The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-09

Much of the practical politics Of the presidential campaign Of 1860 has been buried beneath the glory Of the Lincoln administration and the horrors of the civil war. The political result of that campaign was the promotion of the newly born Republican party tn power, the second political revolu- tion of American history. For the first twelve years of government under the Constitution the Federalists were in power. With the election of Thomas Jefferson an actual revolution was accomplished. and the power of gov- ernment was given to the Democratic party. The Democrats ruled for sixty years. Twice during that time the Whigs elected President, but there was no practical interruption of Dem- ocratic ascendancy. With the election of Lincoln. the Republican party as sumei the reins of power and has held them ever since, forty-eight years. The two Cleveland administrations checked. but did not stay. the Repub- Hean march.
 The first Lincoln campaign was marked by practical politics. Mir. Lin- coln did not make an active campaign. The Republicans contentsd themselves with continued denunciations of ''bor- der rufaanism.' Many of them were somewhat ashamed of their candidate. and none of them. outside of Illinois. brought the personal equation into the discussion.
 The fight ragged in It's greatest bit- terness between the two Democratic candidates, Stephen A Douglas and John c. Breckinridge. John Bell led the Constitutional Union forces as the representative of extreme conserva- tism. but, like Lincoln, he took no in dividual part in the campaign.
 Douglas, the little Giant of Democ- racy.' stumped the. country from New England to Louisiana. Wonderful or- ator as he was; earnest as he was in his efforts to accomplish the salvation of the Union; believing that the only way to save 1t was hIs way; the coun- try never knew before and perhaps never will know again. such master ly campaign. But 1t was all in vain. He had broken with the South and with Buchanan. and not logic nor rea- son nor oratory had power to heal wounds SO deep.
 Douglas was indirectly responsible for the nomination of Lincoln. Two years before, in 1858, Lincoln had op- posed Douglas for reelection to tho Senate. Their joint debates in that year still live in the memories of men. and will live on the pages of history for all time. The people of Freeport, H.. last month celebrated the fiftieth
 
 Lincoln Douglas debates. Douglas was the better speaker. and he won the election for Senator. But Lincoln had pressed him close and had had the eyes of the whole country upon him.
 It was against the advice of every friend he had that Lincoln bore down upon Douglas and asked him a series of questions involving slavery in the territories One question was: Can a territorial legislature exclude slavery if 1t sees fit?' If Douglas had an- swered that question in the negative, Lincoln would have been elected Sena- tor in 1858 and might never have been President. But Do1glas said "Yesi" That reply carried him back into the United States Senate. caused Horace Greeley to seriously propose Douglas for the Republican nomination for President in 1880, broke the Demo- cratic party in twain and elected Linr. coin President. 'sss.-ass.sa..
 Slavery in the territories was. the whole issue, as 1t had been more or less for half century It was Thomas Jefferson. Virginia slave. holder, who wrote into the Northwest Territory Bill the provision that that territory should be forever free of slavery. The dues- tion was compromised in 1920 and in 1850 by Henry Clay. The Wilmot Pro- viso, using the exact language of 1nomds JeIIerson, kept slavery OFT the Pacific coast. In 1s54 by the act of Stephen A. Douglas himself. assisted by Franklin Pierce, the Missouri Com promise of 1920 was repealed and the whole question of slavery extension was re-opened.
 The South held that the territories were Federal and belonged as much to the slave states as to the free, and that until they became states the Federal Constitution was their only law. The Constitution permitted slavery by It's silence and this theory would make them slave territory. The North held that Congress could legislate slavery out of territory, but could not legis- late it in. that the territories must be free. Douglas took the middle ground. a position which the great Clay would have supported. and declared In favor of popular sovereignty" that is of permitting the people of territory to decide the slavery question for them selves.
 The Democratic national convention met at Charleston that year. The fight on the platform was long and