The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-06
FULLER ON DOUGLAS.
A Recent spoeoh OF the Nominee for
Chief Justice.


A Recent Speech OF the Nominee for
Chief Justice.
| At the meeting Of the Iroquois club In
Chicago last Monday, week ago. Mr..
Fuller made an address in response to
| the toast stephen A. Douglas" "As Mr.
| Fuller" says the report, rose 10 his feet
he was greeted with perfect storms OF APP
plausc, which was alike an enthusiastic
tribute to tho honored speaker and his
immortal theme. After the applause had
subsidized Mr.. Fuller spoke as follows
Tho republic is opportunity. Fiity-fve
years ago a penniless youth OF twenty en-
| tered the town OF Winchester, 10 use his
own language, on foot, with his coat upon
his arm without an acquaintance within
| 900 miles, and without knowing where
he could get money TO pay weeks board.
| In the twenty ycaB that followed,
schoomastcr, lawyer, Statc's attorney,
member OF the Legislature, land Office
register Secretary Of state, judge OF tho
1 supreme court, four years member OF Con-
grcsa, eleven years United States senator,
| tho beloved leader OF hundreds OF thou
sands of devoted followers, lac died amid
tho mingled lamentations of friend and
Zoe, in possession Of fame which passed
| far beyond the confines OF his coun-
try. What better illustration that
equality in opportunity. enables every
known"-what more cogcnt testimony
to the value Of institutions which
render such successes poSible-what
stronger demonstration of his power who
had, under tho circumstances which sur
rounded him, attained such hightsi What
was the secret OF that powcrl lie WINS q
great debatcr Not Fox himself was his
superior in dcxiority, in quickncss OF APP
prehension, In knowledge mt his fingers
ends, In force Of roparice, In sharp thrusts
ut the weak spots IN his adversary arlnor.
lie was great orator his reasoning close,
compact and convincing; his statement
simplicity itself; dealing with the concrctc,
not the abstract, planting his feet on
facts; without fancy, without POETRY, and
with but little humor, aud yet his slcdgc-
, hammer uttcrnnccs, 90 clear, 10 direct and
!, so instinct with the glow OF absolute sin-
4 cerity, that men were moved ~ by the
!, highest flights Of Imagination. How
~ potent his speech was may be Judged by
>, the fact that sometimes II seemed ~ II
- conversion wcr feared II audience wcro
, accorded. Possessed OF absolute integrity,
!, aud incapable OF deceit, he neyer sought
:, 20 piece out the lions skin with the fox's,
: and he possessed q 1xedncSs Of purpose
| anu an lnNOulltNNlt VIII Nllit NluWtu no
: | obstacle 10 swcrvc him from his object.
: The campaign OF 1853 demonstrated this.
4 ! and resulted In n personal victory unparal-
. lclod In the record Of political eoutests
Opposed on the one hand by the Chief
=, | Executive OF his own choosing and by all
!. the power OF patronage and place, and ON
= the other by legitimate antagonists, 70
whom he himself. by frequent encounter
> | had taught the ART ol war, headed by the
: immortal leader whose broOding genius
, invoked deep moral sentiment 20 assist
! him In tho struggle, yet from the ncttlo
|, danger Douglas pluckcd the flower safety,
= aud desperate courage made one n major
|, ily. Nothing could eKcecd his unconqucr-
, able mind, his inyinciblo will, which no
! threatened election from power could sub
I, due or diminish, and which. even M at
B tribuied 10 the most evil of tho spirits. cx-
!, cites our admiration, when ho cxclalms In
:, the prospect OF Punishment "No matter
!, where, II be still the same" But tho
!. secret Of his power was that 10 the attri-
bulcs lac added an unfcigned faith In the
: people, which evoked an equal faith in no
A turn. Man OF the people. knowing their
: wants, their hopes. their aspirations, he
!, drew his inspiration from the people. lie
, rcceiyod ito uso Gladstone's exquisite
!, illustration-he received II from them In
- the yapor, and he rcturned II 10 them In
3 the food. He had abiding conviction that
!, evil would eventually he overcome by good,
/, not through force, though more than twelve
= lcgions OF angels wcro summoned 10 the
task, but through tho patient proccssss
- that convert Ignorance aud vice into knowi-
edrc aud virtue. And while his environ.
I ment may have often led him into error,
y time will yindicaie his adherence 10 tho
y fundamental tancis Of his political inith.
% Those cardinal doctrines were predicted
upon the capacity Of man Cor sclf-rulc, and
I, the attainment oi success In that direction
!, ON a continental scale required tho indie
" pendcnco Of local self government ns con-
:, iradistinguishcd from that Capitalization
~ OF power which contains within iiseli tho
-, clements Of disintegralion. The Young
Nv America" which no was charged with rep
y rcscnting was nothing moro than confi-
~ denoo that II the innsierly schelne OF our
N government rs originally framed were pre-
A. served essentially unchanged the country
u" was CAPABLE OF indefinite expansion, niid
a would ultimately dominate inc w9uo
~ through the fruits Of liberty protected by
" aw. And his Pronunciation OF the Clayion'
70 Bulwcr treaty was not because OF a prosont
Z desire for territorial acquisition, but resied
\ upon opposition 90 any promise OF impiica-
y ton that the nation would not do IN The
% future what It's ''du,y, interest, honor and
Y snietyn might demand But he insisted
70 that the destiny Of the republic, however
g palpably manifest" could only DO no.
.hh complishod by conccdlng 10 the people o.
w each distinct political community the IN
W alienablo right 10 govern themselves 10
~ respect 10 their internal pollty, suh1cc'
I'd only 10 the constitution holding. thcss
~, communities together rs Federal unit
W. This is the principle the effort 70 pul
~ which into operation across the seas y
ns arouscs our sympathy, and this Is the prin'
4. cipe TO which tho name OF poug,as y IAN ~
MS dIs.olubly married. The complete iulhil'
'e, mcnt OF that destiny, which our friend
would not even sccIn 10 letter BY cove;
nc nsnts with others. lac never believed could
be finally prevented by dissensions amon(
n, ourselves. y
Nv When Mr.. Fuller concluded The ~
plause was almost deaiening The enuN
L a.. A.. -. ..A e.su