the anti-slavery crusade-第25章

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849　to　provide　for　gradual　emancipation　in　Kentucky　was　bitterly　resented。　It　had　long　been　an　axiom　with　the　slavocracy　that　the　institution　would　perish　unless　it　had　the　opportunity　to　expand。　Out　of　this　conviction　arose　Calhoun's　famous　theory　that　slaveowners　had　under　the　Constitution　an　equal　right　with　the　owners　of　all　other　forms　of　property　in　all　the　Territories。　The　theory　itself　assumed　that　the　act　prohibiting　slavery　in　the　territory　north　of　the　southern　boundary　of　Missouri　was　unconstitutional　and　void。　But　this　theory　had　not　yet　received　judicial　sanction；　and　the　time　was　at　hand　when　the　question　of　freedom　or　slavery　in　the　western　territory　was　to　be　determined。　Between　March　and　December；　1853；　the　discovery　was　made　that　the　Act　of　1850　organizing　the　Territories　of　New　Mexico　and　Utah　had　superseded　the　Compromise　of　1820；　that　a　principle　had　been　recognized　applicable　to　all　the　Territories；　that　all　were　open　to　settlement　on　equal　terms　to　slaveholders　and　non…slaveholders；　that　the　subject　of　slavery　should　be　removed　from　Congress　to　the　people　of　the　Territories；　and　that　they　should　decide；　either　when　a　territorial　legislature　was　organized　or　at　the　time　of　the　adoption　of　a　constitution　preparatory　to　statehood；　whether　or　not　slavery　should　be　authorized。　These　ideas　found　expression　in　various　newspapers　during　the　month　of　December；　1853。　Though　the　authorship　of　the　new　theory　is　still　a　matter　of　dispute；　it　is　well　known　that　Stephen　A。　Douglas　became　its　chief　sponsor　and　champion。　The　real　motives　and　intentions　of　Douglas　himself　and　of　many　of　his　supporters　will　always　remain　obscure　and　uncertain。　But　no　uncertainty　attaches　to　the　motives　of　Senator　Atchison　and　the　leaders　of　the　Calhoun　section　of　the　Democratic　party。　For　ten　years　at　least　they　had　been　laboring　to　get　rid　of　the　Missouri　Compromise。　Their　motive　was　to　defend　slavery　and　especially　to　forestall　a　successful　movement　for　emancipation　in　the　State　of　Missouri。　From　early　in　January；　1854；　until　late　in　May；　Douglas's　Nebraska　bill　held　the　attention　of　Congress　and　of　the　entire　country。　At　first　the　measure　simply　assumed　that　the　Missouri　Compromise　had　been　superseded　by　the　Act　of　1850。　Later　the　bill　was　amended　in　such　a　way　as　to　repeal　distinctly　that　time…honored　act。　At　first　the　plan　was　to　organize　Nebraska　as　a　single　Territory　extending　from　Texas　to　Canada。　Later　it　was　proposed　to　organize　separate　Territories；　one　west　of　Missouri　under　the　name　of　Kansas；　the　other　west　of　Iowa　under　the　name　of　Nebraska。　Opposition　came　from　Free…soilers；　from　Northern　Whigs　and　a　few　Whigs　from　the　South；　and　from　a　large　proportion　of　Northern　Democrats。　The　repeal　of　the　Missouri　Compromise　came　like　a　thunderbolt　out　of　a　clear　sky　to　the　people　of　the　North。　For　a　time　Douglas　was　the　most　unpopular　of　political　leaders　and　was　apparently　repudiated　by　his　party。　The　first　name　designating　the　opponents　of　the　Douglas　bill　was　〃Anti　Nebraska　men；〃　for　which　the　name　Republican　was　gradually　substituted　and　in　1858　became　the　accepted　title　of　the　party。　The　provision　for　two　territorial　governments　instead　of　one　carried　with　it　the　idea　of　a　continued　balance　between　slave　and　free　States；　Kansas；　being　on　a　geographical　parallel　with　the　slave　States；　would　probably　permit　slavery；　while　Nebraska　would　be　occupied　by　free…state　immigrants。　Though　this　was　a　commonly　accepted　view；　Eli　Thayer　of　Worcester；　Massachusetts；　and　a　few　others　took　a　different　view。　