The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-08-02
For the Courier,
BEDFORD, Mass, July oath 1860.

BEDFORD, Mass, July oath 1860.
We have just returned from ride to Con-
cord, and visit to the spot where the first
British blood was shed by our fathers on the
memorable 10Th of April, 1775, the day
which naugurated the American Revolu-
ton, though the Declaration of Independence
was not made till nearly year and quar-
ter later The spot is marked very fifty by
a monument of solid granite ctiselled with a
simple record of the event. About six miles
south eastward of this, at Lexington, on the
road to Boston, whence eighthundred British
soldiers marched in the m ,rning on their
foray into the country to destroy the military
stores which the Yankees had gathered at
Concord, stands another granite monument,
marking the spot where the first American
blood was shed about daylight on the same
day. Ashort distance from this place, is
guide board, pointing westward to "Lincoln."
AS you pass from the Concord monument to-
wards that at Lexington, before you have
gone quite mile, you reach beautiful resi-
dence in grove, made classic by being the
home of Ralph Waldo Emerson Right here
your road divides, and that which seems
most direct leads to Lincoln" In short all
the way from Lexington to Concord, or Con-
cord to Lexington, you are reminded of Lin
coin, and are portion Of your time in the
town of Lincoln" What silent prophetic
inspiration led our fathers to call this revo-
lutionary territory, "Lincoln," we will leave
each one to imagine for himself, but we be-
leve the day is not far distant in the future,
when the name of "Lincoln" shall do much
towards preserving that liberty which walked
the echoes of death. dealing musketry along
the hills and valleys of old Lincoln, in Mass,
more than eighty five years ago.
Last week, we were gratihed by seeing
the Little Giant of the west, Hon. S. A.
Douglas. He reached Boston on the evening
of the 18th. The next morning we happened
to fall in with the bands of music and mill
tary escort which conducted His Excellency,
Gov. Banks, his council and aids, from Bos-
ton to Cambridge, to attend the exercises of
the commencement at Harvard College
In this crowd was the little Giant, as large
as life, and no doubt twice as natural He
certainly is in good condition. If evidence of
beng well fed and clothed proves it, as they
say it does in case Of negroes. A more Jolly,
self complacent. fat looking man, we have
not had in our field of vision for a long time,
east or west. The fires of a restless ambi-
ton have certainly yet much to feed upon,
before he will have a lean and hungry look
like Cassius, or like those politicians out of
Office In fact, we rather think he enjoys
being in a position where his democratic
rivals ego down" under his influence, like
Savers under the blows of Heenan. Exter-
nally he seems exactly the man to manage
right merry family quarrel. democratic
showman in this region would never be asked
vich is Daniel and vich are the IONS There
is not the slightest difficulty in discovering
the lions, the only question is, Where is
Daniel
On the platform at Cambridge, Mr.. Doug
las occupied prominent position near the
right hand of Gov Banks, where for the day
he was the object sought by all eyes. Charles
Sumner, Edward Everett, Henry Wilson and
other sons of the Old Bay State, were gene
rally known, the great question of the day,
therefore, was, which is Mr.. Douglas. Forty
eight speakers, a few only of whom were not
called out, protracted the exercises so that
dinner came at avery late hour. This being
over, few words must be had from Mr.
Douglas of cours e, as lie was stranger,
though others could be passed by.
In Mass, Mr.. Douglas is a curiosity, and
so that Yankee would be, could he be found,
who sold the wooden nutmegs and cucumber
seeds. Douglas has done more than chat
He has actually made some people believe,
or at least prctess to believe, that the right to
hold slages is not only necessary to liberty,
but in measure, constitutes its cery essence,
so that if people in the territories cannot
hold slaves or not just as they please, they
are partially enslaved themselves. He is a
little ahead of the cucumber man. The next
time he sells wooden cucumber seeds, he
must take along few black and yellow bugs
and declare that it is essential to the culture
of cucumbers that the bugs should have the
liberty of eating, or not eating them, just as
they please. Then he may do to 60 into the
same class with Mr.. Douglas till then, Mr..
Douglas must stand alone.
A man of the discernment ofMr. Douglas,
must know that the attention shown him in
Mass, is on account of his celebrity as n
sort ofpolitical rope dancer, rather than an
approval of his political course. And yet it
is quite in keeping with his character to as
sumo in his speeches, that the excitement
which his presence creates, is so much done
for his support. The publication of these
speeches in the west, are designed to operate
as a stool pigeon to draw others into the net
Mr.. Douglas luxuriates in classic shades and
good dinners, being secure in his seat in the
Senate, while such hungry fellows as A. G.
Dodge, and ii. G. Dean, "the man of all
work." holding about the same relation to
him as the mali Friday held to Robinson
Crusoc, or Sancho Panza held to Don Quix-
ote, toll and sweat, in fruitess efforts to place
him in a position to do something for them
They had better plant few wooden cucumber