Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-08-06


to that people, the President and Cabinet
and the whole Democratic party, tried to drag
Kansas into the UEion against her win, and
thus force her TO Slavery.
Before this had been Democrat all my
life, and havn't materially changed my
position. think the President and party in
Congress have changed, but not myself
When l found myself abandoned by every
body in my own party, | returned to Kansas
and still urged the policy Of allowing the
people to manage their own affairs. Then
found everybody there-the Republicans Of
Kansas working with me-and for the first
time found myself working in concert with
the Republican party, for the preservation Of
the liberties Of the people. Twas in Congress
in 1854, and voted for the Kansas-N ebraska
bin Imade speech, however, on that bill,
stating my belief that Slavery never would
60 TO Kansas as, indeed, it never was attempted
10 be carried there, excepting by q few men
on your borders, and other mischievous men
inthe South. Il has been gotten up for poll
tical benefits.
Now, gentlemen, this IS fundamen.li
principle Of our Government, that the peo
Of a State have a right to form their own
AQuSAlluklNns 4 CT neIE W y NQu5klkuLlQut
and contested by the entire people of Kansas,
that was sought to be forced on Kansas by
the Democratic party. In so doing
the Democratic party surrendered its own
principles These are some of the reasons
why left the Democratic party, and why
would now, If had not been disiranchised
by removal into Kansas, cast my vote for
Lincoln and Hamlin. Applause. l found
myself in Kansas a Republican, and worked
with them. The effort was then to secure
the Just and honest administration of the law
in Kansas. The fault was not with the law
1t was with Mr.. Buchanan and the Demo-
cratic party in Congress, who desired to force
Lecomptonism on the people. That was for
tunately defeated, but the English "puzzle
was passed. Il forms an extraordinary chap
ter in our politics Il shows that the Admin
istra6on was engaged in trying to purchase
votes to make Slave State. Yes, $4,000
spent in the Department Of public printing to
corrupt Congress. Is it strange that fraud
should be committed here after tho spectacle
presented in Washington When these eI-
amples are held Up it benumbs and thrills the
whole country, and whenever fraud IS prac-
tised it may be charged upon the Admins
tration. This IS another reason why 1 shall
vote against the present Administration and
those wis affiliate with it. Knowing what
do of its corruptions, / could not suppress
my voice against them or repress my indig-
nation against the dignitaries Of this Repub-
lie. Leaving out all other questions, when
see nay country's escutheon stained, it be-
comes the duty Of every man to cast his vote
against them, and do it in the most effectual
manner. This is a passage in our history
never to be forgotten. In all the pages OF
history from l776 TO 1860 nothing like it has
ever been seen in our country. Think of
that hypOcrite saying to the people of Pitts
burg that money was used to carry cleo
tons, when he was using public money to
force a Constitution on Kansas obnoxious to
her people.
You are all aware that in company with
Gov. Walker and myself there were others
who sustained us throughout, and known gen
orally as anti-Lecompton Democrats led on
by Douglas l havn't an unkind word
against him, but l shall not vote for him.
admire him to some extent for the position he
occupies. believe Popular Sovereignty to
be correct but not as embodied in the Kan
sas Nebraska bill, because the people of Kan
Sas had no chance to assert their majority
Douglas sustained them for WHILE but he
has fallen from it. Had he sustained that
position would not now be advocating Lin
coin and Hamlin for the Presidency. Doug
las has not maintained his position to the end
After the Democratic party had abandoned
is principles, be ought not to have gone to
Charleston at all. He should have hOisted
the standard Of true Democracy, and defed
the Charleston Democracy and this, gentle
men, is what !, IN my humble way, advised
him to do. He thought differently, and wished
to purify the party. told him that they
would crush him, and they have done it
They decapitated him for the chairmanship of
the Committee on Territories, and Senator
Green was substituted in his place thought
then he would take my advice, but l was
chagrined to find that he didn't meet this
outrage as would have done. You saw just
after that act that Douglas went crawling
back into a Senatorial caucus as Democrat
whereas he had only little while before
been kicked out for not being a Democrat
The next we saw was that he was willing to
take the Charleston nomination if he could
get it harmoniously, upon almost any terms,
and at Baltimore you saw that he took a
nomination on a ticket with Senator FitZpat-
rick-a LecomptOnite, who had voted in the
teeth of Douglas on every question affecting
the Lecompton Constitution. Again, in
Douglass letter accepting the nomination,
there was not word about Kansas or her
wrongs, about which Douglas has himself re-
peatedly denounced There never was an act
that called for denunciation louder by politi-
IL h,
Breckenridge, the Bell and Everett party, and
the Sam Houston party, all omitted to say
anything of these frauds-the Republican
Convention was the only convention 10 say
anything on that point.
Gentlemen ! ask your attention to this
point particularly, as l feel that having al
ways lived in Southern State, it is necessary
for me to explain why am now advocating
Lincoln and Hamlin- 1t is because no other
party has dared 10 say anything against the
outrages which were inflicted on the people
of Kansas by the Administration, and doing
Justice to the part was called on to act in
that contest. 1t may be a personal consider
alton, but feel that the honor of the whole
country is involved In this matter. But
these conventions, emitting this subject from
their platforms have shown want of inter-
est in the rights Of a sovereign people and
have given no cause for political action
Every man who has had an interest in the do
ings on the plains of Kansas, ought to feel
an interest in this thing. Because the Re
publican party has denounced this thing,
feel in honor bound, and in justice to myself
to give them support. Gentlemen, think
of the thing. In 1857, when the Lecompton
! Constitution was sent TO Congress, it was
that because she would have been slave
State Well in 1853, when she presented q
fair constitution created without fraud, and
when her population had largely increased,
and yet while the whole Democratic party
sought to bring her in under the Lecompton
Constitution, almost the whole party voted
against her admission under the Wyandotte
Constitution. It is true that the Republican
House Of Representatives, by a majority oi
| so voted to admit her, but the Senate con-