Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-05-29
TaE liberal extract which we make on

Tuesday morning, May G91 1ooO.
TaE liberal extract which we make on
the outside of our paper to-day, from the
famous speech of Senator Benjamin, of La,
delivered in the Senate last week win be read
with lively interest by those who take
any interest at all in current political
matters. He says some queer and some
very. severe things of Senator Douglas and
pays some very unexpected compliments
to Lincoln, and contrasts the straight
forward honesty and frankness of the
slatter in the great Illinois Senatorial Cam
1,paigu of 1883 very disparagingly withths
scasuistry and double dealing of the former.
As it will be seen he quotes and commends
the fraukness, as well as the conservatism
, of Lincoln's replies to the following ques-
lions propounded to him by Douglas in
the course of that campaign:
Question |. 81 desire to know whether
Lincoln to-day stands, as he did in 1854
in favor of the unconditional repeal OF the
Fugitive Slave law"
Answer do not now, nor ever did,
stand in favor of the unconditional repeal
of the Fugitive Slave law.
o. 2. 81 desire him to answer whether
he stands pledged to-day, as he did in
1854, against the admission of any more
slave States into the Union, even If the
people want them"
& A. / do not now, or ever did stand.
pledged against the admission of any more
Slave States into the Union.
o. 3. 81 want to know whether he stands
pledged against the admission of new
State into the Union with such consti-
tuition as the people of that State may see
fit TO make 7"
A. do not stand pledged against the
admission::of new State into the Union
with such a constitution as the people of
that State may see fit to make.
o. L. az want to know whether he stands
to-day pledged to the abolition of slavery
in the District of Columbia"
"A. I do not stand to-day pledged to
the abolition of slavery in the District OF
Columbia.
Q. 5. ~ desire him to answer whether
he stands pledged to the abolition of the
slave trade between the different States z"
A. do not stacd pledged to the prohi-
bition of the slave trade between the diff
ferent States,
o. 6. 81 desire to know whether he
stands pledged to prohibit slavery in all
the Territories of the United States, north
and south of the Missouri Compromise
line?"
pledged to a belief in the right and duty
of Congress to prohibit slavery in all the
United States Territories"
Q. 4. 81 desire him to answer whether
he is opposed to the acquisition of any
new territory unless slavery is first pro-
hibited therein ?"
A. am not generally opposed to honest
acquisition of territory; aud, in any given
case, would or would not oppose such
acquisition, accordingly as might think
such acquisition would or would not
aggravate the slavery question among
ourselves.
Senator Benjamin in commenting on
these answers does well to say that SIT is
impossible not to admire the caudOr and
frankness With which these answers are
given. There is no equivocation or eva
sion" But if you want to see both equiv
ocation and evasion, read Douglas an
swer to the second interrogatory as quo
ted by Benjamin. See how he evades
anything like explicitness and substitutes
therefore a great farrago of stuff as to
what the people of Territory can do BY
"unfriendly legislation" to prevent the ex-
tension of slavery.