The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-10-24
Douglas at Home.

Of Mr.: Douglas reception the Demo
crat, Wentworth's Republican paper says
the reception of Senator Douglas twas
an exceedingly brilliant and imposing af
fair. as much so. we believe, as any ever
before seen in this city" Again, the
same paper says: The demonstration
throughout was a very brilliant and sue
cessful one, and in numbers exceeded al
most every political gathering held in
Chicago" .5 hsg ss..f
The. Times says there wers 10000
present. which was double the number OF
Stewards crowd. Douglas was drawn by
six beautiful white horses to the cricket
grounds, where ave acres, hslf the grounds,
were solid pack of people. When all
was ready, Mr.. Douglas said -
Fellow citizens-In compliance with
the usage which have never failed to
observe since have been in public life, I
appear before my constituency for the
purpose of discussing those political top
les which are vital issues between politi.
cal parties. 80
/ This morning I took up newspaper,
in which / saw for the first time the speech
of the Hon. VIM. II. Seward, Senator
in Congress from New York.. delivered
here few days since. l had scarcely
time before left for this stand to read it
through, bat finding that in it he paid bis
respects to me, will not permit him to
exceed me in politeness. l shall not an
swer his speech in detail. shall refe:
to it only because he is the most distin-
guished and most authoritative exponent
of Republican principles. :, -
| In it he lays down two fundamental
propositions, and builds his entire argu-
ment upon them. The first proposition
il as fallows. ] quote:
"Fellow citizens, the Republican creed
| is nevertheless no partizan creed. It is q
National faith, because it is the embodi-
ment of the one life sustaining, life ex-
banding idea of the American republic.
What is the idea more or less than SIM
pl7 this: That civilization is to be main.
tanned and carried on upon this continent
by Federal States based upon the princi-
pie of free soil, free labor free speech
eqnal rights and universal suffrage?"
| His second proposition is, that :
"This national idea works not unop
posed. Every good and virtuous and be-
nevolent principle in nature has its antag
onist. and this great national idea works
in perpetual opposition-I nay be al
lowed to say in irrepressible conflict, will
an erroneous, deceitful, o delusive idea
Do you ask what that delusive idea is?
is the idea that civilization ought AID car
} be effected on this continent. by this form
D of federal States, based on the principle
of slave soil-of African slave labor, o
6 equal rights and unequal representation
resulting in equal suffrage. ?" s
oil Let us examine these two propositions
5 In the 6rst one he tells us that thes
States must all be free, and that civiliza
5 tion can only prevail upon free soil ant
universal suffrage. What is the meanin:
of that proposition? 7 hese States, whel
the government was formed, were par
free and part slaveholding, and they hav
o remained thus divided from that day I
0 this. They are now divided into fire
S States and slave States, as our father
made them, with the right of all or c
n each ore to have and maintain slavery a
s long as it chooses, and abolish it when
Q pleases ICheers. Were not these State
. civilized when the government was made
Z r"Yss, sir.''] Were not the people of th
O United States civilized when they forme
IS this system of government? Have the
y not been civilized during the whole of on
n n history down to the present time? Hav
any people On the face of the earth, dr
"a ring the same period, made as rapid an
. as great strides in civilization, in wealt
81 and population, in glo-y and in all the e
I ements of greatness, as the people Of th
Il United States, divided as they have bee
! into free aud slave States, as our father
a made the Republic. ["Good," and gres
applause. gs i5o'a'
/ We are told by this leading exponer
of Republican principles. that civilizatio
cannot be preserved and maintained Q
this continent under that system of inst
tutlons. s5s3s5 ~
=. What is his remedy for the existin
" evils? He says there must be free sol
equal rights, and universal suffrage. II
J American soil is all free at this day, on
ever has been where the people desired
to be free. Applause. ] When this go
n ernment was formed. it was composed
thirteen. States. twelve Of which wei
) slaveholding and only one free. Stat
Hence, at that time, one State was base
on the principles of free soil. equality
is between the white man ar
d the negro, aud universal suffrage-that
sa the right of the negro to vote on an equ
footing with the white man. AccordiI
,g to Mr.. Stewards fundamental propositio
y Massachusetts was the only civilized Sta
in the Union. Laughter and applause
I'd The other twelve, being slaveholdir
States, were not, in the language of NJ
Z Seward, civilized, and, in the language.
fs Mr. Sumner, barbarous, ERenewed laug1
3. ter and applause. 1t SO happens that