The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-10-25

4 was decided in the affirmative the doc
trine that slavery was the creature O
local law, was totally abandoned. /
slavery could exist in a Territory with
out being established by local law, ther
it existed there by law higher thar
local law, and that could be no more
than the Constitution of the United
States. In this case every sane mar
must see that then slavery cannot be
removed from Territory by a mere
act of Territorial legislature, whether
direct or indirect; and Mr.. Douglas
need not affect any surprise at the doc
trines his Southern opponents hold
They are the natural, the Legitimate
the logical offspring of his own position
When be conceded that all-importan1
point-and he did concede it-this
"champiou of freedom" was either
aware of the consequence, or was not
he is liable to the charge of gross stu
pidity; if he was, he is liable to the
charge of deliberate betrayal of the
cause of free labor, covered with the
grossest hypocrisy. In what character
do you like your champion of free
dom" best? As one who has not sa
gacity enough to defend it, or as one
who deliberately betrays it? There
are cases where stupidity is no less
criminal than hypocrisy.
This then is the 'sgreat principle oi
Popular Sovereignty" This is 'leav
ing the people to form and regulate
their own institutions in their own
way" l am warranted in saying that
if ever gigantic, unscrupulous, shame
less fraud was ever attempted upon q
free people-if history ever furnished
an example of unblushing, scandulous
revolving hypocrisy, it is the {" true
champion of freedom" to fasten slave
ry irremovably upon the Territories
and calling it " leaving the people per-
fectly free to regulate their own do
mestic institution-to strip the people
of every right to regulate their own
affairs, and to call it Popular Sover.
eighty! Strike the word "demagogue.
ism" out of your dictionaries if you
don't want to apply it here. But.
although we may understand how in.
ordinate, desperate ambition should
resort to such frauds, it remains truly
wonderful that so many thousands have
suffered themselves to be deceived by
them.
Is it surprising that the champion
of freedom" who defends such theories
should be found little unreliable in
practice? How clamorous he was
against the Lecompton Constitution
What terrible idea that, Territory
should be forced into. the Union, as a
State with constitution not approved
by the people! At last the people OF
Kansas frame a new constitution; it is
submitted to the people; it is approved
by large majority. All conditions OF
admission vigorously complied with,
they knock at the door of the Union,
and we expect to see our true "cham-
pion of freedom rush to the rescue
with unabated zeal-for his great point
is gained. But where is Douglas? The
House of Representatives votes in favor
of admission; the decision of the ques-
ton depends upon the action of the
Senate. The matter is referred to the
Committee on Territories That Com
mittee consists of seven members
Douglas is one Of them; but he does
not attend their meetings. The vote
Of the Committee stands three to three.
Douglas vote can decide the question
in the Committee in favor of the ad-
mission of Kansas. 1t is well known
how far the action of Committee
goes to determine the action of the
Senate; but Douglas does not vote!
The question.remains in this suspended
state for some time. The country looks
for the action of the Committee; the
action of the Committee is blocked by
tie; but Douglas does not vote
Douglas, who had declared so fiercely
against the admission under consti-
tuition which the people did not aoa'st,
does not vote when the admission is
applied for with a constitution which
the people do want. Douglas, the
''true champion of Freedom" holding
the fate of Free Kansas in that Com
mittee in his hands, Douglas does not
vote! How is this? When he opposed
the Lecompton Constitution, he was a
candidate for reelection to the Senate.
But things have change since Douglas
now acts as candidate for the Presi-
dency. The same man who in 1857 had
to propitiate tie free people of Illinois,
has now to propitiate the people of the
South and instead of deciding the re-
port of the Committee in favor of the
admission of Kansas as Free State,
he is busily engaged in preparing his
18th of May speech, which is to con-
vince the shareholders that his great
principle of Popular Sovereignty is
working favorably for the introduction
of Slave States-the Free State of
Kansas is kept out of the Union once
more, and he is held up as the ''true
champion of Freedom" Poor Free
dom-then the champions belt lies like
a halter around her neck.
DOUGLAS AS ga GREAT STATESMAN"
John Brown had made his insurrec-
tionary attempt in Virginia. The Re-
publicans openly disapproved of the
act, and denounced him in good faith,
as they would disapprore and denounce
every interference with the laws and
institutions of other States, as violation
of the spirit of our institutions, which