They　proposed　to　make　an　end　of　the　discussion　of　the　extension　of　slavery　by　sending　free　men　who　were　opposed　to　slavery　to　occupy　the　territory　open　for　settlement。　To　attain　this　object　they　organized　an　Emigrant　Aid　Company　incorporated　under　the　laws　of　the　State。　Even　before　the　bill　was　passed；　the　corporation　was　in　full　working　order。　Thayer　himself　traveled　extensively　throughout　the　Northern　States　stimulating　interest　in　western　emigration；　with　the　conviction　that　the　disturbing　question　could　be　peacefully　settled　in　this　way。　California　had　thus　been　saved　to　freedom；　why　not　all　other　Territories？　The　new　company　had　as　adviser　and　co…laborer　Dr。　Charles　Robinson；　who　had　crossed　the　Kansas　Territory　on　his　way　to　California　and　had　acquired　valuable　experience　in　the　art　of　state…building　under　peculiar　conditions。　The　first　party　sent　out　by　the　Emigrant　Aid　Company　arrived　in　Kansas　early　in　August；　1854；　and　selected　the　site　for　the　town　of　Lawrence。　During　the　later　months　of　the　year；　four　other　parties　were　sent　out；　in　all　numbering　nearly　seven　hundred。　Through　extensive　advertisement　by　the　company；　through　the　general　interest　in　the　subject　and　the　natural　flow　of　emigration　to　the　West；　Kansas　was　receiving　large　accessions　of　free…state　settlers。　Meanwhile　the　men　of　Missouri；　some　of　whom　had　striven　for　a　decade　to　secure　the　privilege　of　extending　slavery　into　the　new　Territory；　were　not　idle。　Instantly　upon　the　removal　of　legal　barriers；　they　occupied　adjacent　lands；　founded　towns；　staked　out　claims；　formed　plans　for　preempting　the　entire　region　and　for　forestalling　or　driving　out　all　intruders。　They　had　at　first　the　advantage　of　position；　for　they　did　not　find　it　difficult　to　maintain　two　homes；　one　in　Kansas　for　purposes　of　voting　and　fighting　and　another　in　Missouri　for　actual　residence。　Andrew　H。　Reeder；　a　Pennsylvania　Democrat　of　strong　pro…slavery　prejudices；　was　appointed　first　Governor　of　the　Territory。　When　he　arrived　in　Kansas　in　October；　1854；　there　were　already　several　thousand　settlers　on　the　ground　and　others　were　continually　arriving。　He　appointed　the　29th　of　November　for　the　election　of　a　delegate　to　Congress。　On　that　day　several　hundred　Missourians　came　into　the　Territory　and　voted。　There　was　no　violence　and　no　contest；　the　free…state　men　had　no　separate　candidate。　Notwithstanding　the　violence　of　language　used　by　opposing　factions；　notwithstanding　the　organization　of　secret　societies　pledged　to　drive　out　all　Northern　intruders；　there　was　no　serious　disturbance　until　March　30；　1855；　the　day　appointed　for　the　election　of　members　of　the　territorial　Legislature。　On　that　day　the　Missourians　came　full　five　thousand　strong；　armed　with　guns；　bowie…knives；　and　revolvers。　They　met　with　no　resistance　from　the　residents；　who　were　unarmed。　They　took　charge　of　the　precincts　and　chose　pro…slavery　delegates　with　one　exception。　Governor　Reeder　protested　and　recommended　to　the　precincts　the　filing　of　protests。　Only　seven　responded；　however；　and　in　these　cases　new　elections　were　held　and　contesting　delegates　elected。　The　Governor　issued　certificates　to　these　and　to　all　those　who　in　other　precincts　had　been　chosen　by　the　horde　from　Missouri。　When　the　Legislature　met　in　July；　the　seven　contests　were　decided　in　favor　of　the　pro…slavery　party；　the　single　freestate　member　resigned；　and　the　assembly　was　unanimous。　Governor　Reeder　fully　expected　that　President　Pierce　would　nullify　the　election；　and　to　this　end　he　made　a　journey　to　Washington　in　April。　On　the　way　he　delivered　a　public　address　at　Easton；　Pennsylvania；　describing　in　lurid　colors　the　outrage　which　had　been　perpetrated　upon　the　people　of　Kansas　by　the　〃bord