New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-07-13
the POLITICAL CAMP IN ILLINOIS.
Mr.. DOUGLAS AT CHICAGO.
DEFINITION OF HIS POSITION.
his Speech Of Friday, July Q, 1853.


nserihcen welcome which you have extended 70 me
on tts occ.siop Tnis yas. tea Of hunsn fsces lnei
cate. hcw dee on Interest is fet by the people "a the
xrest op.sfors that sgi,ste thu public mind, Sad
dlis .he foundations of orr free Institutions. re,ep
ton IKE this so vas. in nuEosis that hunsn voice
can Re b.. ard to its extremes, 60 enthusiastic tia,
ore nsn can be the Object Of the enthusiasm clearly
stews tbs. there Is sons crest principle which sinks
deep into the human heart and involves the nights and
hberies of whole people.
VIVA. has brough. you together with uDsninity
an6 cordially never before exeeei If equsled sny
oocason have not the vanity TO believe it is any
personal compliment to me. 1t ia a. expression Of
ysu devotion TO that great principle Of self government
to which my life for many years bss been, and in the
whole OF the future will be- devoted If there is any
enc principle desrer and more sacred thsn al others in
free Governments il lie thst which asserts the right Of
every people to form and adopt their fund amen
tai laws and to manage and regulate their inter
nal affairs end domestic institutions.
When found effort being made during the
cert iesson Of Congress TO force constitution upon
the people Of KaDsas against their will and 20 force
that Ma'e into the Union with constitution which
toe Pc, pie mad r,jected by ten thousand ,jorty, !
felt bouLd, man OF honor, as Representative OF
llinols bOuLd by every consideration OF duty, or IL
deity ard Of patriotism to resist, 10 the utmost OF my
poser, the contamination of That fraud
We did reist 1t successfully, uotI the stteinp was
ned We forced them TO refer that Constitution
back to the people OF Kansas to De scceped or re-
jscsd they should decide at an election which is
fixed for the 6rst Monday IN August. Eis true tnat
the mode of reference, and the form OF SUBMISSION
were not such uld sanction vita my vote Tor the
reason that it discminsted between Free SAFES aud
Slave States-povldJg That II tbey came In with the
IRcomptCn Constitution they could bo received with
3 CO. but If they chose to demand another COnsttu
Aan more consistent with their sentiments AMI their
feelings they should not be received INTO the Ualon
until they had 93, 400 inuabitsnts lCaeeIs.
old not slider that mode of submis f4ir, fr
the rel son that any election is mocksry which is nOt
fee, any election is fraud upon the rgh,s Of the
people which holds out inducements fer affirmative
Votes and penalties for negative votes. Cheers ]
Bot while not satisfied with the mode OF submis
sop while resisted that mode to the last dsDandog
far, just. free mode Of suboissioD still wheo the
law passed il hes placed 1t within The power of the
people Of kansGs at that election to reject the LIE
compton Com ttutioD, and then make out another IN
harmony with their opinions end tter prin ipes H.
Stead. i do not believe that either the penalties
the one hand, or the inducements on the o'her are
going 70 force that people 10 accept Constr luton to
when they are ineconclably opposed. All Gao say
H. that If their votes BIO controlled by suoh
alterations all the sympathy that has been expended
upon them has been splaced, and sll the efforts
mace in defense of their rights Of self govefnmet were
made in unworthy cause, if they TO be H.
datDced in the Iesult by these considerations.
Hence, my frienos regard that Lscompton bs tie
o. having been fought aud the victory via, because
the arrogant demsno for the admission under the Lee
compton Constitution Internationally, whether the |
people wants it or not, was abandoned and the pru-
cipl which recognizes the right of the people TO do
eide for themselves substituted IN ia place. My
friends while devoted NY best energies, all my EN-
eygies mental and y,ical to the viadcaon OF that
se at principles and while its result has been such as
will en- able that DE- Ope TO into the Union with
zach Constitution they desire yet the credit OF tnis
great moral victory is to be divided amoug a large
number Of of and different political creeds
ICbeers.1 rtjoced when found, in tDis grest CON
test, the Republican party coming mp msnfuly and
sustaining the principle that the people OF eacn Tenn
tory, when coming int the Union, had rght to dc,
eide for Themselves whether Slavery should or nld
not sxist within their limits.
had seen tie time when that principle WAS c)ntro
verted. had seen the time waen al parties did not
recognize the right of tie people to nave Slavery or
FIeedom-to tolerate or prohibit Slavery as they
oose, but this power was claimed by the Congress
Of United States TO the exclusion of The decision OF
the Peep Of the Territory and when found, upon
the Critic Mont, emery bill, the Republicans and
the Amer cans of the NOrtn joining VITA, AMI may
esy too, some glorious American and Old Line wings
from the South Isppsuse like Crltterden and Bell;
lspplause when 1 cav these gentlemen ,, unnl"g
and vSdicste the right OF the people 10 de-
eide whether Slavery should or should not exist
within their limits, l was rejoiced within my &C.
eet soul for saw an indication that the American
people, when they came to understand TIE principle,
Wouid give II their corcial support
The Crittenden bill as fair, as perfect an EXPOSE
ton of the doctrine Of Popular Severe gnty c0E1 be
carried out by any bill that man ever devised, and it
proposed TO the LecOmpton COnttntion back to
the people of Kansas sith Toe night TO accept It or
u
in pun uance Of law and in the event they rejected 1t
and formed another IN its stead, then they BECAME
State under the Coz stituton OF which they approved.
The bin Just in all its PROVISIONS. 1 gave II my
cordial support, and was rejOced when found that
had passed the House Of Representatives, AID fort
time entertained the hope that 1t would have passed
tAe Senate.
i regard, therefore the great principle Of Popular
Sovereignty having been vindicsted and made tri
I'm plant this lard permanent rule OF the pub
lie policy in the ore aniz alton Of Territories end tue sd
ssion of new States. Illinois took her position upon
this principle macy years sgo. You all recolieet
whep, in 1850, after the passage Of toe Compromise
me ures of that year, returned 10 my home; that
there was great ds at sfac'ion al my IN sup
porting those ssures, (cry OF Shame u appeared
before the people of Ciicsgo at mass meeting aud
made vndic ation Of each and every one Of tnose
me ssuIes and by reference to that speech which
printed ard circulated broadcast throughout the State
at that time You will find that there said thst these
messures oil fouI ded upon the great principle that
. hee people ought TO possess the rgh, to form and
regulate their domes &c institutions In their own way,
tstsn upon the people Of the States, ssS no reason
Why the same prncips should not DC extsnded u oil
the Territories Of the trited S.stes.
A general election was held in this State fe
months afterwad at watch all these questions were
Il oreuehly csn vsssed and members were instructed
In regard TO the wshes Of their constituents upon the
measures. When that election wss over, tbs men,
bers assembled aud proceeded to consider the merits
Of there measures, and Whist was the result Of thsir
aesion They psssed resolutions first repeating the
Wimot Pfoyiso instruction, and IN lieu ot the', they
adopted another, in which they declared thst the
great principle which ssserts the right of the people
70 make their form OF government, and estso
keh their Institutions, Is the birthrght of free
men, the gift of Heaven, and legacy from our an
sessors, estab ished by the blood OF the Revelation,
and that no limitation on that night must hereafter be
Inserted in any Governmert Ter the Territories either
a. Territory or In their Combinations whsn they be-