Daily national Democrat., 1859-06-08
DenOuncIng Douglas.

/ ture from Shasta county, Is IHe sPeSi"A VI gun
of the Lecompton party in that region. 1t
goes the whole hog for Lecomptonism, Le-
eompton doctrine and ALL while the Shasta
| Courier refuses to swallow the doctrine but
nevertheless acts with the organization. A
very enviable position
The Herald, then, being the special organ
of the Lecompton party in the region in
which it is published, its views are entitled
to consideration both from friend and foe
AS the exponent of the Lecompton feeling in
Shasta in particular and in the State in gen
eral, it comes to us, in its first issue. with a
denunciation of the course of Stephen A.
Douglas. 1t says:
"Stephen A. Douglas became the instrument
through which the Republican party was TO keep
bleeding Kansas before the country. Afraid OF
the Chicago vote fearful as To his continued pO-
htical ascendarcy in the State of Illinois, he
thought 1t necessary to cater to the growing abO
| lition sentiment of its northern counties. He
seized upon the igBis fdtuus of Popular Sovereign
| ty--a cameleon of thousand hues-and has ev-
er since been following its Pickering and uncertain
light through the mazes of political inconsisten-
ces and territorial darkness"
Such is the treatment that this great States
man receives from the special organs of the
Lecompton party. His positions are missta-
ted, his motives misrepresented, his character
for honesty of purpose maligned and SIAN
dered. Because he stood true to his princi-
pies. and refused to follow the President in
his infamous departure from the well-under-
stood line of Democratic faith and policy
he must be accused of catering to abolition
sentiment in order to retain his seat in the
United States Senate Why, these Lecomp-
ton renegades talk as though she Kansas issue
was raised by Douglas himself, instead of be-
ing forced upon him as it was-literally
forced upon him-by the President of the
United States, He in the mere wantonness
of power, and recklessness of principle, un-
dertook to compel the people of Kansas to
pass under the yoke of a constitution which
they had no hand in framing, Douglas, as
the author of the Kansas Nebraska Bill, and
the acknowledged champion of the doctrine
of popular sovereignty, rose, like lion, in
his place, and declared his eternal and undy-
ing hostility to the shameful and brazen re-
commendation of treacherous, revivified
old Federalist As n sound Democrat, he
could have done nothing else. He would
have disgraeed himself, had he stood tamely
! by, aud suffered such an outrage to have
been committed. For this noble adherence
to principle, for this fearless determination
in behalf Of right and truth, for this unwav-
ering consistency of conduct, he is compli-
mented by the political time.servers of the
day with the declaration that he has done it
all for the sake of being reelected to the
United States Senate. Probably, George
Washington barred his glorious arm in the
cause of American Freedom because he ex-
pected to be elected President of the United
States Probably, Thos. Jefferson wrote the
immortal Declaration of independence, not
because he believed in the great truths it
contained, but tecause he expected it would
be considered a very remarkable document
and greatly enhance his reputation as lite
rary man and a statesman, to say nothing of
the possibility that it might finally be the
means of giving him political promotion in
the new Republic, should one be fortunately
established ProbObly the great Clay be-
came twice the Savior of his Country, not
for the poor satisfaction Of having done
what was noble and good but for the re-
nown which it was to give him, hereafter! !
BY such a pitiful estimate of human conduct
as this, the sublimest deeds of history would
dwindle into m eanness and contempt. 1t is
not the way that true men judge their fel
lows. 1t is the uniform Judgment, however,
of small politicians, who never did and new
er can rise into the dignity of statesmen
Great men have great impulses, and are gov
erned by great motives. and eir great deeds
are attributable to the innate nobility and
grandeur of soul which belong to them.
Small men are eternally studying their
chances fixing up their "trieks," laying their
"traps," and plotting and crcumventing in
the little limit of their own narrow concep-
tions. 1t is the business of great men to
move on, like giant worlds in their orbits,
scarcely conscious of the mighty force which
impels them. 1t is the province of small
men to look at them through their hazy, fee
BILE telescopes, and imagine that they see specs
and flaws on the rolling orbs before them,
when it is only fly dirt on their own glass
es.
1.-The ignis fatuus of Popular Sovereign.
tyl" This is the term applied to the Dem
Ocratic principle of selfgovernment, by the
very special organs of LecomptOnism. Pop.
ular sovereignty is, in their estimation a
mere igniS fatuls. Well we give them cred
it for living up to their belief They GER
tainly do treat the doctrine as an iqnis fatu
u.s.
But, the Shasta Herald goes on to say:
"Stephen A. Douglas has done more within the
last three years 1--WE believe without intending il
to strengthen the Republican party than all the
/ Stewards, Haes, Giddngses, and other great
apostles of Black Republcanism throughout the
Union could do in quarter of a century"
Another decided compliment The only
reservation is. that perhaps he did this great
service to Republicanism without intending
it. What an idiot he must have been to be
helping Republicansm in this extravagant
manner, without knowing it OF course,
Mr.. Buchanan has not helped Republicanism
at all.
mi