Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-08-28

being the true intent and meaning of this act,
not to legislate slavery into any Territory Or
State, nor to exclude it therefrom, but to leave
the people thereof perfectly free to form and
regulate their domestic institutions in their
own way, subject only to the Constitution of
the United States" Thereupon Judge Doug
las and others began to argue in favor of Pop
ular Sovereignty-th right of the people to
have slaves if they wanted them, and to ex-
clude slavery if they did not want them
But" said, in substance, . Senator from Ohio,
(Mr. Chase, believe 1--WE more than suspect
that you do not mean to allow the people to
exclude slavery if they wish to, and if you do
mean it, accept an amendment which [ pro-
pose ex pressly authorizing the people to ex-
clude slavery" | believe have the amend
ment here before me, which was offered, and
under which the people of the Territory,
through their proper representatives, might if
they saw fit, prohibit the existence of slavery
therein And now l state it as fact, to be
taken back if there is any mistake about it,
that Judge Douglas and those acting with
him, Uoted that amendment dODn. (Tremen-
dous applause.) I now think that those men
who voted it down, had real reason for doing
so. They know what this reason was. 1t
looks to us, since we have seen the bred Scott
decision pronounced, holding that "under
the Constitution the people cannot exclude
slavery-I say it looks to outsiders, poor, SIM
pie, ''amiable, intelligent gentlemen (great
laughter,) as though the niche was left as a
place to put that bred Scott decision in
daughter and cheers)-a niche which would
have been spoiled by adopting the amend
ment. And now, / say again, if this was not
the reason, it will avail tt, Judge much more
to calmly and good humoredy point out to
these people what that other reason was for
voting the amendment down, than, swelling
himself up, to yociferate that he may be pro-
voked to call somebody liar. tremendous
applause.)
Again there is in that same quotation
from the Nebraska bill this clause-''it being
the true intent and meaning of this bill not
to l"gislate slavery into any Territory or
S!ate.' have always been puzzled to know
what business the word Estate" had in that
connection. Judge Douglas knows. He put
ii there. He knows what he put it there for.
The law they were passing was not about
States, and was not making provisions for
States. What was it placed there for? AZ
ter seeing the bred Scott decision, which
holds that the people cannot exclude slavery
from Territory, if another bred Scott de-
cison shall come, holding that they cannot
exclude it from State we shall discover that
when the word was originally put there, it
was in view OF something which was to come
in due time, we shall see that it was the other
haif of something. (Applause.) l now say
again, if there is any different reason for put
ting it there, Judge Douglas, in a good hu-
mored way, without calling anybody liar,
can tell aohat the reason acas. Renewed cheers.)
When the Judge spoke at Clinton, he
came very near making a charge Of falsehood
against me- He used, as | found it printed
in a newspaper, which l remember was very
nearly like the real speech, the following Ian
guage:
81 did not answer the charge (of conspira-
Cyl before for the reason that did not sup
pose there was man in America with heart
so corrupt as to believe such charge could
be true. have too much respect for MIR.
Lincoln to suppose he is serious in making the
charge"
l confess this is rather curious view, that
out Of respect for me he should consider
was making what 1 deemed rather a grave
charge in fun. Laughter.) l confess it
strikes me rather str NICELY. But let it pass.
AS the Judge did not for moment believe
that there was man IN America whose heart
was so Corrupt" as to make such a charge,
and as he places me among the "men in Amer
lea" who have hearts base enough to make
such charge, hope he will excuse me if l
hunt out another charge very like this and
| if it should turn out that in hunting should
find that other, and it should turn out to be
Judge Douglass himself who made it, 1 hope
he will reconsider this question of the deep
corruption of heart he has thought fit to
ascribe to me. (Great applause and laugh
teri In Judge Douglas speech of March
ed, 1858, which hold in my hand, he says {:
I" In this connection there is another top
ic to which desire to alude. | seldom re-
ft' to the course of newspapers, or notice the
articles which they publish in regard to my
Sc f. but the course OF the Washington Union
has bt en- so extraordinary, for the last two or
three months that think it well enough to
make some allusion to..it. 1t has read me out
of the Democratic party every other day, at
least for two or three months, and keeps
reading me out, (laughter;) and, as if it had
not succeeded still continues to read me out,
using such terms as "traitor, reneg ade, des-
erter," and other kind and polite epithets of
that nature. Sir, l have no vindication to
make of my democracy against the Washing
ton Union, or any other newspapers l am
willing to allow my history and action for
the last twenty years to speak for themselves
as to my political principles and my fidelity
to political obligations. The Washington
Union has a personal grievance. When its
editor was nominated for Public Printer de-
clined to vote 70 him, and states that at
some time | might give my reasons for doing
so. Since l declined TO give that vote, this
scurrilous abuse, these vindictive and constant
attacks have been repeated almost daily on
me. Will my friend from Michigan read the
article to which l allude."
This is part of the speech. You must
excuse me from reading the entire article of
the Washington Union, as Mr.. Stuart read
J it for Mr.. Douglas. The Judge goes on and
sums up, think correctly:
Mr.. President, you here find several dis
tinct propositions advanced boldly by the
Washington Union cditOrially and apparently
authorHatiUely, and every man who questions
any of them is denounced as an Abolitionist,
Free-Soiler, fanatic. The propositions are,
| first, that the primary object of all govern
ment at its original institution is the protcc-
ton of person and property second, that
the Constitution ofthe United States declares
that the citizens of each State shall be EMIT
led to all the privileges and immunities of
citizens in the several States; and that there
FORE thirdly all State laws whether organic
or otherwise, which prohibit the citizens of
our State from settling in another with their
slave property, and especially declaring it
forfeited, are direct violations of the original
intention of the Government Constitution of
the United States and fourth, at the eman-
cipation of the slaves of the northern States
was gross outrage on the rights of property
iuasmuch as it was involuntarily done on the
part of the owner.
Remember this article was published in the
| Union on the 18th of November and on the
18th Of appeared the first article giving the
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