New-York daily tribune., 1858-03-24
FROM WhSHIEGTON.
BR. DOUGLASS SPEECH.

before ten o'clock, fund il in pos-, ssoa Of Q
m,b Of buih st xes atd Of all sges, s~arming O
tie sisiIwsys, in the Rotundo snd 10 the vesaeees
TO the Senate Chsmber. AppsrestIg half the adult
population Of the city bsd poured W to The Capitol
to h-ar Douglas. Making ny way With Increasing
c,ficultl toward the rep ftsrs gallery, L was Ar
re.ted at The foot Of the staircase leading to by
dense mass Of humanity, whose power OF resistsncs
net even s cannon ball could have fully overcome
l could not 60 much as get sight OF the entrance.
much less reach it. Passirg with difficulty INTO
the room in front Of the main door Of the
Senate l found it filed with lades. spsrsely
intelmixed with distracted Senators each OF whom
Was yauly cndesyoring 10 convince half n sesre OF
his fair acquaintance that nothing cosld BE- got into
that which was already full 10 oyerfowing and that
consequently il was useless 10 attempt To get them
seats in the galleries. A few of the gallant Seas
tors made an attempt TO get permission granted 70
introduce ladies to the door for this special occasions
but objection was made by some crusty old I.c-
comptouites, who were BY no means pleased at 20
striking manifestation OF the extent Of Douglass
popularity as was offered BY this immense gather
ing of the people.
After spending an hour or two in vain attempts
10 get within ear shot OF the senate, l abandoned
the attempt learning that an arrangement had
hold his speech til o'clock. Determined not TO
be- excluded from the gallery a second time, went
at o'cock-two hours before the time. The pub
lie galleries were already crowded, and the
porters gallery was half full. During tho two
hours that interviewed before the opening
of the session, the pressure OF the mul-
titude for admittance almost frightful.
About six O'Clock, it became apparel tly impossible
to crowd another person into the galleries. That
of the reporters overfowed with extemporize&
members of the press, who were 40 numerous and
so closely wedged together that the doorkecper.
after vain attempts TO sift them out and separate
the wheat from the chafl, gave up the attempt IN
despair. At this time Mrs. Douglas arrived at the
Senate Chamber. 1t was impossible to get her .
seat in the ladies' galleries, and an order from the
Vice. President with difficulty procured her nd
mission to the reporters gallery.
As the hours advanced, the ladies in the gallery.
growing thirsty entered into negotiations with tho
boys below, the pages Of the Senate,,"ho displsyed
their agility, to the amusement OF the crowd, oy
climbing the iron pillars that support the gallery
and handing oranges and glasses Of water to the fair
sufferers whom relief could not reach in any other
way.
A little before o'clock Douglas entered. and
was greeted with loud applause by the galleries.
Az soon Ms the Senate came to order. motion Was
made and carried to admit the ladies' to the noor.
The doors were Immediately opened, and great
except the reading of the title of the bill for tho
admission of Kansas, Mr.. Douglas rose. He looked
pale and vOrn aud his voice at first was feeble
and uncertain. As ne went on 1t acquired its Gus
tomary ring aud force, and he spoke with oil his
wonted animation.
He began with an alusion to his sickness and "
his absence from the Senate declaring that he
should take no notice Of the criticisms that had re-
cent, been made upon him. He intended, be said.
TO state the nature and bearing Of HIS own political
cOnduct aud actions upon the question OF Slavory.
He gave detailed account of the condition OF tho
Slavery question on his entrance into public e; OF
his action upon ii in various cases among them thss
of the anne Aaton of Texas at which time he had
proposed 10 extend the Missouri Compromise line
to the Pacific, but the House Of Representatives
rejected the proposition, and established the policy
of abandoning geographical lines OF restriction upon
slavery. The objection to the policy OF restricting
Slavery by geographical lines was difficult 70 answer.
If Slavery was wrong on one side OF q line u was
wrong on the other. Still, snch had becn tho
policy of the fathers, and he advocated it at that
time in the hope of avoiding sectional strife. Its
defeat at the time of the annexation Of Texas had
given additional scope to the Slavery agitation and
to u sectional aDlm0sty, which was greatly TO DO
deplored. Had the Missouri line then bsen OK.
tended to the Pacific, there would have been an end
If this formidable agitation. Both sections would
have been satisfied especially the South, to which
the Missouri restriction was practically an advsn-
tage, for it was really restriction on the North.
The policy of geographical restriction having
been abandoned, Mr.. Douglas said he felt bound
to recur TO the original principles Of tho Govern
ment to localize and not nati0nalize Slavery, by
leaving il to the States and taking it out Of tho
arena OF Congress. This brought upon him great
Indignation especially at bis own home in Illinois.
But on appealing TO the people OF his State, and
explaining his views and his course he was fully
sI,staned by them Continuing for some time longer
bis explanation and defense of his support Of tho
Nebraska Act Mr.. DOuglas arrived at the consider
alton of the LecOmpton Constitution. The ques-
tion about that was, is it in accordance with tho
principles of the Compromise measures d
1850 and of the Nebraska Act IL it the
result and has it the sanction Of popular
sovereignty "Will any II an" be asked, "within
"tbe hearing of my voice say that that Constitution
'embodies the will and has the sanction Of tho
majority of the people of Kansasf" He recapitu.
lated the we'll known facts Of the recent history Of
Kansas and Of the origin Of the Lecompton Con-
sttutiOn. The evidence was conclusive that tho
Constitution had not the sanction OF the popular
will. fyOu Judge this Constitution by the techni-
calities and forms Of law you will find that It was
voted down, legally voted down, by the people Of
Kansas, and was rejected, repudiated instrument.
II YOU look at it statesmen you will arrive az tnD
same conclusion. The LecOmptOn Constitution u
not the wOIk nor the will Of the people OF Kansas.
Why then force it upon them Ask the Governor,
ask any Of the past Governors ofthe Territory, men
who know the people there, and they will tell you
il il a mockery, nay, a crime TO uphold that Con-
.tituton as the will of the people Of Kansas. II
il ever becomes the organic law of Kansas, 1t Will be
the act of Congress and not the act Of the people
that will make il so.
To the argument that the Constitution could be
changed, Mr. Douglas replied, that made no differ
ence whatever. The principle involved was ths