Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-12-19
Judge Douglas on flle Kansas Question

TO his own friends, and the friends of the
Constitution everywhere. it has afforded
cause of sorrow and deep regret. 70 his
bitter enemies, and the enemies of his coun-
try, it affords an exultant triumph. With
Hale as his ayant courier, he is met with
glee, and the rubbing Of hands by Seward,
at the door and, well does the Virginia
Sentinel remark that the plaudits of Sew
ard must sound like Kisses in his ear
That he is able and powerful in his argu-
ments, must be admitted BY al Judge
Douglas could not be otherwise. But it is
the ability sad power of a special pleader
not of the great statesman be WAS. He
proclailns himself the champion of popular
sovereignty, but in his advocacy of it, he
sticks in the bark" The great author ef
the Kansas Nebraska bll-the meag4a eaor-
ta Of popular and State soTeFeigny should
have better understood the work of his own
hand. That bill viiadieataa tie sovereignty
and equality of az the States whether then
organized or thereafter to come into the
Union-their perfect and inalienable right
to control their own domestic institutions in
their own way, untrammelled by the gene
raj government, and with the only EGita-
| tio.a that their constitution should be repub-
liean. 1t repealed TIE Missouri abomina-
ton, and recognized the right of all the
States Of the eonfederaey to have their in
stitations respected and defended by their
sister States. 1t laid broad foundation for
brotherly love among the members of our
Union which must have cemented us as one
people, and broken down all jealousy and
discord These were the features of that
glorious measure which eaGaared 1t asa& Its
great author to the hearts of the peonle-
that gave power to the cause OF national de-
mocracy and signal triumph over its combin-
ed &aes. The bill @as the elabatliaeat of
popular and State sovereignty combined -
but of the former for sAe Sale ofthe latter,
aad Subordinate thereto-for it will not be
denied that sovereign States may, without
violating the principles of the Kansas bill
modify the sovereignty of their individual
subjects and make it subseryent to the gen.
eral good
The great fallacy, then, of Judge Doug
las, which runs through his whole speech and
wssioh doubtless prompted its delivery at the
great hazard eff the unity of the democratic
patty, and of all the sad consequences to flow
from, itsdivision consists in placing popular
sovereignty before State seyereignty in
stead of behind it, where it belongs. and in
preferring Congress rather than the State
of Kansas as its guardian. lie has in his
over zeal, fafien into the double heresy of
despising the sovereignty of the State which
the Kansas bill holds sacred, ard CT coraid-
ering Congress the only safe guardian of
popular sovereignty when the Kansas bill
says to Congress, Glands of"
Granting to,be true I'll that he assnmes-
l'-Eat the voice of the people has not been
hazard IN the formation and abortion cf the
Kansas constitution-tha from the mode az
its submission to the people, every voter is
compelled to approve it before he is allowed
to vote for or against slaycry-that the whole
should have been submitted togethcr-that
in submitting it. as they have done, the con-
'vensiaaw was guilty ola fraud on popular rights
that in all its parts il isso obnoxious, that
if fairly propounded to the people it would
be rejected by vote Of ten to one
Still, granting its republicanism, which il
net denied. the only question for Congress
',o,aetermino ia.-7how are these defects to
be remedied !? BY the people of Kansas or
by the Congress of the .unitQd States. The
kansas biz declares, b. thcneqple of Kan
.sas untramneled by Congress. The sole
duty of Congress is to.afiard that people the
best facilities of framing government for
themselves. The simple quertion then is,
of the manner and mode of affordng this
facility. 40 one proposes an Infringement
fof popular sovereignty. AL desire that the
people Of Kansas the whole people acting
in their sovereign capacity, unawed and I'M
hindered by any power on earth-shall hare
d 'fsee1apd fair. participation ia tAefogmatiQn
of their government. Two modes ere pro
posed by which the same thing is 10 lie
done. One, is to admit Kansas into the
Union as a sovereign State, at once. che
advocates of this measure contend that when
this is done, she can, call another. eenye:ltion
forthwith, if,net satisfied with her present
form of government, and abrogatc or change
it as she plcases-that in doing SO, she will
take care of the sovereignty of her people,
land.preteet itmveh mere 'aiIectually than
Congress could do-that by this course, her
domestic affairs would cease, at once, to ag-
Sitate the, Union and furnish food for dcma-
gogues to fa,ten on-that the occupation of
SeHard end Hale and the Freedom
Shriekers," generally. would be gone
Kansas would quietly wisely and justly,
settle her own affairs, in her own way, and
bleeding Kansas @oRld be hoard of nc
more for ever Mr. DouoIac admits tbat