Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-05-21


since, which, with the exception of occasional
service in the Legislature of Illinois, com rises
all the opportunity he has had Of learning the
business Of craftsmanship; II States Legislature
may fairly be denominated school in which one
can be trained in any degree in the business Of
the statesman in national affairs; which we aues-
uon When in Congress, he was regarded as a
gentleman OF fair average natural parts, but ex-
ceedingly Ignorant in all matters likely to make
one useful or distinguished public man. He
possessed quite gift Of CAB, and, as the public
men Of the times are prone TO do, he relied upon
that to carry him through the discharge of his
functions as i Representative with credit II
really did more for him than for most of his com.
peers, because he was endowed with larger
share of that description Of wit that enabled him
TO turn the laugh upon his opponent In debate
whenever participating in 1t. H!s ambition in
those times rarely led him TO attempt to make an
Impression In any higher oratorcal or legislative
walk.
Since leaving Congress he has been known, out
OF Illinois, only rs a gentleman who, being a
ready stump speaker, sought TO take the lead
among the lrrePressible-COnfet popular orators of
the northwest His positions on the slavery
qnesnon have always been quite ultra as those
of Mr.. Seward, and, indeed, he has sought inva-
aboiitonism Of the times, by taking abolition
positions in advance of those Of the great anti
slavery leader of the North He has his reward
for the bOldness of his anti-slavery radicajsm in
the nomination that has Just been conferred upen
him. Ii was meet that, after the Chicago on
venton had resolved that the policy of their party
Is TO bring the institution Of African slavery in
the Southern States to end, las they did in
adopting the amendment to their platform first
proposed by ]. X. Giddings and then urged TO a
triumph by Mr.. Curtis), Abraham Lincoln should
be selected as their candidate. Nevertheless that
was only effected by combination Of nearly all the
the bogus votes in their convention against Mr.
Seward. That Is, of nearly every vote purport-
ing to represent bona fde constituencies, from
whom there is no more prospect that any Repub-
hcan party nominee can receive an electoral vote
than there is that the constituencies Of four-ths
OF those delegates to the Charleston Convention
who voted for the nomination Of Douglas will
vote against the Republican ticket in November
next.
Lincoln was thus nominated as Douglas was
soug to be nominated. Viz by the portion Of
the convention (for the most part) who, however
potent they might be in making the candidate
represented constituencies utterly unable to do
aught towards electing him, as though citizens
States. The fact that Mr.. Lincoln's nomination
makes Illinois secure in November for the Repub-
lican party beyond peradventure, was doubtless
one reason why the opponents of Mr. Seward at
Chicago concentrated upon him. In his late Sen
atoTial campaign against Douglas he beat that
gentleman at least four thousand votes, in the
aggregate Of the votes polled for members of the
Legislature TO choose which of them douglas or
Lincoln1 should be the Senator. In the counties
electins LincOlnites TO the Legislature the major
tiles were comparatively large; while in these
electing Douglasites, they were comparatively
small. Thus, though the Douglasitcs carried
more counties or elected more men 10 the Lepis-
lature, their aggregate msjorties fell four thou
sand short of those obtained by tho fewer number
of LincOlnites elected.
AS the electoral vote of the State will depend
rather on the majority Of the vote of the whole
State there can be doubt that Illinois will vote
for Lincoln against any possible Democratic NOM
lnee; and, especially against Douglas If the latter
be candidate for the Presidency
Those understanding how such things operate,
will remember the impossibility of getting out
fair representation Of party's strength in local
election: like that OF members of Il Legislature
where that party is known to have majority that
cannot be overcome which, we doubt not. ran
the aggregate vote of the Linconites in Dougla
last Senatorial contest five or six thousand below
what 1t would have been, had the msiorities for
the Lincoln candidates not been known to be
overwhelming in many counties.
Some Of the DOuglasite around Washington are
arguing that because Lincoln has been nom mated
as the Republican candidate, therefore Douglas
should receive the Democratic -party's nomination
That Is TO say, that because the Repu bican party
have nominated the most ultra anti -slavervite
aspiring for their nomination. the Democracy
should also pursue the same policy-should eight
the devil with fire. by nominating Douglas, I'm
the hope that he will divide the abolition vote of
the North with him-I.incoIn.
For our part, We take little interest I'm tie
abolition vote as we should take in a contest
between Lincoln and Douglas, their PRINCIPLES
being alike subversive TO the guaranteed tights
OF the states, and their practices in their rivalry
10 obtain the favor Of the anti-savery sentiment
OF the non-slaveholding States, being equally
demagogishi though, as Douglas cannot be made
President without at once building up an anti
slavery party at the South, and as the election
OF Lincoln will as surely concentrate the South in
her own defence as the election of Mr. Seward
would have done, and as we believe that the
safety Of the South In the Union lies in her unity
upon the slavery question, We should regard tbs
election Of Lincoln TO the Presidency as a far less
regrettable event than the possible triumph Of
Douglas.
DIsGRAcEFUL CoNDUCr THE attack unon tho
Republican club on Saturday night last while the
Hon. Mr.. Washburn was speaking, WAS one of
the most disg'acefnl exploits Of rowdyism that
M p lpd thah Fas~.