Daily national Democrat., 1858-11-06
Douglas and his Freeport Speech.

Douglas and his FrecpOrt Speech.
While the Lecompton papers, from the
Washington Union down-at least such lie
compton papers as are bound, body and soul
to Mr. Buchanan, and are willing to do any.
thing for him, whatever in the hope that he
will succeed himself in the Presidency and
they will thus get their reward-while these
papers, we say, are trying to make the pub
lie believe that Douglas is an enemy to the
South and to the Dred Scott Decision, let us
see what the testimony of the Republican
party is in the ease. The National Era,
Republican organ published at Washington,
says:
"The Washington Union, determined to
place Mr. Douglas in an attitude of direct
antagonism to the South, charges him with
hostility to what it styles the Decision of
the Supreme Court 1t does him injustice.
He accepts the dietd of the Court as decisions.
He accepts as Constitutional Law, the Opin-
ions of the Pro Slavery [Judges, that slaves
are property in the judgment of the Constitu
ton, that as property they may be taken to
any Territory of the Union and held there,
and that no act of Congress, or of the People
or Legislature of the Territory, can exclude
them as property. The Pro.Slavery Judges
do not say that the Territorial Legislature is
bound to provide regulations or remedies for
the enforcement of this right of property
Mr.. Douglas assumes that it is not bound to
make such provisions He simply asserts,
what they did not deny, and therefore there
is no conflict upon this point. There is
general assumption by Judge Douglas that
the People of Territory may lawfully ex
clude Slavery, but the statement is to be in
terpreted by what follows: They may ex-
clude it by not furnishing the necessary regu-
lations for its protection, and this he calls
unfriendly legislation. And even here he
simply states what he supposes to be fact,
without expressing any opinion of the char
acter of such action or non action. lie does
not counsel it, intimates no appreciation OF
it. Doubtless, his object was to counteract
the Argument of the Republicans, that the
opinions of the Pro-Slavery Judges of the
Supreme Court recognized as conclusive by
Mr.. Douglas, were tantamount to denial of
the right of the People of Territory to pro
tect themselves against slavery, notwith-
standing all the glowing promises held out
to the Democracy of the North on the pas
sage of the Nebraska Bill but, on trying to
bT6dk Tue lOTce OI lIlS dISuileul, Hc IOOh |
care to guard his Southern position"
This may be considered the view of one
ertreme regarding Douglass position. Now,
let us turn a moment to the other ertreme-
Senator Brown, of Mississippi, is not only
Lecompton, but as strong pro slavery man
is exists upon the face of the earth. While
he Washington Union is denouncing Doug
as as an ally of the Republicans, and an en-
emy to the South, Senator Brown says of him
in recent speech at Hazlehurst):
"And now, fellow citizens having mention
ed the name of Douglas, allow me to digress
SO far as to say my sympathies are not with
those who indulge in wholesale denunciation
of him. He is more honest, more consistent,
more the friend of the Constitution and the
riqhtS of the States, and better Democrat than
aine.tenths of those an the free States who
qbuse him. lie is n giant in intellect, a giant
in will, n giant in eloquence, giant in eve
'ything that makes up the characteristics of a
great man, and hope he mag thrash dboH-
ion Lincoln ont Of his boots.
81 need not say that differed with Doug
as on the Kansas Lecompton question. We
hope like Senators-we differed in the end as
we had differed in the beginning-but we
parted as we had met, friends"
We have already quoted what Southern
journals have said respecting Douglas and his
Freeport speech, and the conclusion must
'orce itself upon our readers, that Douglas is
Is sound in his Democracy to-day as he was
when the South, with almost one voice, pro
claimed him their choice for the Presidency
If the United States The Little Giant is not
overthrown yet, and the heaving of the lie
at the mighty pyramid of his
greatness, in vain efforts TO topple it over, is
a fruitful source of laughter. How they |
grunt, and pant and tug, but perspiration is
the only RESULT