that had been at once
laborious and self-indulgent. But he heard in his half-retirement the
voice of the nation calling for him, and he answered. His patriotism had
always been great, great also his vanity. It must have been strangely
inspiring to him, at the end of a career which, for all its successes,
was on the whole a failure--for the great stake for which he played was
always snatched from him--to live over again the great triumph of his
youth, and once more to bequeath peace, as by his last testament, to a
distracted nation. God allowed him that not ignoble illusion, and
mercifully sent him to his rest before he could know that he had failed.

The death of Taylor helped Clay's plans; for the soldier-President had
discovered a strong vein of obstinacy. He had his own views on the
question, and was by no means disposed to allow any Parliamentary leader
to over-ride them. Filmore was quite content to be an instrument in the
hands of a stronger man, and, after his succession, Clay had the
advantage of the full support of the Executive in framing the lines of
the last of his great compromises.

In the rough, those lines were as follows: California was to be admitted
at once, and on her own terms, as a Free State, Arizona and New Mexico
were to be open to Slavery if they should desire its introduction; their
Territorial Governments, when formed, were to decide the question. This
adjustment of territory was to be accompanied by two balancing measures
dealing with two other troublesome problems which had been found
productive of much friction and bitterness. The district of
Columbia--that neutralized territory in which the city of Washington
stood--having been carved out of two Slave States, was itself within the
area of legalized Slavery. But it was more than that. It was what we are
coming to call, in England, a "Labour Exchange." In fact, it was the
principal slave mart of the South, and slave auctions were carried on at
the very doors of the Capitol, to the disgust of many who were not
violent in their opposition to Slavery as a domestic institution. To
this scandal Clay proposed to put an end by abolishing the Slave Trade
in the district of Columbia. Slavery was still to be lawful there, but
the public sale and purchase of slaves was forbidden. In return for this
concession to Anti-Slavery sentiment, a very large counter-concession
was demanded. As has already been said, the Constitution had provided in
general te