The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-08

trembling counsel and spoke the fateful
words. There are times-we have our
selves been witness of such an eventful
time-when the chosen and destined lead
er of an historic movement, rising above
the doubts of the hour and the misgiv-
ings of the hating. must rely on his own
sure and saving sense and on us own
communion with the future. and in such
crisis the true leader takes the respon-
sibility Mr.. Lincoln was proclaiming a
truth and not a purpose and was dealing
with fact and not plan.
Douglas instantly seized on Lincolns
er. skillfully appealing to the patriotic I'M
ion sentiment against what he denounced
as a proclamation of sectional war. Lin
coin. who had deliberately measured his
ground never faltered, but calmly and
candidly justified his statement of truth.
and developed it into a powerful argu-
ment for the cause and the. policy he ad-
voeated. Then he. In turn poised his
lance for the attack. Douglas was the
author and champion of the doctrine OF
popular sovereignty. which professedly
left the people OF the territories to decide
between freedom and slavery for them
selves. He was constrained also TO ac-
cept the bred Scott decision. which car
ried slavery into the territories under the
constitution despite both congress and the
people. Out of these contradictory pro-
positions Lincoln forged a weapon which
Inevitably impaled his antagonist on the
one horn or the other of a fatal dilema.
Can the people of a territory he demand
ed. fn any lawful way. against the wish
of any citizen of the United States. ex-
clude slavery from its limits. prior TO the
formation Of a state constitution The
searching question pierced to the very
heart of the whole fight Again the tin
orous friends demonstrated. Tney plead
ed that if Douglas was forced 20 answer
he would make such choice as would sat
isfy Illinois land save the senatorship.
lincoln knew better than they that Doug
las Huld not make an answer that would
gain the senatorship without losing the
presidency. and. with his farsighted sa-
gacity. he drove the question home.
Douglas could not answer that the peo-
pie might directly exclude slavery, for
that would cont-avene and nullify the SUI
preme court decision. He could not ans
wer that they were powerless. for that
would contravene and nullify his doctrine
Of popular sovereignty. And 50 he dex-
terously found a way Of doing Indirectly
what could not be done directly. He ar
gued that slavery. though constructiyely
present, could not maintain itself except
by local support. and that the people Of
the territories could practically exclude x
by unfriendly legislation and police regu-
lations In other words. as Lincoln keen
" pointed out. the answer was that slav-
cry could be lawfully driven out under
local law from a place where & could law
fully 20 under the supreme lsw.
The result INDICATED L.incoln's judg-
rlent. II lost the immediate Acid. BAT
gained tn broad battle. Il elected Doug
las senator, but maze lincoln president
Mr. Smith closed with the following -
innate Of he character o. Lincoln:
Lincoln was the most typical o. Amer
leans. You can think 90 Washington -
another Hampsen. grand. serene benign.
the rounded and perfected archtype o /
English liberty. You can think % Hsma- I
ton as another Pitt. equally precocious. /
equally brilliant in eloquence ard state I
craft equally master of the men and 1ea- :
sures % MS time You can thiak 81 4
webster ss another Lord Mansfield IN bis /
legal creators. Or another Lord 4
CHATHAM in Ms majestic oratory and M 4
,n,osinz s,atesmanship. You can think i
even o. I.incoln's fiery rival. Douglas. a. 4
smother Charles James Fox. vehement. +
irrpetuoss and terTl8. tbs yerY Prince !
Rupert q sebaters. Bus y0u eannai &
,h5rk ~ lincoln a. any other than 4
ard unn1istakatie AEsrt- 4
can. He Kiss eoYie5 from NJ mode ard /
seu,a..a On ne example. he 3lefSes anf 4
sc~entua,ea the recognized American
,~sits and siaazs sat before TIE world j
a. are-smlaeutly fhe American. q AnneTi-
cans
.sHe was easally skil3ea n leading ne
leaders and II setting into iss bars =
.ss main peopgs- No sthar American sv-
- =, tha-ouxaiy aaSeTsfooS Or czras -
s1ase - ne great thvosa.re rszssss- Hs
sa-.-x fren fhssr ranks ard be cgnfSansv6 4
~ ~ .sesr scat tsszcenzrate the Ssrlas
q .she oenzssn pesgss IN ore sraaa in-
-srpaslsu- reangsz ard ssaitnsriaE the4F
tEs4s.s sxSa 20 gsazausol /