East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1860-03-15


because slavery may be indispensable in
one locality, therefore it is desirable every
where. hold that wise statesman will
always adapt his legislation to the wants,
interests, condition, and necessities of the
people to be governed by it. One people
will bear different institutions from an
other. One climate demands different
institutions from another. Irepeat, then,
what | have often had occasion to say,
that | do not think uniformity is either
possible or desirable. | can see no two
States precisely alike in their domestic
institutions in this Union. Our system
rests on the supposton that each State
has something in her condition or eli
mate, or her circumstances, requiring laws
and institutions different from every other
State of the Union. Hence answer the
question of the Senator from Wisconsin,
that ] am willing that Territory settled
by white men shall have negroes, free or
slave, just as the white men shall deter
mine, but not as the negroes shall pres
cribe.
The Senator from New York has coined
new defdition of the States of the
Union-labor States and capital States.
The capital States, i believe, are the
slaveholding States; the labor States are
the non-slaveholding States. 1t has taken
that Senator good many years to coin
that phrase and bring it into use. have
heard him discuss these favorte theories
of his for the last ten years, | think, and
| never heard of capital States and labor
States before. 1t strikes me that some
thing has recently occurred up in New
England that makes it polite to get up
question between capital and labor, and
take the side of the numbers against the
few. We have seen some accounts in the
newspapers of combinations and strikes
among the journeymen shoemakers in the
towns there-labor against capital The
Senator has new word ready coined to
suit their case, and make them believe
that he is on the side OF the most numer-
Gus class of voters.
What produced that strike among the
journeymen shoemakers? Why are the
mechanics of New England, the laborers
and employees, now reduced to the starva.
ton point? Simply because, by your
treason, by your sectional agitation, you
have created a strife between the North
and the South, have driven away your
southern customers, and driven your en-
yloyees to starvation. This is the first
fruit of your republican dogmas, 1t is
another step, following John Brown, of
the "irrepressible conflict" Therefore,
we now get this new coinage of "labor
States"-hc is on the side of the shoe
makers laughter], and "capital States"
he is against those that furnish the
hides. Laughter.] think those shoe
makers will understand this business -
They know why it is that they do not get
so many orders as they did few months
ago. 1t is not confined to the shoema-
kers; it reaches every mechanics shop
and every factory. All the large labor
ing establishments of the North feel the
pressure produced by the doctrine of the
''irrepressible conflict" This new coinage
of words will not save them from the just
responsibility that follows the doctrines
they have been inculcating. If they had
abandoned the doctrine of the "irre.
pressible conflict" and proclaimed the
true doctrine of the constitution, that each
State is entirely free to do just as it
pleases, have slavery as long as it chooses,
aud abolish it when it wishes, there would
be no conflict; the northern and southern
States would be brethren; there would be
fraternity between us, and your shoema-
kers would not strike for higher prices.
Mr.. CLARK. Will the Senator pardon
me for interrupting him moment?
Mr.. DOUGLAS. l will not give way for
a speech; i will for suggestion.
Mr.. CLARK. l desire simply to make
one single suggestion in regard to what
the Senator from Illinois said in reference
to the condition of the laboring classes in
the factories. / come from city where
there are three thousand operatives, and
there never was time when they were
more contented and better paid in the
factories than now, and when their bust
ness was better than at this present time.
Mr.. DOUGLAS. | was not speaking at
all of the condition of the laboIing men
in the factories. ] was speaking of the
scarcity of labor growing up in our
northern manufacturing towns, MS le-
gitimate and natural consequence of the
dimuntion of the demand for the manu-
iactured article; and then the question is,
what cause has reduced this demand, ex-
cept the "irrepressble conflict" that has
turned the southern trade away from
northern cities into southern towns and
southern cities Sir, the feeling among
the masses of the South we find typi-
fed in the dress of the Senator from
Virginia Mr.. Mason] they are deter
mined to wear the homespun of their own
productions rather than trade with the
North. That is the feeling which has
produced this state of distress in our
manufacturing towns.
The Senator from New York has also
referred to the lamentablc action of the
people of New Mexico in establishing a
slave code for the protection of property
in slaves, and he congratulates the country
upon the final success of the advocates of
free institutions in Kansas. lie could
not fail, however, to say, in order to pre-
serve what he thought was a striking an
tithesis, that popular sovereignty in Kan
sas meant State sovereignty in Missouri.
No, sir; popular sovereignty in Kansas
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