Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-08-15

:, poScu OF lt. NO amount OF pOpularli
Is would be able to stand against the encom
n uIns of such an advocate. His midnigl
: appeal can only be accounted for by SUI
: posing the "old public functionary" wa
: unable to obliterate his animOsities toward
+ ''thc young gentleman of Kentucky" an
: that his well known craft suggested a speec
: as the rcadiest and least offensive means {
: destruction. Such suggestions are tn
/ more reasonable as it is not to be imagine
: that the gyved tenant of the White Hous
: should for moment believe, after the in
4 vestigations, which have been had, and til
, exposures which have been made. sue
] testimony as he volunteered could be other
wise than ruinous ia any cause. The daT
ing evidenced by him ON the occasion wa
only equalled by his lack of self respect
and his utter 'disreguard of the circumstan
ces by which he was surrounded, and whicl
| should haysFestrained him.
Whatever conclusions may be drawn a.
to my estimate of Mr.. Breckinridge's char
, acter ds a politician, l can only say thai
my esteem for him is profound when brought
: into comparison with that which l enter
tain for his Democratic competitor. Their,
are few, if any, living men concerning whom
more has been said and less really known
than Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois,
There are thousands, by far too many
thousands, now sustaining him under the
mistaken. and delusiye idea that he is d.
rccting his efforts to counteTact the plans
of the Southern Democaey. This is a
frightful hal1acination, but a natural one,
when we take into consideration the hu-
initiating fact that all that devotion could
do has been done, by those surrounding his
person to distort a true record, and to
stamp a counterfeit character for him on
the public mind. Viewing him as one of
the most uns fe and treacher6us of leaders,
you will pardon me certain statements
which it now seems necessary should be
made, and the correctness Of which, pre-
sumo, will not be impuGned. have not yet
forgotten, when, in the winter of 1856,
during the first session of the Thirty-fourth
Congress- the residents of Kansas, assev-
Grating that the cardinal principle of the
ansas-Nebraska act had been wantonly
and wickedly nulliiied, that fraud and viO-
lcnce, concocted in the blue lodges of Mis-
sOuri, had invaded their homes and impOs-
ed 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 ''untrammelled popular
sovereignty" turned his back upon his Vi
olated child. and closed his ears, as in
death, to complaints of outrage almost
without a parallel in the civilization of the
iIl.sIs -
taken up their abode IN the Territory un-
der the most solemn guarantees of self-gOv-
ernment, only asked to prove their accusa-
ton, and to be relieved from OPPRESSION
In other words, they declared they had
never been able to enjoy self-government,
that they were ruled by invaders. and de-
mandcd the sovereignty conferred by law
upon them. Mr.. Douglas should have
been the first man to fly to their relief;
and if he had been as completely dedicated
to the principles of his bill. as some would
make US believe, he would have urged in
vestigatiOn and carried it. So far from
having done so, he put himself into the
lead of those Senators most hostile to au
exposition, and became the mere mouth
piece, advocate and apologist of those en-
gagged in the work of forcing slavery upon
an unwilling people. He enjoyed at that
time the full confidence of the South, and
his Democracy was orthodox, because he
was loyal to his taskmasters, willing to do
battle for their most extravagant demands.
He was then chairman of the Committee
on Territories, and | call attention to his.
report as such, made March u, 1856, as
conclusive upon the point have stated
In that paper he could find nothing to say
against foreign conspiracies to invade the
soil of Kansas and control elections, but he
had much to offer in condemnation of East
ern associations to encourage removal thith-
er. He could discover no irregularities in
the return of Mr. Whitefeld, the pro-slavc-
ry delegate, to the House of Representatives,
but he clearly disccrned that the Tcrritori-
al Legislature was legally elected body,
with perfect authority to enact the most
cruel and arbitrary slave codes, and that
the complaints of fraud and force was got
ten up merely TO stimulate and excite
Northern emigration. At the time of
which | speak. there was no one in Con-
gress or out Of Congress, in office or out of
yfficc, who exerted himself more uutiringly
70 perpetuate that reign of terror Inaugural
ed to insure the admission of Kansas into
.he Union as a slave State l fear that there
are many now bearing up the banner IN
cribed with the name Of Senator Douglas,
have fully understood, or who have
.orgotten this tarnished page in his history,
If there has ever been 4 more determined
zoe to the growth of freedom in Kansas, or
to the principles Of the Nebraska-kanSas
bill than Stephan A. Douglas, he has been
able to keep himself very much under cov
er. 1t is gratifying. however, to make
single remark in his favor; it is this, that
he seems as willing as the most ardent Of
ais friends to divent attention from this
period in his career. | am not aware that,
n either essay or address, he has venturcd
% recur to it: but, on the contrary. he
'eems disposed to treat it as blank in
lis life.
While these proceedings were pressing
n the Senate, the other branch Of Congress
.arried resolutions of Investigation under
close division of parties, and sent q. 1 On
ect committee to the territory. Inc same
sequence was susPsssam Eeriue Patterns. SKIS e
bo nount-, each 81 10 and J. incl, bore 20 til
nv NSte-sis Cast;Ison Baud " heel Patterns Ctnl
u Ter sc,,e , Crow Bars, Iron Force Pump, - Pi
Wood Clamps. tIachius for eating h0oi ac.ee
, 2Draxers and Locks, CIst-lr7n NoreT Tor t.t-.L
: bn,llipgs / wool Bench and Scrs~. sct- O. ' co
tools from to 10 large iTou "r,no hes, Iron S'E
Oarrs sizr.) lot uf cold Chissls, Hammer -
variety OF small tcOls- Terms or saie-ait sum