The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-07-06
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT. IL

present; and in his extempore appointment he
had exceeded his authority, or, more properly
speaking, had assumed an authority that did
not belong to him. This he well knew. But
the emergency was great one. A moments
delay would have been fatal the least sign of
heritation would have sealed the prisoners
fate in five minutes he would have been hang
ed, if, indeed, he was not killed before taken
out of the building. 1t was no time for debate
as to the limits of the power. Like Jackson at
New Orleans, he assumed the responsibility of
only thing that was possible to prevent MUIR
der in the precincts of the court, and a gross
violation of the laws.
In December, 1912, at caucus of the
Democratic members o: the Legislature, for
the us. Senator, the vote on the nineteenth
ballot for candidate, stood as follows: R.
M. YOUNG, l, SYDNEY BREEZE, Sc, S. A.
DOUGLAS, 81, J. A. M'CLERNAND, 3. DoUG.-
LAS would not have reached the const itu-
tional age for Senator until four months
after his election. This was all that pre-.
vented his election.
In 1843, DOUGLAS resigned his judgeship,
and was elected to Congress over o. II.
BROWNING, Wing, in strong Wing district.
Since December l843, Mr.. DOUGLAS has
been a representative of Illinois, in one or
the other Houses of Congress. In 1845,
46, he was again elected member of the
House. In December, 1916, he was elected
o. S. Senator. In January 1859, after his
memorable contest with LINCOLN, he was re-
elected to the Senate. The present is his
third term in that body.
DOMESTIC LIFE.
Mr.. DOUGLAS was married on the 9TH of
April, 1847, to Miss MARTHA DENNY MAR
TIN, only daughter of Col ROBERT MARTIN,
of Rockingham county, North Carolina.
This gifted lady died in Washington city,
on the 10Th Of February, 1853, leaving three
children, two boys and one girl, the latter
an infant, who survived its mother only a
few months. In November, 1856, Mr.. DoUG-
LAS was again married at Washington, to
Miss ADELE CUrTs the accomplished daugh-
ter of Hon. JAMES MADISON Curtis of that
city.
Upon one subject connected with Mr..
DOUGLAS private life, we copy the following
extract from his biography, for the reason
that it has been made the subject of con-
tinued Misrepresentation
DOUGLAS PLANTATION AND SLAVES.
In speaking of the domestic affairs of Judge
Douglas, it may not be out of place to intro
duce and dispose of matter which on frequent
occasions has served his political and personal
enemies with pretext for the most unscrupu.
lous abuse. The matter is his ownership of
slaves
In lS47, on the day after his marriage, Colo.
mel Martin placed in Mr.. Douglas hands q
sealed package of papels. Upon an examine
ton of these papers Mr.. Douglas found among
them deed of certain plantations, including
the servants upon them, in the State of Mis-.
sissippi, which deed vested the title to both
land and servants in him absolutely. He at
once. without one moments hesitation, sought
Colonel Martin and returned him the deed,
stating that while he was no abOlitiOnist, and
had no sympathy with them in their wild
schemes and ultra views respecting slavery,
yet he was northern man by birth, education
description of property, and as ignorant of the
manner and rules by which it should be gov.
erned, and was therefore wholly incompetent
to take charge of it and perform his duty to.
wards it properly, particularly at distance of
fifteen hundred miles from where he resided,
and where he should continue to reside at all
times with the people to whom he owed so
much. He said that he preferred Colonel Mar.
tin should retain the property, at least during
his lifetime, and if in the meantime no DISPOSE
ton was made of it, he could then by will leave
directions as to the manner in which he desired
it disposed of.
Colonel Martin died on the 25th of May, 1S4s,
leaving will in VIII CHI he provided for the dis
posal Of his entire estate. In this will he reel.
ted the fact that he had year previously
offered the plantations in Mississippi, with the
slaves upon them, to his son in.law, Stephen A.
Douglas, who had declined to receive them.
He then declared substantially, that in the
event of the death of his daughter, Martha D.
Douglas, leaving surviving children, it was his
wish and desire that the slaves upon those
Mississippi plantations should remain and con-
tinue the property of those children; and he
willed this in the firm belief that the negroes
would be better off and better cared for as
slaves in the family in which they had been
born and raised than if set at liberty and sent
to the free states; but he provided, that in the
event of his said daughter dying, leaving no
surviving children, the negroes should be sent
to the coast of Africa and should be supported
there one year, at the expense Of his estate,
and then be declared free.
This is the entire history of the manner in
which Mr.. Douglas became "the owner of
plantations stocked with slaves - and of the
manner and the reasons by which the owner
ship of the slaves was continued by their grand
father to the children after Mr.. Douglas, for the
reasons given, had declined the absolute gift of
the entire property.
1t has been thought proper and just toward
Mr.. Douglas that this matter should be stated
clearly and distinctly. At the time that Col.
Douglas was not blessed with an over abun-
dance of treasure. As a pecuniary gift this
was of great value, and in his circumstances
would, if converted into money, have enabled
him, by judici0us investments in Chicago and
elsewhere in Illinois, to have laid the founda-
ton for princely fortune. The gift was clog
ged with no conditions. He was at liberty to
convert plantations and slaves into cash at any
moment. How many of those who have de.
nOunced him as Shareholder, as being the
"owner of human beings" and the "prOprie-
tor of human chattles, would have resisted the
offer that he declined, is a question which the
observer OF the general hOllOwness of abolition
pretentiOns will have NO difficulty in answer
ing.
A Senator from Ohio, with want of taste,
a want OF becoming sense OF the proprie-
ties OF life. shortly after the death of Mrs.
Douglas, was shameless enough to introduce
the matter into debate into the Senate. The
remarks made by Mr.. Wade on that occasion
ELECTED the following, touching, manly reply
from Mr.. Douglas:
"Mr. President, the Senator from Ohio Mr..
Wade1 has invaded the circle of my private