This bill was merely the
full expression of what Douglas had aimed at in 1854 and of what
was nicknamed "popular sovereignty"--the right of the locality to
choose for itself between slave and free labor.
Two years before, such a measure would have seemed radical. But
in politics time is wonderfully elastic. Those two years had
been packed with turmoil. Kansas had been the scene of a bloody
conflict. Regardless of which side had a majority on the ground,
extremists on each side had demanded recognition for the
government set up by their own party. By contrast, Toombs's
offer to let the majority rule appeared temperate.
The Republicans saw instantly that they must discredit the
proposal or the ground would be cut from under them. Though the
bill passed the Senate, they were able to set it aside in the
House in favor of a bill admitting Kansas as a free state with
the Topeka constitution. The Democrats thereupon accused the
Republicans of not wanting peace and of wishing to keep up the
war-cry "Bleeding Kansas" until election time.
That, throughout the country, the two parties continued on the
lines of policy they had chosen may be seen from an illustration.
A House committee which had gone to Kansas to investigate
submitted two reports, one of which, submitted by a Democratic
member, told the true story of the murders committed by John
Brown at Pottawatomie.
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