As though to make reconciliation with the administration impossible, Douglas went on to express his distrust of the provision of the bill for a board of supervisors of elections.  Instead of a board of four, two of whom should represent the Territory and two the Federal government, as the Crittenden bill had provided, five were to constitute the board, of whom three were to be United States officials.  “Does not this change,” asked Douglas significantly, “give ground for apprehension that you may have the Oxford, the Shawnee, and the Delaware Crossing and Kickapoo frauds re-enacted at this election?"[666] The most suspicions Republican could hardly have dealt an unkinder thrust.

There could be no manner of doubt as to the outcome of the English bill in the Senate.  Douglas, Stuart, and Broderick were the only Democrats to oppose its passage, Pugh having joined the majority.  The bill passed the House also, nine of Douglas’s associates in the anti-Lecompton fight going over to the administration.[667] Douglas accepted this defection with philosophic equanimity, indulging in no vindictive feelings.[668] Had he not himself felt misgivings as to his own course?

By midsummer the people of Kansas had recorded nearly ten thousand votes against the land ordinance and the Lecompton constitution.  The administration had failed to make Kansas a slave State.  Yet the Supreme Court had countenanced the view that Kansas was legally a slave Territory.  What, then, became of the great fundamental principle of popular sovereignty?  This was the question which Douglas was now called upon to answer.

* * * * *

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote 621:  Report of the Covode Committee, pp. 105-106; Cutts, Constitutional and Party Questions, p. 111; Speech of Douglas at Milwaukee, Wis., October 14, 1860, Chicago Times and Herald, October 17, 1860.]

[Footnote 622:  Spring, Kansas, p. 213; Rhodes, History of the United States, II, p. 274.]

[Footnote 623:  Rhodes, History of the United States, II, pp. 277-278.]

[Footnote 624:  Ibid., pp. 278-279; Spring, Kansas, p. 223.]

[Footnote 625:  See Article VII, of the Kansas constitution, Senate Reports, No. 82, 35 Cong., 1 Sess.]

[Footnote 626:  Schedule Section 14.]

[Footnote 627:  Covode Report, p. 111.]

[Footnote 628:  Chicago Times, November 19, 1857.]

[Footnote 629:  Chicago Times, November 20 and 21, 1857.]

[Footnote 630:  Speech at Milwaukee, October 14, 1860, Chicago Times and Herald, October 17, 1860.]

[Footnote 631:  New York Tribune, December 3, 1857.]

[Footnote 632:  Globe, 35 Cong., 1 Sess., p. 5.]

[Footnote 633:  Chicago Times, December 19, 1857.]

[Footnote 634:  Globe, 35 Cong., 1 Sess., p. 17.]