Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1857-12-26
Douglas, speech.


equivocal in the expression of his senti-
ments, and unless the administration backs
out, there is no possibility Of harmony be-
tween them on this question. Douglas
said:
The President tells US in his message
that the whole party pledged our faith
and our honor that the slavery question
should be submitted to the people, with
out any restriction or qualification what
ever. Does this schedule submit it with
out qualification? It qualities it by saying,
s'You may vote on slavery if you will vote
for the constitution; but you shall not do
SO without doing that" That is a very
important qualification a qualification that
controls a mans vote and his action and
his conscience, if he is an honest mana
qualification confessedly in violation of our
platform. We are told by the President
that our faith and our honor are pledged
that the slavery clause should be submitted
without qualification of any kind whatever;
and now am / TO be called upon to forfeit
my faith and my honor in order to enable
IA small minority of the people of Kansas
to defraua the majority of that people ont
Of their elective franchise.
Sir, my honor, is pledged, and before it
shall be furnished / will take whatever
consequences personal to myself may
come: but never ask me to do an act which
the President, in his message, has said is
an act which the President in his message,
has said is q forfeiture of faith, a violation
Of honor, and that merely for the cxpe-
iiency Of saving the party. | will 90 as
far as any Of yeu to save the party. /
have as much heart in the great cause that
binds us together as a party as any man
living. / will sacrifice anything short Of
principle and honor for the peace of The
party, but if the party will not stand By
Its principles, its faith, its pledges, I will
stand there, and abide whatever conse-
quences may result from the position
Let me ask you, why force this Constitu-
Ition down the threats Of the people of
Kansas, in opposition to their wishes, and
in violation of our pledges? What great
object is to be attained? Cw bonn?-
What are you to attain by it? VIII yon
sustain the party by violating its princi-
pies? Do you propose to keep the party
united by forcing a division? Stand by
the doctrine that leaves the people perfect
ly free to form and regulate their %institu-
lions fog themselves in their way, and
Iyour party will be united and irresistible
in power. Abandon that great principle,
and the party is not worth saving, and can
nos be saved, after it shall he violated. ]
trust we are not to be rushed upon this
Question. Why shall it be done? Who
is TO be benefited? Is the South 10 be
the gamer? Is the North to be the gain
Ter? Neither the North nor the South has
the right to gain a sectional advantage by
Itrickery or fraud. But ] am beseeched to
wait until | hear from the election on the
21st of December. am told that per-
haps that will put it all right, and will
save the whole difficulty. How can it,
Perhaps there may be a large vote return
ed. Laugterl But | deny that it is
possible to have a fair vote on the slavery
clause; and I say that it is cot possible to
have any vote on the constitution. Why
ait for the mockery Of IN election, when
it is provided unalterably that the people
cannot vote-when the majority are dis
franchised! But am told on all sides,
| "Oh, just wait; the pro-slavery clause will
be voted down."
That does not obviate any of my ohjec-
tons; it does not diminish any Of them
You have no more right to force a freeState
constitution on Kansas than a slave State
constitution. If Kansas wants a slave
State constitution, she has a right to it
It is none of my business which way the
slavery clause is decided. | care not
whether it is voted down or voted up. Do
you suppose, after the pledges of roy honor
that i would go for that principle and
the people to vote as they choose, chat
would now degrade myself by voting one
way if the Slavery clause be voted down
and another way if it be voted up. care
not how that vote may stand. think it
will be voted up. ] think | have seen en-
ough in the last three days to make it Ger
tain that it will be returned out, no mat
llGr HOW tH6 NOtC lbry S1tbN. IhuSh1
Sir, / am opposed to that concern, be-
cause it looks to me like a system of trick
cry and jugglery to defeat the fair express
sion Of the will of the people. There is
no necessity for crowding this measure, so
unfair, so unjust, as it is in all its aspects,
: upon US. Why can we not now do what
: we proposed to do in the last Congress-
We then voted'through theSenate an ena-
biirg act, called "the Toombs bill" believ-
ed to be just and fair in all its provisions,
pronounced to be almost perfect by the
Senator from New Hampshire, (Mr Hale
only he did not like the man then Presl-
dent of the United Slales, who would have
to make the appointments.
Why can we not take that bill, and, out
Iof compliment to the President, add To it
la clause taken from the Minnesota act,
, which he thinks should be a general rule,
requiring the Constitution to be submitted
to the peoples and pass that? That unites
!, tho Marty You all voted with me. for