The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-11-06
(From the Chicago Democratic Auas.l
sPEECH OF HON. .. A. DOUGLAS,
OF ILLINOIS,

/ From the Chicago Democratic Argas.l
/ SPEECH OF HON. .. A. DOUGLAS,
| OF ILLINOIS,
On he Measures Of Adjustment i delipered IN The City
i g Hall, Chicago, on he 22d October, 1850
The agitation the subject OF slavery now going on
/ spectacle. & $500 :
Congress, after session Of nine months has succeeded
- passng system OF measures which believed TO be
! tory TO the people. 1000
In some Of the southern States we find that extra ses.
sons o the legislature being called for the purpose of
organizing systematic and efficient measures Of resistance
TO The execution OF the laws OF the Unon and for the
adoption OF disunion the remedy These votes Of
Congress 10 be forcby resisted al the South upon
the ground that they base surrender to the North of
al southern ~ rights A, The North the people called
the rights and interests Of the North and surrender every
Thing TO the South.
AT the South these measures are denounced as a dis
graceful concession to free-solism, Tor the purpose Of
securing abolition votes. AT the North the same
measures denounced with equal violence as total
abandonment OF the rights OF freeme for the purpose of
concIliang the slave power.
For these contradictory the people at each end
o the Union are appealed to to resist BY violence the
laws OF the land and the authority OF the federal gov
| ernment even unto death and dsunion.
The southern nullers repudiae the authority OF The
highest Judicial tribunal on earth, because they aege
ue psni amd corrupt I'll il the hands Of
exalted tribunal is corrupt and supple instrument in the
| hands OF the slave power.
Strange and irreconcilable positions Both cannot be
true, and trust IN God neither may prove 10 be- We
have fallen evil times, when passion and prejudice
can so far blind the judgment and deaden the consciences
Of men that the truth cannot be seen and felt. ag
The people at end OF the Union or the other are
acting under fatal deuson upon this subject Shosd
we not pause and reconsider and reflect whether il is
purpose this evening 10 give candid and impartial expo
on OF these measures, to the end that the truth may be
known Il does not become free people to rush madly
and bndly into violence and bloodshed and DEATH and
disunion without first satisfying conscences upon
whose souls the guilty consequences rest. ma
These measures known as the compromise scheme are
six in number s3esjas3a
l. The admission OF California with her free consttu
O. The creation OF territorial government for Utah.
leaving the people TO regulate their own domestic insu
g. The creation OF territorial government for New
Mexico, with like provisions.
!, 4 The adjustment OF the disputed boundary with
Texas.
s The abolition of the slave trade in the District Of
Columbia.
Q. The fugitive. slave bill
The first three OF these measures California Utah
and New Mexico-l prepared with my own hand, and
reported from the Committee Territories, ae its chair
statute book with one or two amendments
for which also voted. therefore hold myself as re-
sponsbe TO yop as my constituents for these
accountable-f there is anything Of merit, give il
those who passed the bills These measures are pred-
Gated on the great fundamental principles that every people
ought TO possess the right Of forming and regulating their
own internal affairs and domestic institutions in their
own way. believe that those Of our felowcitisens
New Mexico. have lost none Of their intelligence
and patriotism ny the wayside, believe that after
their arrival there, and when they have become Ia.
miar with the country and Identified their interests
with it, they fully competent 10 judge for them
selves what kind Of laws and institutions best adapt
try, and know very little about il To question their
competency 10 do this is TO deny their capacity for self
government II they have the requisite intelligence and
h., al
the government OF white men, know OF no reason why
they should not be deemed competent TO legslae for The
negroes i they are sufficiently enlightened to make
morals and educaonto regulate the relations of hus-
band and wife, Of parent and not aware that it
requires any higher degree of civilization regulate the
affairs Of master and servant These things are all con-
fded by the constitution TO each State 10 decide for ITSELF
and know OF no reason why the same principle should
tons have been in accordance with this principle In all
cases, except The instance in which voted under your
That was your vote and not III mine s dS
believe now, that better for the OF freedom,
Of humanity and OF repnbcanism. to leave the people
interested settle all these questions for themselves
They have nteects and conscences well as we and
have interest in doing that which is best for them
selves and their postery than we have as their secon
the country that the Congress OF the United States took
the views the subject and passed the bills in the
shape in which originally reported them SO far as the
question OF slavery is concerned am that any man
who will take the pains TO examine the history of the
question will come the conclusion that this is the true
policy as well as the sound republican doctrine.
MIR Douglas here went into historical view OF the sub
ec show that slavery had never been 10 fact excluded
from one inch OF the American continent When the fed
eral constitution OF 1877 adopted twelve oil the thirteen
States then composing the confederation held slaves and
sustained the institution of slavery by their laws Since
that period slavery has been abolished in six OF these
twelve original slave States. How this effected By
the Wilmot Provisol Nobody had ever heard OF Mr..
Wilmot in those days. Was il done by act of Con-
gressi No; Congress had power over the subject,
and never attempted TO interfere with it, Slavery was
abolished in those States by the people Of each, acting
for themselves, and upon their motion and respon
sibty The people became convinced that was for their
interests and the interests OF their postey, pecunarly
and morally and they did it OF their free will and
rigidy enforced their laws So il was in the North
west Territory. BY the act Of Congress known as the
the ordinance Of i7s7, slavery prohibited by tdr
but not excluded in fact.
Slavery existed in the Territories of Illinois and In
diana in spite OF the ordinance, under the authority oil
the territorial laws Illinois was slayeholding erniory
in defiance OF the OF Congress, but became Tree
State by The action OF the people when they framed our
STATE constitution preparatory 10 their admission into the
Union Oregon prohibited slavery by the action OF the
people usder their provisional government before Con-
gress established territorial government In short,
wherever slavery had been excluded and free nstu-
tons established prior TO the Mexican law, was done
by the voluntary action OF the people interested, and not
by act of Congress Whenever Congress attempted TO
interfere in opposition 10 the wishes oil the people OF the
Territory, its action remained dead letter upon the
statute book and the people took such legislative action
as comported with their wishes and supposed inter
ests MIR Douglas then referred TO the Territories