abraham lincoln and the union-第7章

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tion　whether　slavery　may　or　may　not　go　into　a　territory　under　the　Constitution；　the　people　have　the　lawful　means　to　introduce　it　or　exclude　it　as　they　please；　for　the　reason　that　slavery　cannot　exist　a　day　or　an　hour　anywhere　unless　it　is　supported　by　local　police　regulations。　　Those　police　regulations　can　only　be　established　by　the　local　legislatures；　and　if　the　people　are　opposed　to　slavery；　they　will　elect　representatives　to　that　body　who　will　by　unfriendly　legislation　effectually　prevent　the　introduction　of　it　into　their　midst。　If；　on　the　contrary；　they　are　for　it；　their　legislation　will　favor　its　extension。　　Hence；　no　matter　what　the　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court　may　be　on　that　abstract　question；　still　the　right　of　the　people　to　make　a　slave　territory　or　a　free　territory　is　perfect　and　complete　under　the　Nebraska　Bill。〃

As　to　the　moral　aspect　of　his　actions；　Douglas　must　ultimately　be　judged　by　the　significance　which　this　position　in　which　he　placed　himself　assumed　in　his　own　mind。　　Friendly　critics　excuse　him：　an　interpretation　of　the　Dred　Scott　decision　which　explained　it　away　as　an　irresponsible　utterance　on　a　subject　outside　the　scope　of　the　case；　a　mere　obiter　dictum；　is　the　justification　which　is　called　in　to　save　him　from　the　charge　of　insincerity。　　His　friends；　today；　admit　that　this　interpretation　was　bad　law；　but　maintain　that　it　may　have　been　good　morals；　and　that　Douglas　honestly　held　it。　　But　many　of　us　have　not　yet　advanced　so　far　in　critical　generosity；　and　cannot　help　feeling　that　Douglas's　position　remains　political　legerdemainan　attempt　by　a　great　officer　of　the　government；　professing　to　defend　the　Supreme　Court；　to　show　the　people　how　to　go　through　the　motions　of　obedience　to　the　Court　while　defeating　its　intention。　　If　not　double…dealing　in　a　strict　sense；　it　must　yet　be　considered　as　having　in　it　the　temper　of　double…dealing。*　This　was；　indeed；　the　view　of　many　men　of　his　own　day　and；　among　them；　of　Lincoln。　　Yet　the　type　of　man　on　whom　the　masters　of　the　game　of　politics　relied　saw　nothing　in　Douglas's　position　at　which　to　be　disturbed。　　It　was　merely　playing　politics；　and　if　that　absorbing　sport　required　one　to　carry　water　on　both　shoulders；　whyplay　the　game！　Douglas　was　the　man　for　people　like　that。　　They　cheered　him　to　the　echo　and　sent　him　back　to　the　Senate。　　So　well　was　this　type　understood　by　some　of　Lincoln's　friends　that　they　had　begged　him；　at　least　according　to　tradition；　not　to　put　the　question　at　Freeport；　as　by　doing　so　he　would　enable　Douglas　to　save　himself　with　his　constituency。　　Lincoln　saw　further；　however。　　He　understood　better　than　they　the　forces　then　at　work　in　America。　The　reply　reported　of　him　was：　〃If　Douglas　answers；　he　can　never　be　President；　and　the　battle　of　1860　is　worth　a　hundred　of　this。〃

*　There　are　three　ways　of　regarding　Douglas's　position：　（1）　As　a　daring　piece　of　evasion　designed　to　hold　all　the　Democrats　together；　（2）　as　an　attempt　to　secure　his　locality　at　all　costs；　taking　his　chances　on　the　South；　（3）　as　a　sincere　expression　of　the　legal　interpretation　mentioned　above。　　It　is　impossible　in　attempting　to　choose　among　these　to　escape　wholly　one's　impression　of　the　man's　character。


Well　might　Yancey　and　his　followers　receive　with　a　shout　of　joy　the　〃Freeport　Doctrine；〃　as　Douglas's　supreme　evasion　was　called。　Should　Southerners　trust　any　longer　the　man　who　had　evolved　from　the　principle　of　let…'em…alone　to　the　principle　of　double…dealing？　However；　the　Southerners　were　far　from　controlling　the　situation。　Though　the　events　of　1858　had　created　discord　in　the　Democratic　party；　they　had　not　consolidated　the　South。　　Men　like　Toombs　and　Stephens　were　still　hopeful　of　keeping　the　States　together　in　the　old　bond　of　political　evasion。　　The　Democratic　machine；　damaged　though　it　was；　had　not　yet　lost　its　hold　on　the　moderate　South；　and　while　that　continued　to　be　the　case；　there　was　still　power　in　it。



