The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-07-22
speech Of senator DOuElns-Oe
.A hn.h-nA InnnA q 81

At one o'clock P. NJ, a committee con. |
sisting of four hundred, from Chicago end
the adjoining counties, proceeded to Mchi- |
gan City, and there met Judge Douglas and
escorted him to the city.
The arrival OF the train was greeted by
the firing Of cannon and the cheers of the !
people. A procession was formed. and
Mr.. Douglas was conducted to the TremOnt1
House. He was here welcomed in brief
speech in behalf of the citizens, BY Chas.
Walker, Esq, President of the Board Of
Trade, after WHICH. .,.i,
Mr.. Douglas said: .,.a.,. '.o
con find no language which can ade-
duately express to this vast assembly nay |
profound gratitude for the magnificent well |
come which you have extended to me on !.
this occasion. This vast sea OF humdn fa-
ces indicates how deep an interest is felt by |
the people in the great questions that agi-
tate the public mind, and underlie the foun-
dations OF our free institutions. A recep.
ton like this, SO vest in numbers that no
human voice can be heard to its extremes, |
so enthusiastic that no one man can be the
object of the enthusiasm, clearly shows
that there is some great principle which
sinks deep into the human heart, and in
wolves the rights and liberties of whole
people. ...., 49,, |
What has brought you together with a
unanimity and cordiality never before ex-
celled, il equalled on any occasion! have
not the vanity to believe that it ia any per-
sonal compliment TO me. II is an express
sion of your devotion to that great principle |
| of self. government 10 which my lite for
many years has been, aud, in the Whole of
the future, will be, devoted. II there is
any one principle dearer and more sacred
than all Others in free Governments, it is
that which asserts the right Of every people
to form and adopt their own fundamental
laws, and to manage and regulate their own
internal uffairs and domestic institutions.
When.I found on effort being made, dur.
ing the recent session of Congress, to force
Constitution upon the people of Kansas
against their will, and to force that State
into the Union with Constitution which
the people had rejected by ten thousand
msiori,y, | felt bound, as q man of honor,
| as Representative of lllinos--bound by
every consideration Of duty, fidelity, and OF
patriotism, to resist to the utmost Of my
power the consunmation Of that fraud
We did resist il, and resisted it successfully ~
J until the attempt was abandoned. We
} forced them to refer that Constitution back
to the people oil Kansas, to be accepted or
} rejected, as they should decide at an cleo
! ton which is fixed for the first Monday in
r August. II il true that the mode of refer
t ence and the form of submission were moi
3 such as could sanction with my vote, fol
: the reason that it Disseminated between free
t States and slave States--providing that i
they came in with the Lecompton Constitu
S tion they could be received with 81, 900; bu
A., if they chose TO demand another Constitu
3 ton more consistent with their sentiments
!. and their feelings, they should not be re-
d ceived into the Union until they had 90, 42C
inhabitants. [Cheere.
: did not consider that mt de Of submis
e sion fair, for the reason that any election il
=, q mockery which is not free, any election
: is fraud upon the rights of the people
n which holds out inducements for affirmative
I votes, and penalties for negative votes
q cheersl; but while was not satisfied witl
!. The mode of submission, while i resistet
that mode to the last, demanding fair.
lust, free mode of submission; still, wheI
= the law passed it has placed it within tht
power Of the peorle of Kansas, at tha
d election, to reject the Lecompton Constitu
e ton, and then make out another in harmo
nv with their opinion and their principle
h instead. | do not believe thut either tn
e penatie on the one hand, or the induce
It mcnts on the other, are going TO force thu
ID people to accept Constitution to whic
10 ihey are irreconcilably opposed. All ca
ID say is, that if their votes can be controlle
- by such considerations, all the sympath
h that has been expended upon them has bee
D. misplaced, and all the fftrts made in dc
- fence of their rights OF seli.gol ernmcI
10 were mode in an unworthy cause, il the
e. are to be Influenced in the result by thes
ID considerations.
IS Hence, my friends, regard that LecomI
IN ton battle as having been fought and tn
re victory won, because the arrogant Gemen
ed for the admission under the LeComrto
I'd Constitution Internationally, whether tn
~ people want it or not, wds abandoned, an
8, the principle which recognizes the right I
g. the people 10 decide for themselves WI
lg substituted in its place. My friends, viii
o. | devoted my best energies, all my enc
st gies, mental and physical, to the vindicatio
is of that great principle; ind while Its resu
r has been such as will enuble that people
ly come into the Union with such Consttl
v. ton as they desired, yet the credit of th
oe great moral victory is to be divided anon
e. q large number of men of various and dl
of ferent political creeds. [Chcers.] l r.
c. ioiced when found, in this great Contes
x. The Republican party coming up manful
q end sustaining the principle that the peop
of each Territory, when coming into II
Union, had q right to decide for lhcmselv'
IL whether slavery should or should not exi
within their limits.
an had seen the time when that prncip
on was controverted. ! had seen the tin
lin when all parties did not recognise the rig
. of the people to have slavery or freedom
1n to tolerate or prohibit slavery as they cho
I'd, but this power was claimed by the Go
an gress of the United States to the excusi'
} q Of the decision of the people Of the Ter
tory, and when ] found. upon the Critic
ga den Montgomery bill, the Republicans q
ew Americans of the North joining with, q
!, a | may say, too, some glorious America
and Old Line Wings from the South, Ia
- plausel, like Crittenden and Bell, ID
plause when saw these gentlemen un
ly, ing with portion of the Democracy to c.
I'll, ry out and vindicate the right of the peoI
nd, to decide whether slavery should or shot
rk, not exist within their limits, was rejoiC
w. within my secret soul, for saw an iDd
ew ton that the American people, when It
art, came to understand the principle, wo
Sill give it their cordial support.
, Of The Crittenden bill W0s as fair, as peri