abraham lincoln and the union-第4节

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！


called　the　party　of　political　evasion。　　It　was　a　huge；　loose　confederacy　of　differing　political　groups；　embracing　paupers　and　millionaires；　moderate　anti…slavery　men　and　slave　barons；　all　of　whom　were　held　together　by　the　unreliable　bond　of　an　agreement　not　to　tread　on　each　other's　toes。

Of　this　party　Douglas　was　the　typical　representative；　both　in　strength　and　weakness。　　He　had　all　its　pliability；　its　good　humor；　its　broad　and　easy　way　with　things；　its　passion　for　playing　politics。　　Nevertheless；　in　calling　upon　the　believers　in　political　evasion　to　consent　for　this　once　to　reverse　their　principle　and　to　endorse　a　positive　action；　he　had　taken　a　great　risk。　　Would　their　sporting　sense　of　politics　as　a　gigantic　game　carry　him　through　successfully？　　He　knew　that　there　was　a　hard　fight　before　him；　but　with　the　courage　of　a　great　political　strategist；　and　proudly　confident　in　his　hold　upon　the　main　body　of　his　party；　he　prepared　for　both　the　attacks　and　the　defections　that　were　inevitable。

Defections；　indeed；　began　at　once。　　Even　before　the　bill　had　been　passed；　the　〃Appeal　of　the　Independent　Democrats〃　was　printed　in　a　New　York　paper；　with　the　signatures　of　members　of　Congress　representing　both　the　extreme　anti…slavery　wing　of　the　Democrats　and　the　organized　Free…Soil　party。　　The　most　famous　of　these　names　were　those　of　Chase　and　Sumner；　both　of　whom　had　been　sent　to　the　Senate　by　a　coalition　of　Free…Soilers　and　Democrats。　　With　them　was　the　veteran　abolitionist；　Giddings　of　Ohio。　　The　〃Appeal〃　denounced　Douglas　as　an　〃unscrupulous　politician〃　and　sounded　both　the　warcries　of　the　Northern　masses　by　accusing　him　of　being　engaged　in　〃an　atrocious　plot　to　exclude　from　a　vast　unoccupied　region　immigrants　from　the　Old　World　and　free　laborers　from　our　own　States。〃

The　events　of　the　spring　and　summer　of　1854　may　all　be　grouped　under　two　headsthe　formation　of　an　antiNebraska　party；　and　the　quick　rush　of　sectional　patriotism　to　seize　the　territory　laid　open　by　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Act。　　The　instantaneous　refusal　of　the　Northerners　to　confine　their　settlement　to　Nebraska；　and　their　prompt　invasion　of　Kansas；　the　similar　invasion　from　the　South；　the　support　of　both　movements　by　societies　organized　for　that　purpose；　the　war　in　Kansas　all　the　details　of　this　thrilling　story　have　been　told　elsewhere。*　The　political　story　alone　concerns　us　here。

*See　Jesse　Macy；　〃The　Anti…Slavery　Crusade〃。　（In　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃。）


When　the　fight　began　there　were　four　parties　in　the　field：　the　Democrats；　the　Whigs；　the　Free…Soilers；　and　the　Know…Nothings。

The　Free…Soil　party；　hitherto　a　small　organization；　had　sought　to　make　slavery　the　main　issue　in　politics。　　Its　watchword　was　〃Free　soil；　free　speech；　free　labor；　and　free　men。〃　　It　is　needless　to　add　that　it　was　instantaneous　in　its　opposition　to　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Act。

The　Whigs　at　the　moment　enjoyed　the　greatest　prestige；　owing　to　the　association　with　them　of　such　distinguished　leaders　as　Webster　and　Clay。　　In　1854；　however；　as　a　party　they　were　dying；　and　the　very　condition　that　had　made　success　possible　for　the　Democrats　made　it　impossible　for　the　Whigs；　because　the　latter　stood　for　positive　ideas；　and　aimed　to　be　national　in　reality　and　not　in　the　evasive　Democratic　sense　of　the　term。　　For；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　on　analysis　all　the　greater　issues　of　the　day　proved　to　be　sectional。　　The　Whigs　would　not；　like　the　Democrats；　adopt　a　negative　attitude　toward　these　issues；　nor　would　they　consent　to　become　merely　sectional。　　Yet　at　the　moment　negation　and　sectionalism　were　the　only　alternatives；　and　between　these　millstones　the　Whig　organization　was　destined　to　be　ground　to　bits　and　to　disappear　after　the　next　Presidential　election。

Even　previous　to　1854；　numbers　of　Whigs　had　sought　a　desperate　outlet　for　their　desire　to　be　positive　in　politics　and　had　created　a　new　party　which　during　a　few　years　was　to　seem　a　reality　and　then　vanish　together　with　its　parent。　　The　one　chance　for　a　party　which　had　positive　ideas　and　which　wished　not　to　be　sectional　was　the　definite　abandonment　of　existing　issues　and　the　discovery　of　some　new　issue　not　connected　with　sectional　feeling。　　Now；　it　happened　that　a　variety　of　causes；　social　and　religious；　had　brought　about　bad　blood　between　native　and　foreigner；　in　some　of　the　great　cities；　and　upon　the　issue　involved　in　this　condition　the　failing　spirit　of　the　Whigs　fastened。　　A　secret　society　which　had　been　formed　to　oppose　the　naturalization　of　foreigners　quickly　became　a　recognized　political　party。　　As　the　members　of　the　Society　answered　all　questions　with　〃I　do　not　know；〃　they　came　to　be　called　〃Know…Nothings；〃　though　they　called　themselves　〃Americans。〃　　In　those　states　where　the　Whigs　had　been　strongest　Massachusetts；　New　York；　and　Pennsylvaniathis　last　attempt　to　apply　their　former　temper；　though　not　their　principles；　had　for　a　moment　some　success；　but　it　could　not　escape　the　fierce　division　which　was　forced　on　the　country　by　Douglas。　　As　a　result；　it　rapidly　split　into　factions；　one　of　which　merged　with　the　enemies　of　Douglas；　while　the　other　was　lost　among　his　supporters。

