The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-09-23


Douglas shs msss EfTrcsavc Frisnd
~ tho SIavsAOldsrs.
In his speech at Cincinnati, tho other night,
Abs Lincoln made to following points to
number Of Ksntuckians present, BY way Of
connendiAg Douglas to their ccn6denco.
fhs points are we'll and fairly taken, and
Douglas Democrats cannot but feel, in the
light Of the truths presented, that they are
doing more to extend, perpetuate and
strengthen slavery and the slave power, than
the most ultra slavery propagandsts Of the
South can hope to accomplish.
Mr.. Lincoln said:
He believed he was now very near the low
or edge of free soil; and IL il were true that
be was anxious TO Gre across the river and
batter the institution Of slavery, he did not
know but the chances were about az good an
be ever would have. II was highly probable
that he was in the presence OF Kentuckians.
He did not know, but as the night was stin,
his voice might even be heard on the shore
Of Kentucky. AT any rate, he proposed to
address portion Of his remarks to Kentuck-
lana. He differed with them on the slavery
question. HI was what they were 10 the
habit of denominating Black Republican.
de believed slavery was great wrong, NOR
ally, socially, and politically; that it should
not be allowed to spread over any more ter
ritory; and that il would be we'll for II TO be-
come gradually extinct whore 10 now was.-
He understood Kentuckians to hold that
slavery was good thing, morally, socislly.
and politically, and that it should endure
forever, and be outsprsad and cherished az
any other good thing.
They should understand each other clearly
as to their difference Of opinion. Nov he
proposed to show them that from their stand
point the Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, of ILL.,
nois was as sincerely for them as they were
for themselves, and more wisely for them
than they were for themselves. Herepeated
this statement, and then proceeded to the
demonstration in which be occupied more
than an hour. What was the great want Of
the Kentuckians and other 6outhernnrs, in
Carrying out their slavery poicy2 Answer !:
Northern support. Judge Douglas was the
very man Who brought them their support
He was the man Of the North, pre- -eminently
the man, who moulded the public sentiment
Of his section, to tho uses OF the South. He
wanted the Southerners to recognise this
fact, aud he assured them that il there was
anything that Douglas said which they did
not like, Or anything which be omitted to say
that thay would be glad to have him say, be
either said or omitted 10 SAY those things,
which were to them objectionable or desira-
BILE, because his usefulness Ia their service
would be impaired If he did not say, or did
say those things. Now he (LincolD) said that
sslasery was wrong. They (ths Kentuokians)
said that it was right. Douglas never ex-
Sxar,. aaA - ss~s u
had one word to say 40 to which 1t was,
wrong or right; and he was the only promi-
nent public man in the government who had
not at some time or other said that slavery
was right or wrong. Now they 1.-THE Ken
tuckians) would be glad to have Douglas 70
with them and say that slavery was right
But could they not perceive that il he said
SO, he would lose the power OF commanding
in the service OF slavery those who believed
1t to BIO wrong? Vas not this = fact going
to prove the proposition that Douglas Was
for tho South ~ sincerely as the South was
for itself, and for Gle South more wisely than
the South Was for itself? III ho should take
the ground the Soush would have him take,
be would lose his capacity TO serve that sec.
tion, and become 40 Improbable servant
This was political wisdom that they should
appreciate. But further, Douglas had said
on the floor of the Senate that be did not care
whether slavery were voted up or voted down
in the Territories. This, the Kentuckians
and other SoutherDers should take as con-
elusive evidence, that he did not believe
slavery to be wrong. II he believed slavery
TO be wrong OF course he would not be indif-
ferent a. to whether it spread further. Mr..
Douglas would certainly not be willing to see
anything that he believed to be wrong voted
up.
In speech 10 Memphis soon after the late
Illinois canvass, Judge Douglas had asserted
in subsistence that God Almighty had drawn
line across this country, one side of which
was for free and the other for slave labor
just where God Almighty had drawn this
line, Mr.. Lincoln hal not been able to ascer-
tain. But If, as Ju lge Dougias said, there
was such line, ii followed that God Al.
mighty bad setsapars aportion Of the conti-
nent to be improved by slave labor, and that
slavery was right, on the soil thus set apart
for it. But rights and wrongs could not be
divided by geograI hicsl lines. II slavery
was really right Any where, II would be right
everywhere. II 1t Was right on ono side of
the Ohio river il would not be wrong on the
other side. lndeeds Donglss' position was,
that slavery was rieat Ia itself, and that its
representation or abolition was simply . ques-
ton OF profit and loss. Was il not plain
enough that's in the difference between him
(LincoIn) on the ont side, and the Kentucki-
ans on the other, il VS. piain that Douglas
was wholly on the sidS ef the latter? As an
illustration Of the vast poHsr with which
Douglas was welding the ptblic sentiment
Of the North TO suit the South, let it DO re-
membercd that Eve years AGO, there was not
man on the oontir ant Of America, who had
said that the negro h4d 10 share in the Dec
laration OF Independence. II there was any
man In America who had maintained such
doctrine Eve years ngo he had mover heard OF
him and II there wss any one present, who
had known'that long ago, shat any man had
put upon paper any suob sentiment he would
formed with particulars Of thst fact. Now,