The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1860-01-26
The Calhoun Revolution = It's Basis and
its Progress.
SPEECH OF HON. J. R. D00llTTLE,
VT NtSNONSlN,
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JANUARY 3, 1850.


OF WISCONSIN,
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES,
JANUARY 3, 1860.
Mr.. DOOLITTLE. Mr.. President, desire, also,
to submit a few observations upon one portion
of the Presidents message referred to by the
honorable Senator Mr. BRowN] who has just
preceded me. | read from the message:
al cordially congratulate you upon the final settlement
by the Supreme Court OF the United States Of the question
OF slavery IN the Territories which had presented aspect
ton The right has been established Of every citizen take
his property OF any kind, intending slaves into the
Territories belonging equally to all the States Of the Confed
eracy and 20 have protected there under the Federal Con-
sttuton Neither Congress, Territorial Legislature,
nor any human power has authority 10 annul impair
this vested right"
And sgain, read upon the same page
Thus 5s the status Of Territory during the inerme-
date period from It's first settlement until shall become
state bceA rrevccby Fixed by the fna decision Of the
preme CoSrt" tr.t.R N..
In the first place, sir, what strikes me with
great force is the radical change in the opinions
of Mr.. Buchanan within the last twelve years.
Twelve years ago, he stated deliberately to the
American people that "the inference, in his
opinion, was irresistible, that Congress had the
power to legslate upon the subject of slavery in
the Territories" To-day, as President, he de-
clares that
Tho right has boon established of every citizen take
his property Of amy kind including slaves into the
Territories belonging equally 10 all the States Of the Confed
eracy, and W have protected there under the Federal
Constitution " and that neither Congress, Territorial
legislature nor any human power has any authority
nui or impair this vested right" II
Sir, is it not most remarkable that a man of
his ability and experience, after having, at the
ripened age of fifty years and upwards, declared
that the question is so free from all doubt that,
in his opsnion, the inference is irresistible that
Congress has the power to legislate upon the
subject Of slavery in the Territories, should,
for some reason, now, in the later years of his
life, after be has passed the period of three
score completely change his opinions on
this question TO maintain and declare that
" neither Congress, nor Territorial Legislature,
nor any HUMAN power" has the right to resist
the introduction of slavery into the Territories
of the United States, or "to anuul or impair
that vested right2" What an extraordinary
change must have come over the opinion of this
man with5a the last few years
But, sir, the change in his opinion is no
greater than the change which has come over
the opinions of hundreds and thousands in the
Southern States. In 1876, the opinion found
few ADVOCATES among the men of the South,
that Congxss had not the constitutional power
to legislatc upon the subject of slavery in the
Territories and fewer still that slavery is
carried INFO and protected in them under the
Federal Constitution. There were none at the
North. Ii is q new thought; il is an afterthought.
1t is not an original conclusion to which mems
minds have come, but it is part of a sys-
tematc attempt to revolutionize public opinion,
to promote what the slave power deems to be its
pecuniary and political interests. The leading
men of the South, having taken these new
grounds have dictated to the party in power.
during the last and present Administrations
change in its opinions and its policy.
distinguished gentleman, the Vice President
Of the United States, for whom ! entertain the
highest respect, in late speech delivered in
Kentucky, ssed the following language, speaking
of the different state of circumstances under
which the Eien of the South now find themselves,
compared v it'll what it was ten years ago
eve have 1he Executive We have tho kws We have
the decisions q the courts and that great from
where stOdS ten years ago"
In February, lS47, Mr.. Calhoun introduced in
the Senate = resolution declaring, for the first
time, this doctrine, that the Constitution. of its
own force, guarantees the right to take slaves
into the Territories of he United States and at
the same tine, another resolution DENYING the
power of Congress to inhibit it, Up to that time.
very few, ag.ong the prominent men at the South,
assented to shat doctrine. Under his lead, how.
ever, they have changed their ground, and have
changed the ground of the Democratic marty.
using its organization 10 force on a revolution
in opinion ca this question: and TO very great
extent, | ccafess, they have already succeeded
with those Who still act with that party
do not deny that they voted against the Con-
gressional prohibition sought to be applied in
1876; but what l say is this, that there were
very few Of teen who took the ground al shat day
that the Congress of the Uaited States, under
the Constitution had not the power to make the
prohibition, 4 they sought to apply it. Sir, the
whole historf OF this Government, from the begin
ming down y le47, was a history of prohibition
or Limitations of slavery on the part of Congress
and there neyer was an act organizing any Ter
ritory understhe authority of the United States
which did fot in the act itself recognise the
power OF Congress to lasislaie upon the subject
of slavery eyoHs to l847; but shall have
occasion tQ pefer to them more in detail here
after.
desire fer single moment now 10 INQUIRE
into, and, if possible, Wobs this thing to the
bottom, and'see what has brought about this
reyoiution OF sentiment upon this question The
truth is, that the South have changed their
ground on ths whole subject of slavery--slayery
IN the abstract and slavery in its relations to the
legislative and judicial powers of this Govern |
ment. We Of the Republican party stand whore |
our fathers stood, where your fathers stood, and
where you yourselves stood but {. vsry few years
ago, on this question of slavery, You then, and |
your fathers always, to be an evil
to be tolerated a. necessity until YOU could see
your Way to get rid ofiti hNt you did not take |
the ground that slavery Was a blessing, and in |
accordance w:th natural right.
You have not, until recently, assumed the |
doctrine that the natural and normal condition |
of the labOring man is that of slave. II "a
within the last few years that this doctrine has |
been promulgated at the South, aud grant that
there, it has made and IA waking most rapid |
strides. 1t reaches your schools, and it reaches |
your chg7pAss and 1t reaches your public jour /
nsI.
NJ. eHESNUT. With the permission of the
Senator from Wisconsin, deny that the position |
at the South Is that the normal condition of the |
laboring man is that of slavery. The position |
Is, that the aormal condition of the African |
among us is that of slavery, and the proper con-
dltion 1t is the true and only beneficial relation,
That is the ground we assume as the position,
not of the waite laborer, but of the African
laborer, in this country,
Mr.. DOOLI9TlE / understand, Mr.. Presi-
dent, that soras of the leading men and journals
Of the South, in defending slavery, do not un-
dertake to justify it upon the ground of negro
slavery alone. The Review of Mr.. De Bow, the
Euchmond Enquirer, the Charleston Mercury tie 4
Erdmner, and the book published by
Mr.. Fitzhugh, which was commended very gem
'rally by the leading Democratic press to the
PEOPLE of the South, take the ground and justify
iavery, not because slaves are negroes-the de-
cendants of Bam-but put it upon the broader
ground, and, az they allege, the only defsssible
ground upon which slavery can rest, that the
latural and normal condition OF the laboring
nan is that of . slave, and that the true ground
~ which to reconcile this conflict between cap
tai and labor lis, that capital should own its
abor, and not hire it.
Mr.. DooLIreLE was here interrupted by Mr.
LAY, OF Alabsma, and also Ay Mr.. RRowS, Of
Mississippi, who made some remarks, which
re omitted, Substantially concerning with Mr..
'HEsSyE SeeAppendix, Note A. Ic