Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1860-02-07
From the Madison State Journal
Speech of Carl Schurz at Springfield, Mass.-Rid-
dies Douglas and Popular Sovereignty.

dies Douglas and Popular Sovereignty.
We publish below extracts from {
speech delivered by Cam ScHURz, a
Springfield, Mass, on the 4th inst. Il i:
a masterly effort, and has received the
highest enconlums from the press of Mas
sachuseas. He opened with defining
Douglas doctrine of Popular Sovereign
ty, stating the favorable manner IN which
Il was a first r, ceived. but that il is now
being secuted on all hands, and after
using one form of argum enl against il, he
continues:
Which side will Mr. Douglas take 3
Will he be bold enough 10 say thai Slave
ry, being The creatule OF local law only,
Is excluded from The Territories in the
absence OF positive law establishing IL, or
VIII he be honest enough TO concede that,
according 10 his own proposition in his
/ New Orleans speech, Slavery exists in
the Territories by virtue of the Federal
Constitution He Will neither be Bold
enough to do the first, lor honest enough
TO 90 the second he VIII be cowardlv
enough to DO either Applause He
IS in the position of that Democratic can
dldate for Congress in the West, who,
when asked, Are YOU a Buchanan or u
Douglas man g answered, u am. ;"
Great laughter and cheers. II you ask
Mr.. Douglas, "Do you hold than Slavery
is the creature of loual law, or that a
Shareholder has the right to Introduce his
slave property where there is no local
laws g he will answer. II do"
Such is Mr.. Douglas doctrine of Popu-
lar Sovereignty. But after giving you
Mr.. Douglas own definitions of his own
words, | see you puzzled all the more,
and you ask me again. "What is itE'' l
will Iell you what juignctlt will be passed
upon II 10y future historians. who may
fad it worth while lo describe this impor-
tant attempt TO daily and trile with The
logic Of things. They viii say-"[t was
the dodge OF man who was we'll aware,
that Ia order to be elected President OF
the United Safes, the vu:es Of few
Northern States must Dc ..dl-d 10 the
united vote OF the South. Knowing b.
experience that the Democratic road TO
the White House leads through the slave
holding States he broke down The last
geographical barrier to the extension of
slavery. Bat in cOnceding undisputed
saw that he was losing his foolhoid III the
Northern States, necessary 10 his elect;On;
he availed himself Of the irresistible pres
sure Of the Free State movement il Kan
sas, and opposed the Lecompton Cons.i-
IL ion. 50 he saved his Senatorship in
Illinois, as the champion oS Free Labor.
But the South froWued. and Immediately
after his victory he wen, into the slave
holding States, ana admitted In his speech
Is. that Slavery may % into the IerrIlo-
ries, without a special act OF territorial
ieglolluon Believing the South salts
fed. ana seeing his chances III the North
endangered, he wrote his ..Harper Mag
azine essay" assuming that slavery can
exist only by local law.
The South frowuIng again, he endeay-
ored 70 make peace with tae shareholders
by declaring that he would submit ~ The
Charleston Contention, and insIructing
his nearest friends n the House to vote
for the Administration candidate FOX the
Speakershl3. So he endeavored TO catch
both sections of The Union succeSsiveiy in
trap OF dJube-faced Sophistry II
tried 10 please them both In trying to
cheat them bo,h. BlJ h placed himself
between the logic of liberty on one, and
the logic Of slavery on the o.her side.
He put The sword ot logic INTO the hands
Of his opponents, aud tried to defend him
self with the empty scabbard Of "upfriend-
ly legislation. Applause ] Unfriendly
legislation, which In one case would have
been unnecessary, in others unconslitu-
tional-:he invention of a mind without
logic, Of heart without sympa.hieS; re-
cognizsd on all sides as mere subs'i-
,ule, behind which the moral coTardlce of
Presidential candidate enirenchts HIM
self [Cheers.
Let your Imagination carry you back
--e H.