The Washington union., 1858-03-17

editorial corps with kindness and courtesy, and have
continued with few exceptions to treat with
sderation and fairness, which will command my
grateful remembrance. And now, I take my leave of
them, and the readers of the Uon with the waest feel
ings of kindness and respect W. A. HARRIS
WASHINGTON CITY, March l6 1858
PORTRAITS OF THE OPPOSITION SEWARD AND
DOUGLAS
What relates to public men is always interesting.
History is too much mere record, too little tine
tured with metaphysical biography, with individual
character, motives, incentives, and weaknesses, to
make it either altogether philosophical truthful.
1t happens that all government is the work Of in
dividuas 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. Stephen A. Doug
las are confessedly at the mead of the opposition.
We have coupled them together not much be-
cause they rival chiefs of the same party, but
because they are in many respects antipodes in all
tho essential clements of character, They started
upon the Of federal 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 experiences and
animated by common purpose 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 we'll educated cold passionless,
pains taking ambitious What he lacks in pos
tive intellect, he more than makes up in prudence,
caution, industry, and energy. lie is too very much
of costumor of IDEAS doing up his own in fancy
style, and dressing up others for his own special
uses Mr.. Seward is literally and truly made man,
enthusiastic all such are over his own works.
for he knows that what he has accomplished 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. Doug
las is bold, dashing cavalry ofiicer-a pony nag,
good for brush, but too unreliable and bawky for
the course thorough early training for Mr. Doug
las would have impaired his powers of mind Ma
ture educated him just as he is Mr. Seward with
out 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 positive intellect He has,
too some logic. lie is not scrupulous logician
lie is stranger to the chemical faculty of analysis
He cares nothing for premises. He is Indifferent to
the integrity of argument. He is ambitious, like
Mr.. Seward, and take it it is this that has brought
them together They both travelling to the same
destination; they not fig what road they take
to get there In another respect the difference be-
tween 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 courtier: Mr. Douglas is most
frank and manly and appears best when most ex
cited. He is reliable apartisan--in war-in strife,
when the battle ragesand then his intellect his re-
sources, most available. In these respects Mr.
Seward is valueless. He will mannuvre for a posi-
ton, arrange ambuacades snd strategic movements,
issue proclamations excite the passions of the troops
commend their courage and promise them plunder,
but somebody else must do tho fighting Mr.. Sew
ard is remarkable for persistence, vigilance. pa
tience and for using other peoples ideas and other
peoples labor. Mr.. Douglas is sefTeliant. cour.
ageous firm and wilful His heart is not as large as
his head With so great disparity in this respect.
it is hardly possible that he can ever render his in
tellec truly available 1t is not common to saw that
real goodness of nature large sympathies generous
emotions and impulses, necessary to greatness of
mind. 1t is nevertheless true When we reflect
that the strctest and most faithful deduction becomes
wicked deception, unless the premises are truly laid
and that the latter alone taxes the integrity of the
mind this distinction will be seen to be Just Mr.
Douglas is not without high estimates of his own
powers it is this that makes him rely with impe
rious will upon bis conclusions, for which he claims
the weight of unimpeachable testimony. lie is not
without caution, but it is intellectual caution con-
trolled by the superior faculty of ambition In Mr..
Seward caution is chief element of his nature
on which he relies means to an end. Mr. Sew
ard rests upon ,deos not upon logical conoJu
sions or deductions. Hence his arguments en-
brace long array of facts or what he claims
es facts. II is manifest in this respect that Mr.
Seward addresses himself almost exclusively to
the unlcarned. There is far more of the dcma
Eogue in his character than in that Of Mr. Douglas
Mr. Seward shoots into the crowd Mr. Douglas aims
Al some siittering uniform and we fear is too indf
'eren' whether it be worn by friend or foe Mr. Doug
las hnds his enemies in those who do not agree with