The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-28
Htephen A. Douglas.


we forget our great men. Five years ago no
man in the nation commanded a wider
influence or stood out more prominently
as a representative man than STEPHEN A.
DOUGLAS. Suddenly cut down in the midst
OF his career, he has already passed as COM
pletely out of the public mind as though he
belonged to another age and generation.
Amidst the stupendous events which have
occurred since his death-the momentous
changes, the vast progress in ideas-both his
name and his career have faded into compare
tive obscurity.
The proposed laying of the cornerstone Of
a monument to be erected to MIR. DOUGLAS
memory in Chicago has been made the occa-
sion of a somewhat prolonged tour by the
President, and will probably recall for the
moment mems minds to the illustrous indivi-
dual in whose behalf these proceedings are
Ostensibly made.
1t is the fashion of the times to deal in
extravagant laudation of the distinguished
dead. The maxim, ode mortuiS nil nisi
bonum," is almost literally followed out.
Men who were ierceiy denounced all their
lives are as indiscriminately praised after
they are dead, the denunciation and the
praise often coming from the same parties.
This is signally Illustrated in the case OF Mr..
DOUGLAS. No man was more fercely de-
nounced while living-none has been more
highly commended since death.
This style of dealing with public men is
demOralizing in many ways. 1t tends to
men and bad men, between good actions and
bad actions, which it is the highest interest of
virtue to have maintained. Moreover, it
tends 10 remove from the minds of public men
that sense Of responsibility to the judgment
of the future, which in most cases is restrain
ing and elevating influence. The man who
feels that he is amenabe not only to the
opinions of his fellows. but also to the calmer
and more discriminating voice of those who
shall come after him. has in that very fact an
impulse towards the right and a restraint
from the wrong. But how can this influence
be maintained, if after death no discrimination
as to the acts and characters ofpublic men is to
be made, and all are to be alike the subjects
of commentator?
Inc CLOSING acS III Cne drama OF Mr..
DOUGLAS eventful life were so grand, so
unselfsh, so full OF all the best elements of
heroism and patriotism, that it would be an
ungrateful task now to review his earlier and
less worthy political career. The pen of the
impartial historian, however, will not fail to
point out his instrumentality-ay his leader
ship-in the overthrow of the Missouri Com
promise and the passage of the Kansas
Nebraska act, as one Of the chief proximate
causes of that fearful agitation which finally
eliminated in our recent terrible war. Nor
can the true lover of liberty ever forget that
utter Indifference to the moral character of
slavery which formed the keynote of his
actions through life. These, however, are
the more discriminating views which history
will take of the man, when the events of our
times shall have fallen into their proper order
and rank. Forthe present, we may be allowed
to dwell upon that magnificent burst of patri-
otic feeling and action with which the illus
trious IIinoisian illumined the close of his
public career, throwing into comparative
shade and forgetfulness all that he done and
said before.