New-York daily tribune., 1858-10-18
THE QUESTION BEFORE The PEOPLE.
Shall Slavery or Freedom Pre'a'i'
4 SPEECH BY CARL SCHUZ OF WIScoNSlS'
delivered at Chicago Sept rs, ls5S'

,n ,,o,o 70 offer viii not BE- q the
.,;,; and enthusiastic kind. VII make u" eonst-
.a,;ons1 .roumen.s, nor viii ! quote Authorities, ncT
AuI ;,5ple in personal inyecves, against Bncharan
norc,,. or any other man. j Will speak TO your an-
s.,.,apdipe. and call your attention to some OF the
..mpe and broad principles which rule the develop
pent of human affairs
The destries Of nations and countries are indeed not
,overned by maiorities and governmental authority
alone. You will sometimes nations struggle "ith
almost superhuman efforts agains; certain impending
dangers; but oyerulpg fatality seems to Illustrate
oil their eaertions. This overriding fatality, which
stands above the power of majores and governments
will call with simple term-tAe logtc Of things and
<ufnts. Nis the cloae connection between cause and
effect between principle and act-a connection which
eappo. be severed and the clear knowledge of which
IA the only safe foundation Of political wisdom.
Ihaye been taught by history that democratic
pyrtem Of government, although may overcome local
and temporary inconvenience, cannot bear direct
contradiction between political principles on the one
and social institutions the other side. Such ncon-
sstences will and must bTirg forth questions and con-
ficts involving the very founiat3ns OF popular nd
erty. They may appear in different shapes pu wheh
they have taken possession oi the pOltca! arena
they viii Overshadow all other issues. Everything
else viii be subordinate to them; they VIII lorm 'he
only legitimate line of distinction between parties, ana
paliate them with compromises, or secondary issues,
will prove futile and abortive. Their hLal decision,
one way the other, viii decide the practical exist
ence Of people.
Such contradiction is that between Liberty founded
spOn the natural rights Of man, and Slavery, founded
upon usurpation; between Democracy, which is the
hfe-eement of our Federal Constitution and Privilege,
which is the fe-element Of the slayehOllin9 system
ana of Southern society.
do not intend to make an Ant-Slavery speech, in
the common understanding Of the term, dwelling Mt
bOuinen
cruelty Of the MASTER and the siniincss of sin in gen
eral. My purpose is To investigate, from political
standpoint, the conflicts which, natural
quences must spring from the mixture OF the contra
dIctory principles OF Slavery and Democracy. When
Nd democratic community there is powerful ind-
vidual or an association, or a class OF men, whose
claims and pretensions in c9uhlc with the natural
rights of man in general with the legitimate claims
OF other Individuals and who deem their particu
lar Interests above all other considerations we may
wei say that the liberties of the people in danger
When such individual class Of men find that their
claims and pretensions cannot stand before a free
CRITICISM they will spare effort to impose silence
npon the organs of public opinion they will use force
u argument is of avail. They viii endeayOr TO
concentrate all political power in their hands and 10
use IT as machinery for The promotion of their selfish
ends, and as safeguard of their particular interests.
They resoii 10 r:e..2, when b. constitutional
means they can exercise no absolute control. /
j.. States which ruled by absolute monarchs, the
public press is manaced for other reason than that
absousm and its cannot stand before the
free criticism of public opinion, ana that press ana
speech were let free to day, there would be DEATH
struggle between public opinion and the absolute
power tomorrow, which would result either In the |
complete overthrow Of the latter complete re-
eIslayement of the former. But ii is not essential
that this powerful and dangerous interest should have
Darchical aspirations; if it be an arstOcracy, or
association IF great merchants or planters, or, III
general, class OF persons vino have common inter-
ests which inconsistent with the natural rights OF
man. and who deem them superior to all other con-
side rations, and determined to defend thcmthe
tendency and the ultimate result will be the same.
To euch an interest the people will have to submit,
or against such an interest the people will have to
fight There Will be struggle and there must be |
victory, final and conclusive. lApplause.l Is tins
applicable TO Slavery and the Shareholders RAPID
glance at the political development of this country will
decide that question.
In the Saveholding States all political life is shaped
BY the ruling interest. While the people OF the South
profess the principle of equality, one class of cu2ens
Is accustomed rule and another to obey lnark, am
speaking of the whites, not of the savesl and the
whole machinery of government, even To te smallest
functions is in the hands or under the conr0 oi The
slayehoding arlstocracy. While they profess the
principle of political liberty you dare neither speak
nor write word against the peculiar institution.
While they claim TO be frccmcn they have iettcrcd the
hands Of the people with the most odous police regu.
latons dictated by the instructive fear common to all
tyrants. While they claim to be enlightened peo-
pie they dc net suffer the great leading ideas oi the
nge 10 be- taught in their schools and colleges for fear
they might engender thought against Slavery.
Willie they claim to be a religious and moral people,
they address even their prayers to no other God than
the black god of Slavery. While they pretend to be
patriotic people they have sacrificed to Slavery the
liberties Ofspeech ana of thSpress sacrificed even the
liberty Of conscience; sacrificed the welfare OF the
non-s eholdng whites sacrificed the prosperity and
the prospects OF their States sacrificed the peace
ofths Republic. Applause. And they will tell you
rs often as you want hear it, that they stand ready
to sacrifice to the preservation OF slavery the Inon
Of these States and the last remnant of their liberties
and republican institutions. Cheers.l Nobody can
deny Il, in the South Slavery oyeTules everything
else; Slavery rules IT all.
power 1t considered tho Missouri Compromise Il
sacred compact as long it served to augment the
number Of Slave States. Ii advocated the extension
OF the Missouri line to the Pacific Ocean, when by
that extension large territory might be acquired Tor
Slavery. Ii became suddenly convinced of the uncOn
stitutionahty OF the Missouri Compromise, and re-
pealed it, when that compact was TO augment the
number of the Free Staes Ii transmogrited the face
Of Popular Sovereignty ten times according 10
the pleasure Of the Shareholders. II considered the
population OF Kansas numerically sufficient TO form
Slave State, but sadly insufficient 10 form
Free State. II layished with uuheard-of prohigacy
the money of the people for the benefit of the slave
holding interest and treated the commercial interests
of the Free North with contempt 1t applauded the
most fragrant violations of the balOt-boX, the most
terests of Slavery. ICheers And how are all these
amazing things Effected Look at the interior organi-
ZatiOn of the party. No kingdom, hierarchy is
ruled by more absolute dcspotSm than that party is
ruled by its leaders. As have shown, their prnci-
pies shaped and remoddeled according to the arb
uary pleasure OF the South, and the have bu
60 obey, and they h, obey. They are watched and
dogged like flock of sheep, turned out 10 pasture
to-day in order 10 be tceced Tomorrow. Look at the
executor Of John CahOuns last wll in the White
House. who like an Oriental despot, hurls his enathe
mas and political death warrants where he cannot de-
ham tlp al "A n brib