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

nenter he displayed a remarkable genius
-. mechanics. and had not nature
him out for eminence In anoth-
ar snbere of action, he might have be-
ooma one of the distinguished
of the country. In his clas-
sical and legal studies he exhibited the
same capacity for distinction, and while
engaged in the study of the law he com
Melted. to use the language Of his bl-
norapber. s'nearIy the entire collegiate
Course in most OF the various branches
required of graduate IN our best uni
yersities.
He is next seen as a clerk IN lawyer 8
office in Cleveland, Ohio; then traVehn 9
in the west in pursuit OF employment
stopping at Cincinnati, Louisville, ot.
Tonis aud Jacksonville, and at last
making his appearance at Winchester,
and commencing, in the manner already
described, his great career of usefulness
and distinction.
There is nothing more touching than
his bIief address to the people oil WIN
chester. when he visited that place ~
1888 after having become distinguished
I'm the councils of the nation. twenty
five wears ago" he said, 81 entered THIS
town ON foot. with my coat upon my
arm without an acquaintance WITHIN a
tbousand miles, and without knowing
where 1 could get money 10 pay week :
board. Here | made the hrst SIX doi-
lars L ever earned III my lille ana Cd
tanned the first regular occupation thai
/ ever pursued. For the first Time IN
INV life / felt that the Responsibilities oil
m.nbood were upon me, although was
nnder AGE. for 1 had none To advise
with. and knew none, upon whom had
a ,iObt To call for assistance or Trend
ship.
Fellow-citizens, the history of MIR.
OouoIas would not have been cOngTu-
ous. and il might have been far less DIS
tinouished but Tor the bard struggles
of his youth but for his severe discl,
Milne in cultivating the intellectual
movers with which nature had endowed
linn. We do not consider, when We
| CO.. miserate the trials of the young
and unfriended, toiling on their weary
way To reputation and fortune, that II
il this very process by which men are
made successful and great. spare
then, your sympathy for those VINO II ~
| their youth are cOntending win dilh-
1 entities. and bestnw lt en- those VINO,
with all their needs supplied, aud with
ont the stimnlent of want, are IN dan
j Ger of sinking into inactiOn and medl-
| ocrity. IL is Providence which IN ats
mercy throws obstacles in the path ol
him whom it marks out for emlnence,
that he may gain strength and courage
and resolution in overcoming them. II
~ thus that the path tn greatness i
made smooth in after life 10y the marc
trials of our early years
Atthe end of three months Mr.. Doug
| las gave up his school at Winchester
and commenced the practice OF the law
| i'm Jacksonville. A mere yonth himself
he had already given evidence OF has
fitness to be "a teacher of men. From
this moment he became conspicuous
throughout the State, and he achieved
a series of triumphs unexampled IN th'
career o. any one OF his age. At thu
bar and in the political field he tool
from the ontset IA leading part. meeting
the ablest and most experienced adVo
/ cafes and orators in debate, and Away
| coming ont of the intellectual combat
In which he was engaged, with increas
ing reputation. Offices poured IN mp
on him in rapid Succession. Early II
| 1888. fourteen months after his appear
apce at Winchester, he was chosen b!
the legislature of the State, attorney TO
the first judicial district; IN 1886 Ia
Was elected IA member of the Legisla
ture; In 1887 he WIS appointed reglstel
of the land Office under the Fedora
Government; aud In 1871 he was choseI
"A Indigo of the supreme conrt OF thu
State.
| 1t is not possible within the limits o
an address to say more than this: ina
in every position to which he was called
he maintained the same high STANDING
for integrity, talent and courage. an6
that with every advance IN the lmpor
lance of the offices he filed be devel
oped a corresponding power and capae
ity for the discharge of their dntles.
In 1913 he was elected a representa-
tive in congress- and from this periOC
his repntation ceased to be local, and h'
became identified with the history o
the country.
| His first effort as a speaker IN thu
| Federal legislature, was as effective a
his first appearance at Winchester 4
bin was before the House OF Represen
tatives remitting the fine imposed OF
Gen. jackson by the judge OF the New
| Orleans district after the receipt OF the
intelligence of peace between the Uni
ted States and Great Britain, IN febru
ary, 1915. Daring the siege the Cen
eral had declared martial law, ano
resisted the execution of writ OF Ia
beas corpus issued by the Judge. As
I soon as peace was proclaimed he re.
| scinded the order declaring martial
law. surrendered himself to the court,
and was fined $1,000 The bill before
Congress provided for rounding the
fine. 1t had been advocated chiefly on
the score of Gen. Jackson's great ser
vices to the country; and 1T was con-
coded that he had XeTcised an arbitrary
pOWer. unwarranted by the constitution.
MIR. Douglas took different and higher
ground. He commended that the Judge
was wrong in imposing the line, and
that the general did not ''assume to
himself any authority which was not
fully warranted by his position, his
duty and thss7unavoidable necessity OF
the case" These positions were main
tanned with an ability so marked as to
attract and command general attention;
and from that time forth he was ranked
with the ablest debaters In body num-
herring among its members some OF the
most distinguished men In the conntry.
1t was natural that MIR. Dt uglas
trained as his mind had been from his
earliest years to habits of self-reliance,
should, in dealing with constitutional
questions, strike out of the beaten track
of Interpretation into new paths. The