The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1860-04-06
Remarks of Senator
TrUmbuIIi in reply Ia
Douglas,

Delivered in tie United States Senate
Feb. 30, 1860.
Mr.. TRUMBULL. Mr.. President, I
have been struggling for some time to
obtain the floor, to inquire of my col
league what he meant by saying that he
had been battling for four years against
negro equality at home in tho State of
Illinois, and against the idea that the
Constitution of the United States in some
respects conficted with the divine law
and was null and void, as if that was the
position Of some party in the State ofIl-
linOis. ] desire TO inquire whether he
meant to attribute any such views us
those to the Republican party Of Illinois,
Mr.. DOUGLAS. So far as | know
the Republican party do hold that the ne.
gro and the white man, by the Declara-
tion Of Independence were secured in
perfect equality, and have had to meet
that argument not only for four years,
but for ten years, whom the Senator, my
colleague, was Democrat can ex-
cuse him for not understanding the creed
of bis party, for he has not been in il
long enough to learn il; but if he will
refer to the leaders he will find out that
| stated il correctly. Laughter
Mr.. TRUMBULL. My colleague will
perhaps find that he is about as poor an
exponent of the Democracy as / am
Laughter. I think he is rather unsound
upon that side Of the Chamber, and has
found himself so in the country, and i'll
have departed from the Democracy Of
former times, no seems to be following
very closely after me. Laughter
Now, sir, | know that my colleague
has battled against negro equality in II.
linoia, and he may have bGttled, for aught
know, against the idea that the Con.
stitution conflicted with the Divine law
and was therefore void; but if he has SC
battled, he has battled Don Quixotte-
against windmills rather than realities
He is very much in the habit Of setting
up principle and then knocking il dowI
talking about negro equality as IL some.
body was for il, and then assailing it,
Now, sir, ! am glad to have my colleague
face to face, where can put il to hin
and tell him he never heard such a dec
laTation Of principles from the RepubR
can party of Illinois, nor the Republican
party Of the Union. ] tell him nov
in his face, and to his teeth, that wher
ho charges upon the Republican party o
Illinois, or Of the country, that il has ad
Vocated negro equality, he charges tina
which is wholly untrue, wholly withou
foundation, so far as the Republican par
ty is concerned.
But, sir, he says thatwe believe in thu
Declaration Of Independence. do.
do believe in the Declaration Of Inde
pendenee; and has my colleague yet I,
learn the distinction between natura
right and right in organized society
the distinction between the gift Of Go,
and the gift Of manl / do believe in IN,
Declaration Of Independence and so doei
the Republican party believe in il, tha
all men were endowed by their Create
with certain inalienable rights. lido be
lieve that all men were born with th,
same natural rights; and that is what thu
Declaration of Independence declares
that is what, ifhe has listened TO Repub
licans in Illinois, he heard many q tim,
enunciated as the doctrine Of the Repub
liean party, that all men were create,
equal, not made equal by human society
by human laws. We know that the yer,
idea Of government creates an inequality
among them. To have government, yol
must have rules and regulations; yOl
must have magistrates, those who com
mand, and those who obey; and of cours,
there 3 an inequality. But, cir, doestha
initiate against the God-giVen right tina
all we're created equall Was there am
human government from Godl Destrsl
all human government; wipe out all or
gaRized society; take man as he cana
from the hands Of his Maker, aud ten me
IL you please, what superior authority onl
kas over anotherl II one has superior uu
thority oves another, how did he got
before government was organized
The object Of inserting the words II
the Declaration ofIndependenoe has beei
proclaimed a thousand times. II was this
our ancestors were people fleeing fror
the tyranny and the despotisms Of th
old WorldJ escaping from countrie
whore the idea prevailed that one ma
had q divine right to rule over anothel
: and they meantswhen they were proceed
ing 20 form a government, as the fri
thing they did, 10 write II down in thi
lmmortal declaration, that their poateril
IN all time might see it; that they migl
look 10 i as the polar star BY which the
should ever be guided In their future lei
isiHiion, and should never forget it, Il