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d emperors。 An enthusiast broods over the oppression of a people； until he fancies himself commissioned by Heaven to liberate them。 He ventures the attempt which ends in little else than in his own execution。〃 A few months afterwards； the Republican national convention condemned the act of Brown as 〃among the gravest of crimes。〃
An immediate effect of the John Brown episode was a passionate outburst from all the radical press of the South in defense of slavery。 The followers of Yancey made the most of their opportunity。 The men who voted at Vicksburg to reopen the slave trade could find no words to measure their hatred of every one who； at this moment of crisis； would not declare slavery a blessing。 Many of the men who opposed the slave traders also felt that； in the face of possible slave insurrection； the peril of their families was the one paramount consideration。 Nevertheless； it is easy for the special pleader to give a wrong impression of the sentiment of the time。 A grim desire for self…preservation took possession of the South； as well as a deadly fear of any person or any thing that tended directly or indirectly to incite the blacks to insurrection。 Northerners of abolitionist sympathies were warned to leave the country； and in some cases they were tarred and feathered。
Great anger was aroused by the detection of book…agents who were distributing a furious polemic against slavery； 〃The Impending Crisis of the South： How to Meet It〃； by Hinton Rowan Helper； a Southerner of inferior social position belonging to the class known as poor whites。 The book teemed with such sentences as this； addressing slaveholders： 〃Do you aspire to become victims of white non…slave…holding vengeance by day and of barbarous massacres by the negroes at night？〃 It is scarcely strange； therefore； that in 1859 no Southerner would hear a good word of anyone caught distributing the book。 And yet； in the midst of all this vehement exaltation of slavery； the fight to prevent a reopening of the slave trade went bravely on。 Stephens； writing to a friend who was correspondent for the 〃Southern Confederacy〃； in Atlanta； warned him in April； 1860； 〃neither to advocate disunion or the opening of the slave trade。 The people here at present I believe are as much opposed to it as they are at the North； and I believe the Northern people could be induced to open it sooner than the Southern people。〃
The winter of 1859…1860 witnessed a famous congressional battle over the speakership。 The new Congress which met in December contained 109 Republicans； 101 Democrats； and 27 Know…Nothings。 The Republican candidate for speaker was John Sherman of Ohio。 As the first ballot showed that he could not command a majority； a Democrat from Missouri introduced this resolution 〃Whereas certain members of this House； now in nomination for speaker； did endorse the book hereinafter mentioned； resolved； That the doctrines and sentiments of a certain book； called 'The Impending Crisis of the South： How to Meet It'； are insurrectionary and hostile to the peace and tranquillity of the country； and that no member of this House； who has indorsed or recommended it； is fit to be speaker of the House。〃
During two months there were strange scenes in the House； while the clerk acted as temporary speaker and furious diatribes were thundered back and forth across the aisle that separated Republicans from Democrats； with a passage of fisticuffs or even a drawn pistol to add variety to the scene。 The end of it all was a deal。 Pennington； of the 〃People's Party〃 of New Jersey； who had supported Sherman but had not endorsed Helper； was given the Republican support； a Know…Nothing was made sergeant…at…arms； and Know…Nothing votes added to the Republican votes made Pennington speaker。 In many Northern cities the news of his election was greeted with the great salute of a hundred guns； but at Richmond the papers came out in mourning type。
Two great figures now advanced to the center of the Congressional stageJefferson Davis； Senator from Mississippi； a lean eagle of a man with piercing blue eyes； and Judah P。 Benjamin； Senator from Louisiana； whose perpetual smile cloaked an intellect that was nimble； keen； and ruthless。 Both men were destined to play leading roles in the lofty drama of revolution； each was to experience a tragic ending of his political hope； one in exile； the other in a solitary proscription amid the ruins of the society for which he had sacrified his all。 These men； though often spoken of as mere mouthpieces of Yancey； were in reality quite different from him both in temper and in point of view。
Davis； who was destined eventually to become the target of Yancey's bitterest enmity； had refused ten years before to join in the secession movement which ignored Calhoun's doctrine that the South had become a social unit。 Though a believer in slavery under the conditions of the moment； Davis had none of the passion of the slave baron for slavery at all costs。 Furthermore； as events were destined to show in a startlingly dramatic way； he was careless of South Carolina's passion for state rights。 He was a practical politician； but not at all the old type of the party of political evasion； the type of Toombs。 No other man of the moment was on the whole so well able to combine the elements of Southern politics against those more negative elements of which Toombs was the symbol。 The history of the Confederacy shows that the combination which Davis now effected was not as thorough as he supposed it was。 But at the moment he appeared to succeed and seemed to give common purpose to the vast majority of the Southern people。 With his ally Benjamin； he struck at the Toombs policy of a National Democratic party。
On the day following the election of Pennington； Davis introduced in the Senate a series of resolutions which were to serve as the Southern ultimatum； and which demanded of Congress the protection of slavery against territorial legislatures。 This was but carrying to its logical conclusion that Dred Scott decision which Douglas and his followers proposed to accept。 If Congress could not restrict slavery in the territories； how could its creature； a territorial legislature do so？ And yet the Douglas men attempted to take away the power from Congress and to retain it for the territorial legislatures。 Senator Pugh of Ohio had already locked horns with Davis on this point； and had attempted to show that a territorial Legislature was independent of Congress。 〃Then I would ask the Senator further；〃 retorted the logical Davis； 〃why it is he makes an appropriation to pay members of the territorial legislature； how it is that he invests the Governor with veto power over their acts； and how it is that he appoints judges to decide upon the validity of their acts。〃
In the Democratic convention which met at Charleston in April； 1860； the waning power of political evasion made its last real stand against the rising power of political positivism。 To accept Douglas and the idea that somehow territorial legislatures were free to do what Congress could not do； or to reject Douglas and endorse Davis's ultimatumthat in substance was the issue。 〃In this convention