the anti-slavery crusade-第17章

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H。　Seward　of　New　York；　intimating　that　he　expected　him　to　do　much　to　curb　the　threatening　power　of　the　slaveholding　oligarchy；　while　Andrew　Jackson；　who　died　earlier；　had　already　conferred　a　like　distinction　upon　young　Stephen　A。　Douglas。　There　was　no　lack　of　aspirants　for　the　fallen　mantles。　John　C。　Calhoun　continued　almost　to　the　day　of　his　death　to　modify　his　interpretation　of　the　Constitution　in　the　interest　of　his　section。　As　a　young　man　he　avowed　protectionist　principles。　Becoming　convinced　that　slave　labor　was　not　suited　to　manufacture；　he　urged　South　Carolina　to　declare　the　protective　tariff　laws　null　and　void　within　her　limits。　When　his　section　seemed　endangered　by　the　distribution　of　anti…slavery　literature　through　the　mail；　he　extemporized　a　theory　that　each　State　had　a　right　to　pass　statutes　to　protect　itself　in　such　an　emergency；　in　which　case　it　became　the　duty　of　the　general　Government　and　of　all　other　States　to　respect　such　laws。　When　it　finally　appeared　that　the　territory　acquired　from　Mexico　was　likely　to　remain　free；　the　same　statesman　made　further　discoveries。　He　found　that　Congress　had　no　right　to　exclude　slavery　from　any　Territory　belonging　to　the　United　States；　that　the　owners　of　slaves　had　equal　rights　with　the　owners　of　other　property；　that　neither　Congress　nor　a　territorial　authority　had　any　power　to　exclude　slaves　from　a　Territory。　This　doctrine　was　accepted　by　extremists　in　the　South　and　was　finally　embodied　in　the　Dred　Scott　decision　of　1857。　Abolitionists　had　meantime　evolved　a　precisely　contradictory　theory。　They　asserted　that　the　Constitution　gave　no　warrant　for　property　in　man；　except　as　held　under　state　laws；　that　with　this　exception　freedom　was　guaranteed　to　all；　that　Congress　had　no　more　right　to　make　a　slave　than　it　had　to　make　a　king；　and　that　it　was　the　duty　of　Congress　to　maintain　freedom　in　all　the　Territories。　Extremists　expressed　the　view　that　all　past　acts　whereby　slavery　had　been　extended　were　unconstitutional　and　therefore　void。　Between　these　extreme　conflicting　views　was　every　imaginable　grade　of　opinion。　The　prevailing　view　of　opponents　of　slavery；　however；　was　in　harmony　with　their　past　conduct　and　maintained　that　Congress　had　complete　control　over　slavery　in　the　Territories。　When　the　Mexican　territory　was　acquired；　Stephen　A。　Douglas；　as　the　experienced　chairman　of　the　Committee　on　Territories　in　the　Senate；　was　already　developing　a　theory　respecting　slavery　in　the　Territories　which　was　destined　to　play　a　leading　part　in　the　later　crusade　against　slavery。　Douglas　was　the　most　thoroughgoing　of　expansionists　and　would　acknowledge　no　northern　boundary　on　this　side　of　the　North　Pole；　no　southern　boundary　nearer　than　Panama。　He　regarded　the　United　States；　with　its　great　principle　of　local　autonomy；　as　fitted　to　become　eventually　the　United　States　of　the　whole　world；　while　he　held　it　to　be　an　immediate　duty　to　make　it　the　United　States　of　North　America。　As　the　son…　in…law　of　a　Southern　planter　in　North　Carolina；　and　as　the　father　of　sons　who　inherited　slave　property；　Douglas；　although　born　in　Vermont；　knew　the　South　as　did　no　other　Northern　statesman。　He　knew　also　the　institution　of　slavery　at　first　hand。　As　a　pronounced　expansionist　and　as　the　congressional　leader　in　all　matters　pertaining　to　the　Territories；　he　acquired　detailed　information　as　to　the　qualities　of　these　new　possessions；　and　he　spoke；　therefore；　with　a　good　degree　of　authority　when　he　said；　〃If　there　was　one　inch　of　territory　in　the　whole　of　our　acquisitions　from　Mexico　where　slavery　could　exist；　it　was　in　the　valleys　of　the　Sacramento　and　the　San　Joaquin。