Year: 1860

A@AS %S AoOVs s#ssaE .stsi greatest American statesman" And now, entreat you, I implore you solemnly-for there is no man here who has the reputation of this country more deeply at heart than I have-I implore you, do not make this Re public ridiculous in the eyes of the whole world by attempting to crown that Dogber- " statesmanship with the highest henors of the Republic am not testing. | am in deep and solemn earnest for if you look over the list of those men who, since the or ganization of the Republic, have been deem- ed worthy of vote for the Presidency, you will find not one among them who has laid insidious schemes to subvert the principles of the Constitution, who did more to de- bauch the consciences of the people, more to bring American statesmanship into con- tempt than he. No, will not wrong Judge Douglas there was one mean Aaron Burr. He was Q more dangerous man, for he united to depraved heart far superior understanding.

 But, as to Judge Douglas, here I stand up before the great jury of the sovereign people and bring my bill of indictment. arraign him for having changed his po- sition in regard to the Missouri restriction, time and again, according to the restrictions of Slavery.

 arraign him for having broken the plight ed faith of the people by repeal of the com promise of 1920.

 arraign him for having upheld the most atrocious violations of the ballot-box for having trampled upon the most sacred rights of the people of Kansas, so long as the struggle between Freedom and Slavery was doubtful.

 I arraign him for having committed Q fraud upon the people by forging and adul-. terating the principle of Popular Sovereign ty, and making it the machine of Slavery propagandism.

 r I arraign him for having deserted the cause of free Kansas when the people, hay ing complied with all reasonable conditions, applied for admission into the Union.

 1 arraign him for having repeatedly made the attempt to disturb the system of consti- tutional checks and balances, by placing the warmaking power in the hands of the President.

 l arraign him for having attempted. by his conspiraces, a thing more outrageous than the Sedition Law of 179S, to put the liberties of speech and press at the mercy of a political inquisition, and to make the judicial persecution of opinions a standard system of policy

 l arraigu him. lastly, for having attempt ed to pass of upon the people the doctrines of political philosophy, which is an insult to the popular understanding No, I beg your pardon. do not arraign him for that, for this is a free country, where everybody has right to make himself as ridiculous as he pleases, "subject only to the Constitution of the United States" Loud laughter Aud, yet, arraign him for that also, for l pro- test that he has no right to make the Re public ridiculous with him.

 Here is the charge It is for the people to give the verdict.

 * * * *

 The time of the Baltimore Convention ar rived, and the struggle recommended It became at once manifest that Douglass nomination could not be forced upon the De- mocratic party without splitting that or ganization in twain and he saw clearly enough that then his election would be an impossibility. The South was seeding em masse, and leaving the rump Convention to do as it pleased Then MT. Douglas seeing dsgraceful defeat inevitable, wrote let ter to his friends in the Convention, request ing them to withdraw his name if they found it in any way consistent to do so. And l declare, if Douglas was ever honest in any thing he did or said, l believe he was honest then and there.

 But now the moment had arrived when it became manifest that there is justice in his tory. Douglass position was disgusting, but his punishment was sublime Then his friends for the first time refused to obey his command. Those whom he had used so oft en and so long for his own advancement saw now there was a last chance of using him for theirs They said to him, "We have performed our part of the contract now you have to perform yours. We have " nominated you for the Presidency ; now "y you have to permit US to be elected Con- gressmen, Sheriffs, County Clerks, or Con " stables, on the strength of your name. There is no backing out. Ho for the spells 1"

 DOSt thou tnlnK because thou naSC suddenly

 become virtuous,

 There shall be no more cakes and ale? Yes, by Saint Ann an ginger-hot in the mouth.

 too"

 Prolonged 1aughter.J

 And so the saddle of the rump nomina- tion is put upon his back, and the whole ghastly pack of ofice-hunters jump upon it. The spurs are, put to the fanks-the whip applied to the back of the panting, bleed ing jade, and so the spectral ride goes, east and west, night and day-and may the steed go to perdition, if only the riders reach their goal. Loud applause and cheers

 Oh, there is justice in history. He has at least the idol of his dreams-the object of his fondest wishes-for which he has laid so many treaeherous scheme-for which he has struck so many blow at the peace of the Republic, for which he so often pros ttuted himself and his followers, for which he has hugged so many loafer, and insulted so many an honest man, for which he made every rum-shop his headquarters and every rufian his friend--he has at last the nomi- nation for the Presidency, but what he has craved as blessing has come down upon him as a curse to be nominated, and know that an election is impossible to be voted for, and to know that every vote for him is for Breckinridge or Lane, whom he hates, and every vote against him vote for Lin colB, whom he does not love To be voted