The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-02-08
From the Springfield Journal.
Wentworth Oh Douglas.
EULoGY PRONOUNCED BEFORE THE
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

was not aware Of the programme of this
afternoon. did not suppose there would
be any remarks made here, except, per-
haps, by the mover of the resolutions ;
consequently, nothing was further from
my in ention than addressing The Conven-
ton on this occasion. Nor did l con-
clude to say anything until the senti-
ment fell from the lips of the gentleman
from Shelby, (Mr. Thorn on,) namely
g The good that men do, lives after
them"
The remarks concerning the life and
character of the distinguished statesman
which have fallen from the lips of hon
orable gentlemen at this time have been
confined almost to single question in
American politics, which has now gone
to the court of final resort. 1t may be
settled by battle, Tomorrow, or the next
day, or not for years. We are all anxi-
GUS for its settlement, upon the immuta-
BILE principles of justice. And there is
no one that doubs such settlement will
have to abide the fate of this war.
leave 1t with the war.
propose to speak of other traits of
Judge Douglass character than those
that have been enumerated. propose
to enlarge upon the text, "The good
that men do, lives after them" desire
to apply that text TO he age, to the day,
to the very hour, to the scenes by which
we are surrounded, in which we now live,
and to speak Of facts with which we are
all familiar.
Judge Douglas died poor. He had
filled almost every position in public life
all but one to which he had aspired !;
but he died poor. He had been a poll.
tician. He was partisan himself
amongst partisans and competitors but
never in the severest contest in his
career was it charged by the most bitter
of his opponents that he had put his
fingers too far into the public treasury.
Never was he the richer for any posi-
tlon he ever held. A poor boy he came
into your Legislature; and Il mere boy
he went out of your Legislaturc-the
richer for no charter that passed it for
no scheme of private speculation or plum
der. He went into Congress. He sat
in his seal there session after session,
while untold millions were passed upon !;
but whoever said, much less, whoever
believed, that one cen; of public money
went wrongfully in o the hands Of
Stephen a. Douglas
Like Clay, Webster, Benton and other
great and honest men, he died poor
How many are there now with the
sound OF my voice, who have had bust
ness with Stephen A. Douglas, and
where is the man that ever dared to
breach the proposition to him, that with
his success with this or that legislative
enactment, he might possibly be the
richer And how few of our public
men in this corrupt age, can thus be
spoken of!
There is another evil of the times,
with respect to which, Judge Douglas
shines as conspicuously as he does in the
matter before alluded to. 1t is the
fashion nowadays when a man attains
public position, to drag all his relatives
mo office after him. 1t is a noted fact
in the history of mankiAa that greatness
don't apperain to whole family that
when large amount of brain is concen-
trated in one head, it is very often taken
in the same proportion, from the heads
of hers of the same family. Judge
Douglas, when elected to office, consid-
cred that when the people voted for him,
they did not vo.e for the whole family of
Douglases, and their colla,erals. Never
did Stephen A. Douglas in his life
put his hand upon recommends, ion for
one his of relatives. l know it. is true
he had relatives in Office, but they
acquired those offices as he acquired his
upon their own intrinsic merits.
My first acquaintance with Judge
Douglas was during his campaign with
John Il. Stuart. He was then as poor
as he was when he died. He had not
the means of carrying on the campaign
in manner to secure him proper
degree of personal comfort. All his
success depended on his talent. Well
do | remember when parted with him
at Chicago, after he had made his first
speech there. lie was leaving on horse
back. | asked him what | could do for
him. He said : "Keep the issue
plainly before the people," And when
| asked him what he considered the
issue? He took pencil and wrote ::
"ShaU our Government be a Government
Of Banks or a Governmenfof the people,"
| Words that have never died on my ears
to this hour, and | hope never will,
while God gives me strength to put a
vote in the ballot box for the old Jack
sonian principles.
He stood on that issue, and no man
did as much to implant the sub treasury
principle in the hearts of the american
people as Stephen A. Douglas.
The next time L saw Judge Douglas,
he came to Chicago as one of our Supreme
Judges, who then performed circuit
du les. He was ridiculed as the &C baby
Judge" and especially was he ridiculed
for his presumption in daring to
come to Chicago to hold court, where
we had then, as now, some of the ablest
lawyers in the Union. | remember an
agreement which was made among his
political friends: 1t was, that they
would not disturb him during the even
ings, so that he might have an opportu-
nifty to study the grave questions of law
which night come before him for deter
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