, 1860-03-08
SPEECH OF THE HON. LYMAN
TUUnxBULLs
In Reply to Senator Douglas.
IN TIE SENATE, MARCH ], 1861,

Mr.. Tnuxnu1t-Mr. President, havo been
struggling for some time TO obtain the floor, to
inquire Of my colleague whnt he meant by say
ing that he had been battling for four years
against negro equality at home in the State Of
Illinois, aud against the idea TINT the Coustilu-
ton Of the Unlted States in some respects cum
aicted with the di1inc Inv and was null and
void, us if that was tho position Of some patty
IN the State Of Illinois. I desire 10 inquire
whether he meant 10 attribute any such yiews
asShose to the Republican party in Illino;s:
Mr. Doua1ss-So fur us know, the Republi-
can party do hold that the negro aud the white
mnn, by the Declaration Of Independence. were
secured in perfect equality, and hare had to
meet that argument not only for four years, but
Tor ten years, when the Senator, my colleague,
was Democrat. can excuse him for not u,,-
derstanding the creed Of his party, for he has
not been in it long enough to learn it; but if lie
will refer to the leaders he will find out TINT |
stated it correctly. [Laughter.}
Mr; TRunRuLt-My colleague will perhaps
find that he is about as poor IN exponent Of tie
Democracy as lam. Laughter.l l think he is
and has found himself SO in the country, and il
have departed from the Democracy Of former
times, he seems to be following very closely
after me. [Laughrer.
Now, sir, know that my colleague has bat
tied against negro equality in Illinois, and he
Ma} uAs2 la1tttus 1oE auS1t AnoWs aEalHst tue
idea TINT the Constitution conlicted with the
Divine Law, and was therefore void tut if he
has so b4ttIed, he has battted Don Quixotte.1ike
against windmills rather than realities. LIE is
very much in the habit Of setting up principle
and then knocking it down. talking about negro
equality ns if somebody was for ii, and then as
sailing it. Now, sir, au glaa TO haEe my COL
1eague face to face, whereI can put it to him
and tell him he neTer heard such declaration
Of principles from the Republican party OF ILL
nois, nor the Republican party Of the Union.
tell lin now in his face, and to his teeth, that
when he charges upon the Republican party Of
Illinois, or Of the country, that it has advocated
negro equality, he charges that which is wholly
untrue. wholly without foundation, SO far as the
Republican party is concerned.
But, sir, he says that we believe in the Dccla~
ration OF Independence. do. l do beliere in
the Declaration Of Independence; and has my
colleague get to learn the distinction between q
natural right and a right in organized society ;
the distinction between the gift Of God and the
gilt Of msns / do believe in the Declaration
Of Independence, and 80 does the Republican
party believe in it, that all men we're endowed
By their Creator with certain inalienab1c rights.
1 do believe that all men were born with the
same natural rights; and that is what the Dec
iaration Of lndependeocs declares; that is What
has heard many time enunciatcd as the doc
trine Of the Republican party, that I'll men were
created equal, not made equal by human society,
by human laws. We know that the very idea
Of government creates an inequality among
men. To have government you must hayeru
and regulations; you must have magistrates,
those who command, and those who obey; md,
of course, there is an inequality. But, sir, does
that initiate against ths God. given right that
oil were created equal: How were they created
If not equal? Was there any human govern
ment from God? Destroy all human govern
meut; wipe out oil organized society take man
as he came from the bands Of his Maker. and tell
me, if you please, what superior authority one
has over another? If one has superior authori-
t. over another, how did he get it before gov
ernmeut was organized?
The object Of inserting the words ia the De.
c1aration Of Independence has been proclaimed Il
thousand times. 1t Was this: our ancestors
despotisms Of the Old World; escaping from
countries where the idea prevailed that one mau
bud divine right to rule over another; and
they meant, when they were proceeding to form
government, as The first Thing they did, to
write it down in that immortal Declaration, that
their posterity in all time might see it; thai they
might look to it as the polar star by which they
dud should never forget it, tue great natural
right Of all men to life, liberty aud happiness.
