The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-08-10

sustaining MN unuer tne oeiusNo "c" s.ss
he Is directing his efforts 10 counteract tho
plans of the Southern democracy. This v
irightful hallucination, but Q natural ono,
when we take into consideration tho humili'
ating fact that all that devotion could do has
been done, by thoee surrounding his person,
TO distort truo record, and 10 stamp coun-
terfeit character for him on the public mind:
Viewing him as ono Of tho most unsafe ana
trcacherous Of leaders, you will pardon mo
certain statements which II now seems neccs,
sary should be made, and tho correctness o.
which, presume, will not be impugned. I
have not yet forgotten when In the winter OF
1856, during tho first session OF the thirty
fourth Congress, the residents OF Kansas ~
scrvating that tho cardinal principles OF tho
Nebraska-K Kansas act had boon wantonly ana
wickcdly nulliRcd that fraud and violence,
concocted In the blue lodges OF Missouri, had
invaded their homes and imposed q foreign
rule upon them for tho purpose OF forcing
upon them the institutions which they ab.
horned, and invoking the intcrposition OF
Congress in their behalf, the prided fathcrof
"untrameled popular sovereignty" turned
his back upon his violated child, and closed
his ears, as In death, to complaints Of out
RACES almost without q parallel In the civil.
zation of tho century.
These despoiled pioneers, who had taken
up their abode In the Territory under tho
most solemn guarantees Of selfgoycrnment,
only asked to prove their accusations, and 70
be relieved from oppression. In other words,
they declared that they had never been able
to enjoy sclfgovernment, that they .wero
IL n LII he
eighty conferred by law upon them. Mr..
Douglas should have been the first to ny to
their relief; and II he had been as complete
ly dedicated to tho principles Of his bill %
some would make Us believe, he would have
urged investigation and carried IL. 50 far
from having done 90, he put himself in tho
lead Of those Senators most hostile to an ex-
position, and became the mere mouth-piocc,
advocate and apologist Of those engaged In
the work OF forcing slavery upon On unwil.
ling people. He enjoyed ut that time tho
full confidence of the South, and his dcmoc-
racy was orthodox, because he was loyal TO
his taskmasters, willing to do battle for their
most extrayagant demands. He was then
chairman Of the Committee on Territories,
and call attention to his report as such,
made March l2, 1856, as conclusive upon
the point have stated. In that paper no
could find nothing to say against foreign
conspiracies TO invade the soil Of Kansas and
control elections, but he had much to ofer
in condemnation Of Eastern associations 70
encourage removal thither.
lie could discover no irregularities In tho
return of Mr.. Whitfield the pro-slayery del
cgate to the House Of Representatives, but
he clearly disccrned that the Territorial Leg
islature was legally elected body, with per.
feet authority to enact tho most cruel and
arbitrary slave codes, and that the complaints
of fraud and force were got up merely to
At the time of which speak, there was no
one In Congress or out OF Congress, in ofics
or out Of Office, who excrted himself moro
untiringly to pcrpetuate that reign OF terror
inauguratcd TO insure the admission OF Kan
sas into the Union as Slave State. fear
there are many now bearing up the banner,
inscribed with the name of this Senator, who
never have fully understood, or who hiyo
forgotten this furnished place In his history.
IL there ever has been moro determined
foe to the growth of freedom in Kansas, or
to the principles Of tho Nebraska.Kansas
bill, than Stephen A. Douglas, he has been
able 10 keep himself very much under cover.
1t is gratifying, however, to make single
remark in his favor 1t is this, that ho seems
as willing o. the most ardent Of his friends
to divert attention from this period In his
career. / am not aware that, in either CO.
say or address, he has yenturcd TO rccur to
II but on the contrary he seems disposed 10
treat II as blank in his lifo.
While thoso proceedings wcrc progressing
in the Senate, the other branch OF Congress
carried resolutions Of investigation under
close division Of parties, and sent select
committee 10 the Territory. Tho conse-
quencc was such an exposure o. satisfied tho
country not only Of tho truth Of every thing
charged. but Of existing conspiracies beyond
every thing that had been imagined. Tho
published evidence eiiectually revealed tho
Intentions Of the South, and mado deep
impression upon the North. Il was then e.
tablished that neither law nor proprieties
were to be allowed to stand In the way Of
slavery extension; and we wcro almost driven
to the conclusion that the repeal Of the Mis-
souri, restriction was but part OF general
and well matured plan Of operations, ut tho
head of which stood tho self-crowned chief
of popular Territorial government. Mr..
Douglas term Of Office was now approaching
to It's close. II is not unlikely that desire
for reelection, and o knowledge Of tho
conviction forced upon his State by the cx-
animation alluded to, induced him TO look
with different eyes upon Kansas, and created
an anxiety on his part TO tako up the cause
of her robbed and wrctched people. / can.
not certainly say how this may have bccn i
only state that o sudden and miraculous
change came over him, and that for Q while
ho seemed 10 glory in tho name OF 'rcbcl.'
He opposed tho admission OF Kansas under
the Lecompton constitution with seeming 90
riousness, and then announced his determin-
alton to vote for the greater iniquity. tho
"English BILL" II was then that the hon.
ored and heroic Harris, who now sleeps In
death, shed tears Of anguish, and gave utter.
ance to his despair. Over this again tho vail
has been carefully and closely drawn by tho
guardians OF Mr.. Douglas fame. Ills ad-
mirers hayo acted wisely, a. II has prevented,
doubtless, many unpleasant surmises and
suggestions. 10 that boldest, and trucst,
and greatest Of oil the warriors In tho battle
for tho right-Dayid Q. Brodcrick-is Mr..
Douglas indebted for his rescue from whirl.
pool which would certainly have engulphed
him. from stain which would have obliter-
atcd bis hcroism In connection with the Gauss
to which he has 20 SYSTEMATICALLY profosrod
to devote himself. withhold tho words In
which the scathing rebukc was clothed. And
yet this noblcst and most self-ncri6cing Of
men, Mr.. Douglas protector, the martyr 10
truth, who In the fullness Of his heart, and
on the dying couch. exclaimed, "They have
killed me, they have murdered me, beausc
was opposed 10 the extension OF slavery and
q corrupt administration, upon his return
home, and In tho hour OF his sternest Trial,
when fighting like Spartacus, upon his bond
I'd knees, against the pcnsioned horde. OF the
present dynasty, and at o time when he bad
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