DOUGLAS, STE.PHEN ARNOLD (1913-18(311. An eminent American political leader. .Ile was born in Brandon. Vt.. April 23. 1s13. fie passed his boyho)--I in his native State and in western New York; went to Illinois in 1833; tanulit school and studied law for a year; was admitted to the bar in 1S34. and began practice in Jackson ithin a year he was elected State's attor ney for the most important judicial circuit in Illinois. and his rise thenceforward was rapid and brilliant. In 183fi lie was elected to the er Ihni,e of the State Legislature, and in the following year was made register of the Federal land office at Springfield. Lr 1s39 he was an unsuccessful Dennwratie candidate for Congress. but in January. 1841. was appointed of State of Illinois, which position, however, he resigned within a month to take a seat on the bench of the Supreme Court of the State. After two years he resigned this position also, and thereafter served in Congress, first as a Representative (front 1543 to 1847). and then as a Senator. from 1817 until his death. In figure, lie was below the middle but his frame was •vigorons and his manner impressive. "Little Giant," says Sehouler. "he wits presently called: for, being both able and adroit in policy and full of resources. he gave the image of power under close compre--bon." A, chairman of the Committee on Territories, first in the House and then in the Senate, his position was peculiarly important. Ile favored the annexa tion of Texas and the Slexican War, opposed the Wilmot Proviso (q.v.). defended the Com promise measures of 1850. and upheld the ex treme demands for the Oregon Territory. Be became especially conspicuous. however, through his proposal and advocacy of the doctrine of 'popular sovereignty.' or 'squatter sovereignty,' which denied the power of the Federal Govern ment to legislate on slavery within the Terri tories. and recognized the right of the people of each Territory to legislate upon the subject for themselve,. This doctrine. first announced by Lewis Cass (q.v.), in December, 1847, was definitely formulated by Douglas in 1854, when he presented the Kansas NebraskaBill, which precipitated anew the struggle over the exten sion of slavery- in the national Territories. The
bill, in its first draft, also in precise terms announced the doctrine that the Nissouri Com promise had been superseded by the Compromise of 1850. and, although nothing in the statutes warranted such an assertion. its political effect was great and immediate. The passage of the act brought upon Douglas much harsh criti cism throughout the North. and indicated. on the other hand. the increasing strength of the upholders of slavery. (see KANsAs-NEnn.xsEA Douglas now became, more than ever, a national force. Nevertheless, in 185fi, as in 1952, he failed to secure the Presidential nomina tion. His campaign in 1535 for the election of the State Legislature. which was to name his suc cessor in the Senate, led to the famous debates with Lincoln, in which the problems of slavery were thoroughly discussed and the foundation laid for the national reputation of his opponent. Douglas seemed a reileetbm to the Senate. but his position had become so altered through his apposition to the recognition of the Lecompton Constitul ion in Kansas and by reason of his `Freeport Doctrine' ( see FnEeefurr, Ill.), that in IRO he was unacceptable to Southern Demoerats as a Presidential candidate. However, the North ern Democrats wonld not support for the Presi deney a man holding the prevailing Southern views on slavery. This brought about a sectional n cf the nuini»ating convention and the sub.-v(0(.1i nomination (1 Di 44)041. for the \ , toll. %%crs a-scudded in Baltimore. Lt the ensuing election, only twelve el•toral Notes, but hi- popular ma- next to that of Lincoln. influence con tinu•d to be and hi- I earty -uppolt of Lincoln's admini-trat an upon the outbreak (4 the t. Ivil ar ma- of powerful effect in the (le ft-11-e c4 the Union, lie died •lune 3, at Chicago. Ill. Pore i- a •ampail_m Lift of rah phi n .t. Dougius. by .1, Sheahan f.New lork. D-tail. and a much More critical review of career i- given in volume- i. and ii. of i•tory nj thc f alb,' Irvin Ih, l'nftsprom Or 14'51) York, — IL. al-o, the brief biography, phe Arnold Don !du:. Huston. 19021 by \\. (:. wit, in the Itiographical Sc