the life of stephen a. douglas-第17节

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o　be　still　a　slave；　notwithstanding　his　sojourn　in　Wisconsin；　and　awarded　him　to　Sandford。　　The　case　was　taken　to　the　Supreme　Court　and　there　argued　by　lawyers　of　great　ability　and　learning。　　The　Court　found　unusual　difficulties　in　it；　held　it　under　advisement　during　the　exciting　summer　of　1856；　and　directed　a　re…argument　at　the　December　term。　　On　March　6th；　1857；　two　days　after　the　inauguration　of　Buchanan；　the　Judges　delivered　their　memorable　opinions。

At　this　time　the　Court　consisted　of　five　Southern　Democrats；　two　Northern　Democrats；　one　Whig　and　one　Republican。　　Chief　Justice　Taney　wrote　the　opinion　of　the　Court；　and　did　it　in　a　manner　likely　to　preserve　his　name　from　early　oblivion。　　Judges　McLean　and　Curtis　filed　dissenting　opinions。

The　Court；　after　holding　that　Scott　could　not　maintain　his　action　for　want　of　citizenship；　decided　among　other　things　that：　　〃Whatever　the　General　Government　acquires　it　acquires　for　the　benefit　of　the　people　of　the　several　States　who　created　it。　　It　is　their　trustee；　acting　for　them　and　charged　with　the　duty　of　promoting　the　interests　of　the　whole　people　of　the　Union。　　*　*　*　*　The　right　of　property　in　a　slave　is　distinctly　and　expressly　affirmed　in　the　Constitution。　The　right　to　traffic　in　it；　like　an　ordinary　article　of　merchandise　and　property；　is　guaranteed　to　the　citizens　of　the　United　States。　*　*　*　*　The　Government　*　*　*　is　pledged　to　protect　it　in　all　future　time。　*　*　*　*　The　act　of　Congress　which　prohibits　a　citizen　from　holding　and　owning　property　of　this　kind　in　the　territory　of　the　United　States　north　of　the　line　mentioned　（36　degrees　30　minutes）　is　not　warranted　by　the　Constitution　and　is　therefore　void。　*　*　*　*　*　If　Congress　cannot　do　this　it　will　be　admitted　that　it　could　not　authorize　a　territorial　legislature　to　do　it。〃

Thousands　of　copies　of　the　opinion　of　Judge　Taney　were　printed　and　distributed　among　the　people　by　the　Democrats　who；　at　first；　were　so　elated　over　the　blow　dealt　to　the　Republican　fanatics　that　they　overlooked　the　fact　that　the　decision　was　even　more　fatal　to　the　favorite　doctrine　of　the　Northern　wing　of　their　own　party。

The　dissenting　opinions　were　printed　in　enormous　numbers　by　Republican　committees　and　distributed　among　the　anti…slavery　people　of　the　Northern　and　Middle　States。　　Far　from　settling　the　controversy；　the　powerful　conflicting　opinions　confirmed　the　already　inveterate　prejudices　and　disclosed　with　scientific　clearness　the　fact；　long　dimly　felt；　that　there　existed　two　fundamentally　different　and　irreconcilably　hostile　theories　of　government　among　the　people　which　must　sooner　or　later　grapple　for　the　mastery。　　Naturally　among　Northern　Democrats　the　first　emotion　on　hearing　of　the　decision　was　exultation　over　the　disastrous　reverse　suffered　by　the　Republicans；　whose　whole　political　creed　seemed　annihilated。　　They　had　declared　in　sounding　phrase　that　it　was　the　duty　of　Congress　to　wipe　from　the　Territories　those　twin　relics　of　barbarism；　slavery　and　polygamy；　and　promptly　the　Supreme　Court　had　decided　that　Congress　had　no　such　power。　　But　it　soon　grew　uncomfortably　clear　to　them　that　while　the　decision　upset　the　favorite　dogma　of　the　Republicans；　it　was　utterly　inconsistent　with　the　doctrine　of　popular　sovereignty；　the　fundamental　tenet　of　Northern　Democratic　faith。　　The　decision　was　not　only　a　victory　of　the　Democrats　over　the　Republicans；　but　a　complete　victory　of　the　Southern　slave…holding　Democracy　over　that　of　the　free　North。

To　Douglas　the　situation　in　which　this　left　his　party　was　disastrous。　Restlessly　active　and　efficient　as　he　had　been　in　the　practical　management　of　political　affairs；　his　distinctive　achievement　had　been　the　powerful　advocacy　of　the　doctrine　of　popular　sovereignty；　of　which；　if　not　the　original　author；　he　was　at　least　the　chief　sponsor。　　With　this　doctrine　his　fame　as　a　statesman　was　indissolubly　linked。　　On　its　success　the　unity　of　the　Northern　wing　of　his　party　depended；　on　which　hung　his　hopes　of　victory。

Two　days　before　the　opinion　was　announced　President　Buchanan　in　his　inaugural　address　reminded　the　people　that　the　great　question　which　had　agitated　them　so　long　would　soon　be　settled　by　the　Supreme　court　and　bespoke　general　acquiescence　in　its　decision。　This　unhappy　allusion　gave　rise　to　the　unpleasant　suspicion　that　the　relation　between　the　new　President　and　the　Supreme　Court　in　their　common　service　of　the　South　was　unduly　intimate。

