Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1856-07-24
Letter from Mr. DOuglas-A Black Repub-
lican Clergyman placed in q Bad Position.

Letter from Mr. Douglas-A Black Repub-
lican Clergyman placed in q Bad Position.
We invite attention TO the following excel
lent letter from Senator Douglas 10 u political
slang. wharger who is allowed 10 desecrate a
pulpit in Chicago. Ii ought 10 make him and
many Others Of his cloth hide their heads in
shame. The Gazette and Commercial have
repeatedly published the same villainous Ii
bells, and if they have any manhood will now
retract them, Here is The letter 10 which we
allude: - Enquire.
"WAsmNGToN, July 4, 1856.
"Sir:-I learn from The newspapers, that
on Sunday, the LIST day of June, in a sermon
Preached by you in the Plymouth Gongega;
lional Church OF Chicago, you deemed II your
duty to aSsail me personally aud by name.
"Refeuiug 10 the olIray between Mr.. Sum
ner and MT. Brooks, you say: douglas, Of
giant INFANCY stood By 1ith his hGnas IN his
pockets
'Aljhough | have no personal acquaintance
with you, or knowledge Of your character as
q citizen or q minister OF tue Gospel. my res
pect Tor your profession and for those chris
tan principles which 1t Is your duty 10 pro-
claim and observe, induce me 10 lake II for
granted that you would not knowing utter an
,unmitigated ialSehoOd in the pulpit on the
Sabbath day, with The intent 10 lnjure the
character OF a fellow citizen; and that, hav-
ing committed such an act Of injustice, you
will feel it both a duty and o pleasure 10 re-
pair the injury in the same place, and be fore
The same audience where the injury was done.
With the view of enabling you 10 do me and
yourself and the cause Of ruth the at Of jus,
tic: indicated, | now state 10 you that it is not
true that | Stood by with my hands IN my
pockets at the time; that | was not in tine
Senate chamber when the ARRAY took place.
that | did rot witness any part Of the trans
action; that | was engaged III consultation on
pubilc affairs, with several Senators and Rep
reSentatlveS, in another part OF The Capitol, al
the lime; and when returned 10 the Senate
chamber the aiTrHy had been over and quiet
had been restored Tor some time.
''Thcse facts ure not only susceptible OF
proof by tAe Senators and Representatives re-
frrred 10, but ate so well known 10 the Senale
and whole community here, that no gentle
man would hazard his character for truth
and v~eraclly by intimaling his belief IL the
truth of The charge which you, under some
strange miS0ppre henson, have made against
me, in the pulpit Of a Christian Church, on
The Sabbath day
"Yuu ATE also represented as having made
another charge against me, equally unlOhhded
and untrue, which | quote lIom the newSpa-
peTS, not having seen q copy OF the printed
sermon: 'rhis and the Kansas crime reveal q
new step IN the policy Of Slavery: that pigs
zeal force must and Shall be used 10 carry Out
lis measures. The i~nsligatur Of all this crime,
Douglass q short Time since, veHlured 10 dl-
yuIge tho secret policy, when ne declared 10
IFS first victim, I'VE Will subdue you, sur and
no one knows but this very Thing was III his
mind Of the time
ain this passage you attribute 10 me Ian.
guage which | never uttered, aud a sentiment
which | never conceived or hHrbored. Ii lE
True that the New York Tribune and other
Inscriptions partisan sheets attributed 10 me,
several months ago, the same sentiment; but
II is also true, nnd tfe official debates oil the
Senate attest the fact, that | promptly denied
it in open Senate, in the presence OF Mr.. Sum-
ner, and all others to whom ii was alleged TO
have been directed, and not one Of them in
tlmated OF pretended that The charge was rue.
1tl Tue obUN CltdlBN IN u thHS SS~h
branded in open Senate as a bUse calumhy,
and admitted to be such by the silence OF all
the Senators 10 trbcih it was said 10 have been
directed, is nov repeated, after The lapse Of
several months, in The pulpit Of the Plymouth
Congregational ChuTCh OF Chicago, and made
Tie foundation OF o series Of inlerenceS equal
ly unfoundcd and unjust. | have never ad.
viSed, or folled 10 Tebuke a resort to physical
Iurce ns O substitute for truth and reason IN
the discussion and decision OF public ques-
tons.
"Whether the Nebraska Dill was a crime,
or q wise and just measure, is 0 question which
| have always held myself ready TO discuss,
calmly and dlspassionolely, on all proper &C.
c%asions; and if physical force, or mob NO;
lence, or any other Improper means have been
used 10 destroy the lreedom OF speech, either
in Chicago, or elsew here, 1t has not been ap'
proved by me or my friends. send this let.
ter TO you, instead Of the newspapers, for The
purpose Of giving yon an opportunity OF dong
Justice 10 me and 10 lhe cause oil truth, which
| trust you will regard a Christina duty, in
the same pulpit where the injury was com
mitted.
81 have the honor 10 be,
Every respectfully
"Your ob't servant,
&C A nnITET AZ