Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1854-09-15
Saturday, September 8, 1854.
Democrat and Douglass.


The editor Of the Democrat does not
understand Douglass attempt to address
the people of Chicago and their refusal
to hear him, as we do. We profess to
be, and think we are quite as liberal in
conceding the right of speech, and in de-
Tending it too, both in foe and friend, as
he can be- but We cannot see that the
right of speech was in any manner inter
fered with by the people of Chicago, in
this matter. 1t was the right of Doug
lass, after abominably abusing :l.em by
his acts, to abuse them again by his speech
that they denied. They would perhaps
have quietly submitted to injury, but
when insult come to be added, they very
naturally revolted. Douglass invited
them to come together to hear an crplr-
aation-and they attended for that pur-
pose; but instead ofthe explanation prom
ised, he took advantage Of their courtesy
in attending, TO load them with abuse.
Now, is not the use of speech to I'M
warrantably abuse others, the greatest
war which can be made upon it, or the
greatest violence which can be done it
and are not those who prevent liberty of
speech from being thus abused rather the
preservers than Otherwise Of that liber-
| ty? We believe it is not denied that in
his very opening Douglass was unneces-
sarily abusive Of a people from whom he
had received many favors, and who by
his acts he had UNIV arrantably injured,
and hence it does seem to us that charge
of their warning against the liberty of
speech has no more foundation than it
would have if made against the editor of
the Democrat, for knocking down row
dy who had unwarrantably abused him
in the street.
But after all what had Douglass to eX
plain? Had he not repeated again and
again in the Senate, and elsewhere his
"Squattcr Sovereignty" sophistrcs UNI
til every person in the land was intimate
with their character What had he new
to say ? What could he teach his con-
stituents OH that point, that they were
net already as familiar with as \. Il. c.
He commenced by telling them that it
was the great and fundamental principle
Of sclt-government which required the
Act, and which was incorporated into its
very nature; thing he had said hun
dred times, and which he had never said
without knowing it to be untrue, as did
also every one Of his constituents. Will
not the editor of the Democrat, or some
other of his defenders try and tell us of
something he could have uttered by way
of explanation which would really have
been new to his constituents.
And with reference to harbor appro-
priations. Has he got some new light
on that question? Something so conyinc-
ing, 50 potent, and powerful, that the
people of Chicago wonld rather see the
sand bars in Their harbor ornamcntcd
with the skeletons of wrecks. than the
government should appropriate dollar
of its funds, to remove those bars? Were
not the people well acquainted with his
position, and all his reasons in the mat
ter?
The fact is, Douglass could have APP
pearcd before the people of Chicago for
no other good reason than simply to re-
ceivc their rcriict. They knew the facts,
they had heard all the pleadings,-they
had weighed all the cvidcnce,-th cul-
prit was before them, and there was prop
pcrly nothing whatever left for them but
to say guilty" or innocent" and they
rendered their verdict in the manner
which under the circumstances was the
most effective and appropriate. The cul
prit at the bar might claim the privilege
of repeating his already thrice told tale
times without number to the Judge land
Jury, but the Judge cannot stay the
course Of justice for it. The sentence
must he pronounced.
We cannot see how the people of Chi
cago could have preserved their honor
and guarded their interest i'll any other
way than they did, and particularly could
they not have done otherwise with due
regard for the interest of the rest of the
state and nation.
The editor ofthc Democrat would have
had them silent Silence gives consent,
and silence during Douglass speech and
at the close of it. would most certainly
have been construed into assent. 1t
would have been an endorsement of
Douglass and his acts, which he would
have taken in his hand, and with it can
vassed Illinois, Indiana, and the country.
1t was crisis. 1t was the critical point
really when it was to be seen whether
Douglass was to continue to go up or
whether his fall should commence. The
people of Chicago saw this and knew it,
and they had sense enough not to let
any such scarc-crow as the editor of the
Democrat now seeks to condemn them
with, interpose to prevent them from
Saving the Union" They have done the
world a service. and as one of the world