Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-07-16
Judge pourlaa.


Judge DoUeLAs, in his speech at Chicago, on the
9Th inst, "dehned his position" As We have
thousands Of readers who were once the admirers of
Judge DOUoLAs, and who are at least curious to
know where be now stands, we copy the telegraphio
report Of his speech, published in the n. Y.
Herald;
CHICAGO, July 9.--senator Douglas was received
this evening with great display. At one o'clock
committee Of four hundred from Chicago and the
adjoining counties, proceeded TO Michigan City and
there met Judge Douglas and escorted him to this
city The arrival Of the train was greeted With the
firing Of cannon and the cheers of the people. A
procession vas formed and conducted him to the
Fremont House, where he was welcomed in brief
speech in behalf Of the ciHzens by Ghas. Walker,
President of the Board of Trade.
Mr. Douglas after returning his thanks for the
magnificent reception reviewed the action o. the
last Congress on the Kansas bill. he extolled the
Crittenden bill honest, and as the very best pro
position for the practical illustration Of popular
sovereignty. He claimed that the struggle with lie.
oOmptonism was for the integrity ofprincipe. That
struggle was triumphant, and Leeomptonism was
virtually abandoned by its friends, and had been
defeated forever He had opposed the English bill,
although practically it sent back the constitution to
be accepted or rejected by the people, because the
manner as well as the form Of that submission was
st variance with every just principle Of popular GO
vernment Il was a submission Of the constitution
TO the people, with the threat that if they did not
accept slave constitution, its 50 600 inhabitants
should not come in as q free State until il had
SO 000 He could never counteDance such dis
elimination between free and slave States The best
energies Of his mind had been several years devoted
to the great principle Of the rights Of the people of
the Territories TO frame their own fundamental laws
and he intended TO devote all his future life TO the
same doctrine. He commended that the compromise
measures Of 1850 we're founded on that principle
and we're carried out in the Kansas Nebraska bill
He cd he at nj 70
President Buohanans inaugural. He regretted to
see, however political party of this country deter
mined not Rcquiesce in this line Of policy. The
Republican Convention recently assembled 81 Spring
field nominated Mr.. Lincoln as mis- Douglas )suoces-
sor the Senate, to repudise the doctrine of pop
ulsr sovereignty He (LinoolB) proclaimed that
Congress- and not the people Of the territories had
the right to establish the domestic institutions Of
the Territories Lincoln endorsed not only this
doctrine, but proclaimed line which was ineom
patble with the existence Of the Union, for he de-
clared that the Onion, divided into equal number
of free and slave States cannot endure. Mr.. Doug
las showed the dangerous tendency this doctrine,
and said that il invited and proclaimed war Of ex-
terminstiOn-opeseoionag sin9t the other. HeregGr
ded subversve Of the fundamental principlesup
which our complex system of government rested
He denied that q uniformity Of local policy and of
domestic institutions in the different States was
either desirable even possible; the contrary
he held that our political system rested upon the |
policy and of domestic institutions in the different
States. Our fOreathers clearly perceived that the
kind Of domestic institutions which would suit New
Hampshire would be totally unfit for the rice plan
tstions CT Carolina Hence they adopted a censti- |
tuition which provides that each State should he |
sovereign and supreme within its limits on the
supposuon that they would be diversified as States
as they we're numerous Thus il would seem, the |
diversity and dissimaTity Of the domestic nstitu-
tons Of the sovereign States the cardinal prin-
of
ment It's strength, harmony and adaptation to the |
wants and interests Of the people all depended
the right Of each State to form and regulate its
internal policy without reference to its similarity
dissmilariy 10 other States. Repeated uniformity
is neither desirable nor possible. If possible, how
It be obtained? There is but one process through
which il can be accomplished and that would be to
abolish the State Legislatures, convert the govern
ment into one consolidated empire, investing Con-
gress with full power to adopg police regulations
regulate internal policy, and adopt domestic inst-
tutOns for ell the States Let this be done and there
would he uniformity. Then the States would be
either all free all slave States Then the negroes
could vote everywhere or nowhere. Then our glor-
ious confederation Of thirty two sovereign States
would be merged into one consolidated empire, and
the uniformity Of desPOusm would reign triumphant
throughout the land. Mr. Douglas proceeded to
answer Mr.. LincOln's crusade against the Supreme
Court, on account Of the bred Scott decision. He
could sanction no crusade, he said, against the
highest judicial tribunal in the land, yet he
prepared to yield obedience TO the law IS e1pounded
by that Court. He did not agree with Mr.. Lincoln,
that it g great wrong to deprive negro Of the
right Of citizenship. He did not believe they we're
ever intended TO be citizens. Our government was
founded on a white basis, and created by white
True humanity required that negroes and other
inferior races should be permitted to enjoy only such
rights and privileges they were capable Of exer-
cising consistent with the good Of society Mr..
Douglas adverted 20 the necessity of maintaining the
organization of the democratic party. While there
might be differences Of opinion with respect to the
true construction Of particular articles Of the creed
party liberation, be said, must be INDUCED. There
should be prescription Of sound democrats be
cause of such differences Government Office holders,
and republicans working in unison for the purpose
Of defeating the regular democratic nominations,
would be like the Russians at SebsstOpol who kept
OF firing, without caring which they hit, French or
English.
Mr.. LionOln was present, and heard Mr.. Douglas
throughout
Fireworks were discharged in several parts Of the
town during the delivery Of Dir. Douglas remarks.
Thenumber Of persons in attendance was variously
estimated at from g. 600 to $4,000.