, 1860-01-20
DorGLAs AND PopCLAR SOVEREIGNTY,
4 Speech by Carl Schurz Of Wisconsin,
DELIVERED 1T srn1SGr1E1p, MASS JAScAnr
4, 1860.

which purport 10 be unfa1ing remedies mud to
effect SPEEDY cure. Men, who look only ut the
surface IF things, will, like bad physicians, pre-
tend TO remove the disease itself by palliating
world by their Inventive ingenuity, no less than
by their amusing ASSURANCE. But close scru.
tiny will in most cases show that the remedies
offered are bu. new forms Of old mistakes.
OF NIL the e1pedients which have been invent
ed for the settlement Of the slavery question,
Mr. Douglass doctrine Of Popular Sovereignty
is certainly the most remarkable, not only br
tue apparent novelty Of the thing, but by the
potnpcus assurance with which it was offered to
tue nution as perfect aud radical cure. Form
eriy compromises were made between the. two
conflicting systems Of labor By separating them
BY geographical lines. These compromises did
Indeed produce intervals of comparative repoSe,
but the war commenced again with renewed nc
rimony. US soon us Il ncw bone Of contention
presented ITSELF The system Of compromises
;!s whole proved failure. Dir. Douglass
doctrine Of Popular Sovereignty proposed 10
bring the two autagonlstic elements into imne-
diate contact and t. let them struggle hand to
lund Tor the supremacy on tie same ground
III this manner, 4e predicted, the slavery ques-
ordinary business. He seemed to be confident
Of success; but hardly is his doctrine. in the
s!tape OF law for the organization Of terrific
rles, put upon the statute.book, whea the strng
kle grows iiercer thnn ever, and the difficulties
rlpen into crisis. THIS does not disturb him.
Lie sends forth manifesto upon manifesto, md
tven during the State campaign Of last fall, he
mounts The rostrum il Ohio, in order to slvw
what he eau do, aud like second Constantine
he points his finger ut the great principle Of Pop
uiar Sovereignty, aud says to his followers: In
this si.u you will conqoer- Dut the tendency
of eEents appeared unwilling to yield to his
prophecy. there seemed to be no charm III
his command; there was certainly no victory
in his sign. lie had hardly dedncd his doctrine
more elabora1ely than ever before,, when his
friensls we're routed everywhere, and cyen his
great party is on the point Of falling to pieces.
The failure is magnihcently complete.
There certainly was somethinGin his theories
that captiyated tha masses. | TO not speak OF
those who joined their political fortunes to his,
because they saw in him man, who some day
might be atle to seatter plumber and tavors
who, sedncel by The plausible suund oil the
word Popular Sovereignty" meaut to hare
found there some middle ground, on which tile
rights Of free labor might be protected and Sc
cured, without rx1spcrutlug those interested iu
slave labor. They really did think that IL .
conflicting organizations Of society, WHICH are
Incompatible by she nature Of things, mi SlIt he
made compatible by Legislative enactmcnts.
But this delusion vanished. No sooner was the
n;;ont, .r ~. xrh.asIs t;ti ,..ons, ~ i.ss :,
s,a,'.- ~ fascs .l;Sr,,t. '' t,,.,s IN cn,,.
stTnction Of the Constitution had bern
befare. Il this pro-s'ayery, or is it anti
slavery: it was asked. Tie South found
IN it Tue ri gl't to pant slave labor in the terrific
rics Internationally, aud the North found iu it
.ne osi'e o.1.s w. y. Iues a I..s; Las:'
.t . s,.s -. sIIu at,n nrost. ~, ~ ;,It a,'l
te .1 'e " NV .,s;.'1, ~ ~. .i,a ,;,a
.'.ia oas t'ns' ~ III" .r G,s ~ " ;,to ~,
~" tus ~" r.. sar.;t,.,as as
.sa,. *,, ea ~ ~ ,,'oaa ' .1a Nar,,orn
at.J c,.,,,1 ,u @Aa ~ t,,s Hshrasta Iii
@ G'@,. oa;. n.,a, ;sh .h. e. | G,-, ,r;,i' uh,c''
eaIa o.nsa 'nS .,,'.". "a ~ -"
~ e..'nn .''',:a "nu lug .,1oa ..e ~
III. ',aa H.. na,e asu ra.ard =,
Na. uoes re. re nsa" ~ :" IT, a.,t.a
N1e.5 M9n5 inat q1ssoo teas ta:,, ~ T,,:,
~ u'es ..e o.asa -, o's ',.in'.'. ~ 10
1aes 'en oeFenos upon luz sel'ienen1 u 'ne
'o!nel. u. n.,. j.. t., A. c..
