Though Douglas was but twenty-four years of age, he was already a giant.
Opposition gave way before him; he stepped on his foes; he brushed
tangles aside. A Mr. May, who was now in Congress, wanted to return. But
he found he could not simply assume the nomination and place the
responsibility for the assumption upon the request of "many friends"--a
vague and specious way of covering up his own seizure of the honor. He
had to face the convention system which Douglas had introduced into
Illinois politics. And Douglas had Morgan County, his first home in
Illinois, back of him; and Sangamon County, his home since he had gone
into the legislature and the Land Office. Douglas was nominated.
A cry went up. An experienced Congressman, Mr. May, had been ruthlessly
put aside for the sake of an ambitious stripling! The Whigs rejoiced and
said that no nomination than that of Douglas could suit them better. And
the Whigs were powerful enough. They were coquetting with the
Abolitionists; and they stood for the tariff and the bank. Besides,
times were hard. It had been said that Jackson had set the tide of money
scarcity to flowing; Van Buren had increased it. There were also
disgruntled factions because of Douglas' so-called high-handed tactics
in capturing the nomination.
Then to make things worse the Democrats nominated a state ticket upon
which two of the candidates had been in the Land Office.
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