Part 8 (2/2)

When, at a later day, it was determined by the President and his official advisers to abandon the party platforrees and forty minutes” as the only settlement of the disputed boundary, and accept that of the parallel of forty-nine degrees--reluctantly proposed by Great Britain as a peaceable final settle any concession, was at once in opposition to the ad into power Whether the part of wisdom was a strict adherence to the platforon,” or a reasonable concession in the interest of peaceable adjust a matter of vehement discussion It suffices that the treaty with Great Britain establishi+ng our northwestern boundary upon the parallel last named was proon question peaceably relegated to the realo--equal in ion boundary was the annexation of Texas The ”Lone Star State” had been virtually an independent republic since the decisive victory of General Houston over Santa Ana in 1837 at San Jacinto, and its independence as such had been acknowledged by our own and European governments The hardy settlers of this new Corants from the United States, and earnestly solicitous of admission into the Federal Union The question of annexation entered largely into the Presidential canvass of 1844, and the ”lone star” upon De the triumph of Mr Polk in that bitterly contested election In the closing hours of the Tyler adth effected by joint resolution of Congress, and Texas passed at once from an independent republic to a State of the Aave deep offence to the Mexican govern events soon to follow The Mexican invasion, the brilliant victories won by American valor, and the treaty of peace --by which our domain was extended ard to the Pacific-- constitute a thrilling chapter in the annals of war Brief in duration, the Mexican War was the training school for men whose es of history Under the victorious banners of the great coard, shi+elds and Hill, Johnston and Sherstreet, Hancock and Stonewall Jackson, Lee and Grant In the list of heroes were eight future candidates for the Presidency, three of whom--Taylor, Pierce, and Grant--were triumphantly elected

Meanwhile, at the nation's Capitol was held high debate over questions second in ied the profound consideration of statesmen--that literally took hold of the issues of war, conquest, diplolas was an unfaltering advocate of the project of annexation, and as chairman of the Committee on Territories, bore pro debates consequent upon the passage of that measure in the House of Representatives In his celebrated colloquy with Mr Adams he contended that the joint resolution he advocated was in reality only for the re-annexation of territory originally ours under the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 That so akin to the spirit of ”athered fro sentences of his speech:

”Our Federal system is admirably adapted to the whole continent; and while I would not violate the laws of national or treaty stipulations, or in any al and honorable e of royal authority from the continent of North America, and extend the limits of the republic froe of thirty-four, Douglas took his seat in that august body in December, 1847 On the same day Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office as a member from Illinois in the House of Representatives The Senate was presided over by the able and accoe M Dallas Seldoreat na Senator fro the Senators of the thirty States represented, were Dix of New York, Dayton of New Jersey, Hale of New Hampshi+re, Clayton of Delaware, Reverdy Johnson of Maryland, Mason of Virginia, King of Alabama, Davis of Mississippi, Bell of Tennessee, Corwin of Ohio, Crittenden of Kentucky, Breese of Illinois, Benton of Missouri, Houston of Texas, Calhoun of South Carolina, and Webster of Massachusetts It need hardly be said that the debates of that and the iress have possibly never been surpassed in ability and eloquence by any deliberative assembly

The one vital and portentous question--in some one of its many phases--was that of human slavery This institution--until its final extinction amid the flames of war--cast its o From the establishment of the Government under the Federal Constitution to the period mentioned, it had been the constant subject of compromise and concession

Henry Clay was first known as ”the great pacificator” by his tireless efforts in the exciting struggle of 1820, over the ad slavery--into the Federal Union Boith the weight of years, the Kentucky statesnition of the general desire of his countryles and triue and bereaveain pour oil upon the troubled waters, he presented to the Senate, as terms of final peaceable adjustment of the slavery question, the once faitation then at its height was measurably the result of the proposed disposition of territory acquired by the then recent treaty with Mexico The advocates and opponents of slavery extension were at once in bitter antagonis such as the country had rarely known

The coeneral bill --embraced the establishment of Territorial Governments for Utah and New Mexico, the settleitive Slave Law, and the admission of California as a free State In entire accord with each proposition, Douglas had--by direction of the Committee on Territories, of which he was the chair for the immediate admission of California under its recently adopted free State Constitution

Separate eneral bill were likewise duly reported These measures were advocated by the Illinois Senator in a speech that at once won hireat debaters of that illustrious assee After many weeks of earnest, at times vehement, debate, the bills in the form last mentioned were passed, and received the approval of the President Apart fro to the country, their passage closed atheir discussion Clay, Calhoun, and Webster --”the illustrious triumvirate”--were heard for the last tieneration of our statesmen, associated in the advocacy of iven us exalted place a the nations, within brief time of each other, ”shattered by the contentions of the Great Hall, they passed to the chamber of reconciliation and of silence”

Chief in importance of his public services to his State was that of Senator Douglas in procuring frorant to aid in the construction of the Illinois Central Railroad It is but justice to the ue, Senator Breese, to say that he had been the earnest advocate of a siress The bill, however, which after persistent opposition finally becalas This act ceded to the State of Illinois--subject to the disposal of the Legislature thereof--”for the purpose of aiding in the construction of a railroad froan Canal to a point at or near the junction of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, with a branch of the sao, and another to Dubuque, Iowa, every alternate section of land designated by even numbers for six sections in width on each side of said road, and its branches” It is difficult at this day to realize the importance of this gregate was near three million acres, and was directly to the State After appropriate action by the State Legislature, the Illinois Central Railroad Coanized--and the road eventually constructed

A recent historian has truly said:

