the anti-slavery crusade-第33章

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ive　program　on　the　part　of　the　slavocracy　to　control　the　judiciary　of　the　federal　Government。　The　actual　facts；　however；　admit　of　a　simpler　and　more　satisfactory　explanation。　Judges　are　affected　by　their　environment；　as　are　other　men。　The　transition　from　the　view　that　slavery　was　an　evil　to　the　view　that　it　is　right　and　just　did　not　come　in　ways　open　to　general　observation；　and　probably　few　individuals　were　conscious　of　having　altered　their　views。　Leading　churches　throughout　the　South　began　to　preach　the　doctrine　that　slavery　is　a　divinely　ordained　institution；　and　by　the　time　of　the　decision　in　the　Dred　Scott　case　a　whole　generation　had　grown　up　under　such　teaching。　A　large　proportion　of　Southern　leaders　had　become　thoroughly　convinced　of　the　righteousness　of　their　peculiar　system。　Not　otherwise　could　they　have　been　so　successful　in　persuading　others　to　accept　their　views。　Even　before　the　Dred　Scott　decision　had　crystallized　opinion；　Franklin　Pierce；　although　a　New　Hampshire　Democrat　of　anti…slavery　traditions；　came；　as　a　result　of　his　intimate　personal　and　political　association　with　Southern　leaders；　to　accept　their　guidance　and　strove　to　give　effect　to　their　policies。　President　Buchanan　was　a　man　of　similar　antecedents；　and；　contrary　to　the　expectation　of　his　Northern　supporters；　did　precisely　as　Pierce　had　done。　It　is　a　matter　of　record　that　the　arguments　of　the　Chief　Justice　had　captivated　his　mind　before　he　began　to　show　his　changed　attitude　towards　Kansas。　In　August；　1857；　the　President　wrote　that；　at　the　time　of　the　passage　of　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Act；　slavery　already　existed　and　that　it　still　existed　in　Kansas　under　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States。　〃This　point；〃　said　he；　〃has　at　last　been　settled　by　the　highest　tribunal　known　in　our　laws。　How　it　could　ever　have　been　seriously　doubted　is　a　mystery。〃　Granted　that　slavery　is　recognized　as　a　permanent　institution　in　itselfjust　and　of　divine　ordinance　and　especially　united　to　one　section　of　the　countryhow　could　any　one　question　the　equal　rights　of　the　people　of　that　section　to　occupy　with　their　slaves　lands　acquired　by　common　sacrifice？　Such　was　undoubtedly　the　view　of　both　Pierce　and　Buchanan。　It　seemed　to　them　〃wicked〃　that　Northern　abolitionists　should　seek　to　infringe　this　sacred　right。　By　a　similar　process　a　majority　of　the　Supreme　Court　justices　had　become　converts　to　Calhoun's　newly　announced　theory　of　1847。　It　undoubtedly　seemed　strange　to　them；　as　it　did　later　to　President　Buchanan；　that　any　one　should　ever　have　held　a　different　view。　If　the　Court　with　the　force　of　its　prestige　should　give　legal　sanction　to　the　new　doctrine；　it　would　allay　popular　agitation；　ensure　the　preservation　of　the　Union；　and　secure　to　each　section　its　legitimate　rights。　Such　apparently　was　the　expectation　of　the　majority　of　the　Court　in　rendering　the　decision。　But　the　decision　was　not　unanimous。　Each　judge　presented　an　individual　opinion。　Five　supported　the　Chief　Justice　on　the　main　points　as　to　the　status　of　the　African　race　and　the　validity　of　the　Missouri　Compromise。　Judge　Nelson　registered　a　protest　against　the　entrance　of　the　Court　into　the　political　arena。　Curtis　and　McLean　wrote　elaborate　dissenting　opinions。　Not　only　did　the　decision　have　no　tendency　to　allay　party　debate；　but　it　added　greatly　to　the　acrimony　of　the　discussion。　Republicans　accepted　the　dissenting　opinions　of　Curtis　and　McLean　as　a　complete　refutation　of　the　arguments　of　the　Chief　Justice；　and　the　Court　itself；　through　division　among　its　members；　became　a　partizan　institution。　