Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-01-07
SPEECH OF
q STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS.

- sss,eraay. the Presidents message was
read .tthe Clerks desk, heard II out Ihpef
fecsfv.s and was Of the impression 'nas .ne
President of the United States had approved ano
endorsed the aetg sr tIf hat fmpression, fsif it
- i,,,s to state that, ,while j ceneurred Ia the
, ;.rrs Of the message, yet so lar as u ap-
s-'S =. andorsed the action of that Convent on
enfirely dissenied frotnft, and ISould aVau any
,elf of an early opportunity to s.Hte nay IsasohS
4 for mY dissent. upou more aJ -
eai examination Of the message, am re,i e1 " "
, And tset ths President ofthe y tied States mas
lepot Res nmepdes that Congress shan pass Ia"
z .5a,sc.;.s Kansas.inio tia UnioEs --se os'n
.sfitutioo formed at Lecompton Is uce luat
ne tone of the message indicates wiing :
on tie part Of the President tosign any pm ...ss
Coagress nay pass, y We 80 ,5s t gn;oD under the
sonsc5tpt;,n- But sr It is fact OF great 81
Fcar.s end worthy Of ccpsidsrstIon> that the
President hiss refrained from any enaof se'nsI'
of the cosrertion and from any recomm menta ia,
lion - 70 ths course Congres sneula ps'
-ererd TO the CONSTITUTION there iormeo.
s.rhe message of the President has nade an ar
Sument--an IN nanswerabie argument IN my opin-
ion-aesinst that constitution, gfrcn snoTs
tclearly rhether intended to airive az thas =,
sof not, that consistently with hs views sns u.
principles, he cannot aeesp, ratisn asa dis
kppointu,srt that the constitatlen ifseii tas aeI
Ken submitted to the people OF Kansas icf ths !
acce,f .r,ce or rel ectiofi He informs Us fnft ne
Aas aneuelifedIy expressed his optniops q @rs
- x;5tras<ions to Coz. Aaise., assu
a. matter Of course, that fhs ecnstitutlon
= has 70 be submisteHto ths people 5riote u eeel'
. hare an te:ality or validity. he goes furaaer'
ad tells US that the example set by Con ngress -
he Minnesota case, by Inserting "a eiaose ~ N
ensbiste acf rssniriss thecoastsinlion TO be sa67
aissssi 70 tbe sssgss. . 5seolse ps'i.sr'n
rule. not 70 be denarted from herezfter <n any
rase- Of these ynrious preposiaons l agree en- !,
Ereiy xith The President OF the United ates'anu
am prepared norsto susiain that Uniform rune M
which - asks as TO pursue, in a. other eases,oy
= fskfp fsshe Minnesota proyisidn>as our example.
"A Ire;oice, on careful pefusxi Of the message,
"a. Sn5 81 zfuch less 10 diseepf from than was
4 under tie 'ifhprsssiea thefe <aS from the hasty
Z, 5,reading and the1 perfect hearing oil the mes
sage in the first Instance. In effect, he refers
that document to the Congress of the united
States-as tbe Const tuition OF the Y, ,. refer: y
for us To decide upon it under our responsiohhy-
1t is proper that he should have thus referred
to us as q matter for Congressional aetion, ana
not As an Administration Executive measure,
far the AT the Constitution of the United
States ssys that Congress may admit new su'es
info The pious Hence We find the Kansas
question before ne nov, notes an Administrator
measure, not as an Executive measure, out go
measure coming before US for our lree AZ y;
without any Recommendation or interference oi-
reetly or indirectly, by the Administration now
in possession of the Federal Government sn,
propose 10 examine this question calmly ana iair
N1y, 70 see whether or moi we canz2roPeriy Ieeene
Kansas into tho Union withlne eonsti'1'ol
.-lfarmed at Leconpton.
