, 1860-10-05

;",I Hrn,, Narfrv non, he Territories 1t xro.vks
1ux s4ns rsrsclrLks."- ."-Steech ef Senator Doaplas,
.Jnne 81, 1874 pages 1ll' a'd 1llc. col. sl t''g.
uE DEL1EyEs IT Is CONSTITUTIONAL TO PROHIBIT
SLAVERY IN THE TERRITORIES.
On the same day, and in the same speech,
Mr. Douglas referred to the Wilmot Psoviso
resolutions, passed BY the Illinois Legislature,
thus:
"Ny hands art tied upon che Isolated point.
"A Sxx4foa-Can You not break lnosef
Sfr DorGL As-F lHfe dkstre t0 break kaoAt.
My, opinions arr my qwn, and c1rrras them free15.
My votes belong IL those Who sent me herr and 10
whom am retponsibe. lhaye ntrer differed VIII ny
sse*t s a"e st:s .ssS @ S
THAT HAVE No CONSTITUTIONAL pIfFIcuI-
TIES and have previously txfce given the fant sn<
ii ray hauds Aase;no desire, taer<fore, 70 1.tak
k.oAe rnsn Me faAtrssdton" Gtooe,
AppeHdir, ro@. - part ], page 8sS.
TIE RESOLUTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS IEo1sLA1rnE-
This is perhaps nh appropriate place to in.
troduce the Wilmqt proviso resolutions OF
the Illinois Legislature Of l849., They were
adoptcd by the Senate on the 6th Of January,
in that year, aud By the House on the 9th. in
the following words:
"I4.o1rtd By the Stnats Of tic STATE eF Juinois,
tie Uon~t Of Reprtsenfaste<s eoacurr1ng, That our
Senators in Conrress be instructed and CUR
tatres requested to use al honorable means ~ their
power procure the enactment Of suc laws by Con
Eress for the raTernHent Of the countries and tsrsFo
rtes of the United Sxtes acquired by The tseaty Of
le.ee t!e,xsp limits and 't1snen. .ith rs " ke
shall cnutaIn the ea,rxs declaration that there &aH
Le ati-r *are1y Involuntary s,.rttude IN sHtd
rrio.its o':rs*I*r tan IL tl't pa1astnent ol crimes
SfHhh h&rA t.t4lf
*Rs.nlred 1y tho House Of Representatives., tie
Senate eoncuTlhg Aerstn, THAI tle Governor br re-
spectfuy requested transmit TO t9e Of cur Senaos7
and Representatives IL consFe+s co1y Of the JOINT
the 9 lust, far The exclusion Of slavery from the new
territories aeqared bs our late treaty With the hepua
lie Of MexIco."
Mr. DOUGLAS RESPONDS TO TIE RrsoLC71oSs~
On the esd Of October, l84a, Ar. Douglas
made speech in Springfield, ILL.,, (rcfered to
above,) which was published in the State Reg
ister Of Nor. Sth, 1849. In this speech, he
referred to the resolutions Of Instructions
passed by the Legislature, in the following
language:
t'In Augnu 4s he Or Doug1asl had voted for the
Oregon bill. c.utainlnR clause prohibiting slavery In
that Territory. About four months aftc!*arl., the
Legislature assemllrd and prepared reto!utton In
s&EctinF Senator's and requesting our RcpErs*rta
tvts u Cons1rss to voe for territorial blls h Cator
MA and New Mexico, containing prohibition of slsv-
tty In tsse Territories. III other words, they fn*frAcf
e3 hfU& too Ir<cixrty telf he had .f done 7rtLout
fstrasctions. 1Ie had i'een Informed t.at lis WhIg
friends, and perhaps lew ohefa, peculiarly situated
confidently expected him u resign, rather than obey
those Instructions It would be disagrerab!e to isap
point them IN 50 reasonable expectation. It wssa
sesoas question: however, requiring Erave and tellh-
er1e consideration wleshcr he could cosciencous!y
do under Instructions WHAT Hx HAn JET posE FHoN
11iR mcrATe4 nr HIS trpaEHEyT w1THorr tksTkrcT1oxs
A. the decision Of so important question requires
time to consiler he invited them to walt and see."
If it be denied that Nj. Douglas ever utter
cd these abolition sentiments, q copy Of
the Regi&r containing them, may be fou.d
on file, in one Of the public offices at Spring
others in other parts Of the State, though it
tainins Mr.. Douglas speech Of Oct 23d, 1S49,
stroyed in 1854, after the repeal Of the Mis-
soun Compromise.
HE THOUGHT THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE SHOULD
RAVE uEEx EXTENDED 10 THE PACIFIC.
: The bill for the admission Of California
being under debate, Mr.. Turner (of Tcnn.)
moved to amend the samc by extending the
Missouri Compromise line to the Pacific Ocean,
of Douglas amendment to the Oregon Bill.
Mr.. Douglas, on the 9Th day Of August, 1850,
said: -.
"As reference has been made TO me as the au.hnr Of
similar amendment, In 1915, to the Oregon Bill, de-
sire only 10 state that then willing to adjust the
whole savcry question that line and t.o-e ternt;
sna s 1s Wop 1GI' x NdW
VOTE FOR II. AND SHOULD BE GLAD TO SEE IT
ADOPTED: But since then California has increased
eanno, consent for oe, destroy that State g"sern
ment and send all lnck, or that such llne as u's
saF form her southern boundasJ. For that rsason,
asR @n8r 1leS S ssi .sa's ss r. a
page lols.
HE eAYB THE PEOPLE OF TIE HORTHTEsF WERE
coxfctEST1oTsLY OPPOSED TO SLAVERY.
In his speech in the Senate, on the 18th of
March, 1850, (already quoted fro1n) Iii.
Douglas took OCCASION to vindicatc the con-
seientious feelings Of the people Of Illinois
and the other Northwestern States on the
subject Of s1urers, US follows:
II undertake to say th.t there il not of these
Stata tzt would hare tolerated the inttltutton Of
required to do 70 by act of CongTrsa. 1t Ia libel
tie character Of these people, sa eay that the HONEST
sENT1MESTs or THEIR HEARTS were smothesed,
Cd and directed by act Of Congress, Will the Senators
from Ohio, Indiana Michigan. Wisconsin and Iowa
make any such DE9RADI9G ADMISSION in respect
THE CHARACTER or NJ OWN STATE nY SUCH
AN ADMISSION, aud know the character Of my
c"'eaeue too wi to 1..rhoE ths thought tha, he ~i
Aonal Globe, Appendix, yc1. e, paEt raEe 8s0]
Let the reader contrast this fine assertion
Of the conscientious convictions Of the pco-
p1e of Illinois, with the horrible libel upon
them contaipcd in his speecll of February