Newbern weekly progress., 1861-06-11
He sleeps.

The spirit that animated the form of Hon.
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS has returned to the God
who gave it and the powerful physical organ
ism that enveloped that spirit sleeps the sleep
of death! We do not ask that the pen of criti-
cism should deal gently with his life and mem
ory, but we ask that it be truthful. There is
no cowardice so craven nor infamy SO dcspi
cable as that which would wrong the dead
Let then the tongue of the slanderer be still
and the pen of the vilif1er fall from his grasp,
for he who never shrank before the shafts of
earthly foe has been summoned to other scenes.
Some say Douglas was no statesman; We
say he was a statesman and that in his death
the light of one of the greatest cotemporaries of
Webster, Clay and Calhoun has gone out for
ever! Some say he was no patriot; we say
and we knew him well-that his greatest am
btion was the stability, equality, glory and
honor ofhis own country; and his individual
ambition. though great, was ever controlled
by stern sense of duty. His name and his
tory will form a most important chapter IN the
history of the time in which he lived, and
though envy and malice may hurl their pois-
onous arrows at his lifeess form now, the his
torian and posterity will do him justice; and
when the history Of his generation shall be
wpittcn out he will not only be pronounced
great, but good.
Some say Douglas had turned against the
South, but we do not believe it. The last time
we saw his giant form and heard his clarion
voice he was upon the floor ofthe late Z. S, Ser
ate defending the cause Of the South dcnounc
ing the vilifers of the South and rebuking An
drew johnson degenerate son OF the South
He wasi contcnding for the equality of the
States and imploring Senator'S from the North
to do the South Justice. And in the last speech
that Douglas ever made, in Ohio he denounced
Lincoln's war as unnecessary, unjust and un-
holy, and warned the Administration and the
North that the South could never be subjuga-
ted Though he might have sympathised to
some extent with his section, in a sectional
struggle he was more true to the South than
Fillmore, Everett Dickinson, Gushing any
of the great leaders of that section and proba
bly, as true as Breckenridge or Joe Lane, for
these gentlemen, now that the struggle Is upon
us, do not occupy the position that we had
right to suppose that they would, as Southern
men, occupy Had Douglas have represented
Kentucky instead of Illinois in the Senate Ken
lucky would not to-day occupy, as she does,
position anita tagnstical to the Confederate States.
But Douglas sleeps and Why disturb his re-
pose? He lives in the worlds memory and
upon the pages his country's fame his name
will be classed with the statesmen and patriots
OF his day and generation. Let the traducel's
tongue be still; let hatred, envy and malice
pursue him no further. He cannot hurl back
their calumnies now
We knew Douglas and admired him. because
in our opinion he deserved our admiration, and
BRITISH BEIG.--i British brig of 400 tons
capacity came into Beaufort harbor yesterday
morning and is now at the r. R.wharf at More
head City waiting cargo for Liverpool. Her
appearance upon the bar raised the spirits Of
our brave fellows at Fort Macon considerably
in anticipation of a little brush, but on being
boarded by some of the officers of the garrison
they found her to be merchant ship, having
no purpose in view but that Of friendly inter
course. Several persons expressed more pleas
ure at beholding the ample folds of Her Majos
tvs flag under present circumstances than on
any former occasion. We understood she
will be loaded and cleared with Confederate
papers.