Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-10-12

A PuSsKSr PoRrRArr.-Below will be found
an extract from late letter from the Hon John
Sdell, Of Louisiana addressed to his consttu euts
wherein he draws portrait Of Mr. Douglas and
that gentleman's tail-political, the fidelity Of
which can hardly fail to be recognized at glance
by all in the Federal Metropolis who know his
and their history-and who here does not We
republish II Is embracing, take Il all in all, in
very short compass, the happiest and most truthful
picture Of the authors Of all the mischief that has
befallen the cause Of democratic principles Of lac
The Democratic party are now paying, bitterly
enough, the penalty of having nurtured such a
man, with such followers, in its bosom. Had the
policy with reference to Mr. Douglas and his
schemes for his personal advancement which the
Star pursued two years ago been pursued at that
time by the party at large, and had IL followed II
as persistently as the Star has done he would
long since have been shorn Of bis capacity to
injure the cause Of democi attic princi pies az he
and his personal followers have injured IL in the
recent Pennsylvania election:
Having thus disposed Of the quest on of the rela-
tive strength Of the candidates, let us examine
their antecedents, their qualities Of mind their
personal character, and comparative fitness for the
exalted station to which they aspire. In speaking
Of Mr.. Douglas, shall be brief, for two reasons
one, that If were to say all think Of him, with
same opportunities to observe him as I have,
would think my picture overcharged, and some
might suspect that political and personal hostility
made me a biased and perhaps unsafe witness;
tue other Is that he Is not the Oppone with whom
we are seriously to contend. / cheerfully admit
the marked ability, the vigor and energy, mental
and physical, Of Douglas and the eminent ser
vices rendered by him in times past TO the demo-
cratic party-times in which was proud to re-
cogniZs In him our stoutest champion, aud one Of
our ablest Chiefs but these qualities are married
by an Unsuitable ambition, an overweening van
ity, temper impatient Of all counsel or control
and an intense selfshness, which renders him In
capable Of viewing political questions In any
other light than that reflected by bis own personal
interests Of the day. He is a cunning, but not a
sagacous man, utterly interruptions az to the
means Of obtaining the one great Object he has had
in view since his debut In public life He has
been an avowed asPrant and active intriguer for
the Presidency for the last sixteen years, and had
he known how to bide his time, and been Ii IS
dsmonstrative in his efforts would probab have
secured by this time the object Of his ambition
Having failed in this attempt, and forfeited the
confidence Of his former political friends, his sole
object now is to ruin the party which he has not
been permitted to rule. g N0Seitur sociisn.is a
safe precept aud its truth has never been III ore
s;rikingly verified than in Stephen A Douglas
Who are his Confidential friends and most ac-
tive supporters, Disappointed politicians--men
who have failed to be appreciated acc ording to
their own estimate of their merits by ignorant
constituencies, would-be ministers pleni poten-
phantom
republics, rejected office seekers lobby agents for
fraudulent or exaggerated claims, needy letter
writers, all the Robert MacaiIes Of the press pro-
jectors Of railroads, Of which all the Profit Is to
enure to them and all the cost to the Government
all who hope, under lax and profigate admins
6aton to obtain fat contracts are to be found en-
listed under his banner. Add to these a number
OF pretended democrats, who nd I'm his 30 IA ter
sovereignty doctrines a convenient halfway
Judgment oD:the road to the abolition camp and
you have the sum total Of the DouZ las array-an
army composed Of officers and trumpeters, with
out rank or fle, making up in the loudness If
Their boastings and in the violence of tn, ir de-
nuncatons, for the sparseness Of their numbers
and the absence Of all those elements OF integrity
intelligence and social standing which enter into
the composition Of great national party IL 10
not risking much to predict that when this cleo
ton shall have passed Mr. Douglas will soon
prove himself to be the most vindictive and dan
gerous enemy Of the South.
His course in obstinately refusing all terms of
compromise and arrangement with the Breck kim
ridge democracy, in every Northern State can
only be accounted for on the Hypothesis Of his de-
termination to elect Lincoln. with the hope Il
placing himself at the head of the black repu bill
can party In 1854. But there Is positive evidence
OF this purpose, coming from so many quarters
that he dare not attempt to refute it. may suit
Mr Douglas to advance the fails. charge against
Air. Buchanan, Of threatening to make war on
him and his friends IL he opposed the admissi on
Kansas with constitution recognizing slavery-a
charge refuted by q simple examination Of dates
and reference to the relations existing between
them; and when he 10 met by an Indignant denial
only to reply that, n there was witness to the
alleged conversation, be cannot enter into cou-
toversy about IT.; but when charge Is made by
his colleague, MIR. Trumbull, confirmed by assef-
tons from Kellogg, Blair, Colfax, Burlingame
ana Others OF his att mpt to form an alliance with
the black republicans, the man who scruples not
to make question Of veracity with our venerable
Chief Magi respecting conversation which,
from its very nature II it took place at ALL must
have been confidential, stands mute under the
damning accusations Of his peer in the Senate and