The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-10-12
GIGANTIC MASS MEETING.
SPEECH OF
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS
IN CHICAGO!

FelLOaC CattzenS-ln compliance Win the
usuage which have never failed to observe
since have been in public life, l appear
before my constituency for the purpose Of
discussing those political topics which are
interesting to our people and which are
vital issues between political parties.
This morning took up newspaper in
which / saw for the first time the speech of
tue Hon. VIM. III. Seward, Senator in
Congress from New York, delivered here q
few days since. 1 had scarcely time before
/ left for this stand to read it through, but
finding that in it he paid bis respects to me,
/ will not permit him to exceed me in pc.
likeness. shall not answer his speech In
detail. shall refer to it only because he
is the most distinguished and most authori-
tative exponent of Republican principles.
In it he lays down two fundamental pro-
positions and builds bis entire argument
upon them. The first proposition is az
follows. l quote:
Fellow citizens, the Republican creed is new.
ertheless no partizau creed. 1t is q National
faith. because it is the embodiment of the one
life sustaining. life expanding idea of the Amer
lean republic. What is the idea more or less
than simply this: That civilization is to be
maintained and carried on upon this continent
by Federal States, based upon the principles of
free soil, free labor, free speech, equal rights
and universal suffrage.
His second proposition is that
This national idea works not unopposed.
Every good and virtuOus and benevolent prn-
cple in nature has its antagonist, and this great
national idea works in perpetual opposition
may be allowed to say in irrepressible con-
Aiafx until frrt dali NO
idea. Do you ask what that delusive idea is?
1t is the idea that civilization ought and can
be effected on this continent, by this form of
federal States. based on the principle of slave
sOil-Of African slave labor, of unequal rights
and unequal representation, resulting in un-
equal suffrage.
Let US examine these two propositions.
In the first one he tells as that these States
must all be free, and that civilization can
only prevail upon free soil and with univer-
sal suffrage. What is the meaning of that
proposition? These States, when the gov
ernment was formed, were part free and part
slaveholding, and they have remained thus
divided from that day to this. They are
now divided into free States ard slave
States, as our fathers made them, with the
light of all or of each one to have and main
tain slavery as long as it chooses and abol-
ish it when it pleases. Cheers.] Were
not these States civilized when the govern
ment was made? ayes, sir."] Were not
the people of the United States civilized
when they formed this system of govern
ment? Have they not been civilized during
the whole of our history down to the pres
ent time? Have any people on the face of
the earth, during the same period, made as
rapid and as great strides in civilization, in
wealth and population, in glory and in all
the elements OF greatness, as the people of
the United States, divided as they have been
into free and slave States, as our fathers
made the republic. ["Good," and great
applause.
We are told by this leading exponent of
Republican principles, that civilization
cannot be preserved and maintained on this
continent under that system of institutions.
What is his remedy fO- the existing evils?
He says there must be free soil, equal rights,
and universal suffrage. The American soil
is all free at this day, and ever has been,
wherever the people desired it to be free.
(Applause.) When this government was
formed, it was composed of thirteen States,
twelve of which were slaveholding and on
Iy one free State. Hence, at that time,
one State was based on the principles of free
soil, equality of rights-that is between the
white man and the negro, and universal suf
frage-that is the right of the negro to vote
on an equal footing with the white man.
According TO Mr.. Stewards fundamental
proposition, Massachusetts, was the only civ.
iz-d State in the Union. daughter and
applause) The other twelve being slave
holding States, were not, in the language of
MIR. Seward, civilized, or, 10 the language of
MIR. Sumner, were barbarous. (Renewed
laughter and applause 1t so happens that
in this same speech MIR. Seward informs US
that New York was one of those savehold.
ing States. He goes further, and admits
that he himself Was born a STAKEHOLDER. l
suppose that his father was a STAKEHOLDER
before him because he could not have been
born Shareholder except as ipheriting
slaves from his ancestors. He failed to tell
Us that his father, or bis ancestors, whose
property he inherited, were not civilized, or
in favor OF civilization. (Shouts of laugh
ter and applause) Inasmuch, too, as he in-
formed the world for the first time that in
early life he was o saveholder--the owner
OF human beings. regret that be did not
also inform US whether be still holds those
chattels. (Renewed laughter) Or if he
has ceased to be STAKEHOLDER, how it was
be got rid of them. Cries of "sold them;''
laughter and applause.)
Did he emancipate ttem2 ("No," and
laughter Did be sell them? eyes, yes, u
and great merriment.) Or did be lose them
under the laws of New York? ("Oh, no, +"
TOO smart for that" Sold them')
do not care about pushing the inquiry
what became of his negroes, for my object
IN referring to this subject is to discuss the
principles of government involved. The
broad charge has been made by Mr.. Sum-
ner, that the slaveholdiDg States are barba-
rous, that slavery is barbarous, and that the
shareholders are barbarous, and Mr.. Seward
now declares that civilization can never
prevail where slavery exists, and conse.
qaently slavery must be abolished, and
equal rights established in each of the States.
Equal rights! How? All white men DOS.
s.ss equal rights 10 nearly all, il not all. the
States OF the Union. The equality OF rights
for which he is contending, therefore does
not relate to the white man alone, but is an
equality of rights between the white man
aud the negro, and in order to prevent the
conclusion that be would confine that equal
ity Of rights between the whites and the
all Il