Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-09-07
MIR. DOUGLAS ON HIS CANVASS.

! "Tut OIL thy shoes for the place Whcfeuh
thou standest is holy ground. is an ndmoni-
ton which in spirit should be heard and hecd-
ed by an aspirant to the Presidency of these
United States. That is a station requiring
more ability and comforting more real though
transitory power than almost any European
throne. lie who approaches it should be So
bcrcd to gravity and chastcned TO dignity by
consciousness Of it's vast responsibilities
lt is difficult oven to imagine a Washington
strolling over State after State, huranguing
crowd after crowd, Aattering, joking, hobuob-
bing and shaking hands, in the hope OF thereby
winning votes for the Chief Magisracy of the
country he had all but created John Adams
and Thomas Jefferson were vehement polti-
clans and eager aspirants who could speak
well on fit occasions but neither could have
faced an audience while making a speech in
tended to facilitate his own election as Pres
idcnt Even Mr.. Clay, tho prince Of can
vasscrs, whether on the stump or of il, whose
ardent desire to be President was never con-
ccalod, always considered his lips scaled by
the prophecies Of his position from the mo-
ment he had been nominated for the Presi-
dency until the struggle had terminated Gen.
Jackson and Gen. Harrison were each indu-
ced to speak while candidates. but in their
respective States only. Gen. Cass and Gen.
Scott were fairly compelled TO say something
while candidates 20 the crowds who gathered
around them as the former was returning
/ from Washington to his home, there to re-
main during the canvass, and the latter was
on a tour of official duty; but the experiment
was in neither case a happy one. The candi-
date who travelled and spoke was beaten by
his rival who staid at home and kept silence.
Mr.. Fillmore, coming home from Europe after
his nomination to the presidency, was induced
TO speak twice or thrice briefly on his way
from shipboard to homestead, and those lit
tie speeches damaged his supporters more
than all that was said by their adyersaries.-
Mr., Buchanans one little speech to those who
came to apprse him officially Of his nomina-
uon-that wherein he remarked that he was
mo more James Buchanan, but platform,
bciittled him in the general estimation Col.
Fremont was profoundly and wisely taciturn
throughout the canvass For in fact the
caudida who makes speeches is naturally
supposed anxious TO secure his election; and
Mr.. Lowndess remark that "the Presidency
is station neither to be sought nor declined,
fully commends itself 10 the public sense OF
fitness aud National dignity. The multitude
will rush to see a candidate for President.
just as they would to see a hanging or SIX
legged horse yet the crowds who ieasted on
clans with Mr.. Douglas at his Rhode Island
ovation and then deied past him for a shake
/ of the possibly Presidential hand, as he stood,
cigar in mouth and sinister first Craspiug a
stout cane. TO press palms with the moving
mass of humanity will ever after cherish a
lower estimate of the Presidential office
should he be chosen to it. The clans were
very well in their way, and they liked the
idea Of having candidate for President as
the cynosure of their feast; but there is a
silent monitor in every human breast which
says-thc feast being over and the crowd dis
perscd-that it is not thus that Presidents
should be made
but to Mr.. Douglas and his canvass:
The reader Of the daily journals will have
been struck with the poverty of ideas and the
wealth of assurance eyinced 10y the least Of
all giants on his stumping tour. That can
dilato must weigh well his words, and be
sure tina; Ne is not led away by the heat of
his Imagination TO say what will offend some
portion of his supporters, is quite truci bat
this affords argument not for speaking poorly
but for declining to speak at all. But when
Mr. Douglas, the Paganini OF politicians,
harps from day to day ON the ono thrcadbarc
string of Popular Sovereignty deducing
thereirom the right of some men TO hold 9TH
ers in lifelong bondage, and asking, "Why
should the crossing of a river (irom State
into Territory divest American citizens of
rights Of self government which no one ever
denied them beforei' he provokes the crush
ing answer, "Iou, Mr. Douglas are the very
man who should answer this question You
inserted in your Kansas Nebraska bill, after
stating that it was intended to leave the Ter
ritorios perfectly free to have Slavery or not,
the condition subject only to the Constitu-
ton of the United States which were in one
sense sheer surplusage, but in another aspect
were plainly calculated to suggest that doubt
of the right of the people Of Territory to
exclude slavery, which has since broadeued
into an absolute denial of that right. You
thus opened and held open door through
which the slaveholding majority Of the Su-
prcme Court might walk in and render 'Popu-
lar Sovereignty in the Territories a swind-
ling mockery and the fact that they might
have broken in at any rate does not excuse
you. since you are seen to have expected and
invited tho incursion. You ignored Popular
Sovereignty when you voted March ,, 1854
against MIR. Chase's amendment, cxpressl af-
trmng the right of the people Of the Terri
tories of Kansas and Nebraska to prohibit
Slavery therein, and when on that same day
You voted against Mr.. Chase further amend
mcnt that the people Of those Territories
should elect their own Governor What is
the reason, Mr. Douglas that an American
citizen who is undoubtedly competent to vote
for Governor on one side of a river becomes
incompetent to discharge that duty immodia-
tcly on passing that riyori Yet YOU and all
your band stand recorded as voting against
Mr.. Chase's proposition, while Hamlin and
Seward Sumner and Wade, and all who are
now cIassed as Republicans supported it p
Where was Popular Sovereignty then
You may say that the right of the People of
"a Territory to prohibit Slavery is subject to
judicial sanction or denial but who can say
this Of the right of such people to choose
/ their own Governor, should Congress see fit
to conccde ~
Time would hardly suffice to track Mr.
Douglas through his long career Of subsorvi-
ency to the Shareholders in their struggle to
plant their "nstiluton" on the soil of KAN
sas, yet one general view must not be omit
ted. On the assembling Of the XNXlVth
Congress, Dec, 1850. two opposing claimants
for a seat as Delegate from Kansas appeared
nt the bar of the House. while Senators and
Representatve from the embryo State Of