New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-25
MIR. DOUGLASS NEW SLAVE CODE.

ship of Mr.. Douglas, or that his political action
generally flows from purely patriotic cOnsdera-
tons, untinctured with any selfish or personal aims
whatever. Everybody who reflects upon the time
and manner in which the Kansas. Nebraska bill was
got up and passed, must naturally fall into this
train of thought, and arrive at this conclusion.
But if any doubt has existed the point hitherto,
it surely must be removed by the Senator's fresh
effort to get up Fugitive Slave law for Whites,
and to prevent the making of Free States, and for
other purposes, which he expOunded on Monday.
This measure is 80 necessary, so wise, so concili-
atory, SO much demanded by the national exigeu-
cies, and withal, it is SO certain to become law
before the assembling of the Charleston Conven-
ton, in April next, that it could only have been
prompted by the moot ardent inspirations of public
duty. To be sure, Mr. Bigler, of the Administra-
ton wing of the bogus Democracy, had previously
elaborated and introduced into the Senate
measure of similar aims; but it was not so lumin-
ously comprehensive, nor 90 clearly designed for
universal Cancellation and pacifcation, as this
pleasant and genial proposition of the doughty little
Senator from Illinois.
Irony aside, we admire Mr.. Douglass brass.
He has done more than any other man to produce
the present political state of the country, through
hateful schemiDg and reckless legislation. But for
Douglas and Pierce, there would have been no re-
peal of the Missouri Compromise, no outrages in
Kansas no John Brown and no inroad upon Vir-
ginia. Yet the man who is at the bottom of these
things is the busiest in the country to-day,
with fresh contrivances TO still further disturb the
public peace and perplex our national affairs. If
there was any power which could take Mr.. Doug
las affectionately by the arm and walk him into
retirement, and mention to him in a confding but
decisive manner, "Friend Douglas, thee has don
mischief enough in thy day and generation for
"whole regiment of politicians, and henceforth
thee must betake thyself in private to contritiOn
"aDd repentug of thy sins,'' it would besa happy
thing for the country, and useful lesson TO polit
ical cbaratans in the future. Nothing is ceare
than that Justice and tranquility demand such
disposition of this great political sinner. He ha
been walking magazine of mischief to his own
political friends from the time he reported his
Kansas Nebraska. bill He has divided and
exploded them, and scattered their remains in
nearly every Free State, and in most cases has
sailed their political plantations two feet
deep In accomplishing this work he has kept the
whole country in constant state of efferyescence,
agitation, irritation and uproar. Certainly such
man ought to be turned out to grass like another
Nebuchadnezzar; and we know Of no man or class
of men that have more interest in doing 1t, than the
party to which he either belongs or does not belong;
it is difficult to tell which But that party has of
late years acquired astonishing fondness for cul
tvating the manufacture of political bombs and
torpedoes, to be used in their family entertain
ments; and it would seem that they hate to lose
Mr.. Douglas on this account, he being first.rate
hand in that line. There are, perhaps those
among them who think that one of these days he
will be able to construct that will be as fatal to
his adversares as his achievements have hitherto
been fatal to bis friends; and Mr.. Douglas is evil
IDENTIFY of that way of thinking himself But his
success has been shocking only TO his supporters,
thus far.
The measure he has now introduced, or rather,
we should say suggested and initiated, eVnces the
same shallow and short-sghted estimate of the
force of moral causes that he exhibited in the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise. Mr.. Douglas is o
man of mental force, far as his perceptions go;
but he sees only very short distance before his
nose. He does not recognize moral forces in his
scheme Of politics. He believes in putting things
up and putting things down, By lao only; and his
standing maxim is that there is no rule and mo-
tive in human conduct higher or more influential
than gross, grOveling selishness. And he not only
believes that such are mems motives Of conduct,
but that such they should be; and his acts say
plainly that he disbeeves in the existence of any
othsa controlling element in human affairs. As he
is not man of education or study, he is ignorant
of the pregnant lessons Of history on this point.
Drawing from bis inward stores alone, where he
finds no lofty inspirations, no generous aud noble
sentiments of spontaneous growth, such as ilumi-
nate all natures Of higher grade aud moreopu- !
lent endowments, he is thus douby ignorant, and
gropes in a darkness which he does not feel nor
appreciate. Stumbling here, and stumbling there,
over distractions which he does not see, though |
they are plainly visible to other eyes, he pursues
is way without a suspicion of the hinderances |
which beset his path and which are sure to battle |
his designs.
Acting in conjunction with that other equally |
dull-sighted politician, Mr. Pierce-a competecase
of the blind leading the blind-they both tumbled |
into the ditch In the repeal of the Missouri Com
promise, they committed the most stupendous politi-