Year+1854


 * December 1, 1854, Friday**

I'm not very sure what I think about the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Mr. Stephen Douglas, whom I never had the change to meet, does not seem to be a character with much inner strength. I have always told my colleagues and students that self-reliance is the beacon which you must follow. Self-reliance essentially determines the identify of oneself. Mr. Douglas, I believe, is lacking in this characteristic. He had designed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and although I admire him trying to alleviate the tension between the North and the South, I do not think it was a good idea for him to make the settlers within the states to decide on whether they would allow slavery or not. Slavery is a moral sin. Mr. Douglas, the coward he seems to be, has actually stated that slavery was necessary. I understand that he was for democracy, and that was his excuse for forcing the states to make the crucial decision on slavery. If it was for me, I would have abolished slavery in all states.

Also, today in New York I have met Walt Whitman, who I believe should be one of the most prominent figures in American history soon to date. He is an exceptional fellow; he shares the same beliefs as I! He also has a firm stance against slavery. I have read several pages in his primary excerpts; he, I believe, is a true American genius!




 * December 15, 1854, Tuesday**

It is very cold today! I can feel the icy wind and the snow seeping into my old bones. But, no matter, I shall not dwell and moan about my condition, for there are much larger issues to be discussed at hand!

The Kansas-Nebraska Act, which I had talked a little about before in my previous journal, is one of the most controversial acts that America has passed to date. So before I go moaning about this new act, I will first talk about what exactly is the Kansas-Nebraska Act, because some people seem to have a misguided sense of it. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 is an act which created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It repealed the Missouri Act created in 1820, and it also created the concept of "popular sovereignty". I personally believe that popular sovereignty is one of the most controversial concepts in the past decade. This "popular sovereignty" allows the people (settlers) to determine whether slavery will be allowed or not in the area.

Obviously, the North was outraged, like me, because it meant that the government was actually encouraging the participation of the slave system. I understand that this Kansas-Nebraska Act created the first Transcontinental Railroad and made transportation of goods much easier, but I have to say that I disagree with the concept of "popular sovereignty". I understand that some people, like A southern plantation owner, was content with the result of this act, but others, like the Republicans (who were formed as opposition to this act), was angry about it. I believe that although it temporarily might have relieved the tensions between the north and the south, it did not fully eradicate the animosity and therefore, I believe that it only increased the tension in the long run.

Well, until we meet again,