East Saginaw courier., 1860-09-20
EAST SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, SEPTEMBER 2O 1860

way from New York to Chicago.
Along the way at night l had th'
pleasure Of seeing myself burnt in efligy
and hung from the trees in the daytime
because had become sthe representative
man Of this dogma. But still, by unusua
exertions, and expense of voice anC
strength, l convinced the people Of Hi
nois that the principle of self-govern
ment was right. Then felt sympathy
for my friend Breckenridge in Kentucky
who lived in that dark, benighted region
where the people had never yet voted q
democratic ticket, and hence agreed tc
hel p him. went.
When | arrived at Lexington on the
appointed day, found all College Green
crowded and jammed with people, as
find Monument Square tonight. But il
was rainy, dark and gloomy day.
stood in that rain addressing those people
for three mortal hours and drenched in
rain, during which l expounded the prin
ciples of non-intervention and popular
sovereignty as have explained them to
you tonight. Breckenridge stood by my
side and patted neon the back. Cheers
AT any important part of the speech
he called for three cheers for the Little
Giant" Great cheering.) 1 kept on
for three hours. The consequence was a
severe attack Of bronchitis, which laid
me up for four months, until my friends
lost hope that | would ever speak again
on any subject, much less this dogma.
However, in the course of next Febru-
airy l recovered the use of my voice
enough to get to Washington late in the
session. then wrote the celebrated re-
port from the Committee on Territories
against abolitionism and rebellion in
Kansas, putting down rebellion and sup.
porting squatter sovereignty. That re-
port gained the contest of 1856.
When the Cincinnati convention as
sembled, Buchanan became one of the
democratic nominees upon a platform
that very dogma which he
now denounces. John G. Breckinridge
became the nominee for Vice President
on the same platform.
Now, if you doubt whether Buchanan
understood the platform as / now do,
just read his letter of acceptance. In
that letter you will find that he not only
accepted the nomination on the Cincin.
natl platform, but he told you what the
dogma meant. He said that the meaning
was x will use his own language) "that
the people Of Territory, as well as
those of State, shall decide for them
selves whether slavery shall or shall not
exist within their limits" (Cries Of
that's so.'O That is Buchanan's Ian
guage, and | never stated the dogma
stronger. Old Buck was elected with
that construction of the dogma. Breck-
nridge returned to Lexington, l think
it was on June the 9th, 1856, and made
a speech, in which he accepted the nom.
nation Of Vice President.
In that speech he defined the dogma
in the same language, substantially the
same, as Mr.. Buchanan. But, unfortu-
nately, about this time the aboitionists
Of the north, and especially Governor
Chase, of Ohio, started the story that
The southern democracy did not under
stand the dogma just as we northern
democrats did. Well, we find that the
charge was advanced that the people of
, Territory could not, like those of a
State, decide the question of slavery in
The Territory for themselves.
What do you think we did to refute
'uch slander? Why, we sent invita-
lions to Breckenridge asking him to
come and address the northwest, and tell
The abolitionists what an internal lie it
vas that there was any difference of opin-
on upon that question. We also invited
prominent southern men, from the differ
,nt States, to come north and tell the
people there that the southern people
we're all in favor of that dogma, as ex-
pounded by Buchanan and Breckenridge
n their letters of acceptance. Brcckin-
ridge came out in the Northwest. l met
him at Tippecanoe--on that famous bat
:le-ground-in September, 1856.
We made speeches from the same
stand. lie, having priority of me as q
candidate, spoke first, and when he came
20 expound this doctrine of non intcrven-
right of the people to govern
in the Territories-I was so
delighted with his arguments that l got
light behind him, clappcd him on the
pack, and told him to "go it," (Great
sughtcr)
tell you the squatter sovereigns out
there were all delighted. When he got
through he introduced me as the author
If the dogma, and got up and ex-
blamed it to the people, who had assem-
oled by the acre.
On all the telling points, when l was
giving the abolitionists particular Jessie
ind bringing the democrats up to the
point, Breckinridge would stand at my
back, clap me on the back, and endorse
my sentiments. / assure you / did not
1t that time doubt but that Breckenridge
was sound on the dogma. We then
went to Maine, leaving Tippecanoe in
company with Gen. Csss, travelled thro'
Maine, making speeches from the stand,
and complimcnting the old General as the
author Of the Nicholson letter, and of
the original doctrine of the dogma, long
before Douglas was thought Of. [Cheers
and lsughter.]
Hence, never doubted Brcckinridge's
soundness. But again, we northern men
were not content alone with this Pres
ton of Kantuckv a relativc of Rrcckin.