Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-08-24
ROMANCE N Politics =. THE

thise with the self made element, with the
never say die. element, and With the exhaustless
powers Of the man even when sorely pressed as
heis by his able adyersaries There is melting
tenderness at times in some little episodes which
occur IN his speaking. An old man said to him the
other day, WhsnzcaEried away by touching
"reminiscences related by Douglas, stephen,
you'll be President YETI
Douglas turned the point to advantage IN
moment, and that he did make a point, most of
our readers viii agree ne think, when theyTead
his answer to the old man. Said he,
my friend, Iappreciatethe kindness of heart
which makes you put forth that prediction, but
viii assure you that il is more important to this
countFy-to your children and to miue-that
the great principle which we are now discuss
ing, shall be carried out in good faith by the
party, than it is that or any other man shall
be President of the United States Three
cheerkl am also free to say to you that when
ever the question arises with me whether shall
be elevated to the Presidency, or any other high
position, by the sacrifice of nv PRINCIPLES viii
stand by my principles, and allow the position
to take care Of itself Three cheeFSl have
always admired that great sentiment nut forth
by the illnsrious Clay, that he would rather be
night than be President EGood.l say to you
that have more pride in my history connected
with this great principle of popular sovereignty,
than would have in thousand Presideucies"
{ Three cheersl
This is neof the romantic episodes incident
in the campaign. But romance is but small
element once brought yis-a-yis with ugly mat
tiers of fact As We said the other day, give
Douglas clear recoFd-that is, let him be able
to show consistent life, and he would be ire
sistible. He would carry away those sympathies
which the people always have for one when pitted
against two or three in any sort of an eucoun-
ter. But, We said then, that our opinion was
that Douglas, star was paIfng-his future was
waning-the flow was ebbing, and that he would
in al probability go down. We are more con-
drmed in this opinion since We have read the re-
port of Lincoln's answer to the Bardstown
speech of Douglas, which We published yester-
day. Lincoln comes to the same place in hot
pressure upon Douglas rear, and opens out in
q strong reply. He re-asserts Trumbull's charge
against him. According to the reporter of the
Chicago Press and 1Fi5une, Lincoln speaks as
follows:
1t was not until he CDougtas) went into
small town (CIintonl In De Witt county, where
he delivered his fourth or fifth regular speech,
at all. At that place, q was standing in the
crowd when he made his specify he bethought
himself he was charged with something; laugh
ter, and his reply vas that tshiS SeIf.iespect
alone prevented his calling 1t q falsehood. -
Well, my friends, perhaps be has so far lost his
self-respect in Beardstown as to actually call it
falsehoodi TGTeat laughter Douglas had call
reply to make: That while the Nebraska bill
was pending. Judge Douglas helped to e0ts
dOteR q clause giving the people of the terrific
ries the right to eSeiHde slavery If they chose;
that neither while the bill was pending, nor at
any other time, would he give his opinion wheth-
er the people had the right to exclude slavery
though respectfully asked that he made
report, which hold in my hand, from the
Committee on TeTTitnFieS, IN which he said the
rights of the people of the territories in this
regard are SHIELD in allegiance" and cannot be
Immediately exercised. Mr.. Lincoln here read
the passage referred to, from an official document
of the Senate.l That the bred Scot decision
expressly denies any such right, but declares
that neither Congress nor the territorial legis-
lature can keep slavery out of Kansas; and that
Judge Douglas sndOTssg that decision All these
Charges are new; that is, did not make them
In my original speech-they are additional and
cumulative testimony. Ibring them forward now
and dare Judge Douglas to deny one of them
Let him do it and I will prove It by such test
mony as will confound him forever Loud ap-
plAuse. say to you, gentlemen, thar it wonid
be more to the purpose for Judge Douglas to say
that he did not repeal the Missouri Compromise;
that be did not make slavery possible where il
Was impossible before; that he did not leaYea
niche in the Nebraska bill for the bred Scott de-
cision to rest in; that he did not vote down
clause giving the people the right to exclude sla-
very If they wanted to; tina the did not refuse to
give his individual opinion whether a territorial
legislature could exclude slavery; that he did not
make report to the Senate in which he said
that the rights of the people in this regard were
''heid in allegiance" ard could not be immediate
~ exercised; that he did not make i.astv en-
dorsement of the Dred Scott decision over at
Springfield; that he does not now endorse that
decision; that the decision does not take away
from the territorial legislature the power to ex-
clude slavery, and that he did not in the origin
al Nebraska bill so couple the words state and
territory together, that what the Supreme Court
has done in forcing open all the territories for
slavery, it may yet do in forcing open all the
states-I say it would be vastly more to the
point for Judge Douglas to say be did not do
some of these things, did not forge some of
these links of overwhelming testimony, than to
go vociferating about the country that possibly
he may hint that somebody Is Fiarl [Deafen-
ing aPplausel repeat and renew, and
shall continue 10 repeat and renew this charge"
until he denies the evidence, and then shall so
fasten it upon him that it viii cling to him As
long as he lives