”For this, if for no other public service to his State, the nalas was justly entitled to preservation by the erection of that splendidthe blue waters of Lake Michigan, also overlooks for long distance that iron highhich was in no senius”

The measure now to be mentioned aroused deeper attention--hout the entire country than any hich the nalas had yet been closely associated It pertained directly to slavery, the ”bone of contention” between the North and the South, the one dangerous quantity in our national politics fro with its recognition--though not in direct terenerations, in the interest of peace, been the subject of repeated compromise

As chairlas in the early days of 1854 reported a bill providing for the organization of the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas This measure, which so suddenly arrested public attention, is known in our political history as the ”Kansas-Nebraska Bill” A the Missouri Coht by the repeal was, as stated by Douglas, to leave the people of said Territories respectively to determine the question of the introduction or exclusion of slavery for theulate their domestic institutions in their oay, subject only to the Constitution of the United States”

The principle strenuously contended for was that of ”popular sovereignty” or non-intervention by Congress, in the affairs of the Territories In closing the protracted and exciting debate just prior to the passage of the bill in the Senate, he said:

”There is another reason why I desire to see this principle recognized as a rule of action in all time to come It will have the effect to destroy all sectional parties and sectional agitation If you withdraw the slavery question froress and the political arena, and commit it to the arbitrament of those who are immediately interested in and alone responsible for its consequences, there is nothing left out of which sectional parties can be organized

When the people of the North shall all be rallied under one banner, and the whole South marshalled under another banner, and each section excited to frenzy and madness by hostility to the institutions of the other, then the patriot may well tremble for the perpetuity of the Union Withdraw the slavery question from the political arena and remove it to the States and Territories, each to decide for itself, and such a catastrophe can never happen”

These utterances of little ely upon our ears at this day In the light of all that has occurred in the long reach of years, how significant the words, ”No man is wiser than events”! Likewise, ”The actions ofthee that coe of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill was directly the reverse of that so confidently predicted by Douglas The era of concord between the North and the South did not return The slavery question--instead of being relegated to the recently organized Territories for final settlereat national issue The country at large--instead of a single Territory--became the theatre of excited discussion The final determination was to be not that of a Territory, but of the entire people

One significant effect of the passage of the bill was the ianization --of which Clay and Webster had been eminent leaders, and Harrison and Taylor successful candidates for the Presidency--it now passes into history Upon its ruins, the Republican party at once ca Under the leadershi+p of Freressional intervention to slavery extension as its chief issue, it was a foronist to the Democratic party, in the Presidential contest of 1856 Mr Buchanan had defeated Douglas in the no convention of his party that year

His absence fro events just ht would las He had been in no manner identified with the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, or the store In his letter of acceptance, however, Mr Buchanan had given his unqualified approval of his party platfornized and adopted ”the principle contained in the organic law establishi+ng the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas as e the only sound and safe solution of the slavery question” Upon the principle here declared, issue was joined by his political opponents, and the battle fought to the bitter end

Although Douglas had met personal defeat in his aspiration to the Presidency, the principle of non-intervention by Congress in the affairs of the Territories, for which he had so earnestly contended, had been triumphant both in the convention of the party, and at the polls This principle, in its application to Kansas, was soon to be put to the test Froanization, that Territory had been a continuous scene of disorder, often of violence

In rapid succession three Governors appointed by the President had resigned and departed the Territory, each confessing his inability to le for mastery between the Free State advocates and their adversaries arrested the attention of the entire country It vividly recalled the bloody forays read of in the old chronicles of hostile clans upon the Scottish border

The parting of the ways between Senator Douglas and President Buchanan was now reached The latter had received the cordial support of Douglas in the election which elevated him to the Presidency His deterlas becaressed The incidents now to be related will explain this hostility, as well as bring to the front one of the distinctive questions upon which las and Lincoln

A statesman of national reputation, the Hon Robert J Walker, was at length appointed Governor of Kansas During his brief administration a convention assembled without his co-operation at Lecompton, and formulated a Constitution under which application was soon made for the admission of Kansas into the Union This convention was in part composed of non-residents, and in no sense reflected the wishes of the majority of the _bona fide_ residents of the Territory

The salient feature of the Constitution was that establishi+ng slavery The Constitution was not submitted to the convention to popular vote, but in due tiress, accompanied by a recommendation for its approval, and the early admission of the new State into the Union

When the Lecompton Constitution came before the Senate, it at once encountered the forlas In unonistic to the wishes of the people of Kansas, and subversive of the basic principle upon which the Territory had been organized In the attitude just assulas at once found himself in line with the Republicans, and in opposition to the administration he had helped place in power The breach thus created was destined to remain unhealed Moreover, his declaration of hostility to the Leco of the end of years of close political affiliation with Southern Delas lost prestige as a national leader of his party In more than one-half of the Dearded as a probable or even possible candidate for the Presidential succession The hostility thus engendered followed hihout the exciting Presidential contest which followed But the huht about, as he believed, by personal hostility to himself-- was yet in the future In the attempted adlas was triumphant over the administration and his former political associates frolish Amendment,” the obnoxious Constitution was referred to the people of Kansas, and by thely rejected

The close of this controversy in the early las in a position of much embarrassment He had incurred the active hostility of the President, and in largethe future aid of his late associates in the defeat of the Leco its close, and his political life depended upon his re-election With a united and aggressive enemy, ably led, in his front; his own party hopelessly divided--one faction seeking his defeat--it can readily be seen that his political pathas by no means one of peace Such, in brief outline, were the political conditions when, upon the adjournlas returned to Illinois in July, 1858, and made public announcement of his candidacy for re-election