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the opinion of many persons, the very last proved his destruction in the wider field of weeks of his life were those most deserving national politics. While Lincoln, defeated in Illinois, opened the way to an immortal of praise. His political opponent, James G. Blaine, bears splendid tribute to his patriot career, Douglas, by trimming, lost the Presi dency, which Lincoln, by frankness, won. ism. His last days were his best days. The hour of his death was the hour of his great The principles uttered by Douglas in that est fame. In his political career, he had ex famous debate gave profound offence to the perienced the extremes of popular odium; South, and made the election of the "Little and popular approval. His name had at I Giant" to the Presidency in 1860 an impossi different times been attended with as great bility. obloquy as ever beset a public man. It was Stephen A. Douglas died on the third of his good fortune to have changed all this June, 1861, and the New York Tribune in a before his death, and to have secured the ap 'eacling editorial, deplored his death as a national calamity. It pronounced him "the proval of every lover of the Union. His career had been stormy, his partisanship best off-hand, tit-for-tat debater in America, aggressive, his course often violent, his perhaps in the world." The editorial then political methods sometimes ruthless. His proceeds to say that Douglas, in the poltical legal career was a series of brilliant suc arena, although poor, undistinguished, un cesses which followed cadi other in rapid friended, without family influence, imposing succession. His political career was a series presence, or personal following, in a cornof dramatic surprises. He was one of those unity where he was a stranger, filled, before unfortunate men, who, haunted by the ghost he was thirty years old, the offices of State's of the Presidency, trim their political sails Attorney, Assemblyman, Secretary of State, to catch the wind of popular favor, and end Register of the Land Office, Judge of the by losing the great prize for which they have Supreme Court, Member of Congress, and staked everything. His course in the Senate finally, entered the United States Senate by dividing the. Democratic party into when he was just thirty-five years old. Northern and Southern Democrats, assured When the news of his death was received the election of Lincoln in 1860. Fearing a in New York the expressions of sorrow were political death if he went to the extreme almost universal—flags were draped in point to which the South was rushing before mourning, and lowered at half-mast, public 1860, he attempted to please the North and meetings were held, resolutions of regret satisfy the South at the same time. He adopted: and throughout the North similar knew that his doom was sealed if Illinois demonstrations of regret took place in most failed to reëlect him to the Senate in 1858. of the larger cities. Then followed that memorable contest for It was the singular fortune of Stephen A. the Senate between Lincoln and Douglas, Douglas to be associated in two public meas involving a debate on the political questions ures with t'he two most famous men of their of the day, which became so interesting that time—Henry Clay and Andrew Jackson. it attracted the attention of the whole coun While serving his first term in the House of try. Never before nor since had great pub Representatives, he took a prominent part lic questions been so thoroughly, so elab in advocating the bill for removing the fine orately, so exhaustively argued on one which had been imposed upon General side and the other. It resulted, as all the Jackson for declaring martial law in New world knows, in the election of Douglas to Orleans in 1815. After the adjournment of the Senate—a victory in Illinois which Congress a great Jackson Convention was