~ ~ .nen' nr. uouS.as ous". ~ " lug nsst -
~ Ano" will tHe u. true 1Atsnt aAa 'ncan'nS Vi
sns -,sotasha oli! aa9 oas Ri.nc,p'e y. popua1
sovereignty IS. liz 10 s4au ~ We y sl".esll'lu,
sa'n II inst rs pnsuca !na. is
upon pnsa.''e 4oea lor ~ u u e'a'e i'ausu'p
Is 1"nnuea .pea pes'.'ss Isl. IT, 'Ieas m., ~ ,,of,;
'"n ., us own gfcat pIihept: We afe
oohseu 10 nlcs up tne must iuc'a u us s1ate'
nlehls as We gnu anenl scarteIeo aoouL u. uu'
" nlsron" speec'es anu inaniics'ocs' tAttel nu'.
uIaFlous eEu!s'nGs upon 1ae SEA ~ p.a'lois p'1a]'
:nu ar'en1s, .Mr: uouS.s iIas -. a aas. tInoGu i
y. me 'oi'o"1ng point: slave, suss ns, IN
MS i:t1ous HafVtI-1'0ya-tHe as''e.t, slase'
. "lthlh thc meaning u 'ne CONSTITUTION, Is
"person held to service Or labor IN one olatt
=. Aaatf 'se ta'eS Statf.2,- unoer tne .1n. ~
:, s.na1'oh o. !he ohnea M s.a.es, or nnuer ane
. laws tneiGo', HUT W virtue u Iu5 'eoe'ae az w
. 1ot!'s "nAeset, oAI "ndtF ."e M~s y tne
-; :otdfe 'ce'e s4cA serI;ee q taos' ~"
tf d"e' LUIS Is cica5 aaa "nn a's EYES sAiHs'
y nseu upon ;1Ie people OF 1ne .,oF1n, ne goes
or: II, Us ar. hasnanan asserts sta1eef ca-
ts:s ~ .I'e ~ :, stue =! ins ~,
:, stls9t1on oi !nc oateu S.ales, 'nen pseon'es
!. .te . AA1l'eiM"I oI't VI sonG'ess, ~ ~ Ftt--
JoF"t."eeV aIte" et1fy h'."t'ST 20 "yey" ~ hte
81 e9nse'e.ef ona has oa'a, onu ftent aeaaetSnotpH.
:, ttae'0!sM q Pu'ey Or eleate"t.y c0A tsease
:, M", ~ Ptotlue W iaW suen auS4aa,e ""u
e"nlp4cte IFotest'on W. rs ssssus'a' y 'ne ~.
3os1nenI ~ aa Important Iet1 securea ps ths
Gonslau',on; Ill 0ne mora, 10 ehael ssne,a'
1, slass eoue 'or !hs 1e:Ia'o.:ss' :na,: ous ~
"a n"s ea'snsu "ttn s"'s' ~ o.n ~
l's aai"l'p'lo', ''ne :" I.4.1,te
III ',.,t sous. ui.iou =. "S N.
~ ss..i .sivrs. Nv pios.s ~
:. e.'1ofi ., .'g's Mneie "nn1 49,, 'ne uon,1n.
- ~ as ,t S"'e" ~.
aI ,..s " 'as ~, I;a!as ~ ss ~
W ~ ~ ~ .ne !l.e tne scu..
q y; uoeS noe :'sets EMS,
~! u. an Juss ~ mea ~ t, ~ n.asas ~ VI
8. .4;,,.n s;nc.' :;
=. e. ......: a.Gs naaaa - euool a4u.t1 ~
.ne .i' eus,t'on =" nc sa.e nan"ee ~ ~
..sass,, '' e>'''| "s 'so"%n o'11o'1"'N ""1 A>''
,,u
a.; JUL 80. -a1' noueas hasinG peeu 50 pos1
ece, uc s..nn1s usnH Us tac pt1slese u 'naAlng
attW i01rkcal ucuHctlOhS 1f0tl HIS own premises
nc expect ~ nun 10 proceed N me lo;lowine
.'aencr: o1nGe 4 Save IS nela unae! tae laws
=. ~ ota'e, anu MI unaer tne co1st'ullon o1
:. LUZ i9"s .! 'le ghtsa etales, s*ftfy fJts'@
Mty ~ cusa' y th"s tdte. or, as Inc court o.
arfe!ls o' hen'ocks expressed u, me 5'sht &c
4, noso s.a'e, eA'sts only " poa1llse iaw o' +:
:. aa"Htdt - e"aI"ets!' a1a n.ls ny iounu4t'oa III
:. tne -" y, H1tn1e OF INC uh"flt!en anu com
nson lI"' IL sla'efy cannot e1's; except "
tIi'ne o. :"ca1 "a" OF q nahtc'pal character, II
!onoHs ~ LII lrscsIsttule consequences, tnat
o'a'A ao1uei ea""ot no'a s11'c ~ l'opsI's III
ater1i!oFf, "here mere IS no local law et = lnu,
nacls''l character esfansish!ni maj Iis't Of
properly. anu TURNER, me E1sht 70 holo slave
unwrlt'en or common law, we are tnreed TO the
CONCLUSION, that slave, btouGnt by his owEer
upon me So. OF territory; before thS tern
toriat legislature nave enac;cd LAWS cstabitshins
slasesy, becomes OF necessity tree, Tor there Is
no loca! law OF municipal character under
which lie might be held Us slave. This prin.
cip1e is recognized by the decisions OF several
southern courts. Having gone SO fur. land, in.
deed, ! canuot sec how lo.ical mind can rs'
cape these conclusions from Mr. douglas own
pfen'ises), Mr. Douglas would be Obliged to de:
line his popular sovereignty to be the right ot
the people Of Il territory, represented i'll the
territorial legislature, to admit slavery by posi-
tive enactment. il ttey see fit, but it tfin .ctll