Now, keeping that in view, with your eye fixed
upon that stur Of the equal rights Of ail, 80 on
and frame your government, infringing us little
as possible upon that great natural right That
you must infringe somewhat We know; but we
repudiate and tramp1e under foot, for ourselves
and forever, the idea that one mnn is born with
right over another. That is what tue Dec1ar-
alton Of Independence meant, and no such thing
as that in org ganizcd society we must hare per-
fec. cquality-an im2ossibility; and the Repub-
lican Party in Illinois has contended for no such
thing, as its principles, proclaimed in its plat
form, will show.
But my colleague says that the clause Of the
Declaration Of Independence, that all men are
created equal, meant the governing race,
that was contend,ng against Great britain,
and nobody else. Well, I suppose if it meant
only those who were here at that time, and con-
tending against Great Britain, it would hardly
embrace their posterity even; aud If it did, then
it would Lot emhrac. emigrauts from other
countries. suppose, according to that theory,
the Germans, or The inhabitants Of any country,
who should come to this, that were not engaged
in the enn.lict Of the Revolution, thnne', their
skins were as white as his, are not embraced by
the Declaration Of Independence. / gire no
such n:rrow meaning to that instrument.
But there is repested here tor TUG thonsandth
time, thut each State should be ..et 70 manage
its own affairs as it p}eascs. Who ever disputed
it: Here is another windmill. Tie Republican
party has not disputed the right Of eacl State
to manage its own domestic aiiairs. without in
OF my other State. So far from it, the Rcpub-
licau party is au advocate Of that doctrine, de-.
clares in its platform that the rights of cach
State shall be maintained in the Union, as well
as the rights Of the Federal Government under
the Constitution; and this attempt to mix up
States with Territories ia only calculated to
confuse. The contest between parties is not
about the interference of either party with the
institutions of the States; hut i. is in regard to
the goyernmSnt Of the Territories while the ter
ritoriai consHton continues.
We have beard repeated here, again, in this
connection, that the great principle Of Popular
Sovereignty WAS stricken down ia Kansas by
reitcratc the facts to disproye tha. statement.
The Kansas Nebraska bill, itself, Of which my
colleague was the advocate. tranpled Popular
Sovereignty under foot, and The people in Ne
braska and in Kansas today are not allowed to
hare their will on this very subject Of slavery.
Legislature Of Nebraska passed bill to exclude
slavery from that Territory. Did it so into
force: Is it 4 law9 No, sir. Why not7 Ny
colleague says TINT the kunsas-Nebraska bill
established this right. Well, lift did establish
it, why do not the people Of Nebraska have
it: They have tried. 10 exclude slavery;
their Legislature Inns voted to exclude it,
and they have not accomplished itr Why:
Because he put it into the kansas-Sc-
braska bill that majority OF the people of
Nebraska should not be permitted to exclude
slavery. lie put it into that bill that the Presi-
dent Of the United States should appoint Cor
eruor to rule oger the psorla Of Nebraska; md
when q proposition Was made to ullow them to
elect their own Governor, that they might have
Governor Of their own choice, he, with bis
friends, roted it down, and insisted upon send
ing Governor who is now ruling over that
people by prohibiting them, through his veto
power, from keeping slavery ont 6f The Terri
tory. That is your Kansas. Nebraska bill, and
that is your Illustration Of Popular Sovereignty.
And hers is another, Mr. President. hold in
my hand the veto message Of Goy. Medary, Of
the bill prohibiting slavery in Kansas. This
identical Territory Of Kansas passed l9w to
prohibit slavery therein, through its Legisla.
ture, and yet The Governor, by virtue Of the
power which the adroc2tes Of the kausas-Ne-
hruska bill inserted in it, vetoed tie bill, and
will not allow the people OF Kansas to exclude
slavery. Beautiful illustration Of Popular Sore-
reignty! to force Governor On a Territory,
and give him two-thirds Of Its Legislative power.
The government is divided into three depart
unents in Kansas, one Of which is the judiciary
Who appoints the judges: They are all ap-
pointed by the President Of the United States.
The people Of Kansas arc told, " DO Just as you
please, but at the same time remember you are
not to elect your own Judges, We will send
judges to expouud your laws" The executive
department is filled By those orer whom they
have no control, By a Governor and other off,
Gers appointed By the President. Ay colleague
cry, thcy shall not have it; if they do want it,
they may have,t: aud he is for letting them
have it or not, just as they please. But when
fhe r,nrnhers If The T,erisfntnra a1nrKcd hr fho