Dred Scott decision, cutting under the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, denying to
the people of a Territory the right to legislate on slavery, and giving
to all slave-holders the right to settle with their slaves anywhere they
pleased outside a Free State. This famous decision repudiated Douglas's
policy of leaving all such questions to local autonomy and to private
enterprise. For a time Douglas made no move to save his policy. But when
President Buchanan decided to throw the influence of the Administration
on the side of the pro-slavery party in Kansas, Douglas was up in
arms. When it was proposed to admit Kansas with a constitution favoring
slavery, but which had not received the votes of a majority of the
inhabitants, Douglas voted with the Republicans to defeat admission.
Whereupon the Democratic party machine and the Administration turned
upon him without mercy. He stood alone in a circle of enemies. At no
other time did he show so many of the qualities of a great leader.
Battling with Lincoln in the popular forum on the one hand, he was
meeting daily on the other assaults by a crowd of brilliant opponents in
Congress. At the same time he was playing a consummate game of political
strategy, struggling against immense odds to recover his hold on
Illinois. The crisis would come in 1858 when he would have to go before
the Legislature for reelection. He knew well enough who his opponent
would be. At every turn there fell across his path the shadow of a cool
sinister figure, his relentless enemy. It was Lincoln. On the struggle
with Lincoln his whole battle turned.

Abandoned by his former allies, his one hope was the retention of his
constituency. To discredit Lincoln, to twist and discredit all his
arguments, was for Douglas a matter of life and death. He struck
frequently with great force, but sometimes with more fury than wisdom.
Many a time the unruffled coolness of Lincoln brought to nothing what
was meant for a deadly thrust. Douglas took counsel of despair and tried