The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-05-17
PRICE TWO CENTS.
From an Occasional Correspondent
CONCLUSION OF MR.. DOUGLAS SPEECH IN
REPLY TO MR.. DAVIS.

REPLY TO MR.. DAVIS.
WASHINGTON, May 1G, 1860
Mr.. Douglas to-day resumed and finished the
speech which was interrupted by the adjournment
yesterday. He said he had been charged with in,
consistency because he had voted against the
Trumbul amendment to the TOombs bill, authori-
zing Kansas to form State Constitution prior to
admission into the Union. That amendment, which
simply defined the true meaning of the Kansas Ne
braska act stated in the act ITSELF was rejected
first because it was irrelevant to a bill looking to
the admission of State, and secondly, because it
was assuming to judge question which had been
left to the Courts. He quoted from Mr. Bayard's
speech in opposition to the amendment in which
he argued that it was proposition for Congress
to assume Judicial powers, and then asked If the
resolutions OF Mr.. Davis, then before them, did
not propose to do the same thing. They
were designed by a Congressional declaration
to define and explain a decision of the Supreme
Court. This he held to be beyond the power of
Congress, for if there was any ambiguity in the
decision, the Court could make its meaning plain
whenever a similar case arose. Mr.. Douglas next
caused extracts from the annual message of Presi-
dent Pierce, Of December, 1855, to be read, and
contended that they fully sustained the doctrine of
non-intervention as he understood it, and warmly
commended the Kansas bill, because it was based
on that great principle. lie was therefore sur
prised when the Senator from Mississippi pro-
nounced the effects of that bill in Kansas to be
disastrous, for he had supposed that he Davis had
acquleseed in that measure, the more especially as
he was the Cabinet officer of an Administration
which glorled in its passage. He contended that
the troubles in Kansas resulted from the fact that
the principle of non-intervention had been violated
After again referring to the Alabama resolutions
of 1856, Mr.. d. caused to be read Mr. Buchanan's
letter of acceptance and Mr.. Breckinrdge's Lex
ingt0n speech, and contended that both of these
admitted, to the fullest extent, the power of the
nnTNla anf ihah hArr.
Institution. He now rendered those declarations to
the Democratic party the platform upon which,
as its candidate, he would be perfectly willing to
STAND. lie next alluded to mis- removal from the
craftsmanship OF the Committee on Territories by
caucus OF Democratic Senators, on the ground of
heterodoXy, although from first to last he had never
changed his views. lie did not think Senators
were charged with the declaration of Democratic
doctrlnc-that left to bodies elected fresh from
the people eveiy four years. From the decision of
the Senatorial caucus he had appealed
to the Charleston Convention, and that recognized
democratic authority, after three days Of deibera-
uon, had, by u majority, sustained him. Would
the Senator from Mississippi, he asked acquiesce :?
The Convention had also decided that he was the
choice of the Democratic party for the Presidency
by majority vote. He had no desire for that
Office, and his name would never have been pre-
sented at Charleston but for the fact that it was
necessary to do so to vindicate his reputation as
Democrat. Had any other gentleman received
the nomination. the lightning would have assured
ohe noullnce ol MS support lie had no such lust
for the office as would induce him to oppose the
candidate of the majority. What then, he asked
did gentlemen want? Did they want the majority
TO yield to the minority, and that, too, with the
knowledge in advance, that if the party were
successful they were to be proscribed-not
held lit to be chairman of a committee, or col
lector of a port, tde-water? No one
could be found mean enough to accept a nomi-
nation on such terms, unless it was some wretch
not yet named. Mr.. Douglas then caused
Mr.. iancey's letter to Mr.. Slaughter to be
read, to show that Mr.. Y. was a dsunionist, and
desired the destruction of the Democratic party as
means of accomplishing his object. He pointed
out the danger to the Democracy of following such
leader, and charged that the Southern States
had planted themselves on platform which they
had rejected in 1913. lie concluded bv powerful
effort In advocacy Of his doctrine of non-interven-
tion which he regarded as the only safe policy for
the South, and for the preservation Of the Union
Mr.. Davis Immediately rose to reply, but after
some preliminary remarks, in which he retorted
rather severely on the Illinois Senator, he gave
way to a motion for executive session. He will
reply mt length tomorrow