Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-09-14
s. Don't Care Whether Slavery is Voted
Down or Up.',

Might show the world pretty pair Of Thumb
S Don't Care Whether Slavery is Voted
Down or Up.''
This expression, used by Judge Doug
las has been torn from its surroundings,
and utterly perverted. The Republican
press, with that inform love of perversion
and Misrepresentation, which charater-
ICES SO many of them, SO emasculated
the record as 10 make tbs expression in
d'ca,e that Judge Douglas had no opin-
ion upon the subject OF slavery, and was
perfectly Indifferent as TO whether he
should vote for slavery or against it.
The men who quote this remark must
know that Judge Douglas meant no such
thing. The exprcs,i IN occurs 10 Mr..
Douglas speech on the Presidents mes
sage Of the Lecompton bill. AS is
known. Mr.. Douglas bad pledged him.
self in every form to allow TIE people Of
Kansas to come into the Ucion, "with
or without slavery" as they might de-
termiue. 1t is known, also, that base
fraud was perpetrated on the people OF
Kansas, v hereby they had been deprived
of fair vote on the Lecomptoa Con-
stitu, ~. In the speech referred to,
Mr.. tuglas was attacking that frard
upon the rights Of the people, and the
infamous evasion OF the Kansas aud
Nebraska bill. He was urged to suspend
his action until the vote of the 2lst of
December was heard from, upon the
ground that the slavery cause might be
voted down. In reply to this, Mr.. Doug
las showed that his ground Of attack was
not that slavery would or would not be
established, but that the people had a
right to fair vote on that question, and
that he WIS determined to vindicate
that right, whether slavery was voted
down or voted up. That the public may
Judge whether this construction is right
or wrong, we extract from the speech
sufficient upon which to form an opinion
Of Mr.. Douglas true meaning. He
says:
But am beseeched to wait till l
hear from the election on the 2lst Of
December. am told that perhaps that
will put it all right, and will solve the
whole difficulty. How can it? Perhaps
there may he large vote returned.
Laughter. But deny that it is pos
slble to have a fair vote on the Slavery
Clause; and say that it is not possible
to have any vote en- the Constitution.
Why wait for the mockery Of an cleo
ton, when it is provided, unalterahly,
that the people cannot vote-when the
majority are disfranchi.ed
But am told on all sides, ooh, just
wait; the Pro-Slavery clause will be vo-
ted down." That does not obviate any
Of my objections it does not diminish
any of them. You have no more right to
force Free State Constitution on Kan.
sas than a SIave-State Constitution. II
Kansas wants a Slavc-State Constitution
she has right to it; If she wants a
Free-Stat Constitution, she has right
to it. 1t is none of my business which
way the slavery clause is decided. /
care not whether 1t IS voted dOwn or up.
Do you suppose, after pledges Of my
honor, that | would 90 for that rincple,
and leave the people to vote as they
choose, that would now degrade my
self by voting one way if the slavery
clause be voted down, and another way
if it be voted up! care not how that
vote may stand. take it for granted
that it will be voted out. think have
seen enough in the last three days to
make it certain that it will be turned
ont, no matter how the vote may stand
Laughter.
Sir, l am opposed to that corcern
because it looks to me like system Of
trickery and jngglery to defeat the f4ir
expression of the will Of the people
There is no necessity for crowding this
measure, SO unfair, so unjust, as 1t is in
all It's aspects, upon u.s.
Can any sane man fail to perceive the
meaning of Judge Douglas in these re
marks? He says there, what he says
now, that Kansas has right to form heI
own inst tutions in her own way and
II shall defend her rights, let her form
them as she may-whcther they please
me or not" This is the meaning, and
the whole meaning, Of Judge Douglas
remarks, and any attempt to give them
ffvrent significance, by garbling tho
record, is mean Injustice Chicago
<.u.L Ho.cIL