Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-08-03
The Real Issue.

nor to use mask, denominated popular sove-
reignty," for the pupose of aiding slavery, we
recommend the following extract from speech
by Senator Trumbull, of Ill, in reply to the
Democratic candidate for Gov, Mr.. Allen.
| am exceedingly happy to have heard
this democratic speech. 1t is the first time
have had the pleasure of listening to
democratic speech during this canvass. I
was aware our democratic friends had
way by some means or other, of mislead-
ing the public mind, but I could not exact
ly see how it was that so many people who
believe to be disposed to do right, should
be found going on a course which seemed
to me, SO plainly wrong; but since l have
listened to my friend the democratic candl-
date for Gov, I have discovered how it is
want 20 bring him to the real question at
issue-the great question that now divides
the country.
He commenced his remarks by saying
that he was for the doctrine of the fathers
How did he prove it? By showing that
under the doctrine of the fathers both free
States and slave States were admitted into
the Union. Who disputes that Our
dispute is about Slavery in the territories.
Is there a Republican who wants Congress
to interfere with Slavery in the States?-
You hear my friend Allen here talking a.
bout a matter that is not in dispute be-
tween us. The real vital question which
we are discussing, and upon which we diff
fer so widely, is that of slavery in the ter
ritories. What did he tell you in regard
to that? He said I was mistaken in re-
gard to the old doctrine to exclude slavery
from the territories He says there is the
ordnance of ST; but that was adopted be-
fore the constitution was framed, and there
fore he contends that it was under the or
dinance, and not by virtue of laws under
the Constitution, that Slavery was exclu-
ded from the territories, True, the Ordi-
nance was adopted by men of the revolu-
ton, before the formation of the Constitu-
tion-this ordinance which was to govern
every foot of the territory then belonging
to the United States, and now constituting
several large and populous States. One of
its clauses reads '-..... ..... ..
&c There shall be neither Slavery. or involun-
tary servitude in the said territory, otherwise
than in the punishment of crime"
You stand upon soil made free by that
very ordinance adopted that day. But Mr..
Allen forgot to tell you that that ordinance
became obsolete and Intellectual by the
adoption of the Constitution. He proposes
20 abide by the decision of the Supreme
Court. The Supreme Court of the United
States has decided that the ordinance be-
came imperative by the adoption of the
Constitution of the U. S. He says he
would not vote for man who did not en-
dorse the decisions of the Supreme Court.
Well, will show him pretty soon that he
will have to abandon Mr.. Douglas on that
ground. The very first Congsess which
met under the Constitution of the United
States, there is the act, holding up the
statute, when Washington was President
and this first Congress that ever assembled
re-afhrmed the ordinance of 1857 and made
it valid He says to this intelligent peo-
pie that the fathers did not exclude slavery
under the Constitution. Why, here are
the laws Of your country, you may look at
them and you will find that in the year
1900, when John Adams was President,
the territory of Indiana was organized, and
the ordinance of 81, excluding slavery was
extended over it. In 1909, when Thomas
Jefferson was President, the territory of
Illinois was organized, and by act of Con-
gress, under the Constitution, the ordi-
nance of 'S7, excluding slavery, was extern
ded over it. In 1920, when James Mon
roe was President, the Missouri Compro-
mise act was passed. excluding Slavery
from Kansas and Nebraska And yet that
was not the doctrine of the fathers In
1886, when Old Hickory was President,
the territory of Wisconsin was formed, and
slavery was excluded from it by act of con-
gress, re-afirming the act of 'S7! In 1888
when Martin Van Buren, was President, To-
wa was framed as territory, and slavery
was excluded from it by act of Congress.
In 1915 we acquired Texas, under certain
resolutions, proviso to one of which de-
clared that in all the territory lying north
Of SO deg. 80 M, slavery should never ex-
list, even in the states to be formed there
from. John Tyler was President and
signed the article; and who do you sup
pose offered that proviso? 1t was Stephen
A. DOUGLAS. In 1888, James K. Polk
being President, the territory of Oregon,
away on the Pacific, was organized. and the
act framing Oregon declared, that neither
slavery nor involuntary servitude should ex-
list thereinf And STEPHEN A. DOUG
LAS offered the proposition.
With this long record, showing the ex-
clusion of slavery, by successive acts of
Congress, extending through for sixty years,
staring him in the face, this man tells us it
was not the policy of the fathers! Why
say to this intelligent people that they had
to repeal the Missouri compromise, which
prevented slavery entering Kansas and
Nebraska, SO as to be consistent with the
legislation of1S50, and let the people do
as they please, when in 1850 you did not
repeal the Mexican laws, which kept slave
ry out of Utah and New Mexico? Did
you not leave them unrepealed? Did not
Clay, and Benton, and Douglas say they
were in force? If you had organized Kan
sas and Nebraska in the same way, as [
said in my opening remarks, none of this
difficulty would have occurred. ery
Now my friends. who is right? Is there
any question about slavery in the States
Are you to be misled by any such subter
fuges as these? ~ 80 ai.
Mr. Allan savs that Thomas Jefferson