The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1854-04-15

tor from Ohio t" return offensive expressions
after what have said and proven. Nor can
| permit him 10 change the ISSUE and there
by divert public attention from the enorini,y
of his oilcnsc, in charging me with unwor.
thy motives; while reforming high public
duty, IN obedience 10 the expressed wish and
known principles of my State. chose to
maintain my own position, and leave the
public 70 ascertain, it they do not under
stand, how and by what means he was cleo.
ted Ia the Senate.
Mr. Chase. If the senator will allow me,
! will say, in reply 10 the rmarks which the
the nator has Just made, that did not un.
dcrstand him as calling upon me for any cx.
PLANTATION Of the statement which he said was
made in regard to n presidential bid. The
exact statement in the address was this--it
was a question addressed TO the people -:
"Wonld they allow their dearest rights to
be made the hazards of presidential game
That was the exact expression. Now, sir,
it is well known that all these great measures
IN the country are Influenced, more or less,
by reference to the great public canvasscs
which are going on from time to time. Ger.
tanIy did not intend to impute to the scna-
tor from Illinois desire always to do
justicc--in that any improper motive. do
not think il is AN unworthy ambition To de
sire to be President of the United States.
! do not think that the bringing forward of
n measure with reference to that object would
be an improper thing, if the measure be prop.
or in itself differ from the senator in my
judgment Of the measure. do not think
the measure is right one. In that ] eX-
press the judgment which honestly enter
tain. did not condemn his Judgment; | do
not make, and do not desire TO make, any
personal imputations upon him in reference
to great public question
Mr.. Weller. Mr.. President.
Mr.. Douglas | cannot allow my friend
from California 10 come into the ring at this
tine, for thi, l. my peculiar busin,s, s.. may
lgt him in after while. wish to examine
the explanation Of the sonG!.: Com nhic ans.
see whether OUGHT to accept it as .atiSlac-
tJ.,. ne has quoted the language Of his
address. 1t is undcniablc that that Ian
guagc clearly imputed TO me the design OF
biiugin. forward this bill with view OF Sc
curing my own election t. the PRESIDENCY
Then, by way Of cycusng himself for impu-
ting to me such purpose, the senator says
that hc docs not consider il IAN unworthy
ambition = and hence lac says that, in ma
king the charge, he does not impugn my mo.
tiy,s must remind lin that IN addition
TO that msinuation he only said, in the same
address, that my bill was criminal betrayal
Of precious rights; he only said it was ian
atrocious against freedom and humanity
he only said that il wa, 'muditatci bad taith;
g a
gogugs; lac only called upon the preacher.
Of the Gospel and the people at their public
meetings 10 dcnpuucc and resist such mon
strous ini1uity. In saying all this, and as
much of the same sort, he now assures me
IN the presence of the Senate, that lac did
not mean the charge TO imply an unworthy
ambIiiOn;' that it was not intended as per
sonal impu'ntion' upon my motives or char
actcr; and that he meant 10 personal disrcs
pcct to me as The author Of the measure. ~
reply, will content myself with the remark,
that there il a very wide difference of upiu
ion between the senator from Ohio and my,
self in respect TO the meaning Of the words,
and especially in regard to the line Of con.
duct which, in public man, doe not con.
sti,utc an unworthy ambition.
Mr.. Weller. Now, ask my friend from
lIlinoi, TO give way to me fpr a iew moments.
Mr. Douglas | yield the floor
Mr. " uilcr. ! made remark which no
doubt gave cause to this depression in the ar
guncnt of the senator from Illinois. I pre-.
sumo THAT know the circumstances under
which the senator from Ohio was elected 10
this loly. utimatcd them ia the expires
sion of9piniOn which gave few moments
ago. | do not know that the senator was
elected here uHdcra compromise Or an agree.
mcnt or an express bargain. | entertain on
personal feeling Of ill-wil against the senator,
however little respect may have for his 20
litcal opinions. propose to state some facts
however. connected with his election. and
leave others to decide how far they consttu-
ted a BARGAIN. soon after the admission of
Ohio into the Union.a law had b,el Irohib
ling negroes and their defendants from trs-
.ifyiHg int rnnrt nfiusticc when white man
Wa; party-;hc same law required to a nce
gro, upon coming within the limits of the
State to give bond and security that he would
not become a paupcr. This law was part'c.
ularly oGious to the abolitonists, and the
democrats had uniformly opposed its repeal,
upon the ground that such an act would en-
courage and invite cmigrantS Of that class to
tic S,atr. Such persons, they held, would
add nothing to the real strength of the State.
Certain Judges of the supreme and 9th, I
courts were TO be elected by the legislature.
Some members of the board Of public works
were TO be appointed. For these places there
were, as is usually the ease, multitude OF
applicants. The political power between the
two great parties in iho legislature was 80
equally divided that few three or four,
believe aho!itionists held the balance be-
tween them. An effort wasmade TO compro.
mise with the wings and elect an aboitionist
in the other branch of Congress to the Sen
ate. This failed. Propositions were then
mae to the democrats, which resulted in re.
gcalng the'nlack laws, the appointment ofccr.
tain democrats to iuigeshipS, &C., and the
election of Alr. CHASE to the Senate. These
facts TRANSFERRED about the time left the
State for California, and know gave great
dissatisfaction to "A large portion of the peo-
pie.
Mr.. Chase. know that the senator from
California means TO state the facts correctly;
but think Justice to myself, and Justice 10
my State, requires me to say that he is not
correctly informed in regard tothc material
facts. The truth is, and owe il to my State
to say it, that in the legislature, at the time
of my election, there were three parties, one
oIth IN known n the independent democrats,
or sometimes as frccsOilcrS. another known
as the old-'inc democrats, and another known
as wings. 1t was impossible for either OF
these three parties to elect candidate of it.
self, and that happened which | believe has
happened in very many Of the States north
and south.
Mr.. Weller. How many votes had the
, third party?
Mr.. Chase. Ten or twelve. There were
ten or twelve gentlemen elected as ireesoilcrs
but it is true the wing portion of them did
not vote Tor mo. goinonc bat democratic
votes received the dnmocratic portion of
A." frccsoil vote, and iracgiycd The ola-,ino
d,moe:-.... 30, .i,,.ou, : sas'e exception.
On the other hand, SOM, gentlemen, gener-
ally coacmring with Inc in political views N
moss respects, and a's1 in respect to s'av,c-
ry, but b,ongingto the old-lnc organization,
/ = 1.