The　arguments　of　the　justices　thus　present　a　complete　summary　of　the　views　of　the　proslavery　and　anti…slavery　parties；　and　the　opposing　opinions　stand　as　permanent　evidence　of　the　impossibility　of　reconciling　slavery　and　freedom　in　the　same　government。　It　was　through　the　masterful　leadership　of　Stephen　A。　Douglas　that　the　Lecompton　Constitution　was　defeated。　In　1858　an　election　was　to　be　held　in　Illinois　to　determine　whether　or　not　Douglas　should　be　reelected　to　the　United　States　Senate。　The　Buchanan　Administration　was　using　its　utmost　influence　to　insure　Douglas's　defeat。　Many　eastern　Republicans　believed　that　in　this　emergency　Illinois　Republicans　should　support　Douglas；　or　at　least　that　they　should　do　nothing　to　diminish　his　chances　for　reelection；　but　Illinois　Republicans　decided　otherwise　and　nominated　Abraham　Lincoln　as　their　candidate　for　the　senatorship。　Then　followed　the　memorable　Lincoln…Douglas　debates。　This　is　not　the　place　for　any　extended　account　of　the　famous　duel　between　the　rival　leaders；　but　a　few　facts　must　be　stated。　Lincoln　had　slowly　come　to　the　perception　that　a　large　portion　of　the　people　abhorred　slavery；　and　that　the　weak　point　in　the　armor　of　Douglas　was　to　be　found　in　the　fact　that　he　did　not　recognize　this　growing　moral　sense。　Douglas　had　never　been　a　defender　of　slavery　on　ethical　grounds；　nor　had　he　expressed　any　distinct　aversion　to　the　system。　In　support　of　his　policy　of　popular　sovereignty　his　favorite　dictum　had　been；　〃I　do　not　care　whether　slavery　is　voted　up　or　voted　down。〃　This　apparent　moral　obtuseness　furnished　to　Lincoln　his　great　opportunity；　for　his　opponent　was　apparently　without　a　conscience　in　respect　to　the　great　question　of　the　day。　Lincoln；　on　the　contrary；　had　reached　the　conclusion　not　only　that　slavery　was　wrong；　but　that　the　relation　between　slavery　and　freedom　was　such　that　they　could　not　be　harmonized　within　the　same　government。　In　the　debates　he　again　put　forth　his　famous　utterance；　〃A　house　divided　against　itself　cannot　stand；〃　with　the　explanation　that　in　course　of　time　either　this　country　would　become　all　slave　territory　or　slavery　would　be　restricted　and　placed　in　a　position　which　would　involve　its　final　extinction。　In　other　words；　Lincoln's　position　was　similar　to　that　of　the　conservative　abolitionists。　As　we　know；　Birney　had　given　expression　to　a　similar　conviction　of　the　impossibility　of　maintaining　both　liberty　and　slavery　in　this　country；　but　Lincoln　spoke　at　a　time　when　the　whole　country　had　been　aroused　upon　the　great　question；　when　it　was　still　uncertain　whether　slavery　would　not　be　forced　upon　the　people　of　Kansas；　when　the　highest　court　in　the　land　had　rendered　a　decision　which　was　apparently　intended　to　legalize　slavery　in　all　Territories；　and　when　the　alarming　question　had　been　raised　whether　the　next　step　would　not　be　legalization　in　all　the　States。　Lincoln　was　a　long…headed　politician；　as　well　as　a　man　of　sincere　moral　judgments。　He　was　defining　issues　for　the　campaign　of　1860　and　was　putting　Douglas　on　record　so　that　it　would　be　impossible　for　him；　as　the　candidate　of　his　party；　to　become　President。　Douglas　had　many　an　uncomfortable　hour　as　Lincoln　exposed　his　vain　efforts　to　reconcile　his　popular　sovereignty　doctrine　with　the　Dred　Scott　decision。　As　Lincoln　expected；　Douglas　won　the　senatorship；　but　he　lost　the　greater　prize。　The　crusade　against　slavery　was　nearing　its　final　stage。　Under　the　leadership　of　such　men　as　Sumner；　Seward；　and　Lincoln；　a　political　party　was　being　formed　whose　policies　were　based　upon　the　assumption　that　slavery　is　both　a　moral　and　a　political　evil。　Even　at　this　stage　the　party　had　assumed　such　proportions　that　it　was　likely　to　carry　the　ensu