Senator Stephen Douglas is of world-wide renown. All the anxious politicians of his party, or who have been of his party for years past, have been looking upon him as certainly, at no distant day, to be the President of the United States. They have seen in his round, jolly, fruitful face, postoffices, landoffices, marshalships, and cabinet appointments, chargeships and foreign missions, bursting and sprouting out in wonderful exuberance ready to be laid hold of by their greedy hands.

Summary

This quote describes Senator Stephen Douglas as a highly influential and ambitious politician who is widely recognized and respected. The politicians within his party see him as a promising candidate for the presidency in the near future. They are eager to benefit from his potential success, envisioning the various lucrative opportunities that would arise from his position, including political appointments and prestigious roles. The quote portrays a sense of opportunism and ambition among politicians who eagerly anticipate benefiting from Douglas's rise to power.