abraham lincoln and the union-第3节

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They　were　democrats；　but　not　after　the　simple；　elementary　manner　of　the　democrats　at　the　opening　of　the　century。　　In　the　North；　there　had　come　to　life　a　peculiar　phase　of　idealism　that　had　touched　democracy　with　mysticism　and　had　added　to　it　a　vague　but　genuine　romance。　　This　new　vision　of　the　destiny　of　the　country　had　the　practical　effect　of　making　the　Northerners　identify　themselves　in　their　imaginations　with　all　mankind　and　in　creating　in　them　an　enthusiastic　desire；　not　only　to　give　to　every　American　a　home　of　his　own；　but　also　to　throw　open　the　gates　of　the　nation　and　to　share　the　wealth　of　America　with　the　poor　of　all　the　world。　In　very　truth；　it　was　their　dominating　passion　to　give　〃land　to　the　landless。〃　　Here　was　the　clue　to　much　of　their　attitude　toward　the　South。　　Most　of　these　Northern　dreamers　gave　little　or　no　thought　to　slavery　itself；　but　they　felt　that　the　section　which　maintained　such　a　system　so　committed　to　aristocracy　that　any　real　friendship　with　it　was　impossible。

We　are　thus　forced　to　conceive　the　American　Republic　in　the　years　immediately　following　the　Compromise　of　1850　as；　in　effect；　a　dual　nation；　without　a　common　loyalty　between　the　two　parts。　　Before　long　the　most　significant　of　the　great　Northerners　of　the　time　was　to　describe　this　impossible　condition　by　the　appropriate　metaphor　of　a　house　divided　against　itself。　　It　was　not；　however；　until　eight　years　after　the　division　of　the　country　had　been　acknowledged　in　1850　that　these　words　were　uttered。　　In　those　eight　years　both　sections　awoke　to　the　seriousness　of　the　differences　that　they　had　admitted。　　Both　perceived　that；　instead　of　solving　their　problem　in　1850；　they　had　merely　drawn　sharply　the　lines　of　future　conflict。　　In　every　thoughtful　mind　there　arose　the　same　alternative　questions：　Is　there　no　solution　but　fighting　it　out　until　one　side　destroys　the　other；　or　we　end　as　two　nations　confessedly　independent？　Or　is　there　some　conceivable　new　outlet　for　this　opposition　of　energy　on　the　part　of　the　sections；　some　new　mode　of　permanent　adjustment？

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