The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-08-10

voted for supplies of men and money to
carry it on. Applause. After these
votes, Mr.. Lincoln went home, and the dis
trict that by her valorous sons had contrib.
uted so largely to those conquests in Mexico,
excused him from serving further in Con-
gress. Laughter.
There were some other propositions which
Mr.. Lincoln made while be was in Congress,
and l propose to discuss them all. You
need not be alarmed, it will not take me
very long, for bis record is very short.
Laughter. On one occasion, when he
had this negrophobia upon him, he intro
duced bill to abolish slavery in the Dis
trict Of Columbia. How do YOU suppose
he intended to abolish it? Abolish it right
out? Here is the District of Columbia,
over which, as all agree, Congress has abso-
lutte jurisdiction, yet Mr.. Lincoln in his bill
proposed to refer the question of abolition
to the white voters in the District. If they
voted eyes," slavery should be abolished;
if they voted mo-" it should continue.
Now the Republicans tell you that you
ought not to trust this question of slavery
to the people of the Territories. They
want to induce you to believe that the peo-
pie will not decide it properly; yet Mr..
Lincoln, before he became candidate for
the Presidency, thought that in the District
of Columbia the people ought to decide
whether or not they would have slavery.
[Applause.]
But he did not exactly propose to set the
negroes free. By his bill, the President of
the United States, the Secretary of State,
and the Secretary of the Treasurer were
constituted appraisers. In each case these
appraisers were to set up value upon the
negro if the owner agreed to take the
price named, they were to give him an order
upon the treasury; and your money was to
60 to pay for that negro, who had, perhaps,
served out the best of his life as slave in
the District of Columbia. Laughter.
The doctrine of the Democratic party inter-
poses, and says, Hands off! Non-inter-
ventiOn by Congress with the subject Of
slavery.
Let us look at the question involved in this
proposition, and see how the beauty of the
Democratic doctrine of non-intervention
in displayed in contrast with the the doctrine
thus propounded by Mr.. Lincoln. Do you
favor the idea that your money should 60
to buy the negroes 10 the District of Colum-
bia? [ am opposed to it. do not want
this Government to become negro pur-
chaser. In the section of country where 1
was reared, and which is now my home,
the man who engages in the purchase and
sale of negroes is considered degraded. In
my judgment the government which engages
in their purchase and sale is also degraded
We want nothing to do with slavery. Let
the people, when they get tired of slavery.
dispose of the question for themselves as
you have done. Allow me to say here, that
in regard to this doctrine of allowing
thepeople to determin the question for
themselves, we might court investigation
from the Republican party. We might
recall to their attention the fact that at the
formation of our Constitution, every State
in the Union except one was a slave State,
yet, under the operation of this right of the
people in the States to dispose of the ques.
tion for themselves, one half of the original
States have become free States. Applause.
We want no Congressional prohibition upon
the subject.
But this bill of Mr.. Lincoln's may FORE
shadow something else. In his contest two
years ago with Mr.. Douglas, Mr.. Lincoln
declared
"In my opinion it 1.-THE slavery agitation] will
not cease until crisis shall have been reached
and passed. "A house divided against itself
cannot stand Ibeiieue this Government cannot
endure permanently half siaue and halt free. l
do not expect the Union to be dissolved; do
not expect the house to fall but do expect
it will cease to be divided. 1t ,vM become oil
one thing or all the Other."
Now, we know perfectly we'll that slavery
never will extend into New Jersey; we know
it never will 60 into New England; we
know it will never 60 into the Northwest,
so rapidly settling with energetic white men.
1t can find no foothold there, and no foot
hold here. What is the meaning then, of
Mr.. Lincoln's proposition? These Repub-
licans will tell you, ave only propose to
prohibit slavery in the Territories. But
Mr.. Lincoln says that the States must be-
come all free, or all slave. Now, how is he
going to bring that about? l know of but
two ways in which he can accomplish it.
He must either do it as John Brown at
tempted to do it-by violence, by force, by
war-or he must buy the slaves. do not
know of any other method. Now, do not
understand the Republican party to be in
favor, and l do not charge them with being
in favor, of such raids as that of John
Brown. If you are opposed to such pro-
ceedings. how is Mr.. Lincoln to carry out
his views? What is the process Are you
in favor of purchasing the slaves by appro~
priations from the National Treasury? I
know of no other means by which the thing
is to be accomplished. Are you in favor of
mortgaging the white men-you, your chill
dren, and your children's children-to buy
these negroes in the Southern States and to
set them free? That is question for you
to determine; for, whenever you embark in
that Quixotic enterprise, you do mortgage
the white man that the negro may become
free. I repeat again, the great doctrine of
the Democratic party is non Intervention;
let the people do as they please. (Cheers.)
l have exhibited to you the career and
the principles of Mr.. Lincoln. Do you pro-
pose to commit this great Government, with
all its proud memories, with all its bright
hopes, into such hands as his? Reflect
upon the solemn duty that is imposed on
you. Oh do not commit this Government,
the only perfect one upon earth, into such
dangerous hands-hands that are not able
to manage the ship of State. (Applause.)
After thus glancing at Mr.. Lincoln, what