CHAPTER　IV。　THE　CRISIS

The　Southern　moderates　in　1859　form　one　of　those　political　groups；　numerous　enough　in　history；　who　at　a　crisis　arrest　our　imagination　because　of　the　irony　of　their　situation。　　Unsuspecting；　these　men　went　their　way；　during　the　last　summer　of　the　old　regime；　busy　with　the　ordinary　affairs　of　state；　absorbed　in　their　opposition　to　the　Southern　radicals；　never　dreaming　of　the　doom　that　was　secretly　moving　toward　them　through　the　plans　of　John　Brown。　　In　the　soft　brilliancy　of　the　Southern　summer　when　the　roses　were　in　bloom；　many　grave　gentlemen　walked　slowly　up　and　down　together　under　the　oaks　of　their　plantation　avenues；　in　the　grateful　dusk；　talking　eagerly　of　how　the　scales　trembled　in　Southern　politics　between　Toombs　and　Yancey；　and　questioning　whether　the　extremists　could　ride　down　the　moderate　South　and　reopen　the　slave　trade。　　In　all　their　wondering　whether　Douglas　would　ever　come　back　to　them　or　would　prove　the　blind　Samson　pulling　down　their　temple　about　their　ears；　there　was　never　a　word　about　the　approaching　shadow　which　was　so　much　more　real　than　the　shades　of　the　falling　night；　and　yet　so　entirely　shut　away　from　their　observation。

In　this　summer；　Stephens　withdrew　as　he　thought　from　public　life。　With　an　intensely　sensitive　nature；　he　had　at　times　flashes　of　strange　feeling　which　an　unsophisticated　society　would　regard　as　prophetic　inspirations。　　When　he　left　Washington　〃on　the　beautiful　morning　of　the　5th　of　March；　1859；　he　stood　at　the　stern　of　the　boat　for　some　minutes　gazing　back　at　the　capital。〃　　He　had　announced　his　intention　of　not　standing　again　as　a　Representative；　and　one　of　his　fellow…passengers　asked　jokingly　whether　he　was　thinking　of　his　return　as　a　Senator。　　Stephen's　reply　was　full　of　emotion；　〃No；　I　never　expect　to　see　Washington　again　unless　I　am　brought　here　as　a　prisoner　of　war。〃　　During　the　summer　he　endeavored　to　cast　off　his　intuition　of　approaching　disaster。　　At　his　plantation；　〃Liberty　Hall；〃　he　endeavored　to　be　content　with　the　innumerable　objects　associated　with　his　youth；　he　tried　to　feel　again　the　grace　of　the　days　that　were　gone；　the　mysterious　loveliness　of　the　Southern　landscape　with　its　immense　fields；　its　forests；　its　great　empty　spaces　filled　with　glowing　sunshine。　　He　tried　to　possess　his　troubled　soul　with　the　severe　intellectual　ardor　of　the　law。　　But　his　gift　of　second　sight　would　not　rest。　He　could　not　overcome　his　intuition　that；　for　all　the　peace　and　dreaminess　of　the　outward　world；　destiny　was　upon　him。　　Looking　out　from　his　spiritual　seclusion；　he　beheld　what　seemed　to　him　complete　political　confusion；　both　local　and　national。　　His　despairing　mood　found　expression　a　little　later　in　the　words：　〃Indeed　if　we　were　now　to　have　a　Southern　convention　to　determine　upon　the　true　policy　of　the　South　either　in　the　Union　or　out　of　it；　I　should　expect　to　see　just　as　much　profitless　discussion；　disagreement；　crimination；　and　recrimination　amongst　the　members　of　it　from　different　states　and　from　the　same　state；　as　we　witness　in　the　present　House　of　Representatives　between　Democrats；　Republicans；　and　Americans。〃

Among　the　sources　of　confusion　Stephens　saw；　close　at　home；　was　the　Southern　battle　over　the　reopening　of　the　slave　trade。　　The　reality　of　that　issue　had　been　made　plain　in　May；　1859；　when　the　Southern　commercial　congress　at　Vicksburg　entertained　at　the　same　time　two　resolutions：　one；　that　the　convention　should　urge　all　Southern　States　to　amend　their　constitutions　by　a　clause　prohibiting　the　increase　of　African　slavery；　the　other；　that　the　convention　urge　all　the　Legislatures　of　Southern　States　to　present　memorials　to　Congress　asking　the　repeal　of　the　law　against　African　slave　trade。　　Of　these　opposed　resolutions；　the　latter　was　adopted　on　the　last　day　of　the　convention*；　though　the　moderates　fought　hard　against　it。

