Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16
lively aggressive slavery party which had
sprung up in Missouri.
New Men of Prominence.

New Men OF prominence.
OF the men whose names were household
words in connection with the famous de-
bates which preceded the war of the rebel
lion Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois was per-
haps the most prominent of those who re-
manned Like Webster he had supported
measures favoring slavery, but when it
came to question of secession Douglas
baked and cast his lot with the Union.
Lyman Trumbull was quite great a
man Stephen Douglas from any point of
human view The Legislature of the great
state of Illinois selected him in preference
to the Little Giant" Trumbull's name
soon became historic as the author of the
thirteenth amendment to the Constitution.
In later days he retired to a lucrative law
practice in Chicago. and finally became
political supporter of the populist party in
that city In this connection, however, it
must be accredited to the aged jurist that
nothing he said indicated an allegiance to
a partisan organization, but was the high
toned exposition of doctrine of human lib
erty in which he personally believed and
which he had consistently followed all his
life.
Among the new men who soon came into
prominence were Roscoe Conklng of New
York, Justin Morrill, of Vermont, Simon
cameron of Pennsylvania Oliver P. Nor
ton, who was the war governor of In
diana; George F. Edmunds of Vermont,
James G. Blaine of Maine, Thaddeus Stew
ems of Pennsylvania, Hannibal Hamlin
of Maine, Charles Sumner of Massachu-
sets, Ben Wade of Ohio; and on the SOUTH
side Robert Toombs of Georgia, who
soon was to become renowned as a soldier.
John Sherman of Ohio, noted as a great
fnancier-statesman Schuyler Colfax of
Indiana, who acquired fame as Speaker of
the new House of Representatives and sub
sequently Vice President with Grant, were
among others OF more or less prominence
who were to enact parts in this new politi-
cal arena. And along toward the close of
the war and the few years succeeding
other new set of men made their appear
ance in Congress. They We're as rule men
who had won distinction in the Union army,
and many of them added distinction in
craftsmanship to laures won the bat
tlefield. Prominent among these were John
A. Logan and Benjamin Harrison of In
diana, James A Garfield and William Nc
Kinley. Benjamin F. Butler of Massa-
chusetts Garfield and Mckinley. both from
Ohio, were to reach the White House and
each was to fall by the bullet of an as
sassin.
All these men were to be the actors in
a history-drama even more stirring than
that which had preceded the war of the
rebellion, for these men were to decide the
fate of the states which had been in armed
resistance to the government. Abraham
Lincoln had been ruthlessly murdered by
man whose only motive, if he was sane
enough to have motive, could have been
contemplate lust of notoriety, even to the
extent of imbruing his hands in the blood
of his fellow. Andrew Johnson of Tonnes
see. who had been elected ,'ice President on
the ticket with Lincoln, and succeeded him
President, was soon engaged in a fight
with Congress.
Executive and Legislative Struggle.
1t was in one way the most momentous
fight which had yet occurred in the history
of the country. 1t was a struggle between
the executive and Legislative branches of
the government for supremacy. Congress
took the position that it could by legislation
tie the hands of the executive in the matter
of appointment to and removals from office.
The immediate clash was over Secre-
tary Stanton of the War Department The
President ignored the action of Congress in