The Placer herald., 1860-10-13
From the Sacramento Democrat, Oct. Sth.
The Modern Machiavelli.

modern Machiavelli tina. man is Stephen A
Douglas OF Illinois, stump candidate for the
Presidency of the United States. 1t will not
he necessary to indulge in extended com.
mens upon the facts which we lay before
our readers this morning. They speak for
themselves, and in thunder tones, to every
one who has the good of The country at
heart. The course which Mr.. Douglas has
late y pursued has given rise to the suspicion
that his efforts are directed to the accom-.
plishment Of only one obect-that is: the
election of Lincoln to the Presidency. 1t
has only been suspicion so far-now we have
the proof. Judge Trumbull is the colleague
of Mr. Douglas in the Senate. AT meet
ing recently held in Illinois, he was asked
10y Mr. Kirk patrick, a supporter of Breckn-
ridge and Lane, VIII ther Mr.. Covode had
not made propositions to him in behalf of
Mr.. Douglas, in relation to the campaign of
1860, when the following dialogue took place:
Mr.. Kirkpatrick-I see from the speech Of
Judge Kellogg, that at the time of the at
tempted passage Of the Lecompton Constiu-
tion through Congress, Mr.. Douglas called
on Mr.. Covode Republican member of
Congress, from Pennsyl> >ana, and requested
him to 90 to you and oct you to agree that
he, Mr.. Douglas. should be returned to the
Senate 10y the Republicans of illinois, and in
consideration thereof, he would fight the Re
publican battles in 1860? Was this ines
saye conveyed t" you 10y Mr.. Covode, and il
aye, what reply did YOU make thereto?
Judge IrnmbuI Mr.. Covode has told me
since that he came to me at that time for
the purpose of delivering the message, but
before mentionny the matter to me, found
from my violent denunciations of Judge
Douglas, that it was useless to make the pro
positions to me, and consequently it was not
delivered at that time TO me.
Mr.. Kirk pailick--One more question:
Was Judge DougIas a, that time, an appli
cant for admission into the Republican party,
the consideration on the one side being that
the Republicans of Illinois should return
him to the Senate Of the United States, and
upon the other that he would fight the Re-
puhlicans in 1860!
Judge T.n,nhnll-I had no intercourse
with Judge Douylas at that time, and con
sequentlv can only state the reports which
came to NE through others. 1t was report.
ed to me at that time that such was the fact,
aud snch a"peare! to he the universal under
>ianding among the Republicans of Wash
inoton. | viii state another fact | almost
quarrelled with some Of my best Republican
friends in regard to this matter was will.
limo to receive Mr.. Doug las into the Republi
can party upon probation, bnt was not as
these Republican friends we're, willing to
receive him and place him at the head Of our
ranks
lIere we have the statement of Mr.. Trum-
bull that Douglas was an applicant for adj
mission into the Republican ranks, in 1858,
and proposed, III the event of his election,
to fight for the Republicans in 1860. Has
he not fulfilled he bond! Did he not take
the first step 10 disrupt the Democratic party
when he wrote bis celebrated "Dorr letter?'
Did he not follow it up at Charleston and
Baltimore by rejecting the platform reported
bv the several reliable Democratic States?
Is he not now, to the best of his ability, en-.
lcavor'ng to consummae it, by preventing
any combination in the Northern States
looking to the defeat of Abraham Lincoln?
1t will not do for Mr.. Douglas to allow this
charge to 90 in silence. He has not yet,
however, venture'l on n reply. We do not
hazard much when we assert that he never
will 1t may, and probably will, be urged
by the apolo.sts of Mr.. Douglas tha. the
fac, that Mr. Trumbu made the statement
is, Of itself proof Of its falsi'y, for he is ma
tulally desirous of the success of Lincoln,
and G uld have 10 object in breaking down
the man WHO is doing more than all others
to secure the election of that gentleman.
But we are all human. Mr.. TruInbull is
bitterly hostile to Douglas, and he may have
seized ,ha, opportunity to revenge himself
upon him, regard IS of the consequences
More than that: 1t is just possible that be-
cause he hated Douglas S" much he was not
let into the secret, and had in fact, no
knowledge of the subsequent arrangements
made with other parties The bargain may
have been struck with Greeley in that back
parIor about which Kellogg spoke in the
last House Of Representatives; and we all
know that Greeley afterwards was mainly in
strumenta in securing the nomination OF
Lincoln. Another witness to the perhdy OF
Mr.. Douglas is Senator Wilson. of Massachn-
sets. 1t will be recoeced that during the
fight on the Lecolnpton Constitution in Con-
eress, the Republicans voted for the Critten-
den Montgomery amendment IL was then
charged that the Republicans had changed
front but Mr.. Douglas upon whose soIic!ta-
ton they were mainly induced to pursue
that course, denied that such WAS the fact to
Mr.. Wilson in the Senate Chamber, remark
inp that "t was sander to say that the
Republicans were abandoning their principle
of Congressional protection, and that if such
charge should be made against them in his
presence he would denounce it, yet Mr.
Douglas in his fight against Lincoln in 1858
made the very charge which he promised to
rof,to In one of his recent sDeerheS Mr.