The national Republican., 1861-06-04
DEATH OF JUDGE DOUGLAS.

day morning AZ niue CLOCK, AT MS nonie ih
Chicago, Of Senator DOUGLAS. He bad been
sick with painful disease for nearly month.
Stephen A. Douglas was born on the 23d Of
April, 1913, at Brandon, in Rutland county,
Vermont His father, physician, dying while
he was still young, he was left with his widow.
ed mother in poverty to meet the world as he
might. His attendance at the common school
in his native town terminated at the age OF ht-
teen, when, lacking the means for support and
education at college, to which he sspired, he
apprenticed himself to cabinet maker at
| Brandon, for whom he wrought for eighteen
months. At the expiration Of this time, he
found means to continue his studies at Bran.
don Academy, where he remained year.
About this time his mother, marrying Mr..
Granger, of Ontario county, New York, re.
moved with him to Canandaigua. Here he
remained till 1888, two years, studying law in
the Office of the Messrs. Hubbell. In the spring
| of 1888, he started for the West. In the sum-
mer he fell sick, at Cleveland, Ohio, but recov.
ering, kept on westward, with impaired finances
but in good hope. Arriving at Winchester,
illinois p with 37s cents in his pocket, he pro,
posed to open school. An auction was going
on as he arrived in town, and finding the auc-
tioneer lacking clerk, he volunteered to attend
the sale in that capacity, and so well pleased
his new master that be remained for some time
in his employ.
Soon after, opeping school in that place,
he possessed himself Of some law books, and
studying his profession in the intervals OF bis
school tasks, he was admitted to practice in
1884.
After eighteen months practice, and before
he had reached the age of twenty-five, he was
elected Attorney General Of the State by the
Legislature of Illinois. Ibis Office he resigned
in 1885, having been elected by the Democrats
of Morgan county to the Legislature. OF this
body he was the youngest member.
In 1887 Mr.. Van Buren appointed him regis
ter Of the land Office at Springfield, Illinois,
which place he resigned in 1899. He had
meantime lin 1889 been elected a member Of
Congress, but, from some informality in the re.
turns, failed to obtain his seat.
In 1910 he entered vigorously into the can.
came Secretary Of State for Illinois.
In le43 he was elected to Congress for an
unexpired term was reelected in 1874, and
again in ls46, but having been in the last.named
year elected to the Senate for six years, took
his seat in that body, March 4, ls47.
In 1852 he was strongly urged as the Dem
ocratic candidate for President in the Baltimore
Convention, receiving large vote before the
friends of the various candidates severally broke
from their first choice, and rallied on Mr.
Pierce.
In 1856, in the Democratic National Con
ventioa, he was again prominent candidate
receiving, on the sixteenth ballot, l22 votes
Here, again, a supposed expediency-the ne
cessity of carrying Pennsylvania to secure the
success Of the nomnee-led to the selection Of
Mr.. Buchanan. Mr.. Douglas withdrew his name
and the Pennsylvanian was nominated.
His various strategy, during the Administra
ton of Mr.. Buchanan, conceived and sustained
by an adroit and able intellect, will be fresh in
the minds of our readers. In no portion of il
did he find harder work than in the canvass fol
the Illinois Legislature in 1853, when, al
election for the Senatorship pending, he wa
met on the stump by Abraham Lincoln, ane
hard blows resounded on tough bucklers OF
either side. 1t is now, we believe, admitted
that the President got the best Of the argument
but Mr.. Douglas got the best in the voting, thu
of 81 to 46. A weakness or design in the direc
ton of affection to Mr.. Douglas on the part o
the New York Tribune, an influential journa
among Western readers, helped Mr.. Douglas il
this issue.
twill be seen, from the foregoing rapid resume
that Mr.. Douglas has been in public life from
the time he attained his majority up to the dat
of his death, which leaves vacancy in tn
United States Senate.
We have room but for eficomment on hi
political career.
In the death of Judge Douglas, the Demo
men who have aspired to its leadership. II
bore its banner in the last Presidential can
vass-the banner Of the party in the NORTH
when the South had cast off all lingering re
. gard for the Northern men who had hithert
served their behests, and for themselves reare
the black flag of Slavery, the doom of tn
Republic threatened in its defiant folds.
r Judge Douglas had remarkable abilities a
. a leader of such Democracy as was currel
, in his day. He was fearless, bold, faithful
his friends, and had the faculty which fe
e public men possess Of marshalling at the M
( ment of need all the powers of his nature. h
was genial and kindly man, and attached
him firmly the class who trusted to his star al
followed his fortunes
J. We are not disposed to recall at this ho