The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-07-29
The Position of MIR. Douglas.

AS most OF our readers are aware,
Senator Douglas has, since the adjourn
ment of Congress, returned to Chicago,
where he has been received with the
blaze of fireworks, and the shout of
partisans, and finally has done the
country and himself some service, by
making a clear statement of his politi-
cal status. This speech has been ex-
tensively published, as matter of in
formation, by the city press of the
country, and copied as means of po-
-litical effect into what few Douglas
prints the country affords, including
the one in this county. We commend
the speech, respectfully but affection
ately, to those Republicans who have
allowed their sympathies to override
their judgment, and who volunteered
the hope and advice, so lavishly, while
the Lecompton struggle was pending,
that their Sucker neighbors would en-
dorse and return the repeater of the
sacred slavery compromise to the U. S.
Senate. That none may lack a fair
understanding of Mr.. Douglas position,
we will carefully compile the points of
argument, asking that they may be
scrutinized carefully and studied closely,
that we may see how nearly, if at all,
they assimilate to the Philadelphia plat
form, or to the views and principles of
the Republican masses. We would
also invite the attention of our readers
to the very able and argumentative
speech of Hon. Abraham Lincoln, in
reply to the arguments of Mr.. Douglas,
which we publish this week.
Mr.. Douglas first reviewed the his
tory of the Kansas question, which is
now happily all history. He claimed,
as he claimed in Congress, entire con-
sistency of conduct. He sustained the
Crittenden bill because it was a refec-
ton of the compromises of 1850 and
the Nebraska bill of 1854. He affirmed
the Cincinnati platform. He re-af-
firmed President Buchanan's Inaugural.
He took issue with the Republicans of
Illinois on the question of squatter SOW
ereignty. He said that the domestic
institutions of the rice and cotton grow
ing States were in harmony with the
cardinal principles of the American
system; that a Union composed of all
free States would be as bad as if COM
posed. of all slave States, and that in
either case it would be "triumphal
uniformity of despotism." He approved
of the bred Scott decision. He was
prepared to yield his assent to all the
expeditions oflaw made by the Supreme
Court. 1t was no wrong to deprive
negro of citizenship. He did not be-
lieve they were ever intended to be
citizens. Our government was founded
on white basis; was created by white
men. True humanity required that
negroes and other inferior races should
be permitted to enjoy only such rights
and privileges as they were capable of
exercising consistent with the good of
society. He said the organization of
the Democratic party must be main
tanned. And no prescription of sound
Democrats on account of differences in
respect to forms must be tolerated for
a moment-the party must pursue its
unity intact, though there might rise
up differences in opinion, application of
principles, and policy, as there had
arisen in this Kansas question.
In view of this brief and truthful
abstract Of his speech we ask, what
Republican can endorse his positions ?
Is there anything in one, or in them all,