Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 9.djvu/235

Slavery Question in Oregon. 211 make freedom profitable. Altruism and egoism were co- partners against slavery, the first time in the history of the American commonwealth. And the issue was at no time doubtful. In view of all the foregoing facts showing the progressive nature of the Southern demands and the success attending them, and also of the after occurrences in the Kansas conflict, involving the Federal administration, the philosophical stu- dent may find difficulty in accounting for the events without reducing the better qualities of human nature to a very low estimate, so low indeed as to be in conflict with the private characters of the principal factors in them. There is scarcely a doubt that Franklin Pierce was sincere in his declared in- tention of opposing a renewal of slavery agitation which he pledged himself to resist with all his power, and yet he signed the congressional enactment repealing the compromise of 1820 without a word of protest so far as is Ipiown, and when his veto w^ould have effectually blocked the measure without a hope of its renew^al. Pierce was a native of New Hampshire, college-bred, experienced in public affairs, honorable in all his dealings, and stood high among his fellow citizens. So there is no plea of ignorance for him. Bfe knew that the repeal of the compromise would be regarded all over the North as a most flagrant breach of good faith and raise popular excitement to an unprecedented degree, if not to produ.ce civil war. Moreover, the officers he appointed to administer the affairs of the territory were in sympathy with the Southern purpose of making Kansas a slave State, though some of them became disgusted at the pro-slavery lawlessness and joined the free-state cause. And later, when James Buchanan became President, the same lawless spirit ruled during his administration, to which he contributed his en- dorsement by recommending to Congress the forcing of the fraudulent Lecompton Constitution upon the people of Kan- sas. And yet Mr. Buchanan was more learned, more experi- enced, stood higher as a private citizen and in public confi- dence than Franklin Pierce.