Daily national Democrat., 1858-12-05
Closing Speech OF .Tudue Douplns.

The followingis is an extract from the above
named effort, delivered at Alton, Illinois,
They now tell me that am not Demo-
crat, because | assert that the people Of a
Territory, as well as those of n State, have
the right to decide for themselves whether
slavery can or cannot exist in such Territory.
Let me read what James Buchanan said on
that point when he accepted the Democratic
nomination for the Presidency in 1856. In
his letter Of acceptance he used the following
languages
The recent legislation of Congress res
pecting domestic slavery, derived as it has
been, from the original and pure fountain of
legitimate political power the will of the
majority, promises ere long to allay the dan
gerous excitement This legislation was
founded upon principles as ancient as free
government itself, and, in accordance with
them, has simply declared that the people of
IA Territory, like those of a State, shall decide
for themselves wbether slagery shall or shall
not erist teithin their limits.
DIR. Hope will here find my answer to the
question he propounded me before | com
menced speaking. Nociferous shouts of APP
plause OF course no man will consider it
an answer who is outside of the Democratic
organization, bolts Democratic nominations,
and indirectly aids to put abolitionists into
power over Democrats. But whether DR..
Hope considers it an answer or not, every
fair minded man will see that James Buchan.
an has answered the question, and has Isser.
ted that the people of Territory, like those
of State, shall decide for themselves wheth
er slavery shall or shall not exist within
their limits | answer specifically, if you
want further answer and say that while
under the decision OF the Supreme Court, as
recorded in the opinion of Chief Justice Ia
ney, slaves are property like all other pro
perty, and can be carried into the territory
Of the U uted States the same asany other de-
scription of property, yet when YOU get them
there they are subject to the local law of the
Territory just like all other property. You
will find in recent speech deliv by that
able and eloquent statesman, Hon jefferson
Davis, at Bangor, Maine, that he took the
same view of this subject that | did in my
Freeport speech He there said
of the inhabitants of any Territory
should refuse to enact such laws and police
regulations as would give security to their
property or to his, it would be rendered
more or less valueless in proportion to the
difficulties of holding it without such protec-
ton. In the case of property in the labor of
ty, the insecurity would be so great that the
owner could not ordinarily retain it. There
fore, though the right would remain, the
remedy being withheld, it would follow that
the owner would be practically debarred, by
the circumstances of the case, from taking
slave property into a Territory where the
sense of the inhabitants was opposed to its
introduction. SO much for the oftrepeated
fallacy of forcing slavery upon any commu-
nifty
You will also find that the distinguished
Speaker of the present House Of Representa-.
tives, Hon. James l.. Orr, construed the Kan
sas and N NeOraska bill in this same way in
1856, and also that great intellect of the
South, Alex. II. Stephens, put the same con.
struction upon it in Congress that did in
my Freeport speech, The whole South are
rallying to the support of the doctrine that if
the people of Territory want slavery they
have right to have it, and if they do not
want it that no power on earth can force it
upon them.
hold that there is no principle on earth
more sacred to all the friends of freedom
than that which says that no institution, no
constitution, should be forced on an unwill
ing people contrary to their wishes; and
assert that the Kansas and Nebraska bill
contains that principle. 1t is the greatprin
ciple on which James Buchanan was made
President Without that principle lie never
would have been made President Of the
United States. | will never violate or aban.
don that doctrine if have to stand alone
[Hurrah for Douglas. | have resisted the
Establishments and threats of power on the
one side, and seduction on the other, and
have stood immoyably for that principle,
fighting for it when assaied by Northern
mobs, or threatened by Southern hostility.
That's the truth" and cheers. | have
defended it against the North and the South,
and | will defend it against whoever assatls
it, and | will follow it wherever its logical
conclusions lead me- 80 will we all"
"hurrah for Douglas | say to you that
there is but one hope, one safety Cor this
country, and that is to stand immov eably by
that principle which declares the right Of
each State and each Territory to decide these
questions for themselves Hear him. hear
him. This Government was founded on
that principle, and must be administered in
the same sense in which it was founded.