The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-07-17
SPEECH OF
SEN TOR DOUG L AS,
ON THE OCCASION OF HIS
PUBLIC RECEPTION AT CHICAGO
Friday evening, July 9th, 1888.
Mr.. DOUCLAs aaid.

Mr.. DOUGLAS said:
Mr.. Chairman and fellow-citiLene 81 can
find no language which can adequately ex'
press my profound gratitude for the mag.
nificent welcome which you have extended
to me on this occasion, This vast sea OF
human faces indicates how deep our interest
is felt by our psople in the great questions
which agitate the public mind and which
underIie the foundations Of our free institu-
tions. A recetion like this, SO great in mum
| bers that no humrn voice can be heard to
its countless thouss nds so enthusiastic that
no one individual can be the object Of such
enthusiasm-clearly shows that there 10
! some great principle which sinks deep in
the hsart Of the masses, and involves the
rights and the liberties of whole people,
that has brought you together with . una
nmity and cordlzlity never before excell-
ed. il, indeed. equolled on any OCCASION
(Cheers.) have not the vanity to believe
that 1t is any personal compliment to me.
Voices, "It is ~ "You have deserved it,"
and great applause.
L. is an expression Of you devotion to
that great principle ofsef government, (cries
Of "hear," " hear to which my life for
many years past has been, and in the whole
future will be devoted. Umunenss cheer
lng) lfthere is any one principle dearer
and more sacred than all others in free gov
ernmchts, it is that which asserts the ex-
elusive right of fre-speople to form and
adept their own fundamental law, and to
manage and regulate heir own internal af-
fairs and domestic institutions. (Arplauss.)
When | found an effort being male du-
ring the recent session OF Congress 10 force .
Constitution upon the people Of Kansas
md hat St. in
to the Uiion with a Constitution which her
people had rejected by snore than 10000,
felt bound a man ofhonor and a repre-
sentative OF Illinois, bound by every consid
era,ion OF duty. Of fidelity. and Of patriotism
to resist to the utmost Of my power the con-
summation Of that fraud. (Cheers) With
others | did resist il, and resisted it success
fully until the attempt was abandoned.-
(Grca. APPLAUSE We forced them to refer
that constitution back 10 the people tf Kan
Sas, to be accepted or rejected they shall
decide a. An election, which is fixed for the
first Monday OF August next. Ii is true
that the mode OF reference, and the form OF
the submission was not such as could Sane
ton with my vote, for the reason that il
Disseminated between free States and slave
States; providing that if Kansas consented
To come IN under the Lccomptoa Con, iiiu-
ton i should be received with population
"i 35,o,O U; but that il she demanded anoth-
ei Constitution. more consistent with the
sentiments Of her people and their fcelinns,
that II should not De received into the Un-
ion until she had %, 800 inhabitants (Cries
OF hear, hear" and cheersl | did not
consider that mode Of submission fair, for
the reason that any election 10 = mockery
which is no, ,iree-that any election is fraud
upon the rights Of the people which holds
out Inducements 10 affirmative votes, and
threateus penalties sor negative votes. (Hear
hear) But whi!s. was not satisfied with
the mode of Submission, willis. | resisted it
T. the last, demanding q ,air, just, a free
mode OF submission, stu, when the law pass
I'd placing it within the power Of the people
Of Kansas at that election TO reject the Le-
compton Constitution, and then make ano-
ther in harmony with their principles and
their opinions, Brave and applause) Ibid
not believe tina; either tho penalties on the
one hand or Che inducements on the other
would force that people to accept . Consti-
tuition 10 which they are irrecODciably OPP
posed. (Cries of glorious" and renewed
applause) Ali can say is. that If their
votes can be controlled by Sue considera-
tons, all the sympathy which has besn sx-
pended upon them has been misplaced, and
all tn. eifJrts that have been madc in dc.
fence OF their ii ghts 10 se!f-governmcnt have
been made N an unworthy cause. (Cheers)
II nee, my friends, regard the Letomp-
ton battle as having been fought and the
victory won, because the arrogant demand
for The admission Of Kansas under the Le-
compton Constitution Internationally, whe.
ther her people wanted it OF not, has been
abandoned. and the principe which recog.
nizes the right OF the people to decide for
themselves has been substituted IN its Piare.
Umnense apiiause)
Fellow citizens: While devoted my best
enersies-all my energies, mental and phys
ical-to the vindicxt On OF rha, great princi-
pie, and whilst the result has been such as
vii enable the peopl. OF X Kan.as to come in
TO the Union with such u Constitution as
they desire, yet The credit Of this great NOR
Al victory is 10 be divided among . large
number OF men Of sarious and different p0-
lItical creeds. prolonged applause.) Twas
rejoced when folcd in this great contest
the Republican party Coming up manfully
sed sustaining the principle that the people
of each territory, when coming into the I'm
ion, have the right to decide for themselves
(cheers) whether slavery shall or shall not
exist wisuiU their limits. ca voice. " hope
they will stick to it," and great cheerinb.)
have seen the time when that principle Was
coHtroverted. / have Seen the time when
all parties did not recognize the light Of
people to have slavery or freedom, to tole-
rate II prohibit slavery, As they deemed
best but claimed that power for the Con-
sress of the United States, regard ess of the
wishes of the people to be affected by il,
and when found upon the Cri.tend n Mont
gomery bill the Republicans and Americans
of the North, and | mey say too, some gio-
rious Americans and old line Wings from
the South (cneers,) like Crittenden and his
patriotic associates. joined with portion OF
the Democracy and to carry out and vindi
cate the right Of the people to decide whe-
ther slavery should or should not exist
within the limits of Kansas, l was rejoicsd
within my seer, soul, for saw an indica
| ton that the American people, when they
come to understand tie principle. wou d
give it their cordial support. (Cneers.)
The Crittenden- Montgomery bill was IS
fair and as perfect exposition Of the doctrine
of popular sovereignty as could be carried
out by any btll that man ever devised. 1t
proposed to refer the Lecompton Constitu.
ton back to the people OF Kansas, and give
them the right to accept or reject il as they
pleased at a fair election, held IN pursuance
of law, and in the event Of their rejecting it
and forming ano3hsr in Its stead, to permit
item to to come into the Union on an equal
footing with the original States. 1t was lair
and Just in all Of its provisions! I gave it
my cordial support. and was rejoiced when
found that it passed the House 6f Repre-
sentatives, and ut ono time ] entertained
high hope that it would pass the Senate
(Applause)
regard the great principle Of Popular
Sovereignty as having been vindieated and
made triumphant 10 this land % b psrma.
nent rule ofpublic policy in the oresnisation
of territories and ths admission of new
States. (Chesrs.) Illinois took her position
upon this principls many years Sge. You
| II hot in 1QS6 altar hn vr~~o1 -.