Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-08-31
DOUGLAS AND THE PRESIDENCY.

| And who was the Instrument in this abor-
tive attempt? Who had the courage to be-
| tray thirty millions of men? Who attempted
TO take away the rights belonging to the peo-
| pie as contradistinguished from the oligarchy?
There was none other competent TO do this
! thing than this same Stephen A. Douglas
/ What were his views on this question? In
| l849 he said so sacred was the Missouri Com
promise that be feared the curse of God would
rest on that man who would attempt to strike
| it down. In 1854 we have him reiterating the
sentiment that that barrier should be held
eternally sacred. But he aspired 10 be Presi-
dent. He was greatly exercised. There ap-
peared to him a great figure, and it said to
him, 80, Stephen And he said, "Who art
thou?" II am the Slave Power. l make and
unmake Presidents in these United States,
and the truth is, in the contest for dominion
the battle has gone against US, and it is now
necessary for US to seek some other means of
getting into Kansas. If you will not repeal
that Compromise, Dixon of Kentucky wi.'-
And forthwith Stephen cried, "Allah, il allah!
there is no other God but thce!' And he went
to the Senate chamber and accomplished the
repeal of that sacred compact.
| ain charitable man, but say never has
| there been so disgraceful a regeneration as
that of Douglas, in relation to this question:
| But he could not meet his constituents, and he
| must have parachute. The courts had ever
stood by the doctrines of freedom; what did
Mr.. Douglas do? He discovered all at once
| that he was mistaken-that former enactments
| were not legitmate-in word, that the Con
stitution of the United States was itself uncon-
stitutional! Though he was not in favor of
slavery, he could not bear the idea of the inc.
quality of the States The experiment was
tried, and Kansas is still free; though for this
reason her rights are ignored and she is kept
out of the Union
But where was the champion of Popular
Sovereignty while this contest was going on?
Let US look at the record. Resolved, That the
people of the territories should be left perfect
ly free, without intervention by Congress or
the Executive of the United States, to make
their institutions as they think proper, subject
to the Constitution Of the United States. Why
was this last clause added? Every man knows
that the territories had no power to overthrow
the Constitution of the United States. 1t
was the doctrine of Calhoun, the arbitrator,
| that the Constitution, per Sc, carried slavery
into all the territories. 1t was then received
with an universal shout of derision. 1t is now
| the doctrine on which the Democratic party is
based, and it was for this that Mr. Douglas
inserted that clause. How do know tbi5?-
Why an Ohio Senator-Gov. Chase--the right
man in the right place, tremendous and pro-
longed cheering,) knew something of this Cal
houn doctrine, and he knew Stephen, and he
smoked out the little fox! (Laughter.) He
proposed that the people of the territories
should be permitted to have slavery or have it
not. Where then was Stephen? He killed
squatter sovereignty right there in the Senate.
He voted it down, And this Subject to the
Constitution" was loop-hole through which
the trickster might escape. |
Where do we find him practically in the
conflict of despotism with popular rights
When the New England clergymen petitioned
him to defend the rights of the people he de-
nounced them in such manner as to outrage
all the propreties and decencies of life. When
the cries of the suffering and the dying came
up to our ears from Kansas, and we wished to
ay our grievances before the servants of the
people at Washington, this little fellow. whose