The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-09-15
MR. LINCOLN AND MR. DoUGLAs--MR. DOUGLAS
AND MR. LINCOLN
DOUGLAS

We take it for granted, SO far as the democratic
party are concerned that they utterly abhor and de-
test the puerile and reasonable doctrines of Mr..
Lincoln, who is canvassing the State of Illinois
They hold no opinions in common with him. They
regard all his political associates, North, Middle, and
South, as political incendaries wholly unworthy of
public confidence, and himself as one of the most
reckless and unprincpled of them all. Mr. Lincoln
belongs to that class of politicians who have, for
twenty-five years, sought to array one section q
the Ur;st ,.st BE 3N4ea Ha has vacently pfo-
ea,nea Ga.e lsitnoisgssva f.saay2 slave labor
sFeiacomfasibie eIrt4sutsin e sans government We
Use c,iitaes hg their right names " incom
halle~emrtfic &C. s,loTanr pretender,
bF648 s,6o aay.. W know nothing of his age and
little of his life He has been out of Illinois, and we
doubt not, has had the advantage occasionally Of an
association with men of liberaliy and intelligence
If he is not knave, then he is very weak, and
therefore, as a politician, very dangerous man.
Mr. Lincoln declares that free labor is conqueriDg
army on its great campaign against the South
and he anticipates with appropriate congratulations
its early and complete triumph the institutions
of slavery. Of course this is another way of ex-
pressing his adherence of the federal constitution
and the determination of himself and party to effect
its overthrow at the earliest practicable moment. Mr.
Seward is long way behind Mr.. Lincoln. He main
tains that free and slave labor antagonsms that
they are warning upon each other under the gov
eminent, and that ultimately the former will achieve
complete victory. With Mr.. Seward it is law Of
labor-a question of economy; and he nfers that the
federal government will grow in moral and political
strength symmetry, and power the free sentiment
of the North shall prevail the slavery senti-
ment of the South. Mr. Seward maintains that hos
tly to slavery is friendship to the South and the
Union. Mr. Lincoln is disunionist. He regards
the elements Of freedom and slavery incompatible
in the same government and demands that the one or
the other shall exercise absolute power. He is con
ident of the strength Of his own party in effectng
this end; and we thus infer that he regards the mis-
sion Of that party to be Of essential hostility to the
federal constitution Mr.. Iincoln's repubIicansm is
aimed at the overthrow of the republic because it
cognises slavery. Slavery with him is polcainstitu-
ton andhe win upon itas SUCH and rid hiss
of all association with it. progress of the American
people since their separation from England in all the
affairs of social industrial educational and material
prosperity, goes for nothing with Mr.. Lincoln. There
is proof Of the beneficial character of nstitu-
tons in these great events for him. He has wit
messed, within his short career, the rise of an
empire greater than the world has ever before pro-
duced. He has seen his countrymen, North and
South, East and West, achieve the highest rewards
Of labor unexampled prosperity, and personal indie
pendence, and maintain government Of their own
infexible in the administration of the laws without
being oppressive to any portion of its citizens but
these historical incidents have no weight with Mr..
Lincoln. He has found out that in spite of all our
prosperity, and in the face of all the blessings
which have been showered upon us, free and slave
States incompatible elements in our federal
Union.
Mr.. Lincoln is reputed to be man of considerable
intelligence. We ready to admit that his friends
in this respect have not overrated his capacities.
He is, them great demagogue great political
knave. His elevation to the Senate Of the United
States by the legislature Of Illinois would be pub
lie disgrace and misfortune. The only relief we
discover which could afford us the least posi-
bic compensation for such untoward event is to
be found in the fact that he is republican he
will be regarded and treated as republican, as
dangerous man exercising power over and with his
republican associates.
Mr.. Senator Douglas is self-nominated candidate
for the position to which Mr.. Lincoln aspires The
time has been, and it was not long ago, when we
most cordially supported Mr.. Douglas. He was
democrat acted uniformly with his party, whose con-
fdence he largely commanded. Last winter he
felt it to be his duty, in the most offensive way
to put himself in opposition to the democratic ma
jority in Congress- upon leading measure of policy
of the administration. He greatly embarrassed his
former friends--he signally aided the republicans
but in the end his treacherous schemes faled--the
democracy triumphant. When the session of
Congress closed and the decision Of the controversy
was final, we entertained strong hopes that Mr.
Douglas would return to his State and his party and
once more do battle against the common enemy. We
might give many reasons for this expectation and
appeal to many gentlemen of unquestionable charac-
ter to give testimony in regard to Mr.. Douglass
own declarations before leaving this city, upon
which and they relied, that he would open the
canvass Of his State on the basis of cordial re-
union How were these earnest hopes realized
Speaking of the measure which had been the SUBJ
ject Of division in Congress he said in his Chicago
speech