- THE President. after expressing his regret and
nertifcstion and disappointment tnal tne oon y
stitption had not been submitted TO ine peopie IN
pur.isnce Of his instructions to7Gov. waiKersand
{ & psfsuaecs Of COY. Walkers assurances 70 she
Eopie, q b however, thet by theThansas;iNes,-- -; 3
- act he slavery odssti6u asly was required
= SSserred % tbe people, -sad the remainder
n. st,4S Unison was not thus required 20 sbe
abusf f<tcc lie s.kpoxledges that as -senerail
lhIs. oD gensrni principles, the Nheie eons'na. t
II hon stoaldbe sabnhttedi oct :, ,hnr
16s,serstsndlAx the organic Get OF Kansas there
~ IN imperAtire obligation TO submit The s.a-
very opestica FOR their approval or disappfofal,
: bat no utif9s.ion 10 subpitthe entire eOnsiltn-
tIop. In ofRer words, he regards the organic ae'
the Nebraska bali, as having made an eAeeptlo
- -. .;sverv clause and provided for the dispo-
: sitien OF that question in mode different irohh
tlfst in which other domestic or local, as contra-
- stdistinguisksd from Federal, questions shoau Oe
Z decided, Eir, permit me to saj, with pfoiouhu
= respect for the President OF the tailed otaIes;
: fbst conceive that this point he has conlitt-
z ed = fund dxmeniai error, an error which lies at
Lie lfeasaation uf kss whole argument on TINS
Srsstier Iscsu we'll nn5erstana hsH that distln-
s.uisiae "a. came 10 faii jntoihis e9ror-
Ne rs, Ssen,ry g fhs ,lns
ssssssksf eta 2 = ~ ~. : q Z
, Rsfss1k ~ * <13e ms shen representing
= ~ ~ afffaeount1y WITH sseat
j uivSez6 Ii<{zl f}etl q a4orelgn Court Ihusl
SSeffy< 4IVS<k6, : slis ax9 Vie .energses were ape
sofi< III t5l grbat paolnatie questions
Il 4 discfts HE Kitten lion from the mere iefri-
ioris3 pe ssicns slsd discessions then going on "
the Sesate and atuss Of Representatives, and
before the - 5epf&tt home. Under these circum-
stances II - xssl have fallen INTO an error,
radicss sp2 6danlentai as it is, in regard 10 the
object of.she NSoraska pflf and the principle as
rEos, sif, whai.ws6i 6ihe ncipleenunciaied by
the authors and - for5ers Of that bill when II
Mas brought forWEaf Did We not come before
the country and - that~e repealed the Missou-
rirestfics on for = Pprpose OF SUBSTITUTING anu
<-frying ont as general rule the prlnelpie OF
self -eoscrnmert x{sssh left the people OF each
Territcfy free to form and regulate their domes-
tic insttutions IN II ir own way, subject only to
the Consultation Of the United States! In sup
port of tizxt proposition il vas argued here, and
have s1faed II Ehereyer hsyespoken in various
States ofsAe EAio,i, st home and abroad, every
yherc have erdearored to prove that there was
no reason why "a exception should be made IN
regard 10 the slavery question. have appeal
ed to Che people If NE did net eli agree, men OF
pa rfics, that otafI local snd domestic ques-
fions Monld be suulnltted to the people. 1 said
"a them, zEesg5Se that the people shall decide
! egr theseelve wiat kind Of Judiciary system
fhey will + We We agree that the people she'll de-
kcide what kin of a school system they viii es-
xablish; agree that the people shall decide for
themselves what kind of a banking system they
viii have, or whether they viii have any banks
no III; NE agree that the people may decide for
shall be the elective franchise in
fbeif sSspeetise States; they shall decide for
s{befnselses xkef fhai be the rule Of taxation and
the principlcs dFsn which their finance shall be
s regulated. we Agree that they may decide for
themselves >he rslztion< 7between husband and
9uife p1fent aud. .child, 5znardian and ward; and
WY should Se-uet then, allow them to decide for
: 4hemselye the relations between master and SER
vaAt7 Why mike an exception of the slavery
ouestion y tAins It ont OF that great rule o.
elfgesernnent which epplies TO ail the Other
relstions Is Eks r, Z sssfy first proposition il
- Geb1ska hH sszfo show. ihatihe Missouri
yess5etsah sprsks bt thetpeople from deciding
lie asvers susste. tSr the.ss0es, constitutes
,s<;se;pie - II rslE and hence that ex
ssesp<55n zA6std -be rppezled, and the slavery
= 11.e-iioo AZ Ii lot5er questisbs, submitted t
IL peofie = d1eSidfd ri sheihselyes.
So. fhsf 80 iple on which the Ne
= ,S55;i5s DE siaFsty ;qass,is6 an exception
& &sso<r3 IN eaf6us <kespisoa which before ex
II 4 LIE 1Qtie1 <Ezs xp-sbolish that obi
-. 5oz Ind ms sthk <fie general, uni
e ssrssT & e Pftcss q matters whcl
ss = "a ss21ss ess 4 IS 81 lansusRs nstsest eS
riaysS rliy.s ,sl Y q sss e s. SOL act, commonl
- ss5isd fSs i6lsssrSf repealed
becsr.e r. Cz&1 = the principle of non
intsryenii iian aEz]4 6kshsdBy the amprOmise mea
z. ~ this set nQffo k-fsiste slavery into an
s.,x;toSF q eeste aorao exclude it therefrOm, bu
so1eayf fke pS65e the-sof perfectly free to forl
snd ,rru1aze Them domestic institutions in the
,ewn way, subject only te the Constitution OF tn
s4.;.s;o. becaurs.tha was confned to SLAYER.
Ttss q, The only exception there to Il
Z = renersI rrinciple o seh government. That e,
sssns;an & a. tsk en-! Cray for the asowed and el