Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-09-15

fuencing the judgments and feelings of
the masses.
And yet in the Senate chamber he
was scarcely less distinguished. lie
was for years the associate in that arena
of the first men OF the Union, often
their opponent in debate, and never
coming out of the contest without hon.
or. Indeed, as a ready and effective
debater he had very few equals. His
long and labOrious training in the intel
lectual battle-fields of the west. his
clear mental conceptions, and the di-
rect and forcible rendering of his
thoughts, gave him apower IN extern
poraneous discussions, which few other
men possessed.
1t is unnecessary to say to yOu, who
knew him SO well, that there were oc-
casiODs when, under the influence OF
strong excitement, he rose to the very
highest flights of oratoTy; when the
passion by which he was moved broke
out in those pointed and epigramatic
utterances, which hive for years after
the lips of the speaker have been closed
| forever Such an occasion occurred IN
the debate on the Mexican war In the
house of representatives lu 1916, when
he was but thirty-three years of age.
Some of the ablest and most prominent
members of that body had denounced
the war as ''unholy, unrighteOus and
damnable;" when MIR. Douglas turned
upon them with the following Outburst
of fiery indignation:
! "Sir, tell these gentlemen 1t requires
more charity than falls to the lot OF
I frail man to believe that the expression
of snch sentiments is consistent with the
sincerity of their PROFESSIONALISM pat
riotism, honor, and duty to their conn
| try. Patriotism emanates from the
heart; 1T fills the soul; inspires the
whole man with devotion to his conn
try's cause, and speaks and acts the
same language America wants no
friends, acknowledges the fidelity OF no
citizen who, after war is declared, con-
dennis the Justice of her cause and sym
pathizes with the enemy; all such are
traitors in their hearts, and it only re-
mains for them to commit some overt
act, for which they may be dealt with
according to their deserts"
Though Mr. Douglas was always a
member of the democratic party, be
never considered himself bound by his
association to support measures which
he believed wrong. His sense OF right,
his conscientious convictions OF duty
were with HIM obligations above AL
marty ties. 1t was under this high feel
lug of honor and self-respect, and with
an independence worthy OF all praise,
that lac broke away from the political
associations with which he had been all
his life identified, and denounced, re-
sisted and opposed with all the resist
less energy of his character and with
all the earnestness of his eloquence,
what he deuOminated the LecOmpton
fraud. There can be no higher evl-
dence of his stern integrity than his
course on this occasio0; no better illus
tration of the truth that, though party
ties may bind us on que stiOns OF mere
expediency, no honest man will hesitate
to break away from them when the al
Tentative is to do, on a question OF
principle, what he feels to be wrong.
The last public appearance OF Mr.
Douglas was on two occasions, one I'M
medIately succeeding the other. On
| his return to this State, after the at
| tack on Fort Sumter, he addressed the
members of the Legislature at their re-
quest, denonncing the rebellion, urging
the oblivion of all party differences, APP
pealing to his pOliticel friends and OPP
ponents to unite in support of the Gov
eminent, and calling on the people to
come in their strength to ITS rescue
from the perils which surrounded it. and
pleserye the Union from being broken
up by force OF arms. La speech to the
people of Chicago, six days afterwards,
| the same earnest appeals were made to
them to lay aside all considerations but
that of preserving the Government of
their fathers. On this occasion he was
received by all parties with demonstra-
tons of respect, surprising In en-
thusiasm, if possible, ali other of the
great oYations of his life. These
speeches, though pregnant with the
most determined spirit, ami with an
undoubting faith In the issue OF the
contest, were obviously made under
great depression of feeling. He had
been one of the most consistent, reso-
lutte and efficient defenders of the con
stitutional rights of the southern states.
He had done everything that justice
and magnanimity dictated to sustain
them. To the members of the legisla-
| ture he said: Whatever errors i have
committed have been leaning too far to
the southern section of the Union
against my own" to the people of Chi
cago that he had gone ''to the utmost
extremity of magnanimity and gener-
osity," and that the return was
"War upon the government. 1t
was this sense of the inutility of his own
personal sacrifices and labors, and the
ungenerous return ON the part of those
| for whom he and others acting with
him had done SO much, that embittered
the last days of his life and aggravated
the disease, under which he was labor
| ing. A vein of sadness runs through
these two last speeches, and seems now,
as we look back to the events speedily
following them, prefguration of his
approaching death. On these two in
| tellectnal efforts his reputation may well
rest, as examples of the purest patriot.
| ism and of an undying faith in the ulti
mate triumph of the cause of theunion.
| A few hundred yards west of us, shut
ont from our sight by an intervening
grove, stands the Chicago University.
In the magnitude of its extent, the
massiveness of its architecture and its
well-balanced proportions, 1T IS not on
| lv an ornament to the city, but living
testimonial of the hberality with which
private wealth has contributed to the
cause of science. Two hundred stu
dents are receiving instruction within
its walls from learned and accomplish
ed faculty, and from its noble Observa-
tory astronomy holds nightly consulta-
lions with the heavenly bodies. The