Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1860-08-23
VA: THURSDAY, AUGUST %. 1860.

anu ueluSlVc luea that nc i Nilcttlnr
his efforts to counteract the plans o
the southern Democracy. This IS I
frightful hallucination. but natura
one when we take into consideration
the humiliating fact that AL that devo
tion could DO has been done by tho,,
surrounding his person, to distort Z
true record, and to stamp countcrici
character for him OH the public mind
Viewing him as one of the most un
safe anj trescherous of leaders. yel
will pardon me certain statements
which it now seems necessary should
lie made. and the correctness of which
| presume, will not be impugned.
have not yet forgotten. when. in the
winter of 1896. during the first
session of the Thirty-fourth Congress,
the residents of Kansas aSSevcrating
that the cardinal principle of the Ne
braska-kansas act had been wantOnly
and wickedly nulliied, that fraud
and violence. cOnc0ctei in the Blue
Lodges of Missouri, had invaded their
homes and imposed a foreign rule upon
them for the purpose of forcing upon
them institutions which they abhorred
and invoking the interposition OF
Congress in their behalf, the Pridcd
father of 'untrampled Popular Sow
ereiSnty' turned his back upon his
violated child, and closed his ears, as
in death, to complaints of outrage al
most without a parallel in the civilza-
tion of the century. These despoiled
pioneers, who had taken up their
abode in Territory under the most
solemn guarantees of self-government,
os.lv asked to prove their accusations
and to .e relieved from oppression.
In other words they declared they had
never been able to enJty se.f-govern-
ment, that they were ruled by lnva-
ders, and demanded the sovereignty
conferred b. law upon them. Mr.
Douglas should have been the first
man to fly to theil relief; and if he
had been as completely dedicated 20
the principles of his bill. as some
would make us believe, he would
have urged investigation and carried
it. So far from having done so, he
put himself in the lead of those Sena-
tors most hostile to an exposition,
and became the mere mouth piece,
advocate, and apologist of those en-
gagged in the work of Slavery upon an
unwilling people. He enjoyed at that
time the full confidence OF the South
and his Democracy was orthodox, be-
cause he was loyal to his task masters
willing to do battle Tor their most ex-
trsvagant Demands. He was then
Chairman of the Committee on Terri.
tories, and | call attention to his re-
port as such, made March l., 1896
as conclusive upon the point | have
stated. In that paper he could find
nothing to say against foreign conspi-
racies to invade the soil of Kansas
and control elections, but he had much
to offer in condemnation of Eastern
associations to encourage removal
thither. He could discover no irregu-
larities in the return of Mr.. Whitfield
the Pro- Slavery delegate to the House
Of Representatives, but he clearly dis
cerned that the Territorial Legislature
was legally elected body, with per
feet authority to enact the most crue
and arbitrary slave codes, and that
the complaints OF fraud and force were
gotten up merely to stimulate and cx
cite Northern emigration. At th'
time of which | speak, there was NJ
one in Congress or out of Congress
in office or ont of Office, who cxerte'
himself more untiringly to perpetuat
that reign of terror inaugurated to IN
sure the admission of Kansas into th
Union as Slave State. | fear Their
are many now bearing up the banne
inscribed with the name Of this Sena
tor, who never fully understood, 0
who have forgotten this tarnishcd pag
in his history. If there has ever beel
more determined foe to the growtl
of freedom in Kansas, or the princi
ples of the Nebraska Kansas bill
than Stephen \. Douglas, he has beer
able to keep himself very much unde
cover. 1t is gratifying however, f
make a single remark in his favor,
is this. that he seems as willing as th
most ardent o. his friends to diver
attention from this period Of his career
| am not aware that, in either essa,
or addres, he has ventured to recur &
it; bu. On the contrary he seems dis
posed to treat it as a blank in his life
While these proceedings were pro
crossing in the Senate, the othe
branch of Congress carried resolution
of investigation under close divisiol
of parties, and sent select committe
to the Territory. The conseGuenc
was such an exposure as satisfied th
country not only of the truth of ever
thing charged. but of existing con
spiracies beyond any thing that ha
been imagined. The published evi
dence effectually revealed the inteu
,ions OF the South, and made dee
impression upon the North. 1t wa
then established that neither law NJ
( proprieties were to be allowed to stan
in the way oil slavery extension; an
we are almost driven TO the conclr
sion that the repeal of the Missoul
Restriction was but q part Of a ger
eral and well matured plan of operf
tions. at the head of which stood I'll
self-crowned chief of popular Terrific
rial Government. Douglass term {
Office was now approaching its clos
Ii is not unlikely that desire for
re election, and a knowledge of I'll
conviction forced upon his State b
,hs examination altu,lal ia inlus.