New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-06
LINCOLNS REPLY TO DOUGLAS.
pondenee Of The N. Y. Tribune

Cone spondenee of The N. Y. Tribune.
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, June 80, 1857.
We of the West are certainly progressive people.
used to think this peculiar characteristic OF Yam
KEGS. 8" but my opinion is somewhat modified on tina
subject.
While there is a lull in the political horizon gen.
eralv here in Illinois the elements seem to have been
aw akeped from their repOse The immediate cause OF
this was recent speech Of Mr. Douglas in this city, of
the import Of which the readers of THE TRIBUNE are
already informed. | herewith send you brief sy-
nopss Of speech in reply, made by the Hon. Abra-
ham Lincoln ofthis city.
The Hon. Mr.. Lincoln began by briefly stating the
obiec. of his speech. 1t was because Douglas had
recently made an address in the place, in which
he attempted to controvert opinions which he Mr.. l.
thought were right, and to assal politically the men
who entertained those opinions. He began with Utah,
ard showed most conclusivey that Douglas had not
only backed down from his doctrine OF popular sove.
Ieignty but that it only decetiu preense from
the beginning. e.
retnries and Judges the people OF the Territories
without their consent or choice. Douglas eyaded the
only gu. stion the Republicans had ever pressed upon
the Democracy in regard 10 Utah. which was II the
people of Utah shall peacefully form State Cons-
" fulton tolera,ing poygamy; will the Democracy a.
nit them into the Unionl' Was it not part OF the
Douglas "sacred right of self-goverment tor The
peole TO have it. or rather TO keep it, if they choose
These questions Douglas had never answered.
In regard to Kansas Mr.. L. said, the substance OF
the speech of Douglas on that subject was an eor 10
put the FreeState in the wrong for not v0nng ~
the election Of Delegates the constitutional Conven'
ton. and then he Mr. L.. fully indicated the course
they had pursued lie alluded to the recent election
in that Territory and showed it to have been an e1qul-
site farce sad he watching with interest 10 gee
what figure the Free.Statc Democrats cut IN me
concern OF course they would do their duty, and OK
course they would vote for SlaveState candidates.
At the same time he whispered his suPicons that there
were no such beings in Kansas as free'otate Demo
crafts" and if there should be found one SUCH he
thought it would be well to stuff and preserve his SKIN
as specimen Of species OF the genus Democrat soon
to be extinct ....
He declared that he believed much as Douglas IN
obedience and respect for the judicial department. OF
Government but he knew that the court which made
the decision referred to had often overued lts own
decsons and he meant to do what he could to have It
DO so in this instance. No "Ttsistonce was offered
his decision wanting in any claim to public con-
fdance and it il not resistance, it is not factiOus
or even drespcctu TO treat Il as not having quite
established settled doctrine for the land. The bred
Scott decision in part at east based upon historical
facts which were not really truei am0ug others the
assumption by Chief Justice fancy that the public
innate Of the black is favorable now than 1t
was in The days of the Revolution, is mistake; In
some particulars the condition OF the race has been
ams liorated but, q whole, in this country the
change between then and is decidedly the other
way; al their ultimate destiny has never appeared
so utterly hopeless in the last three or four years
In two Of the five States-New jersey and North Ca
rona-that then gave the negro the right OF voting
that right has since been taken away; and IN third
New-Yolk, it has been greatly abrged While 1t has
not cen extended us far az know, to single adii
onal State, though the number OF States has more
than doubled. In those days Legislatures held the
u1 questioned power to abolish Slavery III their res
pectiye States but now il is becoming quite
| fashionable for State Constitutions to withhold
| that power from the Legislatures. In tnose
| days, by common consent the spread OF me oiack
mans bsLdage TO countries was pohibited; OUT
now Congress decice that it acU not continue the
prohibition, ard the Supreme Court decides that 1t
ro1d not if il would. In those days our Declaration
Of Jnde pendence was held sacred by all, aud thought
TO include a hut nov, to aid in making the bondage
of the negro universal and eteIna II Is sneered at anu
construed and hawked at and torn, TILL If its tanners
could Use from their graves, they could NOT at all re-
cognize it, All the powers Of eurth are after iilm.
MANN on is after him; ambition follows, and philoso
INV follows and the Theology of the day Is fast JOINING
Inc cry. They have him in his prison house they
have searched his person and LETT no PLYING In;iu
ment with him. One afer another they have closed
the heavy iron doors upon him, and now they nave
him, as il were, bolted in with lock OF hundred
keys which can never be unlocked without the con-
cuIrepce of every key The keys in the hands OF
hundred different men, and they are scattered 10
hundred difee and distinct places; and they slahu
uusng as to what invention in all the domnlons OF
mild and matter, be produced to make the impos
Mr.. l.. next reft+ed the charge made by Douglas
that the Republicans were laboring for the amalgana
ton of the races and showed that Sldery, not rtee
dom, tended to amalgama0n. il.
There are some other points in Mr.. Lincoln adefess
which should like to notice If had tue, Dut my
Communication will be too lengthy IL Is sufficient 70
saw that it was mastery effort and complete refu
talon OF the sophsIies OF Douglas, and was Listened
| TO with dee interest by large and respectable au
| dieIce assembled in Representatives llaii:
| NJ IN ia
word tf commentator; but il may De interesting 10
Republicans at distance 10 BE- informed mat 'nere
moi n man in this State whose opinions on Po'tIca
subjects command more unversalre by all classes
| Of men than bis. The party may well DE- pro"a VI
such an advocate. s 60,
thin gs as has been provided for Us OF ise va Tue
Monday evening following the speech OF Dir. LhcoiG
| the Hon Mr. Trumbull accepted al invitanoh mnlcn
| he had previously received by deesaHoh - 9ui
most RESPECTABLE citizens who waited on nun IN pody
| at the residence Of friend whom he was Visi,in9.
II ia refreshing TO u.s. who have borne me nsgrace
of beino aisrepresened in the United States Senate
| by such political gamester as Stephen ~. Dou5las,
| 10 know that the OGium is IN neas"'T ,e n.y. =!
| the nresence in that body of the Hon. Lyman rum
mil man " no has sense enough to know the riSht
and the moral courage, ability ana luuepIhuen'S :"
| uautsjn H. You remember he powerful auoi ess,
| made in the Broadway Tabernacle last fai auiiog
the Presidential campaign V n Inc Hal
Ia,oc auJierce was assembled, Notwithstanding the
| Lcst ~ the weather The speaker was frequently
| ipterupted by Spontaneous outDursls VI applause.
| His sn6isct was: "The Political Issues when now
by no means do justice, but nave space ioi n'he
re said ths, 4 charge Of policy was inaugurated in
1854 IN reg.rd 10 the power of Congress over toe Ter
rolic- AMI particularly ID Ieis IN % ol..J LEI y,
ans Tie coritqren:e vas aiSTal" 81 'he 'heD