The Kanzas news., 1857-12-12
An ELOQUENT Speech.

Carl Sehurz, who knows practically and
sadly the difference between Freedom and
DespoLism, by his suferings in his native
Germany, and who was the Republican can
didate for Lieutenant Governor in Wiscon-
sin, made most eloquent speech at Madison
just before the recent election. The follow
ing is the closing portion:
Il know it is in vain to speak to these
Democratic leaders, whose consciences go
with their fortunes. They have, knowing
ly. gone SO far. and they will go farther
But let me speak To you, who have careless
ly followed in their track. appeal to your
good sense. I appeal to your honesty.
Cast look On the road you have travail
ed. Do you remember the glorious anti
slavery resolutions passed by The Democrat
ic State Convention of Wisconsin, 1892.
Do not your hearts beat quickly when you
think of them? That platform is the same
which the Republicans occupy now. Why
did you leave it? Did you do so at the free
command of your conscience? Be honest
When the Nebraska bill was still under dis
cussion in Congress, no Democratic paper,
and hardly one Democratic politician of this
State and certainly not one of you, thought
of supporting that treacherous measure
And how came you to do it? Douglas whips
in Pierce, the Nebraska bill is made the test
| of Democracy-that Is TO say, nobody that
| opposes it will have chance of partaking
of the sweets of puolic plumber under Dem
ocratic rule, and there are the postmasters
and the mail agents, the custom house Off
GERS and the marshals. and the whole host
of federal officers, and you plodding after
them in dumb obedience. They then sqeeze
out of you few dull cheers for squatter
sovereignty, and then they receive new or
ders and repu Iiate that blessed doctrine, and
you always plodding after them. as though
it coul1 not be otherwise. Now they de-
scend to the very depths of Calhoun's most
daring pro-slavery doctrines. Are you go-
ing TO follow them? Have you got no will
/ of your own? What share had you in
/ framing those disgraceful doctrines? You
had none. Would you have made all these
! stupenlous somelspts of your own accord?
You would not. Why have you done it.
then? You must have seen that the poll
cy of the Democratic party springs no lon
ger from the instinct of the people. I, is
manufaci ured elsewhere; its success depends
upon the servility of the masses. Is il then
sn glorious TO be whipped into the support
of shameful party measures? Is party drill
and discipline So omni potent an idol that
You woulI sacrifice to il your best princi
pies AMI your moral worth?
Remember that a party whose only
strength consists in the drill and discipline
of It's adherents, will always become dan
gerous 10 liberty. And party drill and dis
cipline is the only strength of the Demo
cra,ic party. Your leaders boast of il, and
secretly laugh at your ever-rea ly obedience
How laun,ingly they assert that the Re-
! publican party is no party al all, because
/ there exists certain freedom of opinion in
it, AMI the lealers cannot rule the rank ana
file just as they please But when you
sueer at US on this account. it reminds Us
of the degraded slave who shrugs his shoul-
ders at the free negro, and calls him poor
negro who has got no master! Applause
! No. sIrs we have got no ma>ters-and
il there Were a THOUSAND D ~ glases hidden
in our mi lst, they woul find it a laborious
undertaking to dragoon our consciences in
TO submission. But you my lucky DEM
ocraric friends, you have got masters -
They will tell You what is constitutional
AMI what is not. They will convince you
chat the removal of all barriers to slavery
Is the very essence of popular sovereignty.
They will give commands in Washington
which you have 10 obey in Wisconsin !;
they whistle and you have got to dance
and a true plantation reel it is Cheers.
On, my Democratic friends, is there not
sometimes an earnest voice speaking within
you-speaking of self-iespect and the natu-
raj dignity of man Does it never tell you
that the burning blush of shame would be
an ornament to your cheeks? Sir, I love
and esteem all that Is man. But if some
times. in unguarded moments, a cloud of
general distrust in man arises in my Leart, it
Is at the aspect of such gratuitous self-de-
gradalion. for which even error and igno-
rance can hardly serve as an excuse.
i Aud now, one last worl to vou, fellow
soldiers in The cause of Freedom
i I do not know whether l have been able
Ia inst into your hearts that deep anxiefy
for Liberty which fills mine You are the
| spoiled chil1ren of fortune The sun of
Liberty smiled upon you when you opened
grown up nursed by the blessings of self
government, and neither you. nor hardly
your fathers, have seen the day when it was
otherwise. You know the curses of despot-
/ &c rule but from hearsay, ani your imagina-
| ton is hardly able to realize the sufferings
of the down-trodden man. But l, sir. have
seen despotism, and felt It's scourge I have
seen the great masses of noble nations bFu-
taiized by the blighting sway of absolute
government. / have seen fond hopes dy-
i ing, and noble aspirations turned 10 despair.
| have seen blood spilled for Liberty, spill