Had　Douglas　been　great　enough　to　sink　the　politician　in　the　statesman；　he　would　now　have　broken　with　the　Southern　wing　of　his　party；　which　had　contemptuously　repudiated　his　entire　system　of　political　doctrines；　he　would　have　rejected　the　new　dogma　imposed　upon　his　party　by　the　Southern　dictators　and　led　the　assault　upon　this　new　creed；　which　was　not　only　fatal　to　himself　as　a　National　statesman；　but　could　not　fail　ultimately　to　prove　fatal　to　his　party　and　involve　his　country　in　the　horrors　of　civil　war。　　His　squatter　sovereignty　was　pitiful　enough。　　But　this　new　doctrine；　announced　by　the　Supreme　Court；　and　approved　by　the　President　and　his　party；　stripped　the　settlers　in　the　Territories　of　all　semblance　of　sovereignty　and　planted　slavery　among　them　by　the　self…acting　energy　of　the　Constitution；　in　utter　disregard　of　their　wishes。　On　the　most　important　question　then　pending　his　party　had　reached　a　conclusion　which　he　believed　to　be　utterly　wrong。　　But　it　was　his　opinion　that　moral　ideas　had　no　place　in　politics。　　He　could　not　break　with　the　powerful　party　which　he　had　led　so　long。　　He　could　not　unqualifiedly　endorse　the　new　doctrine　without　stultifying　himself。　　He　attempted　the　impossible　task　of　reconciling　the　new　creed　with　that　which　he　had　preached　in　the　past。

The　United　States　Grand　Jury　at　Springfield　invited　him　to　address　the　people　of　that　city　on　the　questions　of　the　time。　　He　spoke　on　the　12th　of　June；　1857；　to　a　large　and　enthusiastic　audience。　　He　assured　the　people　that　he　cordially　accepted　the　decision　and　that　it　was　in　perfect　harmony　with　his　favorite　doctrine　of　squatter　sovereignty。　　The　master's　right　to　his　slave　in　the　Territories　he　admitted　was　guaranteed　by　the　Constitution　and　neither　Congress　nor　the　legislature　could　interfere　with　it；　yet　practically　this　right　was　worthless　unless　sustained；　protected　and　enforced　by　appropriate　police　regulations　and　local　legislation　prescribing　adequate　remedies　for　its　violation。　　These　regulations　and　remedies　must　depend　entirely　upon　the　will　and　wishes　of　the　people　of　the　Territory；　as　they　could　only　be　prescribed　by　the　local　legislature。　　Hence；　the　great　principle　of　popular　sovereignty　and　self…government　was　sustained　and　firmly　established　by　the　authority　of　the　decision。

Perhaps；　as　pointed　out　by　a　recent　historian；　it　would　have　been　wiser　for　Douglas　to　have　planted　himself　on　the　sound　legal　proposition　that　the　only　question　decided　by　the　Court　was　that　it　had　no　jurisdiction　of　the　cause　and　that　everything　in　the　opinion　beyond　this　was　mere　obiter　dicta　determining　nothing。　But　it　was　no　easy　matter　for　a　politician　in　1857　to　explain　to　a　popular　audience　that　a　small　fraction　of　the　opinion　of　the　highest　Court　was　binding；　while　the　remainder　was　merely　the　private　opinion　of　the　Judges　on　a　matter　not　before　them。　　Had　Douglas　been　defending　his　opinions　before　a　bench　of　trained　jurists　he　might　have　safely　rested　his　case　on　this　sound　but　technical　rule。　　He　afterwards　did　so　justify　his　opinions　in　the　Senate。　　An　experience　politician　determined　to　carry　a　popular　election　in　a　dangerous　crisis　might　well　hesitate　to　attempt　so　doubtful　an　experiment。　History　would　have　less　temptation　to　call　him　a　demagogue　had　he　pursued　that　course。　　But　we　may　well　doubt　whether；　considered　as　a　problem　of　practical　politics；　he　was　not　wise　in　depending　on　his　ingenious　sophistry；　rather　than　on　this　sound　legal　proposition。

Two　weeks　after　his　speech　Lincoln　addressed　the　people　of　Springfield　in　reply；　pointing　out　the　fallacy　of　Douglas'　chief　argument。　　But　Lincoln　was　still　an　obscure　lawyer；　Douglas　was　the　omnipotent　Senator　whose　ipse　dixit　was　final　and　carried　conviction　to　the　uncritical　multitude。





Chapter　XI。　　Popular　Sovereignty　in　Congress。




While　the　Supreme　Court　was　dedicating　the　Territories　to　slavery　and　Douglas　was　preaching　local　nullification；　anarchy　continued　its　delirious　dance　in　Kansas。　　Guerilla　warfare　continued　to　vex　the　Territory　as　with　unconscious　humor　the　settlers　illustrated　the　doctrine　of　popular　sovereignty　in　practical　operation。

On　January　12th；　1857；　the　legislature　met　at　Lecompton。　　On　the　same　day　the　pro…slavery　party　held　a　convention　in　which　it　was　decided　that　it　was　useless　to　continue　the　struggle。　　But　the　more　active　and　determined　leaders　were　not　so　easily　discouraged　and　decided　with　the　aid　of　the　Administration　to　force　a　pro…slavery　Constitution　upon　the　people　and　drag　the　young　Commonwealth　into　the　Union　as　a　slave　State。　　By　the　middle　of　February　a　bill　passed　the　legislature　providing　for　the　holding　of　a　Constitutional　Convention。　　It　made　no　provision　for　submitting　the　Constitution　to　a　vote。　　Governor　Geary　vetoed　it。　　The　bill　was　at　once　passed　over　the　veto。　　The　election　of　delega