the life of stephen a. douglas-第13节

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rs　in　which　the　Missourians　outnumbered　their　rivals　and　captured　the　territorial　government。　　The　Northern　colonists　organized　a　State　and　attempted　to　run　it。　　Irregular　warfare　was　maintained　between　the　Lawrence　squatters　and　the　invading　Missourians　to　determine　which　faction　was　entitled　to　exercise　the　sovereignty　delegated　by　Congress。

The　House　passed　a　bill　to　admit　Kansas　with　the　Constitution　adopted　at　Topeka　by　the　Northern　settlers　in　their　abortive　effort　to　organize　a　State。　　It　failed　in　the　Senate　and　a　few　days　later　the　Federal　troops　dispersed　the　usurping　State　legislature。　　The　Governor　seeing　that　all　civil　authority　was　ended；　negotiate　a　truce　between　the　warring　factions；　resigned　and　hastened　away　from　the　scene　of　the　disastrous　experiment　of　Squatter　Sovereignty。

The　meeting　of　Congress　on　December　3rd；　1855；　marked　another　stage　in　the　great　struggle。　　So　completely　were　the　parties　disorganized　that　it　was　found　impossible　to　classify　this　Congress。　　From　December　3rd　to　February　2nd　the　House　was　unable　even　to　organize　itself。　　On　December　31st　the　President　sent　in　his　message。　　He　disposed　of　the　overshadowing　problem　in　a　few　brief　words　and　devoted　the　message　to　ephemeral　matters　long　since　as　completely　forgotten　as　himself。　　Although　civil　war　had　been　raging　in　Kansas　for　many　months　and　the　carnival　of　crime　was　still　in　progress　on　that　frontier；　he　gravely　assured　Congress　that　it　was　a　matter　of　congratulation　that　the　Republic　was　tranquilly　advancing　in　a　career　of　prosperity　and　peace。　　He　told　them　that　the　people　of　the　Territory　were　clothed　with　the　power　of　self…government　and　that　he　had　not　felt　justified　in　interfering　with　their　exercise　of　that　right。　　But　on　January　24th　he　sent　another　message　announcing　in　general　terms　the　disappointment　of　his　hopes　and　recommending　an　enabling　act　for　the　admission　of　Kansas　as　a　State。

The　Senate　consisted　of　thirty…four　Democrats；　twelve　Whigs　and　thirteen　Republicans。　　Douglas　was　the　recognized　leader　of　the　majority；　without　whose　presence　they　were　unwilling　to　take　any　decisive　action。　　But　he　was　detained　by　sickness　and　did　not　take　his　seat　until　February　11th。

On　the　12th　of　March　he　presented　to　the　Senate　a　most　elaborate　report　from　his　Committee；　together　with　a　bill　to　authorize　the　people　of　Kansas　to　organize　a　State　whenever　they　should　number　93；420。

It　is　impossible　to　read　this　report；　which　was　prepared　by　himself；　without　admiring　his　subtle　art　and　consummate　skill。　　He　argued　away　the　power　of　Congress　to　impose　restrictions　on　new　States　applying　for　their　admission；　other　than　that　the　Constitution　be　republican　in　form；　and　insisted　that　the　people　of　the　Territories　must　be　left　perfectly　free　to　form　their　own　institutions　and　were　entitled　to　admission　as　matter　of　right。　　He　traced　the　trouble　to　the　pernicious　activity　of　the　Emigrant　Aid　Company；　which　had　attempted　to　force　New　England　institutions　and　customs　upon　the　Territory。　　He　accused　this　Company　of　systematic　colonization　and　drew　a　moving　picture　of　the　march　of　these　political　colonists　across　Missouri；　pouring　out　their　denunciations　of　slavery；　exhibiting　their　hostility　to　the　institutions　of　that　State；　until　at　last　the　people　in　alarm　resolved　on　defense。　　He　admitted　that　there　might　be　some　cause　for　regret　over　the　occasional　errors　and　excesses　of　the　Missourians；　but　it　must　not　be　forgotten　that　they　were　defending　their　internal　prosperity　and　domestic　security　against　the　invasion　of　New　England　fanatics；　who　were　bringing　in　their　grain　〃the　horrors　of　servile　insurrection　and　intestine　war。〃

The　attempt　to　organize　a　State　government　at　Topeka　he　condemned　as　a　seditious　movement；　designed　to　overthrow　the　territorial　government　and　the　authority　of　the　United　States。　　He　justified　the　law　referring　the　question　of　slavery　to　the　inhabitants；　and　traced　its　failure　to　the　intemperate　passions　of　those　who　had　precipitated　this　mad　contest　for　mastery。

Collamer　of　Vermont　presented　the　minority　report；　condemning　the　violence　of　the　friends　of　slavery；　deploring　the　fearful　results　of　the　experiment　of　Squatter　Sovereignty　and　urging　speedy　admission　of　the　State。　　It　condemned　the　provision　of　the　law　referring　the　question　of　slavery　to　the　inhabitants　and　traced　the　entire　trouble　to　that　blunder。

Sumner　at　once　denounced　the　report　of　the　majority；　intimated　his　purpose　of　properly　setting　the　brand　of　falsehood　upon　it　in　a　subsequent　speech；　and　told　them　to　〃begin　their　game　with　loaded　dice。〃

