Gazette and sentinel., 1860-09-29

in a conversation he held with him at
abOnt the commencement of the lie
compton struggle, IL ascertain his
views concerning his Douglass future
Intentions. After talking = while with
Douglas, ] inquired of him if he knew
where his present course (mesnlng his
opposition Ia Lccompton) would lead
him. Douglas replied, with emphasis,
Il do and ! have checked all my bag
gage, and taken 4 through ticket"
! IN using this expression TO me, as he
did several times, he conveyed to my
mind, as | think he intended 10 do, that
he was going from the Democratic par
ty, V bag and baggage, to the Repub-
Leans, "a great Northern party, rs he
! used to call il. All who %Conversed with
him at that time, and during the Le-
compton struggle, who related their III
terviewS with him to me, received the
same impressions from his CONVERSE
tons that did and the number was
not only large, growing out of my posi-
ton here, but they embraced some of
the leading Senator'S and Representa-
tlyes IN Congress, representatives of
leading Republican journals Of the
country, as well as many of the diStin-
guished citizens Of the different States.
So thoroughly impressed were some
Of the leading and most sagacious
members of Congress that, Mr.. Douglas
was all right that they not only deem
ed it wise policy, for the Republicans
of Illinois to take hands off" and al
low Mr.. Douglas to be returned to the
Senate, but the urged such action as a
matter of justice, and even went so far
as to censure the Republicans of Him
DIS for not following such advice, and
IN many instances, charged them with
being false to their principles and sen
tlmcntS, and sometimes, in the heat of
discussion, made Use of a]pprobrious
epithetS. As an evidence that | do
not mean to Charge others with doing
wrong, | am tree to say that, SO thor
oughiy vas | convinced that the gen
tlemen who gave this advice we're right,
and the Republicans of Illinois wrong,
that / urged tn" something. | am now,
however, satisfied that they were right.
Mr.. Douglas plan for destroying the
Missouri line, and thereby opening the
way for the march OF freedom beyond
the limits forever prohibited by the ex-
istcnce Of that line, and the opening up
OF free States in Territory which it was
conceded belonged to the slave States,
and its march Westward, embracing
the whole line of the Pacific, from the
British possessions to Mexico, struck
me as the NEST magnDcient scheme
ever conceived by the human mind
This character of conversation, so fire.
quently employed by MIR. Douglas with
those with whom he talked. made the
deepest impression upon their minds,
enlisted them in his behalf, and chang
ed, in almost every instance, their opin-
ion of the man.
While it S not surprising that the
men who were in the daily habit of
hearing Mr.. Douglas give expressions
to his sentiments, should have given
the advice they did to the Illinois Re-
publicans, it is surprising that they
should not deny it. More remarkable is
the fact that zone OF the interviews |
ever had with Judge Douglas, on the
subject Of his political position. were
confidential. On the contrary, | al
ways talked with him as a member of
the press, he being fully aware of my
position.
But am making this letter longer
than | intended, and may have occas-
sion to revert to the subjectagain soon.
III