The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1860-02-16

States; written on every grain field tina
in the breeze. on every factory tina
dots the course of their rushing waters. OF
every cottage that harbors thrifty freemen =
written in every heart that rejoices over the
blessings of liberty. Long continued ap.
plause. There it stands. in characters OF
light Only a blind man cannot see it only
fool can misunderstood it; only a knave
can wilfully misnterpret it. repeated
cheers.
Such is Mr.. Douglass principle Of popular
soVereign'y in its logical and historical as
pect; apparently adopting the doctrine that
slavery is the creature Of local law only. and
lighting against Congressional Slave Code.
bat on the other hand. admitting the very
principle on which protection TO slave prop
er,y becomes a logical necessity; and again
assuming the ground that slave property may
he introduced where there is no local law,
but explaining away the logical consequences
OF hat doctrine by the transparent sophistry
Of unfriendly legislation; dragging the proud
est exploits Of American craftsmanship into
the dust; emascula.ing the Declaration Of In
Gcpcndence. because incompatible with its
principles; setting aside the ordinance Of II
~, because that stern fact is conclusive
historical argument against it Jesuiticai
piece Of equivocaton and double dea!ing, un-
dyiN w otoi0 DCioic tbc I4'siSI5A va %
mind. because it is mixture of glaring con-
tradictions; unable 10 strip the rar Of princi-
Iieg and interests, because II IS at uar Nth
tseLE Applause. 1t is true. its principal
champion worked had to cover with bullying
boisterousness the moral cowardce from
which it sprang; but in vain. He mistakes
the motive power which shapes the actions
of free nations. Having 20 moral convictions
Of his own to stand upon, he could never ad-
dress himself to the moral sense Of the peo
Pile. Having no moral convictions of his own!
This is grave charge but l know what |
say. | respect true convictions wherever l
find them. Among the fire eaters Of the South
there are men who speak of the morat basis
OF slavery. and believe in it who speak of
tie blessings of servitude, and believe IN it
Who assert that slavery is right and believe
i. Atrocious as their errors may be, and
deeply rs deplore them, yet | respect their
convictions as soon l find them out. But
look into the record of the champion Of pop
ular sovereignty scan it from syllable to syl
ial le; and then tell me. you Douglasites of
the North, who are in the habit of telling Us
that YOU are the true anti-slavery men, and
popular sovereignty will surely work tie
overthrow OF the institution, did your master
ever utter a similar sentiment? Do you
fluid in his record one word Of sympathy
with the down troddcn and degraded One
spark ofthe humane philosophy Of our age .?
Orn syllable i1 vindcation Of the outraged
dignity of human nature? One word which
All. Int Indicate a moral conviction that slave
ny is WRONG {? Not one
But one thing he does tell you II do not
Cayc ichether siapery be rOted up or do~n -
There is then human heart that does not
care Sir, look over this broai land. where
4 la. ST. k,o for ,rl
and across the two oceans, around the globe.
To the place where the far West meets the far
East; over the teeming countries where the
cradle OF mankind stood; and over the work
shops of civilization in Europe. and over
those mysterious regions under the tropical
SUM- Which have not emerged yet from the
night of barbarism to the daylight of civil
lied hfe--and then tell me. how many hearts
10 YOU find that do not tremble with mortal
neuish or exultant Joy as the scales Of HUI
man freedom or human bondage go up
DOWN? Look over the history OF the world,
rom the time when infant mankind felt IN
It's heart the first throbbings of aspiring dig
alty. down TO our days, when the rights OF
man have at last found a bold and powerful
hampton in great and mighty Republic
" here the page that is not spotted with blood
and tears shed in that all absorbing struggle;
where a chapter which does not tell the tale
II iubilant triumph or heart breaking distress
rs ,ae scales OF slavery or freedom went up
rr down? Loud applause But to day. i'll
die midst of the nineteenth century, in a Re
public whose programme was laid down in
die Declaration of Independence, there comes
a man to you, and tells you. with cynical
coolucss, that he does not care And be
cause he does not care. he claims the conf |
deuce of his countrymen and the highest
honors of the Republic Because he does no.
care. he pretends to be the representative
statesman of this age
Sir, always thought that he can be no
true statesman whose ideas and conceptions
are not founded upon profound moral convio
Gions of right and wrong lApplausel What.
them shall we say Of him who boastingly
we not drop the discussion about his states
mar i? Repeated cheers Yes: he mis-
takes the motive power which shapes the
events of history. l find that in the life Of
free nations. mere legal disquisitions never
the tide OF events, and mere con-
s,itationsl constructions never determined the
tendency of the age. The logic of things
gees its steady way. immovabe to eloquence
aud deaf to argument. 1t shapes and chang
Is laws and Constitutions according to its
rules and those opposed to it will
prove no edectual: obstruction to its onward
march. In times of great conflicts. the
and dictates Of human conscience.
arc more potent than all the inventive ingen-
uity of the humsn brain. The conscience OF
y free people. when once fairly ruling the
action OF the masses. will never fail to make
new laws, when those existing are contrary
10 its tendency, or it viii put its own con-
tnbSe that
and Probabilities may be used
As weapons and stratagems in q fencing match
Of eontroversing parties but, powerless as
they are before the conscience of man nos