The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-13
MIR senator Douglas and his New Position on
the Kansas Question.

Some of our Seward contemporaries who have
heretofore regarded Mr.. Senator Douglas az no
thing more than tricky politician, carrying
more sail than ballast, have suddenly discover
ed that he is really possessed of the highest at
tributes of great statesman. On the contrary,
we fear that in this Kansas coup d'etat against
the administration Mr.. Douglas has sunk the
policy ofthe statesman in the selfish calcula-
tioas of the scheming pettifogger. He has be-
come special pleader upon technicalities and
nice distractions in matter concerning which
the practical statesman would be guided by the
more pressing exigencies of the case.
Among the sagacious trainers of our govern
ment there were many and various opinions,
prejudces and conflicting theories in relation to
slavery, but fos the sake of union and harmony
in their counsels and in the confederacy they
agreed upon those mutual concessions which
resulted in that beautiful fabric of sectional
comprehensive federal constitution. They
never could have agreed. and there would have
been no union among these States, had the
North or the South made the extinction of sa-
very or the extension of slavery the paramount
question.
So in regard to the great Missouri compro-
mise. There was fearful sectional division in
Congress upon the question of admitting Mis-
souri, as slave State; and but for the mutual
concessions, as between the North and the South,
brought forward in that compromise line of sc
so, the sectional excitement of the time would
probably have ended only with the dissolution
of mir no cd e.
teal craftsmanship, and in Henry Clay, Mr..
Calhoun and their co-laborers of that day, the
call was answered. and the country was restored
to peace, and long peace, upon this ticklish
question of niggers by the simple remedy of
the Missouri compromise. Had distractions
and technicalities prevailed, that compromise
could not have passed; for, tried by the touch
stone of the constitution, it was clearly Con-
gressional usurpaton of power.
In 1882 SO, upon the tariff question. Mr.. Cal
houn ceased to be great national states
man, consulting the exigencies of the times,
and became, upon nice distractions, and hair
splitting constructions of State rights, Sec
tional politician. From that false step be never
recovered the position he had lost. But here,
again, Mr.. Clay, as the great pacifcator. inter
posed plan of compromise which secured the
cheerful acquiescence even of South Caroline.
and saved Old Hickory the trouble of reducing
her fire-eaters to submission by more compul-
sorry process.
In 1850, when the Union was again threaten
ed with violent disruption upon this everlast-
ing slavery trouble, Mr.. Clay again promptly
threw himself into the breach and brought for
ward his schedule of compromises, which again
gave peace to the country. In this good work
he was bravely and actively supported through
out by Mr. Douglas. In fact, the conspicuous
part played by Mr.. Douglas in the compromise
acts of 1850 established him upon an exalted
and enviable national reputation. We fear,
however. that from this point the ambition of
Mr.. Douglas has outstripped his discretion. and
that his visions of the White House have too
much controlled his movements. both a. states
man and politician.
He has been little too quick with
his Kansas coup d'Gat in the Senate.
The Lecompton constitution Is not before that
body, and no man can tell the precise shape in
which 1t will be presented to Congress. We can
only account for the haste of Mr.. Douglas in
defining his new position, upon the presumption
that he desired more the honor Of the first blow
against the administration. as political capital.
than the peaceable settlement of this Kansas
difficulty. We suspect that some shortcomings
Of the Cincinnati Convention. and some misgiv-
ings in regard to the next National Democratic
Convention at Charleston. intermingled with
some unsettled balances against Mr.. Buchanan,
underlie this Kansas coup dttat of the bold and
daring Illinois Senator. That correspondence of
his last summer with the President. touching
certain executive appointment at Washington,
is now explained. We can now perceive that
even at that time, when there was no Lecompton
constitution. Mr.. Douglas was charging the
bombshell which he has since exploded in the
Senate.
In this view this Lecompton Convention and
constitution became the convenient prctexts for
the bolt long before pfemeditated and resolved
upon and IL thus appears that Mr..
Douglas is taking new departure for
the succession under the disguise of
a consistent vindication OF popular sovereign
ty.' But IL il the end that crowns all; and we
shall probably see in the end that Mr.. Douglas,
in his present defence of popular Sovereignty
il az far from the White House as in his dashing
experiment OF the Kansas-Nebraska bill lie
has discovered that there is no faith with the
fire-eaters of the South, and he will in due time
discover the equally unreliable character Of the
dirteaters Of the North.
CONSPIRACY OF THE Dmr EATERS AGAINST
THE ADnTNIsTRATIoS.-Tbe leaders in this con-