Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1858-04-02
Portraits Of the Opposition---seward
- and DOUGLAS.

What relates to public men is always
interesting. History is too much mere
record, too little tinctured with metaphysi-
cal biography, with individual character,
motives, incentives and weakness. to make
it either altogether philosophical or truth
ful. 1t So happens that all government is
the work Of individuals, and it is equally
true that the public good is not invariably
the chart by which they conduct the affairs
OF Office
Mr.. William II. Seward and Mr.. Ste
phen A. Douglas are confessedly at the
head OF the opposition We have coupled
arc rival elliefs of the same party, but be-
estise tlfr.7 Tes-cs5 strrtf-r-
des in all the essential elements of charac-
ter. They started upon the race Of feder-
al politics from the same point, Mr.. Seward
going North and Mr. Douglas going South.
Each having made the circuit, they have
come together, freighted by mutual expe-
riences and animated by a common pur-
pose of occupying the Executive mansion.
The great public who are the judges and
hold the stakes are interested to know all
about the contestants.
Mr. Seward is well educated, cold, pas
sonless. pains taking, ambitious man.
What he lacks in positive intellect, he
more than makes up in prudence, caution,
industry and energy. He is too very
much q castumer Of ideas, doing up his
own in a4ancy style, and dressing up 9TH
ers for his own special uses. Mr.. Seward
is literally and truly made man, enthu-
siastic, as all such men are, over his own
= works, for he knows that what he has ac-
complished has been the result of hard,
patient study, and careful outstanding of
his resources. Mr.. Douglas is, right on
the other hand, a natural growth with
greater power, no more heart, and far less
, finish. Mr. Douglas is bold, dashing
cavalry oticer-a pony-nag, good for a
brush, but too unreliable and bawky for
the course A thorough early training for
Mr. Douglas would have impaired his pow
ers of mind. Nature educated him Just as
lie is Mr. Seward, without education and
special training, would have been nothing
This is precisely the difference in this re-
spect between them. They are both now
great men. Mr.. Douglas is great in posi-
tive intellect. He has too some logic. He
IS not scrupnlous logician. He is a
stranger to the chemical faculty of analy-
sis. He cares nothing for premises. He
is Indifferent to the integrity of argument.
take it tits this that has brought them to-
same destination; they care not fig what
road they take to get there. In another
respect the difference between Mr.. Seward
and Mr.. Douglas is obvious enough; the
former has less of the impulse, and of
course the greater power Of concealment.
Mr.. Seward is more of a courtier, Mr. Doug
las is most frank and manly and appears
best when most excited. He is reliable as
apartisan-in war-in strife, when the bat
tie rages-and then his intellect, his re-
sources, are most available. In these re-
spects Mr. Seward is valueless. He will
maneuvre for position, arrange ambus-
cades and strategic movements, Issue pro-
clamations, excite the passions ofthe troops,
commend their courage and promise them
plumber, but somebody else must do the
fighting Mr.. Seward is remarkable for
persistence, vigilance, patience and for us
ing other peoples ideas and other peoples
labor. Mr.. Douglas is sef-reliant, cour-
ageous, firm and wilful. His heart is not
as large as his head. With SO great a dis
parity in this respect, it is hardly possible
that he can ever render his intellect truly
available. 1t is not common to say that