles；〃　had　been　bestowed。

The　label　was　not；　however；　altogether　fair；　for　the　motives　of　the　Democrats　were　deeply　rooted　in　their　own　peculiar　temperament。　In　the　last　analysis；　what　had　held　their　organization　together；　and　what　had　enabled　them　to　dominate　politics　for　nearly　the　span　of　a　generation；　was　their　faith　in　a　principle　that　then　appealed　powerfully；　and　that　still　appeals；　to　much　in　the　American　character。　　This　was　the　principle　of　negative　action　on　the　part　of　the　governmentthe　old　idea　that　the　government　should　do　as　little　as　possible　and　should　confine　itself　practically　to　the　duties　of　the　policeman。　　This　principle　has　seemed　always　to　express　to　the　average　mind　that　traditional　individualism　which　is　an　inheritance　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　race。　　In　America；　in　the　middle　of　the　nineteenth　century；　it　reenforced　that　tradition　of　local　independence　which　was　strong　throughout　the　West　and　doubly　strong　in　the　South。　　Then；　too；　the　Democratic　party　still　spoke　the　language　of　the　theoretical　Democracy　inherited　from　Jefferson。　And　Americans　have　always　been　the　slaves　of　phrases！

Furthermore；　the　close　alliance　of　the　Northern　party　machine　with　the　South　made　it；　generally；　an　object　of　care　for　all　those　Northern　interests　that　depended　on　the　Southern　market。　　As　to　the　Southerners；　their　relation　with　this　party　has　two　distinct　chapters。　　The　first　embraced　the　twenty　years　preceding　the　Compromise　of　1850；　and　may　be　thought　of　as　merging　into　the　second　during　three　or　four　years　following　the　great　equivocation。　In　that　period；　while　the　antislavery　crusade　was　taking　form；　the　aim　of　Southern　politicians　was　mainly　negative。　　〃Let　us　alone；〃　was　their　chief　demand。　　Though　aggressive　in　their　policy；　they　were　too　far…sighted　to　demand　of　the　North　any　positive　course　in　favor　of　slavery。　　The　rise　of　a　new　type　of　Southern　politician；　however；　created　a　different　situation　and　began　a　second　chapter　in　the　relation　between　the　South　and　the　Democratic　party　machine　in　the　North。　　But　of　that　hereafter。

Until　1854；　it　was　the　obvious　part　of　wisdom　for　Southerners　to　cooperate　as　far　as　possible　with　that　party　whose　cardinal　idea　was　that　the　government　should　come　as　near　as　conceivable　to　a　system　of　non…interference；　that　it　should　not　interfere　with　business；　and　therefore　oppose　a　tariff；　that　it　should　not　interfere　with　local　government；　and　therefore　applaud　states　rights；　that　it　should　not　interfere　with　slavery；　and　therefore　frown　upon　militant　abolition。　　Its　policy　was；　to　adopt　a　familiar　phrase；　one　of　masterly　inactivity。　　Indeed　it　may　well　be　called　the　party　of　political　evasion。　　It　was　a　huge；　loose　confederacy　of　differing　political　groups；　embracing　paupers　and　millionaires；　moderate　anti…slavery　men　and　slave　barons；　all　of　whom　were　held　together　by　the　unreliable　bond　of　an　agreement　not　to　tread　on　each　other's　toes。

Of　this　party　Douglas　was　the　typical　representative；　both　in　strength　and　weakness。　　He　had　all　its　pliability；　its　good　humor；　its　broad　and　easy　way　with　things；　its　passion　for　playing　politics。　　Nevertheless；　in　calling　upon　the　believers　in　political　evasion　to　consent　for　this　once　to　reverse　their　principle　and　to　endorse　a　positive　action；　he　had　taken　a　great　risk。　　Would　their　sporting　sense　of　politics　as　a　gigantic　game　carry　him　through　successfully？　　He　knew　that　there　was　a　hard　fight　before　him；　but　with　the　courage　of　a　great　political　strategist；　and　proudly　confident　in　his　hold　upon　the　main　body　of　his　party；　he　prepared　for　both　the　attacks　and　the　defections　that　were　inevitable。

Defections；　indeed；　began　at　once。　　Even　before　the　bill　had　been　passed；　the　〃Appeal　of　the　Independent　Democrats〃　was　printed　in　a　New　York　paper；　with　the　signatures　of　members　of　Congress　representing　both　the　extreme　anti…slavery　wing　of　the　Democrats　and　the　organized　Free…Soil　party。　　The　most　famous　of　these　names　were　those　of　Chase　and　Sumner；　both　of　whom　had　been　sent　to　the　Senate　by　a　coalition　of　Free…Soilers　and　Democrats。　　With　them　was　the　veteran　abolitionist；　Giddings　of　Ohio。　　The　〃Appeal〃　denounced　Douglas　as　an　〃unscrupulous　politician〃　and　sounded　both　the　warcries　of　the　Northern　masses　by　accusing　him　of　being　engaged　in　〃an　atrocious　plot　to　exclude　from　a　vast　unoccupied　region　immigrants　from　the　Old　World　and　free　laborers　from　our　own　States。〃

The　events　of　the　spring　and　summer　of　1854　may　all　be　grouped　under　two　headsthe　formation　of　an　antiNebraska　party；　and　the　quick　rush　of　sectional　patriotism　to　seize　the　territory　laid　open　by　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Act。　　The　instantaneous　refusal　of　the　Northerners　to　confine　their　settlement　to　Nebraska；　and　their　prompt　invasion　of　Kansas；　the　similar　invasion　from　the　South；　the　support　of　both　movements　by　societies　organized　for　that　purpose；　the　war　in　Kansas　all　the　details　of　this　thrilling　story　have　been　told　elsewhere。*　The　political　story　alone　concerns　us　here。

*See　Jesse　Macy；　〃The　Anti…Slavery　Crusade〃。　（In　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃。）


When　the　fight　began　there　were　four　parties　in　the　field：　the　Democrats；　the　Whigs；　the　Free…Soilers；　and　the　Know…Nothings。

The　Free…Soil　party；　hitherto　a　small　organization；　had　sought　to　make　slavery　the　main　issue　in　politics。　　Its　watchword　was　〃Free　soil；　free　speech；　free　labor；　and　free　men。〃　　It　is　needless　to　add　that　it　was　instantaneous　in　its　opposition　to　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Act。

The　Whigs　at　the　moment　enjoyed　the　greatest　prestige；　owing　to　the　association　with　them　of　such　distinguished　leaders　as　Webster　and　Clay。　　In　1854；　however；　as　a　party　they　were　dying；　and　the　very　condition　that　had　made　success　po