The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1861-06-27


as those conditions rendered it conven-
lent and profitable; and every community
that is, its white men-were the prop
er Judges whether it was or was not
adapted to their requirements. Mr.. Doug.
las believed this, and the Nebraska bill
was the faithful embodiment Of his con-
victions. Yet when asked to follow those
convictions to their logical and necessary
result in a provision that each State should
decide for itself whether to buy its slaves
of American or of African breeders and
traders, he shrunk from the test, aud
pleaded a constitutional settlement of the
Slave Trade question. He was as lame
| in his facts as in his logic; for the Con-
stitution only empowers Congress to pro-
hibit the importation of slaves it no.
where commands such prohibition. And
Mr.. Douglas was imperatively required
by his great principle " to allow Mis-
sissippi and Arkansas, Frorida and Tex
as, to decide for themselves whether to
buy their negroes of Virginia at $1,000
per head or of Dahomey for 500. He
did not see this-he could not afford to
he did see the Presidency in the keep
ing of the Pro-Slavery politicians, and
hoped to win them, by valued service, to
confer it on him. But parties pay for
service to be rendered, as they calculate
I rarely for that which has been. Mr.
Douglas had served the Slavery Propa-
ganda so effectively in framing and carry
ing the Nebraska bill that he made him-
self the hardest man to elevate to the
: Presidency so they would not nominate
him in 1856; and after his disioyalty to
their supposed interest in resisting the
admission of Kansas under the Lecomp-
ton bill, they would not support nor tol,
crate him, but split up their party and
let IN the Republicans rather than permit
4 his triumph. The Phillistines, in this
) case, pulled down their own temple in
order to bury their refractory Samson in
it's ruins. And thus 1860 avenged 1854
and prepared for 1861.
But let me speak of the better side Of
Mr.. Douglass nature. Bold, frank, &C.
NAL, hearty, no man was ever less pre-
, tentious, less repellant in manner; the
poorest and the humblest, if of the eau
casian race, found him always cordial
never sporting airs of superlority-a pub
lic-spirited citizen, generous neishbor,
, a devoted friend. No white man was ev.
er oppressed by his greatness or i'll at ease
in his presence: born of the people. he
never sought to rise above them, but was
hail-fellow with the rudest or the most
benlghted to the last. He had great nat
ural ability, little improved by learning
or reflection but, though no student OF
books, he was a careful and constant stu
dent of men, and whatever stores of Wis
, dom or knowledge they possessed we're
readily yielded to his frank address and
heartfelt sympathy. Mr.. Douglas was in
: some respects good specimen of the grad
yates of the New England school and
; workshop; and he has been called away
Just when, his cherished aspiration bav-
ing been crushed out by those he had
long "filed his mind to serve and win,
he bade fair to abandon the role of po-
litical aspirant for that of patriot states
> man. No voice has been more powerful
than his in producing that unanimity and
heartiness with which the People of the
Free States have rallied to the defence
of their flag and their National existence ;
no exhortations to concord and energy
have been more timely or weighty than
his. And by the overwhelming surge of
Nationality which he has SO powerfully
aided to swell may all his faults be swept
into oblivion, and the greenest turf of his
beloved and only country embosom the
marble that marks the spot where rests
all that was mortal of STEPHEN A.
I DOUGLAS.