The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-08-24


of the Declsration Of Independence. They
have no idea that che ramcn OF that great
charter Of human freedom. used language OF
doubtful import. They believe them 70 have
meant Just what they say, when they declare
can men are created equal, and endowedby
their Creator with certain inalicnablc rights" !"
&c. they believe they meant all men. They
have never had any other idea Of it. It en-
tered into their first conceptions Of is,-tbsy
cannot read Il without this idea being pre-
scnted to their minds. On s.r1 'al l.l
Holding thcss sentiments, as wo bslisve
many Of thcm do, We can not SEQ how they
can desire 10 placs man In the Presidential
chair who's Gysoxsd dsentimcnts on thesepoints
are 50 directly opposite 70 theirs. Mr.. Doug.
las does not believe slavery to be wrong OK.
ccpt where the laws make II 20. He believes
that slave Is rs much the property Of his
master rs his horse Is, and that he has a.
much right to carry him into territory OF
the United States as he has any other prop
erty. lie believes the Declaration to mean
only rhie men, when II says call men arc
created equal" He does not believe the ne
gro is, or should be, citizen Of the United
States.
DOUGLAS POSITION on THE SLAVERY QUESTION:
As DEFINED ny HIMSELF.
In his speech delivered In New Orleans,
December 9th, 1858, hc uses the following
language:
I" They, (the Auti-Slavery men Of the
North,) } bring forward tho Declaration OF
Independence, and read from II this passage:
{" We hold these truths to bc self-evident,
that all men are created equal, and endowed
by their Creator with certain inalienablc
rights" Then they stop and say, Doesn't
that Declaration tell us that oil men are ere
atcd equal? Is not negro q man, and is he
not therefore the equal Of the white man
Was hc not made equal by his Creator, and
Is not his equality therefore inalienable by
Divine law? Then how can you reduce him
to an inferior position by any human lawF
"By this spccious, but sophistical argu'
ment, they have succeeded in imposing on
some wcak.mindcd men, and some old wo.
men and children. until they have educated
q generation who really believe the ne
gro Is their brother. And l mus: be
permitted to tell you that many, even OF your
Southern men, have yielded under that argu.
ment, and failed to meet II. My answer Is
this When the framers OF the Declaration
declared that oil men were equal, they hdd
no reference rhaierer 10 the negro. They
were speaking of ,phiie men-men OF Euro
pean birth and descent, and had no reference
10 the negro or 10 any oihsr inferior aud de-
pendent race. This government was made
by white men, for the benefit Of white men,
and none Others"
In speech which he delivered in Balti-
moro on the evening Of January 5th, 1852,
the same sentiments are advanced in almost
the same language:
al know that there are those who believe
that slavery Is q crime. hold that It Is the
right of tho people to decide for themselves
whether IL Is crime or not. Those who
hold that 1t is, tell us that the Declaration
of Independence declares all men to have
been created equal, and assuming that this
declaration included the negro, demand that
he shall bc placed on an equality with the
white man. My answer to the argument Is
this: The signers Of the Declaration had
no reference phaicrer 10 the negro, when
they declared oil men t. have been created
equal. They were speaking Of white men
of men of European birth and descent, and
no one else, when they declared tho equality
of all men. This government was founded
on white basis; 1t was made by white men,
for the benefit Of white men. The negro Is
no component part Of this government; he
is not citizen, and ought neer 10 be afi-
.n." .....r
HIS VIEWS on rnE pRED SCOTT DECISION.
"But an objection Is raised by some OF
our Southern friends, and have been asked
here and at home, what | mean by the doc
trine Of popular sovereignty In the Terrific,
ries, and whether We abide by the Dred
Scott decision. The Democracy OF Illinois
accept tho decision of the Supreme Court OF
tho y. s. in the case Of Dred Scott, as an
authoritative Interpretation of the Constitu-
tion. In accordance with that decision, ,ce
hold that slares arc property, and hence are
on an equality ,ciih all other kinds Of prop
eriy, and that the owner Of o slave has the
same rigM to remove into o territory and
carry his STARE property riM him, m the
owner of any other property has to 50 there
and carry his property."-N. U. Speech,
paScI.
These doctrines are as opposite to those
which the great mass Of Northern Demo-
Gratis profess to hold, as light . to
darkness. or ay liberty Is to slavery. And
how is It possible that they can give their in
fucncc and votes to elect man to tho Presi'
dcncy whose sentiments on thess important
questions are 70 far at war with their own1
Doing 40, how can they reconcile their pr'0-
tiee with their professions!