The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-04-01
Senator DonaIns' Great speech.

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Vrsphic synopsis of the Illinois Senstut's
closing speech sgsiust the LecOmplon con
trivanes. His mastery ;handline Of the
great topics connected with the main ques-
ilon of the admission of Kansas has never
been surpassed, and rarely il ever equalled.
His thorough and sUecinct history Of the
nbrogation OF the Missouri Com promise, and
the explanation Of his own course, IN the
past, in regard TO the controversy FpringinR
out OF that abrogaticn, are ample to prove
that, at the present h, ur, he has n9t receded
one jot from that high eOnservalivs position
Of patriotism which. has made his name
tower OF strength to the Democracy ofIlii-
nOis, and 10 the whole country synon5m
fer fearless devotion to the right. When
hs declared, in the outset of the present
question, touching the LesOmpton Constiu-
ton, hat he was "willing to 60 whsr, yer
the legitimate consequences oi his position
might ICED him." be expressed devotion 10
principle which far transcendtd Eny consid-
erotiOns Of cxpedency or Of interest. In
the present speech he follows up this manly
declaration, by reiteratipg his de, e,erminution
to stand By the immutable doctrines OF pop-
ulsr sovereignty and State rights at all haz
ards, unuwed BY the denuncia,iuns Of parti-
zans, unswtyed by the Establishments Of
power. In Ills come xion, be administered
a scatLing r, buke to the Washington Uxton
ara uttered en- eloquent protest sgainst the
imperial doctrines pu, forth by that journal.
Mr.. Douglas said:
That he rarely referred 10 the course of
newspaper, but the course Of the Wsshing-
; ton Union Is so extraordinary that it reads
him cut Of the Democratic party and keeps
reading him out, rnd, ss il it were not
enough, it reads him cut again with the
words renegade, etc., and other polite terms.
lie h d no vindication to make to the Wash
ington Urton. His course for twenty years
showed his attachment to principles. But
| the publisher OF the Union Las his personal
| grieval Gee. When he was nominated for
public printer, he (Mr. Douglus) declined
to vote for him, and since then there have
been these viEdictive attacks. Mr.. Doug
Las here read tho editorial OF the 18th Of
November last. Tn I, said he, was the hrst
srticle pledging the CRioA TO the support OF
tie LecomFton Constitution. Since then,
) every man is branded ss Freesciler, Abo-
litioRist, and fanatic. who does not subscribe
TO the articles Of faith that the citizens Of
slave State have rights in the fee States,
thst the citizens Of these free States have
not; that citizen Of Virs ihia or Kentucky
may come into Illinois with q hundred
Slaver. II this be the creed of the Demo
cratic party he totally Sissenied. The
State Of Illinois has equal sovereignty with
the State Of Virginia to regulate her own
domestic institutions. He recognized the
right Of the slave States TO regulate thelr
own domestic institutions, and was prepared
10 perform all bis duties towards them, sub
ject to the Constitution OF the United States
but When you 60 higher than the Cunstiu-
ton, tnd above the Ccnetitu'ion, he could
not agree.
In that article in The Cnicn, he saw o
blow struck at State rights, and at the prin-
ciples on which the Democratic part,
stands, ond on which he hoped il will stand
On seeing these doctrines promulgated, he
declined TO vute for the editor of the Entos
for publ printer, and been read out oil
Il Q Democratic party every othe: day since
Who, sir, has abandoned the Democratic
platferm-he who stands by State rights. or
he who would subvert the Republic and
consolidate the Government into an en-.
pires
In reference the policy of m king tests
within the party, he argued with much force
ogsinst its ii justice, ard the inequality of its
working as regards the respective sections
Of the t'onfederacy. III remarked with 20.
tent significancy:
Is The Pacific Railroad party measure? ?
We will see if the gulothe is to be applied
10 each man who does not yield implicit SUP
port to it. The loan bill, the rrmy bill, and
others have more right to be called party
questions than this bill. BY what right does
the Administration interfere with this Con
stituiionl 1t was sent direct to Congress,
and the President cn'y get hold of il through
SurveyOr.General Calhoun. 1t was address.
ed to Congress direct; and yet, because
Senators end Representatives do not Yield
obedience to the dictation Of the Admins.
stration, in matter in which the President
10 not called on to act, shey are subjected to
a prescription. The President has his du.
ties to perform under the Constitution, and
is responsible to Lis constituents; Senators
have their duties to the sovereign States they
scuresent; Representatives have their duties
10 per!"rrn-tnd the President has no more
right to pl>se"ibe a test to q Senators or
Represe ntativcs1 thau We have to apply 10
him test Of iai,h. Wcrs we TO do so, would
he not rCbuke our impasience1 Wh>n the
time comes when The PreetoSnt cun change
our allegiance from the sOverefg2 States to |
himself, whut becomes OF State sovereigntyi
and because he does not psy allegiance to |
the Executive which he does not owe, was |
he to be called traitor to his party and be |
called traitor to his party and be read out
OF 1t by oil the newspapers sho: share 10 the |
Government pap?
IL the question 10 be asked every petty
Office. holder Are you Douglas enemy! i'll
no', off goes his head. In Eng land the peo.
pls's representatives con hurl The Admins.
tration from power in one bur. Yet here,
they who refuse to obey are rebels. Sup.
pose the President was to say to the Ssne. |
tor from California, Vote against the Paci-
f. R ..LOad bill" He is rebel il he dis.
obeys: Or 10 the Senator from Virginia
i Vote. for IT," AnG:heT r, BEL. Or the
Senator from Georgia, "Support the army
BILL" Traitors. Or to the nsHat,r from
Misa'ppi, "SuppOrt the neutrality laws."-!
More traitors. oh, but dispensation IL to
be granted on all subjects but one.
On the L"compton Constitution there Is !
NO dieDenaation n IL ie st,ordoA. a.; -.