A third bill by
Douglas, later in the same year, was also recommitted. The
"Territory of the Platte" was the next attempt to be dropped. All
these crude attempts were merged in the great Compromise of 1850.
The might of party was brought to bear upon all questions of
principle, and the country was commanded to be calm; indeed for a
time was calm. It was the time of manacled hands and of manacled
minds. Our government was not a real democracy. The great West
had not yet raised its voice, augmented by new millions of voices
pealing the paean of liberty and opportunity for man.
In this era of arrested activities, the energies of a restless
people turned otherwhere for interest. To relieve the monotony of
political stagnation, popular attention was now turned toward the
affairs of Hungary. We could not solve our own problems, but we
were as ready to solve those of Europe as Europe was to offer us
aid in ours. Therefore, instant interest attached to the news that
a Hungarian committee of inquiry had landed upon our shores, with
the purpose of investigating a possible invitation from our
republic to the Hungarian patriot, Kossuth, then in exile in Turkey.
Pages:
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323