Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-09-17
Speech of Senator Douglas at
Columbus, Ohio.


this morning by the military and large
crowd of citizens, and was escorted to his no
tel. During the interim between his arrival
anil the delivery of his Speech he was waited
upon by large number of the citizens.
At o'clock this afternoon, Mr.. Douglas
made his appearance and was received with
much enthusia SIN. He Immediately proceed
ed with his remarks, of which the following
is an abstract:
Judge Douglas said that the Republican
party, in their platform adopted at Philadel-
plia in 1856, assert the power and declare il
the duty of Congress to prohibit slavery in all
Territories. The Democratic party are pledged
on the other hand, by their platform, to the
doctrine of non intervention and popular SOW
ereignty in the Territories.
New Mexico and Kansas, by the acts of the
Territorial Legislatures, present cases now for
Congressional Intervention with their domestic
affairs, which will put the advocates of inter
vention and nOn-intervention, North and
South, to the test.
New Mexico which refused for several years
after the organization of a Territorial Govern
ment to introduce or protect slavery, passed
law in 1858 TO recognize and protect slavery
in that Territory. Kansas, at the first session
of the Territorial Legislature, in 1858, passed
very stringent law, ''to punish offences
against slave property" by which slavery
was introduced, and luate protection"
given to it in that Territory. In 1858, how
ever, the slave code was repealed by an act
passed February 9th, and all protection to
slave property withdrawn and denied. By
this ''unfriendly legislation" slavery had
| been excluded from the Territory of Kansas
Now the Northern interventionists are
pledged by their Republican platform to re-
| peal the slave-code in New Mexico, and pro-
| libit slavery by act of Congress-while the
| Opposition in Kentucky and the Southern in
terventionists generally, are pledged by their
principles to introduce and protect slave pro-
| perty in the Territory of Kansas.
These issues must and will be met by the
Democratic party. (Applause.) Non-inter-
vention and popular sovereignty must he
maintained, as well in New Mexico as in Kan
| sas. Continued cheering.) If New Mexico
| yants slave code, let her have it. If New
Mexico has laws for the protection of slave
property, so be it. If Kansas will not have a
| lave code, nor slavery, Congress must not
force her people to accept either. (Applause.)
Northern and Southern interventiOnists
igree that slavery in the Territories is a right
| ful subject of Congressional legislation but
| iiIer as to the character of such legislation.
| Each insist that Congress should intervene in
| favor of their particular Section and against
the other section, in violation of the rights of
| the people most Interested, to decide the
| question of slavery for themselves. Accord
| ing to the doctrine Of the interventionists,
North and South, slavery is not only a rightfu
subject of Congressional legislation hut is de-
pendent upon the Fedefal authority for its
| existence and protection, consequently subject
| If Congressional legislation, but is dependent
upon the Federal authority for its existence
md protection, consequently subject to Fede
raj regulation and control. The Southern in
| terventiOnists contend that the whole power
Of the Federal Government should be exerted
for the protection of slavery in the Territories,
| and the Northern interventonists that the
| same power should he exerted for its destruc-
ton. The Democratic party, in opposition to
tile interventionists of both sections hold that
| slavery is State institution, and that it ex-
lists in the slaveholding States, ''under the
laws thereof, and not by virtue of the Con-
sttution of the United States that slavery,
| therefore, is beyond the reach or control of
the Federal authority for good or evil, except
in the single case of fugitive slaves, who must
he delivered up. The Democratic party were
sustained in these principles by the decision
of the Supreme Court, in the "Dred Scott
case. The Democratic party are pledged Ia
the principle of popular sovercignty-by which
the people of the organized Territories, ''likc
those of state, shall decide for themselves.
whether slavery shall or not exist within theii
limits
Those who insist that the first 'handful q
settlers'' should not decide the slavery cues
ton in the Territories. should vote against
the organization of Territories until they
have sufficient population for n political com
munity capable Of self-government in all Other
domestic concerns. scNo government SHOULD
be established for any people who are mo-
qualified by numbers and in all other respect.
to legislate for themselves on all rightful sub
iects of legislation, subject only to the Const
tuition ofthe United States. When Territorial
Governments are established, the people will
legislate for themselves-will form their owl
domestic institutions: and if their Legislation
conflict with the Constitution, it will present
judicial question for the Courts to determine
, to whose decision all law-abidng citizens will
and must submit.
The Territories must be open to settlemen
to the people of all the States. Slave State
as well as free States. The system of emgra
: ton fostered and encouraged by emigrant al,
societies for the purpose of controlling terrific
rial legislation is fraud upon the eectiv
franchise, and designed to subvert and destro
the principles of sclfgovernment. None bu
actual inhabitants, who have abandoned thei
citizenship and allegiance in their respectiv
States, and settled in n Territory in good faitl
to make it their permanent home, have
; right to voice or vote in the legislation q
the Territory. (Applause.)
The doctrine of Mr.. Stewards "Rocheste
speech" with respect to the ''rrepressibl
conflict between freedom and slavery" mus
be emphaticaly condemned. He said g
denounced it in the Senatorial canvass in ILL
nois, when il was maintained by Mr.. Lincoln
as subversive of the principles upon whcl
the Union was founded and must stand. Uni
formity in the local laws and domestic insti
, tutiOns Of the several States are neither desi
rabe nor possible. Variety of climate an,
interests necessitate n corresponding varict,
of local legislation, which is and must be adap
ted to the wants ofeach particular communit,
or State. The liberty and prosperity of TIL
people depend upon the inalieuable right o
self-government in all the States and Terrific
ries oft United states. (lmmenseapplause
I The surrender of fugitive slaves is dut,
imposed by the Constitution, and all who ar,
for law and for the Constitution must be faith
ful to that Constitutional obligation. The
opposition and resistance to the Fugitiv,
Slave Act in the North, beget like opposition
to and violation in the South of the law,
against the African Slave trade. The vioator
of both-those who resisted the Fugitive Slav,
Act, and those who violated the law against
the African Slave trade-are alike false to tn,
obligations of good citizens, and merit alike
condemnation and punishment. Maintain the
doctrine Of non-intervention and popular
sovereignty and the Union is safe. (Applanse.
Stand by that doctrine and the country will
prosper; all sections will be content and ter
ritorial expansion is certain. Expansion Is q
necessity of our national existence, and oul
destiny is, sooner or later, to spread our in,
| stitntiOna over the entire Continent. Cnha.