Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-01-27

totiesf .cci1cr, t.,,. government because an his
That true Jehersona o,,n ,e,,sd indeed ON ~. prin
Mr Jersdn. SOY eregnty, but it win be conceded that
from That Of A. ~ s, ord,ranoc of IA ~ AL
zion y IN the NetqasA bill. While Mr. Jcnerson's
m popular sovereignty sprung from the idea, that
~ has ce'iain inalienabe rights, which the majority
shall moi encroach upon, Mr. Douglas doctrine rests up
on the idea that the highest development Of liberty con-
sss in the right Of one class Of men to hold another class
OF men a. slaves, II they &c to do (Applause)
While Nj Jefferson excluded sla cry from the territories
~ oFeer 70 make room for true popular soreregHy MI
Douglas invens his false popular sovereignty ~ order TO
make for slavery. The ordinance Of 1881 the true
"Jehctsonian plan" was indeed accident, no
occasional act Of legislation It sprang from the
idea As Ma ison expressed IT, that republican insutu.
tons would become fillacy whore 8 avery existed,
and in order to guarantee republican institutions TO the
territories they excluded slavery. tChccfs)
The ordinance N 1857 the logical offspring Of the
principles upon which your independence and your con-
suton founded q is the practical application Of The
Declaration Of Independence Of the government Of The
territories. It's very existence sets completely AZ naught
Mr. Douglass doctrine and historical construction. aud
The dwarsh hand of the dcmaRogue tries ia vain 20 tear
this bright page out n your annals. (Checrsl The
dnance o 1877 stands written the very gateposs Of
the northwestern states written on every gtan-hed that
waves 10 me breeze on every factory that dots the course
of their rushing waters, every cottage that harbors
hny fteemen written in every heart that rsIoccs over
There II stands IN characters n light Only blind man
canuot sec 10 only fool misuudcrsand 10 only
knave can wholly misnterpret IT, tBepcatcd chccrsl
Sucn Is MI Douglas principle Of popular sovereignty
in ts logical and historical aspects apparently adopting
the doctrine that slavery is the creature Of local only
and hghung against congressional slave code, but
the other hand, admitting the very principle on which
protection 10 slave property becomes logical necessity
and again assuming the ground that slave property may
be introduced where there is local law but explaining
away the logical consequences Of that doctrine by tie
transparent sophstry u nfiendly legislation; drag
gng the proudest exploits Of American craftsmanship in
70 the DUST omasculating the Declaration N Ind pea
denco because incompatible with its principles setting
aside The ordinance % 1871 because that stern fact Is
conclusive historical argument against rs lcsuucal
piece N equyocaion and double dealing unable 10
stand before he criticism of logical mind because IL is
mixture of glazing contradictions unable 10 0u the
Of principles and interests btcauss d is at irar irh
WseH. lApplausc) II is true It's principal champion
worked hard 20 cover with bullying huistcrousness the
mistakes the motive power which shapes the actions Of
tree nations Having no moral convictions " his
o. stand upon Doc could never address himself 10 c NOR
H' 'f"4f 9" ne F"Pie. fSeusationl Having mo- moral
convictions of his own This Is grave charge but
hn1" what say. Icspcc, true convictions wherever
hld htm Among the drc-cutcrs of the South there
neu who speak N the moral basis of slavery and believe
200 t VINO speak OF the blessings of seNiude and believe
IN 10 who that slavery l. right aud believe in b.