*It　is　significant　that　the　composition　of　these　Southern　commercial　congresses　and　the　Congress　of　the　whole　Southern　people　was　strikingly　different　in　personnel。　　Very　few　members　of　the　commercial　congresses　reappear　in　the　Confederate　Congress。


The　split　between　Southern　moderates　and　Southern　radicals　was　further　indicated　by　their　differing　attitudes　toward　the　adventurers　from　the　United　States　in　Central　America。　　The　Vicksburg　Convention　adopted　resolutions　which　were　thinly　veiled　endorsements　of　southward　expansion。　　In　the　early　autumn　another　Nicaraguan　expedition　was　nipped　in　the　bud　by　the　vigilance　of　American　naval　forces。　　Cobb；　prime　factor　in　the　group　of　Southern　moderates　as　well　as　Secretary　of　the　Treasury；　wrote　to　Buchanan　expressing　his　satisfaction　at　the　event；　mentioning　the　work　of　his　own　department　in　bringing　it　about；　and　also　alluding　to　his　arrangments　to　prevent　slave　trading　off　the　Florida　coast。

But　the　spirit　of　doubt　was　strong　even　among　the　moderates。　Douglas　was　the　target。　　Stephens　gives　a　glimpse　of　it　in　a　letter　written　during　his　last　session　in　Congress。　　〃Cobb　called　on　me　Saturday　night；〃　he　writes。　　〃He　is　exceedingly　bitter　against　Douglas。　　I　joked　him　a　good　deal；　and　told　him　he　had　better　not　fight；　or　he　would　certainly　be　whipped；　that　is；　in　driving　Douglas　out　of　the　Democratic　party。　　He　said　that　if　Douglas　ever　was　restored　to　the　confidence　of　the　Democracy　of　Georgia；　it　would　be　over　his　dead　body　politically。　　This　shows　his　excitement；　that　is　all。　　I　laughed　at　him；　and　told　him　he　would　run　his　feelings　and　his　policy　into　the　ground。〃　　The　anger　of　Cobb；　who　was　himself　a　confessed　candidate　for　the　Democratic　nomination；　was　imperiling　the　Democratic　national　machine　which　Toombs　was　still　struggling　so　resolutely　to　hold　together。　　Indeed；　as　late　as　the　autumn　of　1859　the　machine　still　held　together。

Then　came　the　man　of　destiny；　the　bolt　from　the　blue；　the　end　of　the　chapter。　　A　marvelous　fanatica　sort　of　reincarnation　of　the　grimmest　of　the　Covenantersby　one　daring　act　shattered　the　machine　and　made　impossible　any　further　coalition　on　the　principle　of　〃nothing　doing。〃　　This　man　of　destiny　was　John　Brown；　whose　attack　on　Harper's　Ferry　took　place　October　16th；　and　whose　execution　by　the　authorities　of　Virginia　on　the　charges　of　murder　and　treason　occurred　on　the　2nd　of　December。

The　incident　filled　the　South　with　consternation。　　The　prompt　condemnation　of　it　by　many　Republican　leaders　did　not　offset；　in　the　minds　of　Southerners；　the　fury　of　praise　accorded　by　others。　The　South　had　a　ghastly　tradition　derived　chiefly　from　what　is　known　as　Nat　Turner's　Rebellion　in　Virginia；　a　tradition　of　the　massacre　of　white　women　and　children　by　negroes。　　As　Brown　had　set　opt　to　rouse　a　slave　rebellion；　every　Southerner　familiar　with　his　own　traditions　shuddered；　identifying　in　imagination　John　Brown　and　Nat　Turner。　　Horror　became　rage　when　the　Southerners　heard　of　enthusiastic　applause　in　Boston　and　of　Emerson's　description　of　Brown　as　〃that　new　saint〃　who　was　to　〃make　the　gallows　glorious　like　the　cross。〃　　In　the　excitement　produced　by　remarks　such　as　this；　justice　was　not　done　to　Lincoln's　censure。　　In　his　speech　at　Cooper　Institute　in　New　York；　in　February；　1860；　Lincoln　had　said：　〃John　Brown's　effort。。。in　its　philosophy　corresponds　with　the　many　attempts　related　in　history　at　the　assassination　of　kings　and　emperors。　　An　enthusiast　broods　over　the　oppression　of　a　people；　until　he　fancies　himself　commissi