What　would　the　great　dying　Whig　party　leave　behind　it？　　This　was　the　really　momentous　question　in　1854。　　Briefly；　this　party　bequeathed　the　temper　of　political　positivism　and　at　the　same　time　the　dread　of　sectionalism。　　The　inner　clue　to　American　politics　during　the　next　few　years　is；　to　many　minds；　to　be　found　largely　in　the　union　of　this　old　Whig　temper　with　a　new…born　sectional　patriotism；　and；　to　other　minds；　in　the　gradual　and　reluctant　passing　of　the　Whig　opposition　to　a　sectional　party。　　But　though　this　transformation　of　the　wrecks　of　Whiggism　began　immediately；　and　while　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Bill　was　still　being　hotly　debated　in　Congress；　it　was　not　until　1860　that　it　was　completed。

In　the　meantime　various　incidents　had　shown　that　the　sectional　patriotism　of　the　North；　the　fury　of　the　abolitionists；　and　the　positive　temper　in　politics；　were　all　drawing　closer　together。　Each　of　these　tendencies　can　be　briefly　illustrated。　　For　example；　the　rush　to　Kansas　had　begun；　and　the　Massachusetts　Emigrant　Aid　Society　was　preparing　to　assist　settlers　who　were　going　west。　　In　May；　there　occurred　at　Boston　one　of　the　most　conspicuous　attempts　to　rescue　a　fugitive　slave；　in　which　a　mob　led　by　Thomas　Wentworth　Higginson　attacked　the　guards　of　Anthony　Burns；　a　captured　fugitive；　killed　one　of　them；　but　failed　to　get　the　slave；　who　was　carried　to　a　revenue　cutter　between　lines　of　soldiers　and　returned　to　slavery。　　Among　numerous　details　of　the　hour　the　burning　of　Douglas　in　effigy　is　perhaps　worth　passing　notice。　　In　duly　the　anti…Nebraska　men　of　Michigan　held　a　convention；　at　which　they　organized　as　a　political　party　and　nominated　a　state　ticket。　　Of　their　nominees；　two　had　hitherto　ranked　themselves　as　Free…Soilers；　three　as　anti…slavery　Democrats；　and　five　as　Whigs。　　For　the　name　of　their　party　they　chose　〃Republican；〃　and　as　the　foundation　of　their　platform　the　resolution　〃That；　postponing　and　suspending　all　differences　with　regard　to　political　economy　or　administrative　policy；〃　they　would　〃act　cordially　and　faithfully　in　unison；〃　opposing　the　extension　of　slavery；　and　would　〃cooperate　and　be　known　as　'Republicans'　until　the　contest　be　terminated。〃

The　history　of　the　next　two　years　is；　in　its　main　outlines；　the　story　of　the　war　in　Kansas　and　of　the　spread　of　this　new　party　throughout　the　North。　　It　was　only　by　degrees；　however；　that　the　Republicans　absorbed　the　various　groups　of　anti…Nebraska　men。　What　happened　at　this　time　in　Illinois　may　be　taken　as　typical；　and　it　is　particularly　noteworthy　as　revealing　the　first　real　appearance　of　Abraham　Lincoln　in　American　history。

Though　in　1854　he　was　not　yet　a　national　figure；　Lincoln　was　locally　accredited　with　keen　political　insight；　and　was；　regarded　in　Illinois　as　a　strong　lawyer。　　The　story　is　told　of　him　that；　while　he　was　attending　court　on　the　circuit；　he　heard　the　news　of　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Act　in　a　tavern　and　sat　up　most　of　the　night　talking　about　it。　　Next　morning　he　used　a　phrase　destined　to　become　famous。　〃I　tell　you；〃　said　he　to　a　fellow　lawyer；　〃this　nation　cannot　exist　half　slave　and　half　free。〃

Lincoln；　however；　was　not　one　of　the　first　to　join　the　Republicans。　In　Illinois；　in　1854；　Lincoln　resigned　his　seat　in　the　legislature　to　become　the　Whig　candidate　for　United　States　senator；　to　succeed　the　Democratic　colleague　of　Douglas。　　But　there　was　little　chance　of　his　election；　for　the　real　contest　was　between　the　two　wings　of　the　Democrats；　the　Nebraska　men　and　the　anti…Nebraska　men；　and　Lincoln　withdrew　in　favor　of　the　candidate　of　the　latter；　who　was　elected。

During　the　following　year；　from　the　midst　of　his　busy　law　practice；　Lincoln　watched　the　Whig　party　go　to　pieces。　　He　saw　a　great　part　of　its　vote　lodge　temporarily　among　the　Know…Nothings；　but　before　the　end　of　the　year　even　they　began　to　lose　their　prominence。　　In　the　autumn；　from　the　obscurity　of　his　provincial　life；　he　saw；　far　off；　Seward；　the　most　astute　politician　of　the　day；　join　the　new　movement。　　In　New　York；　the　Republican　state　convention　and　the　Whig　state　convention　merged　into　one；　and　Seward　pronounced　a　baptismal　oration　upon　the　Republican　part