The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-10-17

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Washington Sunday Gazette.
1t is now twenty five years since
occurred the great quadrangular Pres
idential election of lS60--an election
that changed the destinies of the coun-
try, and really lifted us out of the
ranks of provincial nations into full
communion with the inner centres of
cosmopolitan politics. AS the details
Of that stirring summer and fall are
fast becoming vague and shadowy, it
is perhaps pertinent matter in this,
the first year of defeat for the, then
dominant party, to recall briefly those
intense events.
We all remember the fife and drum,
the cornet and cymbaI, the gun and
the rocket, the cheer and the groan-
which were at their best and the most
humble village and the remotest sec
ton of the country could claim the
honor of their visits at some time or
other during the quadraDgular Pres.
ideDtial contest of 1860. Lincoln and
Hamlin, Douglas and Johnson, Breck-
enridge and Lane, Bell and Everett,
the candidates in that great campaign,
were household words even beneath
the most lowly roof. In the early part
of the contest there was not much in
terest and but little outward excite
ment; but ere the close it became one
of the most exciting and fiercest ever
experienced, | say fieTcest, for though
it was apparently friendly struggle
for party supremacy, there were in
the tones of many of the speakers who
were addressing audiences an earnest
ness that could not be doubted, espe-
cially where and when the language
breathed of threatenings and danger
to the Union. 1t was the tone and
temper of these speeches that alarmed |
the timid and made every lover of his |
country think seriously over the trou-
bles which were beginning to shape |
themselves into proportions unmis-
taxable and most dangerous to the
peace and prosperity of this republic.
A few astute minds, North and South,
grasped the situation and resolved as
to their future course. But the great,
the very great majority of the people
the country had but a
faint idea or none at all of the evil
brewing. When
THE PRESIDENTIAL NoMIEATIoEs
of the four parties were placed in the
field the summer of that year was well
advanced. There were the two candi-
dates of a divided Democracy, Dou-
glas and Breckenridge; the Repub-
icsn candidate, Lincoln, and that of
The Union or American party, Bell.
The speakers generally addressing the
people were the ablest and most pow
srful in the country, and the feryid,
mpassioned addresses had more effect
upon the listeners than ever before in
! political campaign. John w. For
ley, to whom was given the credit of
having carried the State of Pennsyl-
,ania for Buchanan in 1856, was now
he great Douglas leader of that State,
md under his auspices a monster
Douglas ratification meeting was held
n Philadelphia one Saturday night, at
which distinguished speakers from
very section of the Union were pres
mt. 1t was Forney's policy to have
% many speakers from the South as
possible at these Douglas meetings,
md upon this occasion he had two
gentlemen
FROM ALABAMA,
veil known to the country at large,
Who both made earnest speeches |
Iohn L. Forsyth and /. G. Parsons, |
The former in the course Of his re-
marks said; %The only way to dis
,ose of slavery is to leave the question
# slavery to those most interested in !
t. He was in favor Of no compro-
Mise with the Breckenridge Demo /
rats; with mutineers and rebels you
iould not compromise. Who ever
leard Of compromise with . deserter (
b time of WARP
The Hon. A. S. Heron, OF Louis
ana, speaker at the same meeting,
lsed language more significant and
II 70 the Union. In the ]
;ourse Of bis address, which was a
'ery earnest one, he said; II have
.ome from the extreme South TO ex-
end the right hand Of fellowship to
bis great centre Of the Union; yet If
black Republicanism attained its OBJ
ect, elected Lincoln, had a majority
d Congress, repealed the fugitive
lave law, etc, tie bonds which held
he Union and al the bright hopes for
ts perpetnity would be broken and
destroyed forever The speakers
sarnestneas AZ Tie time il utterfng these
sords made a deep impression upoe