Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1860-02-23
The Douglas Speech.

The recent speech of Douglas in the Senate, will
surprise all who have read it. Even his warmes,
friends regard it as weak, ill-timcd and i'll advised
movement The small attempts made by the Sen
ator to ingratatc himself with the south, at the ex
pcnsc of the feelings, principles and expectations
OF his friends at the north, humliating to those
who have been his supporters, and excite against
him the indignation of every honest, liberty loving
Republican in the land As a stump effort, at q
Township meeting, his calumncs upon Rcpubli-
cans and Republican principles, might have won
applause from the prejudiced or ignorant, bat such
a speech. in the Senate of the United States, and
to be read by the country, is disgrace to the ma
ker OF it, and a shame on thc'nation.
The occasion of the speech was motion made
by the Senator, to instruct the committee on the
Judiciary to prevent invasions of States and Terri
tories, by citizens Of other States, and for the snp
preston and punishment of conspiracies or combi-
nations with intent to modest the inhabitants, prop
erty or peop'e of the States or Tcrritories
As matter political necessity. the motion was
entirely uncaled for, and superluous for upon the
first day OF the scssit Senator of Virginia moved
committee of investigation into the Harper's
Ferry matter, ana to point out and propose such
laws as would prevent recurrence of such an act
Douglas overl looked that fact and, for tho purpose
of getting opportunity to demonstrate his servl-
ty to the South proposes has what been in progress
over n month.
The most notable proposition in the speech is a
slave code, not for the Territories southern
States, but for the north. He declares the Rcpub-
lican party and its principles tend directly to
producing such invasions, As he proposes to pre-
vent and he distinctly asserts the necessity for
congressional Law, by which indictments and con
victions ofthc leaders of these conspiracics" NAV
be procured. He traces the John Brown affr d.
rcctly to Senator Seward whose teachings he SAYS
will probably induce another such invasion.
We quote from the Globe:
"The great principle that underlies the organ
zation OF the Republican party is violent irrccon
American slavery, with the view of its ultimate
extinction throughout the land
"In furtherance of this article of their creed,
you find their political organization not only Sec
tiona in its location but one whose vitality consists
in appeals to northern passion northern prejudice,
northern ambition against southern States, south
crn instutioEs, and southern People"
"Mr. President. the mode preserving peace is
plain This system Of sectional warfare must
cease. The Constitution has given the power
and all We ask of Congress is to give the means,
and we, by in lctments and convictions in the
Federal courts of our several States, will make
such examples OF the leaders of these consp;ra
cies as will strike terror into the hearts of the
others, and there will be an end of this crusade"
"Sir, give us such law as the Constitution con-
templates and authorizes, and will show the Sen
ator from New York that there is constitutional
mode Of suppressing the "irreprcssible conflict"
will open the prison doors to allow the conspira'o-s
against the peace of tho Republic and the domestic
tranquility OF our State to select their cells wherein
TO drag out miserable life as punishment for
their crimes az inst the peace of society,""
What do American citizens say to this worse
than Alien and Sedtion law
Another remarkable feature i'm this Speech is
that Mr.. Douglas jcs not IN a single instance as
sert the power and right ofthe people of Terrific
ry to forbid or admit slavery, or to make any o.
their laws. Indeed the care with which he avoids
any declaration of the sovereignty of the people OF
Territory, is striking and peculiar. He spoke of
"the right of the people Of each State to make
their own laws" but carefully omits Territories
lie SAYS his object is to establish the doctrine that
each State is to do its own voting" leaving the
Territories of course to the care of Congress. In
the last paragraph OF his speech, he takes this posi-
ton three times, AMI in one Of them, he refers d.
recty States only, in Calculating his doctrine of
popular sovereignty.
The abject seryility Of the demonstration is most
apparent. No wonder that Iickmin of Pehnsyl-
varia, Douglas man, remarked at its close, "Upon
thy belly shalt thou go, and dirt shalt thou eat, all
the days ofthy life" --Logansporf Journal.