St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1860-08-09
An Anti-Lecompton Democrats IS
Opinion of Stephen A. Douglas.

We copy; from the Philadelphia L,quir-
cr, part of the speech of Hon. John Hick-
man, of Pa; delivered July oath, in Con-
cert Hall, Philadelphia j.. ~~.,
"Whateyer conclusions may be drawn as
to my estimate of Mr.. Breckinridge's char
acter as politician, can only say that my
esteem for him is profound when broug ght
into comparison with that which I enter
tain for his Democratic competitor There
are few, if any, living men concerning
whom more has been said, and less really
known, than Stephen A. Douglas, of ILL
nois. There are thousands, by far too
many thousands, now sustaining him un-
der the mistaken and delusive idea that he
is directing his efforts to counteract the
plans of the Southern Democracy. This is
frightful hallucination, but natural one,
when we take into consideration the humil-
iating fact that all that devotion could do
has been done, by those surrounding his
person, to distort a true record, and to
stamp counterfeit character for him on
the public mind. Viewing him as one of
the most unsafe and treacherous Of leaders,
you will pardon me certain statements
which it now seems necessary should be
made, and the correctness Of which, I pre-
sumo, will not be impugned. I have not
yet forgotten when, in the winter Of 1855
e, during the first session of the thirty
fourth Congress, the residents of Kansas,
asseverating that the cardinal principle Of
the Nebraska Kansas act had been wanton.
ly and wickedly 'nullifed, that fraud and
violence, concocted in the blue lodges Of
Missouri, had invaded their homes and i'm.
posed a foreign rule upon them for the pur:
pose Of forcing upon them institutions
which they abhorred, and invoking the in.
terposition Of Congress in their behalf, the
prided father of 'untrammeled popular SOY.
ereignty' turned bis back upon his violated
child, and closed his cars, as in death, to
complaints Of outrage almost without par.
alle1 in the civilization Of the century -
These despoiled pioneers, who had taken
up their abode in the territory under the
most solemn guarantees Of self government
only asked to prove their accusations, and
to be relieved from oppression. I'm othe,
words, they declared they had never been
liable to enjoy self.government, that they
were ruled by invaders, and demanded the
sovereignty conferred by law upon them:
Mr.. Douglas should have been the frs!
man to fy to their relief; and if he had
been as completely dedicated to the princi
pies Of his bill, as some would make us be-
leye, he would have urged investigation
and carried it. So far from having done
SO, he put himself in the lead Of those Sen.
ators most hostile to an exposition, and be.
came the mere. mouth piece, advocate, and
apologist Of those engaged in the work o.
forcing slavery upon; an unwilling people
He enjoyed at that time the full confidence
Of the South and his democracy was .ortho.
dox,-b -bacause he was loyal to. his task.
masters; willing to do battle for their most
extrayagant demands. He was then Chair
man Of the Committee on Territories, and
call attention to his report as such, made
March r., 1856, as conclusive upon the
point I have stated II, that paper ,he
! could find nothing to say against foreign
~>''sniracies to invade the soil Of Kansas