d Missouri Compromise, ruling slavery out of that
Northwest territory, it left the slavery question entirely in the hands
of the residents of the new territory of Nebraska.

The announcement created a profound sensation. Twelve days later a
Kentucky senator by the name of Dixon introduced an amendment to the
Nebraska Act, providing for the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. The
daring of this move startled even Douglas, but within a few days the
Illinois senator had decided to support the Dixon Amendment. With all
the skill and political engineering at his command, he steered the bill
through the tempest which immediately rose against it like a tidal wave;
and on the third of March, in spite of protests which poured in from
every State in the North, in spite of indignation meetings held in New
York, Boston and Philadelphia, in spite of the opposition of the leaders
like Seward, Chase and Sumner, he actually succeeded in persuading the
Senate to pass the bill. That he was able to do this, is a great tribute
to his powers as a politician and as an orator. He spoke from midnight
until dawn, employing every possible trick of rhetoric and logic to
carry his point, and showing a courtesy and restraint in his attack
which won the sympathy even of his opponents. "Never had a bad cause
been more splendidly advocated."

But the victory was a costly one; he had made the Fugitive Slave Law a
dead letter in the North; he had introduced a new term, "popular
sovereignty," which was to rouse the nation as a red rag rouses a bull.
He had started a storm, wrote Seward, "such as this country has never
yet seen." Every great newspaper editor in the North,--Greeley, Dana,
Raymond, Webb, Bigelow, Weed,--broke into violent protest against the
bill. Not since the fight at Lexington had such a fierce and universal
cry of reproach arisen in the land.

And for what had he done all this? Simply that he might increase his
chances of obtaining the presidential nomination in 1856. The "solid
South" had just begun to be spoken of. Douglas was an acute observer,
and he saw that if he could secure the backing of the South, he would
have an immense advantage over his rival Cass. It is said that his
objection to the Dixon Amendment was overborne solely by the fear that
Cass would be before him in supporting it, and thus win the favour of
the South. It is the old story of the mess of pottage. Douglas
afterwards tried to defend himself on the ground that