120 PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. 



nature of events, and of the consequences which, with almost mathe- 

 matical precision, he could predicate as to their results. He had, to 

 a wonderful degree, the power of seizing on general principles, and 

 of making them a part of his intellectual stores to be referred to in 

 whatever particular case he might have to deal with; and his retentive 

 memory enabled him on the instant to call up alike a general truth, 

 and a host of particular facts in effective illustration of his premises. 



These qualities might have been modified, but could not have been 

 increased, or even strengthened, by classical training; nay, in becom- 

 ing more refined and fastidious, it is far from certain that his mind 

 would not, at the same time, have become less robust, energetic, and 

 bravely self-reliant. 



We do not intend by this remark to throw doubt on the importance 

 in general of that early mental discipline which is furnished by the 

 training of the schools, but to present the suggestion that in particu- 

 lar cases of extraordinary native vigor of intellect, determined on a 

 single line of action, the gifts of nature cannot be essentially improved 

 by the moulding influence of ordinary early education. These cases 

 are, however, the exceptions to be avoided in directing the minds of 

 youth, and not the examples of the rule to be generally followed. 



Although Judge Douglas was no scholar in the pedantic significa- 

 tion of the term, yet his mind was duly cultivated in the study of the 

 law, a branch of knowledge which, when pursued merely in its details 

 and practiced in its daily routine of office forms, may tend to obscure 

 the perception of truth in frequent endeavors to make the worse ap- 

 pear the better cause, is yet in its proper study, through the expo- 

 sitions of Biackstone and the other systematic writers on English 

 jurisprudence, one of the most liberalizing and enlarging pursuits to 

 which the mind of youth or early manhood can be directed. The 

 generalizations of this branch of knowledge were particularly fitted 

 to improve the mind of young Douglas, and to prepare him for his 

 future career. 



But even the intellectual qualities we have mentioned are insuffi- 

 cient alone to account for the distinctive character of the eminence 

 he attained. With these he might have been the dexterous pleader, 

 the sagacious judge, the acute politician, and yet have fallen very 

 far short of that perfect empire which he held not only over the 

 minds of the few, but also over the hearts of the many. He had other 

 qualities which may be cultured, but which cannot be created. 



The lively sympathy with friends and associates, the intelligent 

 and appreciating glance, the frank and hearty tone, the kindly grasp 

 of the hand, the prompt and obviously disinterested service, these 

 give to him to whom they belong a despotism which we are, perhaps, 

 too proud to own, but which we cannot, if we would, resist. In the 

 mere personal presence of Stephen A. Douglas there was a singular 

 fascination. When you had once experienced the magic of his influ- 

 ence you were bound to him forever; his spirit seemed to dare you 

 to rebel, and what was commenced by admiration for his commanding 

 ability was consummated by his kind and genial manner. Bold, fierce, 

 at once haughty in defiance and dexterous in fence, he necessarily 



