Evening star., 1935-02-10

Stephen A. Douglas, the famous "EffLe
giant" OF Illinois, ,UhO fought unsuccess-
fully for a compromise to aUert soaw.
too great. The Southern delegates held another
convention at Richmond and nominated John
c. Breckinridge Of Kentucky as their candidate.
Thus the election approached with four can
didates in the field. Breckenridge drew the
votes of the Southern extremists, Lincoln the
vote Of the Northern extremists-and Bell and
Douglas split the vote of the middle group.
which wanted a peaceful compromise on tho
slavery issue, between them Iincon's elec-
ton was inevitable and while he got only
plurality of the popular vote, he won hugo
majority in the electoral college.
AN ANALYSIS of the popular vote, Mr..
Milton points out shows that the Nation
IS whole wished for peace. The two CON-
servatives, Douglas and Bell, between them
received majority of the vote in such States
as Georgia, Louisiana and Maryland: Bell
actually carried Tennessee Kentucky and Vir-
ginia; In no Southern State save Texas did
the two men get less than 40 per cent Of the
vote. while Douglas came reasonably close 10
carrying such Northern States as Illinois, In
diana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Min
nesota.
"The North" writes Mr.. Milton. "had given
the Republican party no unmistakable mandate
to refuse to compromise the disturbing sectional
issues" and in the South the returns Indicated
that "about half the Southern voters preferred
the Union. with eventual emancipation. -
slavery without the Unon.''
But now the drift toward war was steady.
After the election the Southern States began to
vote for secession. The Confederacy was -
tAblished. The Nation waited for Lincoln %
take ONCE, and wondered how he would meo1
this unprecedented situation.
Even then, says Mr.. Milton, 1t was not to
hate for compromise The North was panic.
stricken ct the thought Of war City elections
In several Northern cities which Lincoln had
carried in November went Democratic in De.
cember. Mass meetings to urge conciliation
were held In New York and elsewhere.
However. the new Republican party. just
coming to power for the first time did not look
kindly on compromise 1.-The Republican heu-
tenants and drill sergeants," says Mr.. Milton.
"who were expecting the loaves and fishes Of
Federal ONCE feared that any compromise q
the platform would destroy their party"
The "Crittenden Compromise" would havo
called for . constitutional amendment forever
prohibiting slavery in the territories north Of
the line of SO degrees 80 minutes, and provided
that new States formed from such territories
would be free or slave as their own voters de-
cided.
Douglas offered . compromise which would
have put the slavery issue up to the voters In
each territory and which would also have guar
anted adequate enforcement OF the fugitive
slave laws.
The effect of either Of these compromises
would have been to banish the troublesome
slavery issue from Congress forever But the
Republicans in Congress rejected them.
So the North and South drifted steadily
farther and farther apart. awaiting the in
cident which would touch on the explosion.
The incident came in April when Lincoln de-
cided to send provisions to the garrison at Fcgt
Sumter. '" '''''''o@'' =