〃　But　this　region　was　at　once　preempted　for　freedom　upon　the　discovery　of　gold。　Douglas　did　not　admit　that　even　the　whole　of　Texas　would　remain　dedicated　to　slavery。　Some　of　the　States　to　be　formed　from　it　would　be　free；　by　the　same　laws　of　climate　and　resources　which　determined　that　the　entire　West　would　remain　free。　Before　the　Mexican　War　the　Senator　had　become　convinced　that　the　extension　of　slavery　had　reached　its　limit；　that　the　Missouri　Compromise　was　a　dead　letter　except　as　a　psychological　palliative；　that　Nature　had　already　ordained　that　slave　labor　should　be　forever　excluded　from　all　Western　territory　both　north　and　south　of　that　line。　His　reply　to　Calhoun's　contention　that　a　balance　must　be　maintained　between　slave　and　free　States　was　that　he　had　plans　for　forming　seventeen　new　States　out　of　the　vast　Western　domains；　every　one　of　which　would　be　free。　And　besides；　said　he；　〃we　all　look　forward　with　confidence　to　the　time　when　Delaware；　Maryland；　Virginia；　Kentucky；　and　Missouri；　and　probably　North　Carolina　and　Tennessee　will　adopt　a　gradual　system　of　emancipation。〃　Douglas　was　one　of　the　first　to　favor　the　admission　of　California　as　a　free　State。　According　to　the　Missouri　Compromise　law　and　the　laws　of　Mexico；　all　Western　territory　was　free；　and　he　was　opposed　to　interference　with　existing　conditions。　The　Missouri　Compromise　was　still　held　sacred。　Finally；　however；　it　was　with　Douglas's　assistance　that　the　Compromise　measures　of　1850　were　passed；　one　of　which　provided　for　territorial　Governments　for　Utah　and　New　Mexico　with　the　proviso　that；　when　admitted　as　States；　slavery　should　be　permitted　or　prohibited　as　the　citizens　of　those　States　should　determine　at　the　time。　Congress　refrained　from　any　declaration　as　to　slavery　in　the　Territories。　It　was　this　policy　of　〃non…intervention〃　which　four　years　later　furnished　plausible　excuse　for　the　repeal　of　the　Missouri　Compromise。　It　was　not　strange　that　there　was　general　ignorance　in　all　parts　of　the　country　as　to　the　resources　of　the　newly　acquired　territory。　The　rush　to　the　goldfields　precipitated　action　in　respect　to　California。　Before　General　Taylor；　the　newly　elected　President；　was　inaugurated；　there　was　imminent　need　of　an　efficient　government。　An　early　act　of　the　Administration　was　to　send　an　agent　to　assist　in　the　formation　of　a　state　Government；　and　a　convention　was　immediately　called　to　frame　a　constitution。　By　unanimous　vote　of　the　convention；　slavery　was　excluded。　The　constitution　was　approved　by　popular　vote　and　was　presented　to　Congress　for　final　acceptance　in　December；　1849。　In　the　meantime　a　great　commotion　had　arisen　among　the　people。　Southern　state　legislatures　passed　resolutions　demanding　that　the　rights　of　their　peculiar　institution　should　be　recognized　in　the　new　Territory。　Northern　legislatures　responded　with　resolutions　favoring　the　admission　of　California　as　a　State　and　the　application　of　the　Wilmot　Proviso　to　the　remaining　territory。　Northern　Democrats　had　very　generally　denied　that　the　affair　with　Mexico　had　as　a　chief　purpose　the　extension　of　slavery。　Democrats　therefore　united　with　Whigs　in　maintaining　the　principle　of　free　soil。　In　the　South　there　was　a　corresponding　fusion　of　the　two　parties　in　support　of　the　sectional　issue。　General　concern　prevailed　as　to　the　attitude　of　the　Administration。　Taylor's　election　had　been　effected　by　both　a　Southern　and　a　Northern　split　in　the　Democratic　party。　Northern　Democrats　had　voted　for　the　Free…soil　candidate　because　of　the　alleged　pro…slavery　tendencies　of　their　own　party。　Southern　Democrats　voted　for　Taylor　because　of　their　distrust　of　Lewis　Cass；　t