The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-08-02
From the Pennsvlvannian.

M" AS IA OOC - L -,
From tho Pennsylvannian.
SPEECH OF HONS A. DOT GLAS. Ol
.At the Democratic Celebration Of tbs Annirer
sary Of yameyiean Freedom. in Tndepen
denee Square, July 4, 1854.
The Hon A. Douglas, senator from Iii.
nois, was introduced by the Hon. John l.
Dawson, amid great cheering, Mr.. Dawson sal,
that he had the honor of presenting the Hon
Stephen A. Douglas, ofthe United States Sen
ate. Judge Douglas, as you well know, repre-
sents with high distinction, in the councils o
the nation, of that noble cluster of States il
the Ohio valley whose transition from the con
dition Of primeval soliludes to that of populou
and fourishing empires is one Of the marvels o
the times His presence among US upon th
occasion is an agreeable monitor Of the extent o
that glorious march of republican liberty which
began tbree-quar,ers Of a century ago under 'h'
banner Of independence, first reared up N tn.
very spot on which we are now gathered
Conspicuous far his high abilities and indomita.
BILE energy, which have earned for him an honora
bic fame at an early age, his patriotism has beer
illustrated by the sternes. trials, and to borrow
the language Of another in reference to broth
er senator, upon very different occasion,
may say, without fear Of exaggeraton, that she
would have done for senator OF Rome whel
Rome survived
Mr.. Douglas then spoke as fellows
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND FELLOW CITIZENS
While am profoundly grateful for the gener-
Gus enthusiasm with which you have received
the kind rensrks OF my friend, General Dawson
know not whether ought to make my &C.
acknowledgements to him for having created ii
your minds expectatit ms which it is impossible
for me to fUl6. ] feel that it is good for US te
be here on this day. The day aud the place are
consecrated 10 liberty. 1t is a hallowed spot
enter independence Square, approach In
dependence Hallon the Fourth Of July, with
feelings akin to those Of the pilgrim when he
approaches the holy places. Il is he birth place
OF American liberty. Here the Dec!afation VI
independence was first promulgated-htr the
constitution of the United States was formed
On this very spot were proclaimed inthat de-
claration, and imbooied in that constitution,
those glorious principles of civil and religious
freedom which our fathers have transmitted To
us as the most precious Of all earthly blessings
{ [Great applause
In these days, when efforts are being made to
stir M sectional strife, and organize political
parties on geographical lines-when religious
intolerance and persecution are being practsed
through the agency of secret assocations-and
when men in high places sacrilegiously deny
all obligation to carry into effect the plain and
imperative injunctions Of the constitution which
they Lave sworn to support, it is well for good
men and true fatriots 10 assemble our ma
tenal birthday. al the birth. place of our liber-
ties, and unite their efforts TO preserve our
constitutions by perpetuating the
principles upon which they rest. GApplause. ]
On the 4th of July, 1776, from the place
where now stand, our forefathers declared that
the " COLONIES ARE AND OF RIGHT OUGHT TO
BE, FRkE AND INDEPENDENT STATES" That
was the starting point Thrteea British colo
MES were on that day converted into thirteen
independent American States. The language
is clear and explicit. The causes which led to
the separation, and the instructions which the
several colonies gave to their delegates in the
Congress, presci ibing the conditions upon which
the declaration of finde pendsnce was to be made,
clearly show why this emphatic language was
used.
The cofonies did not, in the first instance,
demand independence. They were willing to
acknowledge their allegiance to the Briti
Crown, provided they were left free to manage
and regulate their own internal affairs and do.
mestc concerns in their own way, without the
interference or dictation OF the imperial govern
ment. Tney were willing to recognise the
right of Great BRIAN to grant colonial charters,
like the organic laws Of our territorial govern.
men,s, by which the people of the colonies
might make their own laws through their re
presentatvts in their tncal legislatures; but
they solemnIy protested against the right Of the
imperial Parliament, in which they had no re
presentation, TO make laws affecting their per
sons and properly without their consent. Upon
this point the separation took place, and the
Declaration Of independence, which you have
Just heard read. declared the thirteen colonies to
be " free and independrn mt States But before
the declaration was made, the colonies gave in
struc.ions to their delegates, prescribing the
conditions on which each would consent to such
declaration. These instructions all prescribe
the fundamental condition that each colony shall
hare the right to manage their internal affairs
and domestic concerns as to them shall seem
meet and proper" [Iearty cheers
The instructions which Pennsylvania gave
to her delegates as the condition upon which
they were to vote for the Declaration OF
Independence contained this emphatic clause.
Reserving to the people OF this colony the
sole and exclusive right of regulating the inter
nal government and fabric of the same. -
[Cheers and applause
The constitution of the United States wa.
formed and adopted by the people Of these thir-
teen States, each acting for itself and upon It's
own responsibility. as distinct and independent
sovereignties By the cons,i u,ion thus
formed, and under which now live, each
State was left entirely free to form and control
its own domestic inslitutions in accordance will
the great fundamental principle of self g vern
ment, asserted in the Declaration # lndepen
dence, and in vndication Of which all the bat le.
of The revolution were fought Applause.
We are frequently told by the abolitonst'
that the constitution Of the United States is al
anti slavery instrument, dvised and formed fo
the purpose of preventing the extension o
African slavery, and Of Grad cating and exter
minatiny it where it was found to exist. Those
who make this statement furnish conclusive evi
dence that they do not understand The principles
of the constitution, nor the history OF the times
when it was adopted. At the period of the adop
ton of the constitution, twelve of the thrteer
States by which is was formed were slavehold
ing States. Is it reasonable to e pect US to pre-
sumo, on mere assertion and without evidence
that these twelve slavehnlding States devised
and ratified the constitution with the view of de
stroyiDg domestic institution which was inter
woven with their whole social system, and ex
pressly recognised as one of the legitimate ele
ments of political power in the federal represen
tation Why that clause in the federal consti
tuition providing for the surrender Of fugitivei
from service, it it was the object Of that instru
ment to abolish slavery and release the slaves
from bondage? The pretensions of the abo
tionists in this respect are rendered prepos erou.
by the terms of the constitution itself. The idea
of either establishing abolishing, extending oil
circumscribing, slavery by the constitution o
the United States, or by the action Of the fedora
government, never entered the brain Of the fra
mers of the constitution African slavery, whe
ther right or wrong, wise or unwise, was at tina,
time existing in twelve of the thirteen States
The institution was planted by the British gov
ernment in each OF the thirteen colonies withou,
their consent and against their remonstrances-
The war of the revolution converted the d. pen
dent colonies into independent States without
changing or affecting tie relations existing be
tv cen the master and slave. Slavery ceased te
exist in one Of the States, but still remained in
all the others Pennsylvania included, at the time
the constitution of the United States was form
ed. With the few exceptions expressly provided
for in that instrument il was the design or th<