The Saint Paul globe., 1902-01-16
Douglas, the 'Little Giant,' of De-
ARTICLE XII.


from the United States bank. A Young
lawyer, only twenty-one years old, had
oeeh called upon to present a series Of
resolutions sustaining the president. As
soon as he had done this Josiah lambert
a prominent lawyer, afterWard attorney
geheral OF the state. made a bitter speech
IN opposition to the resolutions in the
course of which he took occasion to abuse
the young man who had presented the
resolutions, and fatty to contradict him
in statement of fact. Then the bow
Tor he was such in both years and ap-
pearance, rose to reply. He first called
on some well known Wings to give testi-
mony on the question of fact, and all
were compelled to certify that his state
ment of the case had been correct. Ihen
he proceeded to speak on the question at
lssue-and he spoke for an hour. so ef-
fectlVely, so eloquently and so conclus-
lively that Lambert was constrained to
flee in dismay, while the crowd went wild
with enthusiasm. At the close Of the sad-
dress his admirers passed the resolutions
almost unanimously, and then seizing the
young orator they bore him in triumph
on their shoulders out of the court house
and around the public square. cheering
him and calling him the Little Giant"
So originated the title by which he was
known for the rest of his life. and so be-
gan the public political career which
made Stephen A. Douglas the leader of
the Democratic party not only Of Illinois,
but in the nation itself. And what at the
time doubtless seemed more important,
that one speech charged Morgan county
from Whig to a Democratic county and
kept it Democratic until several wears
later. when Douglas removed to another
county. Such a political and oratorlcal
| triumph for such a striDling is almost
unparalleled in lie history of American
politics.
Douglas was the son of physician in
Brandon, Vt. He was educated at the
academy Of his native town and at the
then famous academy Of Canandaigua,
N. Y. So earnest a student was he that
during his three years at Canandalgua he
not only mastered the classical studies of
that institution, but in addition COM
pleted nearly the entire course of the
best universities, and also pursued a
course in law so successfully that he was
nearly prepared for admission to the bar.
Then the young man, anticipa ting the fa-
nous advice of Horace Greeley, went
West" and made his way to Jackson
vile. Before he was quite of voting age
he had been admitted to practice law IN
the state Of Illinois, and within a few
months had so won the confidence of his
party leaders that he was asked to pre-
sent the resolutions at the mass meeting
referred to above. How he acquitted
himself on that occasion We have seen.
Within ten years from that day he had
ben states attorney, member Of the leg
islature, registrar of the land office, sec
retary Of state, judge of the supreme
court and member of congress, to which
Office he was elected in 1843 He was then
thirty years of age, rather short of stat
ure, with O high forehead, raven hair,
affablc manners and the courage Of his
convictions. From that time until his
death, in 1861, he was constantly a mem
ber of either the lower house of congress
or the senate, and almost from the outset
he held a leading position.
When Mr. Douglas was serving as
judge of the supreme court 1t was his for
tune to save the life of the famous Joe
Smith, the Mormon apostle. The Nor
mons were then living at Nauvoo, ILL.,,
and Smith was arrested on some criminal
charge, and brought before Judge Doug
las for trial. A mob of 400 men rushed
into the court room to lynch the accused
and hang him on a gallows that they had
been thoughtful enough to erect in the
square outside. The sheriff declared him
self unable to protect the prisoner. On
this Douglas stood up and, speaking by
name to a big Kentucldan in front of the
approaching mob, said: II appoint you
sheriff Of this court. Select what depu-
ties you choose, and clear this court
the recognition, obeyed orders. Knocking
down three or four OF the leaders, and
calling on some of his aCquaintances for
assistance to help throw the others out
Of the windows, and ordering still others
to get out, he soon had the room cleared.
DOuglIs had no legal right to appoint his
impromptu sheriff, but his nerve had
saved Joe Smiths neck from the halter,
a favor which neither Smith nor the Nor
mons ever. forgot, and for which they af-
terward did Douglas more than one
service in their turn.
During the years when Mr.. Doug1as
was a member of the national legisla-
tlIre many stirring quesLlons7 came pedore @
that body for action. On all party meas
Lres he was a strenuous Democrat.
Among the measures considered during
those years might be named the anneXd-
tIon of Texas, the Mexican war, the ore
gcn boundary and the compromise bill
of 1850 Of the annexation OF Texas ne
was an ardent supporter. 1t VII! be re-
nlembered that previous to TINS time
Texas had gained its independence from
Mexico. In 1874 President Tyler sub
mitted a treaty for the annexation OF
the state, but this treaty was not ac-
This vote, however, did not settle the
question The Southerners and many in
the North were determined to add that
vast territory to our own. Nor was this
determination based simply on the de-
sire to increase the size of the field that
might be opened to slavery. Foreign ma
tions were seeking commercial privileges
In the new state. Calhoun and Douglas
claimed that England was aiming to ac-
quire Texas as an English colony. Mex
ate the Lone Star from the United
States and holding out special faVors
il only it would remain Independent. |
Would 1t not be far wiser to annex Tex
as especially since Texas wished such |
union. than to have a rival nation on
our borders-a rival nation. too. that |
might and probably would seek alliance |
with European powers. thereby becom- |
safety? These were some Of the argu- |
ments used by Douglas and his party |
friends, and, as they could command |
votes as we'll as arguments, the measure |
was passed when it was brought up |
again and Tyler signed the bill on |
March 8, 1915, the very last day OF MS
term.
But with the admission Of Texas there |
sprung up at once the question Of terri |
tory. Mexico had never formally Tecog-
nized the independence of the reDehlous |
state, and assuming that independence, |
the two states did not agree on the |
question of boundary. Texas claimed |
that her territory extended to the Rio |
Grande. This claim Mexico would not
concede, but insisted that her territory |
included all that district lying between |
the Rio Grande and the Nueces. Mex |
leo was weak nation and therefore |
Mexico was wrong. 1t is not difficult to |
ton satisfied their Judgment. but it is |
not so easy to perceive how the pr0mot- |
ers Of the Mexican war justified them |
selves for their course. The president, |
Mr. Polk, ordered Gen. Taylor to oc- |
cupy the territory. and when an attack |
was made by the Mexicans he declared
that war existed by the act Of Mexico.
After the contest was once begun Mr.. |
Douglas supported the administration
with all the power of his eloquence and |
influence. He made a speech in the mouse |