And before I knew it, scarcely before
there was any talk of it, he was selected as United States Senator from
Illinois.
It was in December of 1847. He was within some four months of his
thirty-fifth birthday. He had now had an uninterrupted career of
political triumph. His one defeat for Congress, when he ran the first
time, could scarcely be counted against him.
But to my English eyes, in spite of all my admiration for the man, I saw
much imperfection in his intellectual make-up, due in part I think to
the haste with which he had lived. He had an adroitness and a fertility
of mind which were altogether amazing. Yet he was like Chicago: of quick
and phenomenal growth. His protective coloration was like Chicago's,
which covered its ugliness and its irregularity with bunting and flags
on a holiday. He was growing up rapidly, as Chicago was growing up.
Chicago was facing greater problems as its population increased; and as
Douglas rose into higher power, thicker complications entangled him. He
dragged after him the imperfect education of his youth, the opinions of
his immaturity. He was now enmeshed in the problems of the new
territories, and always, slavery. Prepared or not, he would fight for
his principles. If defeated he would rise quickly; if triumphant he
advanced.
As leisure was possible to me, and because of Dorothy's somewhat frail
health, we decided to give up the Chicago house this winter and spend
the season in Washington.
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