Life of Stephen A Douglas . funereal air aboutthe Convention as it struggled with the questionof who should stand on its platform of pitiful nega-tions. The platform solemnly declared that theCompromise Acts, including the Fugitive SlaveLaw, were acquiesced in by the Whig party as asettlement of the dangerous and exciting questionswhich they embraced. It insisted upon the strictenforcement of the Compromise and deprecated allfurther agitation of the question thus settled. If 60 Life of Stephen A. Douglas. further evidence of the collapse of the party wererequired, it was furnished by the attit
Life of Stephen A Douglas . funereal air aboutthe Convention as it struggled with the questionof who should stand on its platform of pitiful nega-tions. The platform solemnly declared that theCompromise Acts, including the Fugitive SlaveLaw, were acquiesced in by the Whig party as asettlement of the dangerous and exciting questionswhich they embraced. It insisted upon the strictenforcement of the Compromise and deprecated allfurther agitation of the question thus settled. If 60 Life of Stephen A. Douglas. further evidence of the collapse of the party wererequired, it was furnished by the attitude and char-acter of the candidates. Fillmore was a passivecandidate. Webster, his Secretary of State, was aneager competitor. General Scott, though withoutexperience in civil affairs, was the third candidateand received the nomination. This was the last serious appearance of the Whigparty on the stage of national politics. The elec-tion resulted in the overwhelming defeat of Scottand the gradual dissolution of the Jflrs, auric Cutts Douglas Life of Stephen A. Douglas. 63 CHAPTER VI. The Repeal of the Missouri Compromise. In January, 1853, Mrs. Douglas died. In 1856he married Miss Adele Cutts of Washington, aSouthern lady of good family. He was reelected Senator in 1853 without seriousopposition. He had hitherto been one of the mostearnest defenders of the sacredness of the MissouriCompromise. He had strenuously sought to extendit to the Pacific. In 1848 he had declared it asinviolable as the Constitution, canonized in thehearts of the American people as a sacred thingwhich no ruthless hand would ever be recklessenough to disturb. But events had moved fastand he moved with them, adjusting his opinions tothe advancing demands of the dominant wing ofhis party. During half a century the people of the Southhad been in control of the Government, but Natureand advancing civilization had been steadily againstthem. They had won a brilliant victory in the Islavery was that stre
Size: 1249px × 2000px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubj, booksubjectlegislators
