Courage and the Little Giant

Stephen A. Douglas, the Little Giant, stands in the shadow of his great adversary Abraham Lincon in History.  This does the man less than justice I think.  In his relatively short life of 48 years, Douglas spent much of his adult years as one of the most powerful politicians of his day.  Although tragically wrong about slavery, he had an unshakable belief in the right of the people to rule themselves that is at the very core of our on-going experiment in self-government.  He had a powerful intellect and could project that intellect in speeches that still leap off the pages when they are read.  He was also an ardent patriot and completely fearless.

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