a brewery and a stone-quarry. Douglas has a fine system of public schools, several churches, a Y. M. C. A. building and an excellent library, which was presented by the Copper Queen Company. Douglas has gas and water-works, an electric light and power-plant, electric street-railways and the service of the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad. Population, 6,437.
Doug′las, an ancient noble family of
Scotland whose family annals date from
the time of William de Douglas, who lived
about 1175-1213. From him was descended
“the good Sir James,” who fought with
Bruce at Bannockburn, and, after Bruce's
death, fulfilled his last request, to carry his
heart to the Holy Land. William Douglas,
Earl of Liddesdale, and Sir William Douglas,
descended from “the good Sir James,” were
among the most famous warriors of their
time. Other members of the family
obtained the earldoms of Angus and Morton.
The power of the family was once so great
that it was commonly said: “No man may
touch a Douglas or a Douglas' man; for
if he does he is sure to come by the worse.”
The family continually engaged in feuds
and warfare on the border, especially with
the Percy family. A famous member of
the family was Archibald, called Bell the
Cat. At a meeting of nobles who were
debating about a plan to get rid of one of
the king's favorites and considering who
should do it, he started up, exclaiming: “I
will bell the cat.” He tried to persuade
King James IV not to make the invasion
of England, which ended in the battle of
Flodden; and soon after the great defeat
he died heartbroken. The Douglas family
is now represented by the earls of Selkirk.
Douglas, Stephen Arnold, an American
statesman, was born at Brandon, Vermont,
in 1813. His early youth was one of
poverty; but he managed to spend three years
at Canandaigua Academy, having the study
of law in view. In 1833 he went west and
settled in Jacksonville, Ill., where he entered
on the practice of law and was so successful
that he was chosen attorney-general of
the state. He soon after was elected to
the legislature, and in 1840 became secretary
of state for Illinois. He was judge
of the Illinois supreme court from 1841 to
1843, when he resigned and was chosen
to Congress as a Democrat; and there he
at once became recognized as one of the
ablest men of his party. He strongly urged
the admission of Texas into the Union, and
supported President Polk in the War with
Mexico. He was opposed to slavery; but
believed that Congress did not have the
right to restrict it to any part of the country.
Hence he was strongly opposed to
the celebrated Wilmot Proviso, which was
intended to prohibit slavery in any territory
that might be gained from Mexico in
a treaty of peace. On the question of
permitting
slavery in the territories Douglas
argued that the people who had settled in
any particular territory should decide for
themselves. This was the origin of the
expression: Squatter Sovereignty. Douglas
was elected to the senate in 1847, and in
1854 he introduced the Kansas-Nebraska
bill, which provided that their own citizens
should determine whether these territories
should become free or slave-states. In
1860 the Democratic party split into two
divisions, one of which nominated Douglas
for president, and the other John C.
Breckenridge. The ensuing election resulted in
favor of Lincoln. Douglas was strongly
opposed to secession, and delivered several
addresses on the subject after the outbreak
of the Civil War. He died at Chicago,
on June 3, 1861. See Life of Douglas by
Sheehan and Life by Flint.
Douglass, Frederick, an American orator
and journalist, once a slave, was born near
FREDERICK DOUGLASS
Easton, Md.,
about 1817. He
ran away from his
master in 1838,
and took up his
residence at New
Bedford, Mass. In
1841 he began to
lecture against
slavery, and
became well-known
as an orator. In
1845 he published
an account of his
life, and later went
to England, where
he lectured
eloquently against slavery to large audiences.
In 1847 he published a journal at Rochester,
N. Y. When the war broke out, he urged
the employment of colored troops and
helped to organize regiments of them. In
1870 he became editor of the New National
Era at Washington. He was appointed
minister to Haiti by President Harrison.
See his Life and Times by himself. He
died on Feb. 20, 1895.
Doukhobors. See Dukhobors.
Douma. See Duma.
Douro (do͞o′rō), a large river of Spain and
Portugal. It rises on the frontier of the
province of Soria, and flows in a westerly
direction until it empties into the Atlantic
near Oporto. It is 500 miles long; but
navigation is difficult because of rocks and
sandbanks, and it is little used for
commerce. It has many tributaries, the most
important being the Pisuerga.
Douw or Dow, Gerhard, a celebrated Dutch painter, was born at Leyden in 1613. He learned the art of glass-painting, and afterward became a pupil of Rembrandt for some years. He became for a time a portrait-painter, but was slow at his work and had trouble in getting anyone to sit
