按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ive to every idea of the supremacy of the laws of the United States；〃 and announced plainly that the South would not support him for President。 He persistently pressed him to say whether he meant to abide by the Dred Scott decision。
The Court； answered Douglas； had decided that neither Congress nor the territorial legislature could prohibit the settler from bringing his slaves to a Territory。 〃In other words； the right of transit is clear； the right of entry is clear。 * * * You have the same right to hold them as other property； subject to such local laws as the legislature may constitutionally enact。 If those laws render it impracticable to HOLD your property； whether it be your horse or your slave； why； it is your misfortune。〃
He had reached the brink of the abyss。 The South was preparing for treason and rebellion。 Its mood was altogether too tragic to be even amused by his philosophic refinements。 It rejected them now； not with contempt； but with horror。 The North； too； was in stern mood。 Its abhorrence of slavery had intensified with constant agitation。 It was grimly earnest in its resolve to resist all further extension of it and resented the indifference of the statesman who did not care whether the burning crime of the ages was voted up or voted down。
Douglas； who regarded the ethics of this question with indifference and who supremely desired to conciliate the South without alienating the North； blundered in plunging into this debate。 The Southern Senators were unanswerably right。 Since the Dred Scott decision his position was so clearly untenable that to insist upon it amid conditions so threatening seemed to them the most intolerable trifling。 The Republicans looked on as pleased spectators while the battle raged between Northern and Southern Democrats and the party was hopelessly torn asunder。 It was clear the part of prudence to restrain his impulsive pugnacity for the remaining weeks of the session。 But when challenged to defend himself his impatient eagerness to speak was uncontrollable。
Chapter XVII。 Seeking Reconciliation。
After the adjournment he devoted himself to a new and unfamiliar task。 He prepared an article for Harper's Magazine on the slavery question and its relation to party politics； in which he defended his position； explained his philosophy and sought to throw light on this confused subject。 The article made some stir at the time。 It contained nothing； however； which he had not already said much better in his speeches。 He was not a man of literary culture or habits。 His thought was brightest and his eloquence highest when the battle was raging。
The article had the good fortune to provoke a rather elaborate anonymous reply from Jeremiah S。 Black； Buchanan's Attorney…general。 Black was a profound lawyer and better writer than Douglas。 While he would have been no match for him in senatorial debate or on the stump； he completely eclipsed him as a literary controversialist。 Moreover； Black was standing on firm ground； simply insisting that his party accept the decision of the Supreme Court as law and conform its conduct to it without evasion or pettifoggery； while Douglas was striving to stand in mid…air； nullifying the decision by clever tricks and condemning as anarchists the Republicans； who frankly confessed their hostility to it。 He gravely argued that Congress could grant to a territorial legislature power which the Constitution denied to itself。 Black's answer was crushing and showed conclusively that there was no basis in either law or logic for those peculiar doctrines in which Douglas differed from his party。 Black judiciously avoided all discussion of the ethics of the question； confining himself to an examination of the legal basis of Douglas' special creed； proving clearly that it had been utterly swept away。
On the night of October 16th occurred John Brown's mad exploit at Harper's Ferry。 Congress opened on December 5th。 On the 12th of January Douglas' heretical opinions on the right of the people to exclude slavery from the Territories were called in question。 The Southern Senators pressed upon him the fact that he had agreed to abide by the decision of the Supreme Court on the disputed question； and； now that the South had been sustained by the decision； he had virtually repudiated it by his Illinois speeches。 No man holding such opinions； they declared； was a sound Democrat or could possibly receive the vote of a Southern State at the Charleston Convention。 They justified their action in removing him from his chairmanship of the Committee on Territories by a rehearsal of his heretical opinions and announced their purpose to oppose his presidential aspirations。 He defended himself against this irregular attack with great ability and courage； maintaining the soundness of his Democracy and imputing heresy to his accusers； who were seeking to debauch the ancient Democratic faith by infusing into it their late…invented doctrines。 At last； wearied by the irregular debate； he sarcastically proposed that； as his health was poor； they all make their attacks upon him and present their charges； when they were through he would 〃fire at the lump〃 and vindicate every word he had said。
A few days later he offered a resolution to instruct the Judiciary Committee to prepare a bill to suppress and punish conspiracies in one State to invade or otherwise molest the people or property of another； and addressed the Senate upon it。 He expressed his firm and deliberate conviction that the John Brown raid at Harper's Ferry was the natural； logical； inevitable result of the doctrines and teachings of the Republican party as explained and the enforced in speeches of its leaders in and out of Congress。 He said that when he returned home in 1858 for the purpose of canvassing Illinois with a view to reelection； he had to meet this issue of the irrepressible conflict。 Lincoln had already proclaimed the existence of inexpiable hostility between free States and slave States。 Later； Seward had announced it in his Rochester speech。 It was evidently the creed of his party。 The Harper's Ferry outrage was a natural and logical consequence of these pernicious doctrines。 John Brown was simply practicing their philosophy at Harper's Ferry。 The causes that produced this invasion were still in active operation。 These teachers of rebellion were disseminating their deadly principles。 Let Congress pass appropriate laws and make such example of the leaders of these conspiracies as to strike terror into the hearts of the others and there would be an end of this crusade。
With all his courage in meeting recent attacks； it was plain that his only hope of the Presidency lay in the prospect of his reconciliation with the Southern leaders。 They needed his help to prevent the Radicals； Seward； Chase and Lincoln； from carrying the next election。 He needed their help to compass the nomination。 He decided without lowering his standard to win them back by the mere efficiency of his service。 But the Southern leaders were not in search of a Northern master。 They wanted servants in the high places of Government not less humble than the blacks who tilled their plantations。 They instinctively knew that he was not and could not be such a servant。 Rather than support him they would see Seward elected。 He at least frankly avowed his hostility。 If they elected Douglas and he declined to obey； their position would be awkward。 If a sectional Republican were elected； they could secede and set up an independent Government。
On the 7th of May Davis spoke in support of a series of radical resolutions introduced by him on February 2nd； declaring that neither Congress nor a territorial legislature had power to impair the Constitutional right of any citizen of the United States to take his slave property into the common Territories and there hold it； that it was the duty of Congress to protect this right； and that the inhabitants had no power either by direct legislation or by their unfriendly attitude to exclude slavery until they formed a State Constitution。 He spoke with great force in support of them。 He ascribe the authorship of the pernicious heresy of squatter sovereignty to Cass； and threw doubt on the soundness of Douglas' Democracy by a long recital of what he regarded as unsound and heretical opinions and votes。 He showed the complete failure of his distinctive policy in Kansas and the authoritative rejection of his principles by the Supreme Court。 While the speech was courteous and dignified in manner； apparently delivered to elucidate the subject rather than to injure Douglas； it portrayed the wreck of his statesmanship and exposed the unsoundness of his Democracy with dangerous clearness while his candidacy was in the hands of the National Convention。
A week later he replied。 Already the Charleston Convention； and with it his candidacy； had virtually gone to pieces because of Southern hostility to him and his principles。 Davis was the head o the Southern junta； and the debate in the Senate was known to express in cold phrase； the passions that had rent the Convention and threatened to disrupt the party。
As Douglas； anxious but unfaltering； rose to speak； the