. Abraham Lincoln and the battles of the Civil War . pondents were on the qui vive to obtain thelatest developments concerning the secrets of the Territorial Committee leakedout, and consultations multiplied. Could arepeal be carried ? Who would offer it andlead it ? What divisions or schisms would itcarry into the ranks of the Democratic party*especially in the pending contest between the Hards and Softs in New York ? Whateffect would it have upon the presidential elec-tion of 1856? Already the Union sug-gested that it was whispered that Cass waswilling to propose and favor such
. Abraham Lincoln and the battles of the Civil War . pondents were on the qui vive to obtain thelatest developments concerning the secrets of the Territorial Committee leakedout, and consultations multiplied. Could arepeal be carried ? Who would offer it andlead it ? What divisions or schisms would itcarry into the ranks of the Democratic party*especially in the pending contest between the Hards and Softs in New York ? Whateffect would it have upon the presidential elec-tion of 1856? Already the Union sug-gested that it was whispered that Cass waswilling to propose and favor such a repeal.|It was given out in the Baltimore Sun thatCass intended to separate the sheep fromthe goats. Both statements were untrue;but they perhaps had their intended effect, toarouse the jealousy and eagerness of Doug-las. The political air of Washington was heavywith clouds and mutterings, and clans were * Benjamin, Globe, May S, i860, p. Douglas, pamphlet in reply to Judge Black, Octo-ber, 1859, p. 6. t Washington Union, January 19, ARCHIBALD DIXON. (FROM A DAGUERREOTYPE.) gathering for and against the ominous prop-osition. So far as history has been allowed a glimpseinto these secret communings, three princi-pal personages were at this time planning amovement of vast portent. These were StephenA. Douglas, chairman of the Senate Commit-tee on Territories; Archibald Dixon, WhigSenator from Kentucky; and David R. Atchi-son of Missouri, then president pro tempore ofthe Senate, and acting Vice-President of theUnited States. For myself, said the latterin explaining the transaction, I am entirelydevoted to the interests of the South, and 1would sacrifice everything but my hope ofheaven to advance her welfare. He thoughtthe Missouri Compromise ought to be re-pealed; he had pledged himself in his publicaddresses to vote for no territorial organizationthat would not virtually annul it; and withthis feeling in his heart, he desired to be thechairman of the Senate Committ
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade188, booksubjectgenerals, bookyear1887
