The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1856-05-07
TER 1llss:asl, so per Annula il Advs1ul,


is adopted and defended rs s'pfaiscwor-,
| thy aud commendable' rule of actie',, ON
the suppesition that its natural, if NOT
unavoidable, consequence is to produce
violence. Is this the policy of the anti
1 Nebraska mens Is thisathe ground upon
which my colleague Mr.. TRuMBULL pro-
nounced the minority report a "masterlys
production? Was7it in view of this pos
ition that the Senator from Massachusetts.
Mr. SUMNER returned thanks toeits au
| thor for such an admirable document and
that the Senator from New York Mr..
SEwAKD] took upon himself the ohliga-
tion to make good all its positions? Is
| it trucethat the author of the minority re-
port is prepared to defenda line of policy
which, according to his own acknowledg-
ment, leads naturally, and perhaps un-
avoidably, to violence?
| Mr.. COLLAMER. did not say so.
| Mr.. DOUGLAS. I have shown that
the language used is susceptible of no
other construction The report defends
the ''right," and asserts tha ''duty," of the.
slavehoIding States to attempt to control
the election and establish slavery in Kan
sas. Itsalso defends the fright" and
asserts the 'duty," of the free States to
! attempt to control the elections and pro-
hibit slavery in the same Territory, and
then says:
f! "If violence has taken place as the nat
iural, and perhaps unavoidable, conse-.
Fquence OF the nature of the experiment,
bringing into dangerous contact and col
| lision inadmmable elements. it was the vice
of u mistaken law, and Immediate measures
should be- taken by congress to correct
such law.''
! Here is a distinct acknowledgment that
1 violence was the NATURAL if not unayeid-
able, consequence of that line of policy
marked out and pursued by the New Eng
land emigrant aid societies, and the coua-
ter movements in the southern States,
which those societies brought into exis-
tence by way of antagonism! The fact is
admitted. coupled with all excuse which
EXPLAINS the political designs of the whole
movement. If violence results from the
action Of the emigrant aid societies, the
J fault is to De charged ON the Nebraska act
as ''the vice of mistaken law.' What
! ''v:cc" was there in The Nebraska act2
f'iheniii!orify report answers the question.
/ 1t turned over the discussion of the sia-
very question to the inhabitants of Kan
sas. 1t continued the principle Of self
government in obedience to the Constitu-
ton. 1t left the people free to form and
regulate their domestic Institutions in their
own way. This was all the vice of mis-
taken law! 1t banished the question of
slavery agitation from the Halls of Con-
gress, and turned it over to the people
who were Immediately interested in, re-
sponsible for, and had right to control,
the decision of the question. If that
great principle of self-government, which
i the minority report calls .,the vice Of a
mistaken law" had been permitted to have
! fair play in Kansas. as it did in Nebraska,
:. there would have been no more trouble
or violence in Que thau in the other
In Nebraska, to which the emigrant aid
societies did not extend their operations,
;, and where emigration and settlement were
left to flow in their natural channels
nothing has occurred to disturb the peace
and quiet Of the Territory. There thi:
"viee Ola mistaken law'' produced peace
and harmony, instead of violence and con
fiict, as its natural, and perhaps unavoid.
, able, consequence. In Nebraska, where
the principle of self government was
!, permitted to have fair play under the pro
l visions Of the same "mistaken law" bu
where 1.-The experiment of bringing int
! dangerous contact and collision iuaam
! mable elements the natural, and perhaps
unavoidable, consequences of which wal
! violence, was not deemed '.highly praise
4 worthy and commendable"- it wa
$ not considered a fright" and "duty' o
the two extreme sections of the Union Il
Z attempt to control the political destinie
: of a distant Territory, and with that view
= to array all the inhabitants into two grea
\ hostile parties, aud force peaceable mel
$ into the ranks Of the one or the other 70
pro.ection-wherc foreign interferanc
: has yciiied to the principle ef non-inter
gention--the Karsas- Nebraska. act ha
: worked out its own vindication. 1t ha
/ shown that. while violence is the natural
aud perhaps unavoidable, result Of 18th
u experiment" attempted by the cmigran
/ aid societies to control the political des
IS tinies of the Territory by soreign interfer
y ence and spurious system of emigration
u no such consequences do flow from, th
/ operation of the principle Of self-govern
u tmcnt when, in the language ofthe Nebras
ii ka act, the people are lett PERFECTLY IRE
TO form aud regulate their domestic ,nsts,
- hons In their o,oa aooy sabject only to q
le Constellation of'nhe United Stctesw Sine
nr then, the ''experiment" of foreign inte
n ference, by the confession of the ininerit
a report, has prodnced violence and bloc,
shed as its natural, and perhaps unaso oil
'n able result, should not the remedy
'n sought in the abandonment Of the e.
as pertinent which caused the mischief,