The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-09-16
The Democratic Nominee for Governor.

|
cratic nominee for Governor, made
himself somewhat notorious, and at
tanned certain degree of popularity,
by his opposition to Che Lecompton
fraud, during the last session of Con-
gress. He opposed the administration
in it's wicked endeavors to force slavery
upon the people of Kansas, and his
constituents read his speeches upon this
matter with some degree Of PRIDE and
lauded him for the spirit of manliness
evinced.s The reason of Mr.. Stuart's
conduct was never fully known, but
that of his leader in this matter, Ste
phen A. Douglas, was surmised, and we
believe quite truly. To give our read
ers an idea of what we believe to have
been hes reasons for opposing the ad-
ministration, and what seems to be the
prevailing opinion of those of his own
party, we give the following extract
from recent speech delivered in the
city of Springfield, ILL.,, byU. S. District
Attorney, Henry S. Fitch, democrat
of course) in which they are clearly set
forth. Speaking of Mr.. Douglas course
of opposing the administration upon
the Kansas question, he says:
The first .Sgreat principle that I'M
derlies" the movement is the principle
of selfpreservation. Great laughter.
Douglas conceived that his reelection
depended upon it. His political neces-
sites drove him into the course The
growing free soil sentiment of Illinois
must be conciliated or the State would
no longer require his services. Cheers. I
1t was not that Kansas was about to be
forced into the Union, but that Douglas
was likely to be forced out of the SEN
ate. Prolonged laughter.] Not that
Popular Sovereignty in the Territories
was being violated, but that Popular
Sovereignty in the State was about
to be enforced. CONTINUED laughter |
Not that the reign of Kansas ito regu-
late. her domestic institutions in her
own way, subject only to the Federal
Constitution was to be overthrow,
but that the right of Illinois to the
same thing, unsolicited to the dictation
of Mr.. Douglas, was to be enforced.
[Cheers and laughter
1t was not that the honorable Sena-
tor loved the Democracy less, but that
he loved Douglas more. He was per-
fectly willing to make any reasonable
sacrifice of his friends or their means
to sustain the party, but to ask him to
sacrlfi:e his own personal interest was
asking a little too much even for the
Little Giant. Great cheers. 1t may
have been very Roman and very i'm
mortal to stand up like brave and
honorable man in defence of the party
that had elevated him, but it might
have cost him his Senatorial head, hence
he preferred the discretion to the valor
of the deed. Hit him again. Honor
may have pricked him on, but if honor
should have pricked him off-that was
the rub. Honor had no skill In ballots
Honor could not secure vote; there
fore he would have none Of it. Loud
cheers.
Add to this very natural and dis
Greet principle of self preservation, a
private pique against Mr.. Buchanan
for having defeated him at Cincinnati,
and thus spared him a still greater de-
feat at the hands of the people, and
refusing to appoint Mr.. Richardson to
a Cabinet Office, (who by-the-bye would
have made brilliant Cabinet officer,)
and you have the true intent and
meaning" of the anti-Lecompton fight
in nut shell. Laughter and cheers.
We believe these to be the reasons
thatled to the conduct of Mr.. Douglas,
and will not the same arguments apply
very well to the case of Mr.. Stuart !?
Certainly his late conduct shows that
it will. He knew full well the people
of Michigan would never sustain such
doctrines as were being promulgated
by the administration, and with an eye
to has seat in the Senate, he leagued
himself with Douglas, they both having
the same grand object in view,
viz: reelection Dir. Douglas has
gone home and is now fighting his bat
tie, but Mr.. Stuart on his return home,
found that his constituents demanded
something broader of him. He found
that the true Republican sentiment still
prevailed in his State, and that total
Reputation of the administration, with
all its pro-slavery proclivities and ruth
less extravaganza was the only grounds
upon which he could expect re-elec-
ton. Feeling that he could scarcely
go that, and seeing how slim his char
ces were for Congress, he commenced
feeling for tie Governorship. Still
clinging, as was supposed, to his Anti
Lecompton feelings, he went before the
Democratic Convention for nomina-
ton, and received it from the hands of
his Anti-Lecompton friends. No sooner
does he receive the nomination, than
be gives in his full adhesion to the adj
mipistration, and returns, "like the dog
to his vomit," to his former miry pit,
there again to wallow in the dirty dregs
of locofocoism, and bask in the smiles