M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-09-06
Especial dispatch to the Enquirer.
From Washington.

giniae His An8,Oer to Queries
His.Fie1cs Of Secession and oftht
Breckinndge Moveneat-- Dong
las Further Movements.
WAsHINGToN, August 27..
To the Editor of the Enquirer
Judge Douglas in his journey
South has so far net with nothing 5u
the kindest treatment. He spoke a
Norfolk to at least seven thousand
people on Saturday night. In the
middle of his address slip of paper
was handed to him. 1t was cut from
the Norfolk Daily Argu8, and con.
tained two polite questions for Judge
Douglas. Having ascertained the
questions thus propounded, he said
thereon; | am not IN, the habit oI
answering questions propounded to
me in the course Of an address, but
on this occasion | will comply with
the request, and respond very frankly
and unequivocally to these two ques-
tions.
The first question is if Abraham
Lincoln be elected President of the
United States, will the Southern
States be justified in seeding from
the Union3 To this ! emphatically
answer no. (Great applause.) The
election of man to tue Presidency
by the American people, in conformi,
ty with the Constitution of the United
States, would not justify any attempt
at dissolying this glorious Union
| (Applause,)
Now, | will read to you the next
question, and then answer it. .Ques.
tion-if they (the Southern States) Sc.
cede from the Union upon the inaugu-
ration of Abraham Lincoln, before he
commits an overt act against their
constitutional rights, will you advise
or vindicate resistance by force to their
secession9 (Voices-No, no, Bell
men! Say no, Douglas.)
Mr.. Douglas--l answer emphati.
eally, that it is the duty of the Presi.
dent OF the United States and all 9th.
ers in authority under him to enforce
the laws of the United States as passed
by Compress and as the Courts ex.
pound them, [cheers, and !, as in
duty bound by my oath of fidelity to
the Constitution, would do all in my
power to aid the Government of the
United States in maintaining the su.
prenacy of the laws against all resis
tanee to them, come from what quarter
it might. [Good.] In other Words,
| think the President of the United
States, whoever he may be, should
treat all attempts to break up the
Union by resistance to its laws, as old
Hickory treated the nullifiers in 1882.
Applause.
The laws must be enforced, but at
the same time be it remembered it is
the duty of every citizen of every
State and every public functionary, to
preserve, maintain aud vindicate the
rights ofevery citizen and the rights
of every State in the Union. | hold
that the Constitution has a remedy for
every grievance thatm arise within
the limits of the Union. / am very
frank in answering these questions
| am not in favor Of any policy which
would tend to give rise to complaints
or murmurings, much less such as
would call for resistance from any
quarter. | acknowledge the inherent
and inalienable right to revolution
whenever a grievance becomes too
burdensome to be borne. / acknOwi-
edge the right of every man to rebel
and change the form Of government
under which ne lives, whenever it
proves destructive to the ends for
which it was established; that is
right, however, never to be resorted to
until the operations Of the Govern
mens become more grievous than the
consequences ofrevolution, and, there.
fore, | say thet the mere inauguration
ola President of the United States,
whose political opinions were, in my
| Judgment, hostile to the Constitution
or our rights, is not such a grievance
as would justify revolution Or seces-
sion. Cheers
Hence | say, whoever may be elect.
ed President Of the United States, he
must be sustained in the exercise of
all his just constitutional prerogatives
and powers. If he transcends them,
we will punish him with all the rigor
of the law, as you punished john
Brown when be violated your laws.
"a storm Of applause.] for one will
sustain, with all my energy, the
President, whoever he may be, in the
exercise of all the powers conferred
upon him by the Constitution, but I
would take just as much pleasure in
hanging him if be trapscends those
powers as l feel pleasure in knowing
that you hanged John Brown when
he was guilty Of murder and treason
| IL