Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-05-22
senator Douglas speech.


May %, 1860. a
Senator Douglas Speech.
The speech recently delivered in the United
States Senate by Mr.. Douglas, in reply to Mr.
Davis, of Mississippi, on the resolutions offered
by the latter, defining the duty of Congress to
protect slavery in the Territories, was quite a.
great affair. The Little Giant shows no dispo-
sition to back out from his position, but on the
contrary carries the war into the enemy's camp,
and while defending himself, convicts his oppo-
nents of fragrant inconsistency. Here and there
through his speech, he administers cutting re-
Dukes to Yancey, Davis, Bayard, Attorney Gen
eral Black, and even the Great Mogul himself
President Buchanan; and his sarcasms are the
more effective because of the strict courtesy
which characterizes his language. There Is
no vituperation, but covert severity which
could not fail to tell upon the victims.
Mr.. Douglas shows from the sotiop of Demo
cratic State Conventions in Florida, Georgia and
other Southern States, prior to 1048, that the
doctrine of Congressional non-interyentlon was
generally endorsed by the Southern Democracy.
Again, at the Baltimore Convention of 1o48,
Gen. Oass, the great chief of "squatter soVer-
eighty" was nominated, Virginia and most OF
the other Southern States voting for him. They
voted for him, says Mr.. Douglas, with knowl-
edge of his opinions on this question, and he was
their first choice. 1t is true that during the
Presidential canvass of that year, Democratic
politicians at the South denied that "squatter
sovereignty" was contained in the Baltimore
Platform, or even in Gen. Cass' Nicholson let
ter but the party were precluded from taking
such ground, for Yancey had made the issue dis
tinctly in the Convention, and was defeated by
an overwhelming majority. Yanceys protest
was rejected-ayes SO, nays 216-Virginia cast
ing II votes against it. Thus we find Virginia
voting against the incorporation of the doctrine
of Intervention for the protection of slavery in
to the platform Mr.. Davis supported Gen.
Cass under protest-'he has clean record, but
record outside of the Democratic party" says
Mr.. Douglas.
So in 1850, Mr.. Douglas contends, non-inter-
vention, according to his understanding of it, was
re-endorsed, and the Georgia s'fre-eaters" then
became ''submissionists perforce." Gen. Pierce,
=
issue-he was elected on that issue, and no other
he never would have been President but for
that issue-and Mr.. Davis became Secretary of
War by virtue of the same!
When the Kansas ebraska bill came up, the
doctrine was asserted again. The record proves.
says Mr.. Douglas, ''beyond cavil, dispute or pro-
test, that those who voted for the bill pledged
r.. hot
Intervention meant that Congress should not in
terfere for any purpose either to prohibit or pro-
tect, establish or abolish slavery. as
the opponents of the bill said. Alabama, Mr..
D. continues, sled the bolt at Charleston for the
sole reason that the majority of the Convention
adopted the Alabama ultimatum of 1866. He
recognized the right of the Democracy of Ala
bama to change their opinions just as often as
they please"
Mr.. Douglas comes down, in the course of his
speech, to the Cincinnati Convention of 1866
There, he contends, the same doctrine as
serted, and Mr.. Buchanan approved it in his let
ter of acceptance. Finding great difficulty with
his political friends in harmonizing upon plat
form, he says: 81 have rendered to them vari-
ons ropositions-tendered them the Florida
platform of 1S47, and they would not take it;
rendered them the Georgia platform of 1854, and
they would not take it; rendered them the Ala
bama platform of 1856, and they would not take
it; I tender them nos0 the letter Of Mr.. Buchan-
ans acceptance IN 1856, and let them construe
it for themselves; tender them Mr.. Breckin-
ridges speech at Lexington, in 1856, and let it
construe ITSELF won't dot an . or cross t."
Mr.. Douglas refers to his exclusion from the
Committee on Territories by the Democratic
Senators, but rejoces in the endorsement of the
Charleston Convention. By majority of the
whole electoral college, he was the choice of the
party for President; he is no longer heretic-
no longer an outlaw. He has no great respect
for the famous Tennessee resolutions-he wants
no double-dealing or double construction in a
platform. He is willing to stand on the Cncin-
natl platform, and give it the same construction
he has always given it. This is his ultimatuns,
and there is no hope left for compromise at
Baltimore or elsewhere.
Mr. Davis briefly replied. He said Douglas
had assumed the air of the monarch OF France,
who exclaimed, 81 am the State !" and undertook
to dictate to the National Convention on what
terms he would accept their nomination. So
the battle RACES.
H The Virginia Commissioners appointed
BY the Legislature to provide for the better de-
fanca of the State have contracted with Messrs |