The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-12-27

stlA-i Jy a tOrit speech from Mr. Clay, OF
magnificent allec-ives from Mr.. Webster
II Boston would permit Anthony Burns 70
be dragged through her streets, Boston
certainly would 10Y make war about 8
poor, unsettled territory. II e did. then
+ le would arrange compromise and in a
superb way write appeals 10 God and the
+ Union. such chat was much relished IN
Boston. Il had served his turn before. and
/ would serve again.
4 - when the voice OF despair and entreaty
came from Kansas, and l. was known that
the sword and bullet. and false election
ballots, were 10 be used 70 force slavery up
Oh is people-tlaI Popular Sovereignty in
theory Was Border Ruiiiaaism in practice
Tue President could not summon up the
courage @ quarrel with the resOlute men
Who were g0ading him into slave-h0unding
anu be determined. in tie weakness OF bis
nature, 20 close u.s eyes 10 crime and fraud
and violence. compel Kansas 10 come into
me federation a. a Slave state. aud alter
"Ard made an aiiectiOuate appeal for union
10 appe4sc an outraged North. The Dem
mOcfatlc party. OF course, would support
him. 10 i, d.i not. be would use the guil0-
tine a. Pierce had used IL 10 1854. Il IS
paiall 10 read now he struggles 10 escape
tae Nations judgement on LecOmptOn 10
hs volume lie tells u that, - President
Do bail DO Constitutional recourse but Le-
e mptJu Topeka was illegal" and be-
cause the treemen Of Topeka would not 90
% Lee mpton and be controlled by ruilans
uhc ieilOw-because the false and
stupitly fraudulent returns from Oxford
were not admtted-then the freemen OF
Kansas allowed the state 10 become slave
By default. aud should bear the blame.
Walker, and Stanton, and Geary, all at
tempted 20 carry cut his purpose; but their
honor reJeled. and they came home. The
President would not or could not yield. Be-
hind him was stern and cruel men ike Da-
SIS aud Siidell, who had the Old man in
their power aud oppressed him. As they
wA.ed, he spoke They willed the degra-
daii0n and lnfAmy OF Kansas
Then came the dissolution OF the Demo
cratic party NJ. Buchanan thinks the
WImOt PrJvlsO was the measure which
placed tie TWO sections OF the Union In
hostile array against each other" We DO
not think So That prOvis0 was defensive
measure. The South had demanded Texas
50 steruiy and with 50 much fury-had at
last gained Tevas by war. and was ad-
yancing across the Rio Grande 10 other
wars merely 10 aggrandize slayeTy-that
the prOvlsO became necessary Is protest.
The Democracy Of the NOrth-the DemOc-
could not be made the uncOmplalning
racy of Leggett, and WIlmOt and Chase
captive OF slavery. and hence the protest.
From that time, the spirit OF resistance be
came fixed. but II was only spirit Of re-
sistance. In the end, by Tightening the
money changers and the timid cOttOn-buy
ers. the South gained. Il carried the COM
promises, obtained Texas, won the Fugitive
Slave Law. opened the Territories TO Sla-
very by the Nebraska bill and under the
lead OF Mr. Buchanan, attempted TO inject
the virus Of Slavery into the pure and fresh
blood Of the virgin territories. The attempt
ed pollution OF Kansas aroused the North.
Anti-LecOmptOn was the first aggressive
blow, and man from the Democracy, a
leader for slavery in other days, came for
ward 10 champion il.
But for this man. Stephen A. Douglas the
anti-LecOmptOn controversy would have
been merely politicians brawl. He made
il q national cause, and fought it 70 the
end with so much energyand ire that even
his well-knit and sturdy frame gave way,
and no f.u in tho hour nf bottla az y firsia
when a large party in the nation looked 70
him as q leader The sorrow for Douglas
but We cannot Justly review Mr. Buchanan 5
book without noticing this remarkable man.
He was the Laertes of this drama, making
very much such fight, dying in the contest,
and taking the Hamlet with him. Douglas
was man OF great nature. He was the
most buOyant OF Americans, full Of life and
aggreSsIveness and animal vgOr man of
the multitude, who would have been a
BrOderick iu California, a Butler in Massa-
chusetts, a TOOmbs in Georgia. Illinois
made him a Douglas. The two mistakes
in his character were his subserviency 10
organization and an insane yearning
for immediate success. He was not 8 man
/ of destiny He could not afford 10 wait.
/ He went direct TO his purpose, and, in the
fascination Of temporary triumphs, lost that
moral strength and maturity which made
/ Lincoln invincible in politics and Grant in
war. He became a public man with his
manhood, Judge at 29, Congressman at
80, u Senator al "a, candidate for Presi-
/ dent al 40. He felt that the organization
called Democracy could elect President
and. as the South controlled that organiZa-
/ lion ne became the most suOservIe1l VI all
the Southern allies. He never rose to the
moral elevation that saw slavery sin, and
T all that profited by its strength as sinners.
/ These men Of sin were Presldent-makers,
and Douglas was too keen, too anxious.
too hungry, 10 evade their destinations.
he was the most gifted, the most popular,
the most strenuous Of Democratic states
men. the most accomplished debater in
America. quick, apt, ready, irrepressible
In the contest with Mr.. Lincoln, in 1858 be
gained the temporary triumph. His keen
antagonist, sustained by the moral princi-
pies of his cause, was the final victor. Gin
cinnatl showed Douglas that his ideas ot
advancement had failed. The South deser-
ted him, and Pennsylvania politicians hold
ing stock in Mr.. Buchanan forced that
plausible investment upon the Southern
market. II DOnglas had been elected Pres
dent IN 1856. he probably would have post
pOned the lrrepresslble conflict twenty
wears. II he had been elected President il
1860, be might have been the DantOn oi
revoiutiOnists, and ended it IN two years
He died too soon. The mistakes (it would
be harsh 10 say crimes) OF his life were no
bis redeemed by its closing months. The
war might have dwarfed him as it did hii
peers; but we think It would have develop
Ell and strengthened his intense American
ism. IL IS known that al the time OF hi:
death be was about 10 take a command il
TIE AlVAl4 nun Wc4c -4Cl b,
David c. BrOderick, . Senator from Califor
MIA; his friend, the pure-minded and gal
liant Harris Of Illinois, then sinking rapid,
into the grave. J. B. Haskin, OF New YOrl
and RObt J. Walker. OF Mississippi. DaviC
c. Broderck was a quaint type OF III,
American character. His life had been
struggle He had struggled with poverty
and gained 4 limited education. a knowl
edge Of literature which rose to the level O
Bulwer, whom be considered superior :,
Shakespeare. Born in Washington in 1915
b where his father cut stone for the Capitol
brought up in New York, in the school O
desperate and unscrupulous politicians tha
made Tammany Hal prlze-ring, lie be
p came Q fireman. Ward manager, al,
sought TO reach Congress by these agencies
Defeated by r A Tallmadge, be went Z
California with the feverish multitude G
/ lst9. As ne stood talking 10 some of hi
{ friends on the gangway Of the steamer, b
. said: "l shall not return until return g
Senator A man withthe energy Of Brode
rick Tss lifted 10 command the elements q
strife and anarchy that reigned in the nev
country He found California q gran
} rQmm0Dv Hall and rose ranidlV n -rv