The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-10-26

the statement that be was authorized by the
President and his Cabinet to say that the
constitution would be rejected unless it was
submitted to q vote Of the people, when the
convention adopted the constitution and
declared it 10 force, without submitting it
to the people, denounced it the very instant
heard of it. T'rem ndous shouts of APP
plause) The very night the news arrived
at Chicago, bringing the form of submission
of the slavery clause, l denounced it 10 un-
measured terms. ] denounced it before l
knew what the course of any other man in
America in relation to it would be-; ferries
of bravo; that's the man." and ap-
plause.) I did not wait one hour, or one
minute, when l discovered the trick by
which the people we're to be cheated.
loheers.l .
When l reached Washington, three days
before the meeting of Congress, went
directly to the President and had talk
with him upon this subject, 10 which in.
formed him, as friend, not to send the
Constitution into Congress for acceptance.
told hirn it was violation of every pledge
we had made to the people; a violation Of
the fundamental principles of the Demo-
cratic party, and violation of the princi-
piles of all parties, in all Republican gov.
erDments; because it was an attempt to
force Constitution upon an unwilling peo>
pie. he begged me not to say anything
upon the subject, until we should hear the
news as to how the vote stood on the slavery
clause. The vote, you remember, was to be
taken on the slavery clause, on the 2lst of
December, three or four weeks subsequent
to this Convention. | told the President
that if he would withhold his recommends
ton until the vote was taken on that clause
l would withhold my speech against the
measure. He said he must recommend it
in bis message. and 1 replied if he did,
would denounce it the moment bis message
was read. Great applause. A voice-we
like you for it, At last the President be-
came somewhat excited upon the subject.
(Laughter.) And he arose and said to me:
Mr.. Douglas, l desire you to remember
that no Democrat ever yet differed from an
Administration Of his own choice without
being crushed" t'Ah~ and laughter.)
Then he added: beware of the fate Of
Tallmadge and Rives." arose and said :
"Mr. President, l wish you to remember
that Gen. Jackson is dead, sir" (Tumul.
tuous cheering.) From that day to this be
and l have been trying the question whether
or not General jackson is dead. (Great
laughter and applausel And one thing is
certain-the people Of Illinois decided. in
1858, that james Buchanan was not Cen
eral jackson. Renewed laughter and APP
plause.) l have few words more to say
on this subject. .a. 9fgt
Mr.. DOUGLAS here gives an account Of
the only interview he had with CALHOUN
during the Lecompten struggle, at his
(DoUeLAs) house in Washington, in the
presence of Mr.. WEIR, at that time United
States District Attorney for Kansas. He
says:
1 received Mr.. Calhoun courteousIy and
kindly, as we had been old friends : he ex-
pressed his regret at the differences which
had grown up between US on this question;
be assured me upon his honor that he had
done everything in bis power to procure the
submission of the whole constitution, be-
cause he knew that it was my desire, and
also the wish of all bis friends, and because
he thought it was fair and just. Having
failed in accomplishing it, the question arose
as to what was the next best thing, and
that he had agreed to the schedule in the
form in which it was adopted, believing it
to be so. l told him l thought it was the
worst thing. IA voice "that's SOY He
said he regretted it, that he had hopes that
/ would deem that better tna'n nothing.
(Laughter.) l told him never-that frau
dulent submission was mockery, and that
l could not sanction it, without repudiating
all the acts of my life, and doing political
act that did not believe WIS moral and
just. (Cheers.) .:I .
Judge DOUGLAS refers in the following
extract to the charge that he had offered
$4,000 to Mrs. CALHOUN for certain cores
pondence of his, in her possessions:
The abolition paper in which l found
this pretended correspondence, contained an
editorial article-in which it charged that
had offered Mrs. Calhoun two thousand
dollars to suppress my correspondence with
her husband, while be was Surveyor Genes
raj of Kansas. Laughter.] In this pre-
tended correspondence, the charge is made
that Mrs. Calhoun had hawked these let ers
about in the market for sale, and that two
thousand dollars had been offered for them,
and on that statement the abolition paper
bases its charge, that l or my friends had
made her that offer. l shall notice this only
to vindicate the character of that,Vidowed
lady. I never insulted Mrs. Calhoun, or
degraded m, self, by offering her or anybody
else any money or o,her compensation for
suppressing my private correspondence with
Mr.. Calhoun, or anybody else on earth. /
will tell you all l know about this last
charge. Just before l left Washington. a
few months ago, received letter from q
near relative of the late John Calhoun, in
which be furnished not only the statement,
but the evidence, that one Of Mr.. Buchan-
ans federal ofice-holders in Nebraska,
man holding a land Office and nearly con.
nected with the worst enemy have on
earth, had gone to Mrs. Calhoun and asked
permission to look over her deceased bus
bands private correspondent with Judge
Douglas She refused to permit him, say
ing that her husbands correspondence was
sacred. I"Sound," "Right," etc. There.
upon this federal Office holder offered Mrs.
Calhoun two thousand dollars il she would
allou him tn look over Gen. Calhonn'ai