Douglas　angrily　challenged　him　to　deny　a　single　fact　in　the　report　and　said　he　was　ready　to　overwhelm　him　with　proof。　　〃We　are　ready　to　meet　the　issue；〃　he　said；　〃and　there　will　be　no　dodging。　　We　intend　to　meet　it　boldly；　to　require　submission　to　the　laws　and　to　the　constituted　authorities；　to　reduce　to　subjection　those　who　resist　them；　and　to　punish　rebellion　and　treason。　　I　am　glad　that　a　defiant　spirit　is　exhibited　here；　we　accept　the　issue。〃

Two　days　later　Trumbull　spoke　in　unsparing　criticism　of　the　report　of　the　Committee。　　It　happened　that　Douglas　was　absent　when　he　began。　Word　was　carried　to　him　and　he　hurried　to　the　Senate。　　When　Trumbull　closed　and　the　usual　motion　to　adjourn　was　made；　he　protested　against　it　and　denounced　the　discourtesy　of　discussing　the　report　during　his　absence。　　He　was　vexed　especially　by　his　colleague's　exasperating　statement　that　was　a　〃life…long　Democrat　and　was　representing　the　Democracy　of　Illinois　in　the　Senate。〃　　He　assured　them　that　Trumbull　was　without　party　standing　in　that　state；　and　proposed　that　they　sign　a　joint　resignation；　thus　submitting　their　quarrel　to　the　people。　　But　there　was　a　deeper　wound　than　this　which　still　rankled；　and　he　turned　from　his　colleague　to　pour　out　his　wrath　on　Sumner　for　the　publication　of　the　〃Appeal　of　the　Independent　Democrats；〃　and　the　old　quarrel　between　them　was　rehearsed　anew　with　increasing　bitterness　on　both　sides。

On　the　20th　he　spoke　for　two　hours　and　a　half　in　defense　of　his　report。　　Charges　of　fraud；　violence　or　illegal　voting；　he　said；　were　made　in　but　seven　of　the　eighteen　election　districts　into　which　Kansas　was　divided；　although　ample　provisions　had　been　made　for　the　presentation　of　protests　to　the　Governor。　　A　large　majority　of　both　branches　of　the　legislature　were　elected　by　these　eleven　districts　where　no　complaints　were　made。　　At　least　a　quorum　must　have　been　legally　elected。　　The　minority　report　charged　that　on　the　day　of　the　territorial　election；　〃large　bodies　of　armed　men　from　the　State　of　Missouri　appeared　at　the　polls　in　most　of　the　districts；　and　by　most　violent　and　tumultuous　carriage　and　demeanor；　over…awed　the　defenseless　inhabitants　and　by　their　own　votes；　elected　a　large　majority　of　the　members　of　both　houses　of　said　Assembly。〃

But　the　report　contained　not　a　word　about　the　eleven　uncontested　districts　affected　by　this　invasion。　　In　the　eleven　uncontested　districts　the　judges　made　their　returns　in　due　form　and；　no　protests　nor　charges　of　fraud　or　illegal　voting　being　presented；　the　Governor　granted　certificates　of　election　as　a　matter　of　course。　The　minority　stated　that　in　many　districts　protest　had　not　been　made　because　the　inhabitants；　discouraged　and　intimidated　by　the　Missouri　invaders；　had　let　the　matter　pass。　　Yet　at　Lawrence　and　Leavenworth；　the　chief　centers　of　the　alleged　Missouri　violence　the　people　were　not　intimidated　from　contesting　the　election；　what　reason　was　there　to　suppose　that　elsewhere；　remote　from　the　scene　of　trouble；　they　were　so　completely　conquered　that　they　dared　not　protest　against　their　wrongs　and　petition　for　redress　of　their　grievances？

The　thirty…three　judges　appointed　by　the　Government　to　conduct　the　election　in　the　eleven　districts；　all　swore　that　the　returns　contained　a　true　statement　of　the　votes　polled　by　the　lawful　voters。　The　Governor；　two　weeks　after　giving　certificates　of　election；　issued　his　proclamation　commanding　the　members　to　assemble　on　the　2d　of　July。　　He　recognized　the　legitimacy　of　the　legislature　in　his　message；　invoking　the　Divine　blessing　on　it　and　recommending　the　passage　of　important　laws。　　But　he　afterward　quarreled　with　the　legislature。　　He　then　sought　to　repudiate　it　and　impeach　its　validity　by　charging　that　it　had　been　elected　by　Missouri　invaders。　The　only　evidence　before　the　Committee　tending　to　show　irregularities　in　the　election　was　the　hearsay　statement　of　the　Governor；　which　flatly　contradicted　his　solemn　official　declarations。　　The　legislature　itself　had　investigated　the　elections　of　all　members　against　whom　contests　were　filed　and　its　legitimacy　was　finally　and　conclusively　established。　　The　malcontents　having　failed　to　capture　the　legislature；　encouraged　by　Governor　Reeder　（who　had　meanwhile　been　relieved　from　office）；　instituted　their　rebellious　Topeka　movement　and；　in　defiance　of　the　law；　attempted　to　organize　a　State。

The　movement　was　revolutionary　and　intended　to　subvert　the　existing　Government。　　Only　two　laws　enacted　by　the　territorial　legislature　were　complained　of　as　unjust；that　relating　to　elections　and　that　relating　to　slaves。　　The　social；　domestic　and　pecuniary　relations　of　the　people　had　adjusted　themselves　to　th