r
in conversation, the negro was to make for the door, mount a horse
hitched near by, and effect his escape. The enterprise had a
favorable beginning. The negro got out, mounted a horse, and might
have escaped if he had been a good horseman; but he was awkward
and clumsy, and unfortunately mounted the wrong horse, and a very
poor traveler; and when he saw the jailer in pursuit, and heard
the report of his revolver, he surrendered, and was at once escorted
South. Walpole and his brother were for the claimant. This is
the only felony in which I was ever involved, but none of the
parties to it had any disposition whatever to confess it at the
time.

The Republican party gathered fresh courage and strength in the
year 1858 from the defection of Douglas. His unmistakable ability
and hitherto unquestioned devotion to slavery had singled him out
as the great leader and coming man of his party. He was ambitious,
and by no means scrupulous in his political methods. The moral
character of slavery gave him not the slightest concern, ostentatiously
declaring that he did not care whether it was "voted up or voted
down" in the Territories, and always lavishing his contempt upon
the negro. He was the great champion of popular sovereignty, but
at the same time fully committed himself to the decision of the
Supreme Court of the United States, whatever it might be; and after
that decision had been given, and, in effect, against his particular
hobby, he defended it, while vainly striving to vindicate his
consistency. But the Lecompton swindle was so revolting a mockery
of the right of the people of Kansas, that his own Democratic
constituents would not endorse it, and he was obliged, contrary to
his strong party inclinations, to take his stand against it. It
was an event of very great significance, both North and South, and
gave great comfort to anti-slavery men of all shades of opinion;
but it brought with it, at the same time, a serious peril to the
Republican party.

His accession to the Anti-Lecompton ranks was deemed so important
that many leading Republicans, of different States, thought he
should be welcomed and honored by the withdrawal of all party
opposition to his re-election to the Senate. They argued that in
no other way could the despotic power of the Democratic power be
so effectually broken, and the real interests of republicanism
advanced. This feeling, for a time, prevailed extensively, and
threatened to