Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-03-18
Wasbingtnn gfntinel.
NEBRASKA AND KANSAS.
SPEECH OF HON. $. A. DOUGLAS,
or ILLINOIS,
In Senate, Friday, March 3, 1854.
TcoScLUpEp.


Mr.. President, frequent reference has been made
In debate 10 the admission of Arkansas slave
holding State as furnishing evidence that the abb
olitionsts and freesoilers, who have recently be-
come so much enamored with the Missouri COM
promise, have always been faithful to its stipulR-
tons and implications. ! will show that the ref
erence is unfortunate for them. When Arkansas
applied for admission in 1886, objection was made
in consequence of the provisions of her constitu-
ton in respect to slavery. When the abolition
lists and frecsoilers of that day were arragned
for making that objection, upon the ground that
Arkansas was south of $50 80, they replied that
the act Of 1920 was never compromise, much
less compact, imposing any obligation upon the
successors of those who passed the act to pay any
moro respect to its provisions than to any other
enactment of ordinary legislation have the
debates before me, but will occupy the attention
Mr. Hand, of New York, in opposition to the
admission of Arkansas as slavehoding State,
said:
~ am aware, il will be, as il has already been
commended, that by the Missouri compromise, as
II has been PREPosTERoUsLY termed, Congress has
parted with lis right 10 prohibit the introduction of
slavery Into the territory south OF $50 80 north
latitude
He acknowledged that by the Missouri COM
promise, as he said it was prepostersusly termed,
the north was estopped from denying the right TO
hold slaves south Of that line; but, he added
There are, TO my mind nsuperable objections
10 The sountness OF that proposition"
Here they arc:
In the first place, there was compromise or
compact whereby Congress surrendered any pow
er, yielded any jurisdiction; and in the second
place, If il had done so, il mere legislative
act, that could not bind their successors, II would
be subject repeal al the will Of any succeeding
Congress"
/ Oiya ,S IF va IL
Gus speeches made in opposition to the admission
Of Arkansas by the same class of politicians who
now oppose the Nebraska bill upon the ground
that 1t violates solemn compact. So much Tor
the speeches. Now for the vote. The Journal,
which hold in my hand, shows that forty-nine
northern votes were recorded against the adIais-
sion of Arkansas.
Yet, sirs, in utter disregard-and charity leads
me to hope, in profound gnorance--of all these
facts, gentlemen are Boosting that the north al
ways observed the contract, never denied its valid
ity, never wished TO violate it; and they have
even referred to the cases Of the admission of
Missouri and Arkansas as instances of their good
faith.
Now, is il possible that gentlemen could sup
pose these things could be said and distributed in
their speeches without exposures Did they pre-
sumo that, inasmuch as their lives were devoted
to slavery agitation, whatever they did not know
about the history of that question did not exist !!
am willing to believe, hope il may be the fact,
that they were profoundly ignorant Of all these
records, all these debates, all these facts which
overthrow every position they have assumed.
wish the senator from Maine, Mr. FEssESDEE,l
who delivered his maiden speech here tonight,
and who made great many sly stabs at me, had
informed himself upon the subject before he re-
peated all these groundless assertions. | can ex-
cuse him for the reason that he has been here but
few days, and, having enlisted under the banner
of the abolition confederates, was unwise and
simple enough 10 believe that what they had pub
lished could be relied upon as stubborn facts
He may be an innocent victim. hope he can
have the excuse of not having investigated the
subject. ! am willing to excuse him on the
ground that he did not know what he was talking
about, and it is the only excuse which ! can
make for him. will say, however, that | do
not think he was required by his loyalty to the
abolitioniss to repeat every disreputable insnna-
his speech that foul nuendo about ''a northern
man with southern principles, and then quote
the senator from Massachusetts Mr. SUMNER
as his authority Ay, sir, say that foul insnu-
alton. Did not the senator from Massachusetts,,
who first dragged it into this debate, wish to have
the public understand that was known as
northern man with southern principles: Was
not that the allusion? If it was he availed him
self Of cant phrase in the public mind, in vio-
lation of the truth of history. know of but
one man in this country who ever made it boast
that he was s'a northern man with southern
principles, and he turning to sir. SrMNER] was
your candidate for the Presidency in ls4S Jap
plause in the galleries.
The PRESIDING OFFICER, [Mr. MAsOS.l
Order, order.
Mr.. DOUGLAS. If his sarcasm was intended
for Martin Van Buren,, it involves family quar-
rel, with which | have disposition TO interfere.
l will only add that have been able TO discover
nothing in the present position or recent history
of that distinguished statesman, which would lead
me to covet the sobriquei by which he is known
49,, n,,,,tb rtnctr MI
Mr.. President, the senators from Ohio and
Massachusetts, [51r. CHASE and Mr.. SUMNER, j
have taken the liberty TO impeach my motives in
bringing forward this measure. desire to know
by what right they arraign me, or by what au-
thority they. impute to me other ana dlfieren ,
have shown from the record that advocated and
voted for the same principles and provisions IN
the compromise acts of 1850, which are embraced
in this bill. ! have proven that put the same
construction upon those measures immediately
afler their adoption that is given in the report
which submitted this session from the Commit
tee on Territories. ! have shown that the legis-
lature Of Illinois at its first session, alter those
measures were enacted, passed resolutions APP
proving them, and declaring that the same great
principles of selfgovernmcnt should be lncorpo-
rated into all territorial organizations. Yet, sir,
in the face of these facts these senator's have the
liardihood to declare that this was all safer
thought" on my part, conceived for the first time
during the present session; and that the measure
IL offered as bid for presidential votes Are
they incapable Of conceiving that an honest man
can do right thing from worthy motives' /
must be permitted to tell those senator's that their
experience in seeking political preerment does
not furnish q safe rule by which to Judge the
character and principles Of other senator's!
/ must be permitted to tell the senator from
Ohio that did not obtain my scat in this body
either by corrupt bargain or a dishonorabe Goa
lition! must be permitted TO remind the senator
from Massachusetts, that did not enter into any
combinations or arrangements by which my char
acter, my principles, and my honor, were set up
Ut public auction or private ssle IN order to pro-
cure a seat in the Senate of the United States
did not come into the Senate by any suca means
Mr.. WELLER. But there are some mer
whom know that did.
Mr.. CHASE, Ito Mr.. WELLER.) Do you SOY
that ] came here by bargaini
The PRESIDING OFFICER, MR. MASON.
Order must be preserved in tho Senate.
AZ I -. -