Afocious as these may be- and deeply dcpore
them yet ! respect their convictions soon find
hem out But look into the record Of The champion Of
popular sovereignty scan IL from syllable 10 sJllable
an9 'hcn te me- you Douglasiics " the SOUTH do YOU
und one word there indicating u moral conviction that
rN'tr' tght And YOU Dougasitos ~ the North, who
are m inc hamt 81 telling us that you are the true anti
slavery men, and Tat popular sovereignty will surely
Work tho overthrow OF the m,tuton,-did your master
ever utter similar sentiment Do Won find iu his re-
cord one word N sympathy with the down-roddcn and
degraded One spark II the humane philosophy Of our
agr One syllable IN yindciion Of the outraged digni-
Of human nature One word which might Indicate
moral conviction that slavery is icroaq5 Not one
hut one hlhg he does tell you 81 do not rare wheher
Hffcry be r0ftd up d0nn F' There is then human
heart that does not care Sir look this broad land
"htre the struggle has ragged for years and years and
aoss ,he Two oceans, around the globe to the point
where the far West meets the far East; The iccin-
ing countries where the cradle uf mankind stood aud
over he workshops n civilization ia Europe and over
those mysterious reQious under the iron,al sun which
Un ftfu Of lffl IA fa
daylight NJ civilized lie land then tell me- how many
heats do You find that DO trcmbic win mortal an
gh or eNulant joy as the scales Of human freedom
hutan bundale 20 up down Look over the history
OF the world from The time when infant mankind felt in
It's art the first throhongs Of aspiring dignity, down 70
our days when the rights Of man have last found bold
and powerful champion in great and mighty republic
We we page tiai is not spotted with blood ana Tears
sneu IN that al-ahsosbng struggle where chapter
which does not tell the tale Of iubiant triumph heart
breaking distress, the scales OF freedom up
DOWN cloud applause But to-day, 10 the midst Of
the nineteenth century in republic whose programme
laid down in the Declaration Of Independence there
comes to you, and lis YOU with cynical coolness
that he does care And because be does not care, he
claims the confidence Of his countrymcn and the highest
honors Of the republic Because he does care. he
preends TO be the representative statesman Of the age
slr always thought that he can be no true statesman
whose ideas aud conceptions not founded upon pro-
found moral convictions OF right and wrong (Appause
Mhat neh snail we say Of him who bonstin y parades
his indifference virtue May we not drop the dis
eussion about his statesmanship and ask What is he
worth as ndnr (tepeated checrs) Yes, he mistakes
the motive power which shapes the events OF history
find that in the life Of free patons mere legal DISGUST
tons never turned the tide Of events and constu
uona constructions determined the tendency Of
age The logic Of things goes It's steady way, immoya-
Bile to eloquence and deaf argument II shapes and
changes laws and constitutions according to its immuta
BILE rules, and those adverse to it will prove ceotua
obstruction to its onward march In times Of great
hicts the TIE prOHpngS and dictates Of tho human con-
science potent than all the inventive ingenuity
OF the human brain. The conscience n free people
when once fairly ruling the action Of the masses, will
never fail 10 make new laws, when those existing
Tendency. 1 is
ton upon those that there. Your acquisitions and
pausihues may be used weapons aud strata gems i
tenoingmoch Of controycrsng PARTIES but puwerlcss
AS lhey are before the conscience Of man, pOstery will
remember them only secondary incidents Of a
battle OF great principles in which the strongest motive
powers II human nature were the true combatuuts
There IS the slavery question not mere occasional
quarrel bcwccH two sections Of country, divided by gc.
ogaphloal lines not mere contest between econ
omra interests for the preponderancc not
Rle between two political parties for power aud spo
but The great struggle between the human and
burning wrong, between advancing civilization and re-
treating batbarsm, between two Antaguuisuc systcUs o
social organization. (CheCrs.) In vain will our impo
tent mock giants endeavor make the test questio o
our age turn on ridiculous logical bubble, or patrl
legal technioaly (applause) in vain will they invent
small lodges and call them great principles " IN yair
will they attempt drag down the al-absorbiug contes
to the level Of mere pot house quarrel between RI
val candidates for the presidential nomination ZAP
pause The wheel OF progressing will crush then
10 atoms as IT has crushed many abnomities (chccrs
and future generation will perhaps read Nh Doug
lass tomb-st the inscription Here lies the qupe
sort " statesman who when the great battle SLAYER,
was fought pretended say that he did whether
/ slavery be voted up or voted down (Chcer-)
But as long the moral vitality Of this nation is
entirely exhausted, Mr. Douglas and men like him vii
state Of moral indifference which he himself not ashan
cd TO boast Of | solemny protest that the America
people not to be measured by Nl Douglass low
al standard However degraded OF oar politician
may be- the progress Of the struggle win show that Ia
popular conscience is still alive and that the people d
| cAREl CLong continued applause