, 1860-01-30
49rGsa Grihut1e.


Nfs DOUGLAS NE1 1NQC1SfT1oS.
We venture 10 say that Mr, Douglas propo'
sitious printed in another columu) for making |
certain political cresis aud opinions punish
able by imprisonment in the penitentiary, con-
atitutc tho most utterly infamous record ever
made by public man i'll tliis country. Ihe
old alien and scdition laws. which blasted tho
federal party Of 179s, did not seek to repress
the lure Of liberty among the people. They
sought simply to project the President and
C,usr.ss ot the United 6tates from de'stna-
tim, and to secure the more speedy execution
OF the laws. Yet SO obnoxious we're they to
the spirit o. the constitution that Virginia and
Kentucky. ,,ndsr the lead Of Thomas Jeifer-
s7n, placed themselves in position Of
araand aesi$iurs. to those cncroacis,nents
on the freedom Of inquiry, opinion, and
publication. But Mr.. Douglas proposes to
fine and imrrison people for believing
and proclaInling tie truths embraced in The
Declaration Of Independence! 1t amounts to
this: III. 4. and Afr. B. de ~lArc that 'tall men
are created equal" Mr. Douglas replies that
Mr.. A. and Mr. B. are in crror-the trainers Of
the Declaration o. Iudepcndencc-iatcnded
10 say that '' British subjects born on -A,neri-
'tcan zeil arc equal to British subjects born
',anl residing; i'll G-e.t Britain" MIA. and Mr..
B. scout this definition, and still insist that all
men are created equal. 'Dut, ~ rctorts Douglas,
Iii you are going to talk that way, if you keep
4'up that kind Of racket, I shall put you in tile
"pcniten,iarr-1 will open the prison doors
a.,nl allow you to select cells in which to
@drag out a miserable l;tcas n punishment for
";our crimes against the peace Of society"
That IS just what Senator Douglas proposes.
From tie recesscs oi heart iIconceivably de-
PRAYED must tho thought have proceeded. Tie
author Vi. such Il scheme thirss tor the blood oi
his coa,,trymep. The spirit Of the lnquisltion
survives in him, He wishes to sit in judge.
mcnt on the cousc;enccs cf his nsighbors With
<lcspo:ic power to exteru,irate the Heaven
born instincts If liberty aadlraternity.
Wcdo not t,issta,e the position. Ar, Doug
1as finds certain men rroclaiming that an ire
p.essible conflict exists 1,etween free and slave
labor, and certain others believing it. Hepro
poses 10 :; suppress il. Suppress what? Th'
irrepressiblc conflict. How suppress it7 "B,
indictments and convictions in the Fedora
= courts" BY ",naking such examples Of th'
"leadcrs Of tlles. co1srracies as will stEikt
"lerror in the hearts Of the others" LII
Douglas proceeds to poit,t os,t the conspirator
whom lie has in vicw By declaring that til
princ;r'o Of the Republican party is an irtc
concilable, eternal warfare on the institution
oi slaycry, aud that the legislation which Ii
proposes is designed opu. dorm this "outsid
interference" Ey outside Interference b
1noaus that sort Of discussion and TINT style {
voting wllica declares slavery to be grea
evil, and one which ought not to 10 extend
eli into ths FREQ Territories. In hi
debates with Mr. Lincoln in 1853, he wa
qo,ncwlat particular in explaining how II
outside interference operated. He aald tha
Mr. Lincoln would not 60 into Kentucky an
,yaro war gu the institution Of slavery, but h
would 20 down to the Ohio river and fire Iii
bombs across, to explode among the iunoce1
and peaceful natives Of that State. Thu
there ia no doubt as 10 4c]lat outside interfo
ence LIE proposes to crush. lie intends, if h
car, to send Mr. Lincoln to tho peniteatiar!
10 line Mr. Seward thousand dollars and ps
lin under bonds to hold hin tongue, and
pursue all men with federal warrants who hol
10 tho opinions Of Geo. Washington an
Thomas Jefferson. We repeat that VIC canut
conceive OF the deprayi.y and ieroeity Of spir
in which theac ideas had BIRTH