Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-07-14

who could read and write, was invited to
the clerkship, and promptly accepted it
For his three days service in this position
he received six dollars with which capital
he Immediately opened school and OBJ
tanned forty scholars, whom he taught for
three months at three dollars each. SPEND
ing his days in teaching the youth of Win
chester, his nights were devoted to his
own instruction. Borrowing some law
books in Jacksonville, he mastered their
contents, and on Saturday afternoons dis.
played his book learning with great effect
while practising in petty cases before the
justice OF the peace of the town. After an
I examination, he obtained a license from
the Judges of the Supreme Court, and in
March, 1884, opened an office and com.
menced practice in the higher Courts.
One year after his admission, while not
yet twenty two years old, and not over
eighteen months a resident of Illinois the
Legislature elected him Attorney General
Of the State. In December, 1885, he re-
signed this Office, hayins been elected to
the Legislature by the Democrats of Nor.
gan county. In 1927 he was appointed
Register of the Land Office at Springfield
Illinois, by President Van Buren, ,and held
the office until 1889, when he rcsigned -
In the meantime, although ipeligible on
the score of age Mr.. Douglas received the
Democratic nomination for Congress, in
November, 1887 Over 80, 900 votes were
/ cast, and the Wing candidate was declared
elected by majority o! Jice-there being
more ballots rejected by the canvassers in
consequence of the misspelling of Mr..
Douglas name than would have changed
the result.
Mr.. Douglas now devoted himself exclu-
siycly to his profession, and distinguished
himself especially in case touching the
rights Of foreign born voters. In ls4O, ,he
entered upon the Presidential contest in
favor of Van Buren and Democracy with
great ardor In December of this year,
Mr. Douglas was appointed Secretary of
State for Illinois; and in February fol-
lowing he was elected by the Legislature
Il Judge OF the Supreme Court. In ls43
he resigned his seat on the bench to accept
the Democratic nomination for Congress-
He was chosen by majority Of four
hundred. In ls44 he was re, elected by
n majority of nineteen hundred, and again
in lS4G, by nearly three thousand major
ity. lie did not take his seat under the
last election, having been in the meantime
elevated to the United States Senate for
six years, from March 4, lel7 in which
high position he has continued ever since
In the House of Representatives Mr.
Douglas took a prominent position on the
Oregon controversy with England main
tanning our title to the whole of Oregon
up to 81 deg. and 40' and declaring that
he never would yield one inch of Oregon,
either to Great Britain or any other Gov
ernment. He was in favor of the resou-
ton giving notice to terminate the joint oc.
cupation, and advocated with great fervor
the establishment Of Territorial Govern
ment over Oregon, under the sufficient
mility force and the immediate preparation
of the country, SO that in the event of a
war growing out of what he deemed the
assertion of our rights, we might "driye
Great Britain, and the last vestige of roy
al authority, from the contiAent of North
America, and make the United State an
bound republic
lie was an early advocate to the annex
| alton of Texas. As Chairman ofthe Com
mite on Territories, in 1916, he reported
the joint resolution declaring Texas one of
the United States and he ably sustained
Polk S Administration in its war measures
toward Mexico. Yet he opposed the treaty
of peace which closed the Mexican war ON
! the ground that the boundaries were 'un-
natural and inconvenient,' and the provis-
ions in regard to the Indians, "could nov-
er be executed" Our Government has
since given ten millions of dollars to Mex
| leo to alter the boundaries and relinquish
the Indian stipulations, In like manner,
he strenuously opposed the ratification of
the Clayton Bulwcr Treaty, upon the
ground that it pledged the faith of the
United States in all time, never to annex,
colonise, or occupy anypOrtion of Central
America.
Senator Douglas has declared himself in
favor of the acquisition of Cuba, when that
island can be obtained in manner consist
ent with the laws of nations and the honor
of the United States.