Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-01-27
39oliticaI.
DOUGLAS AND POPULAR SOVER-
EIGHTY.
SPEECH
By Carl Schurz of Wisconsin,

In Hampden Hall, Springfield. Jan. 4, 1860.
When great political or social problems. difficult to
solve and Impossible put aside pressing upon the
popular mind II is common thing TO variety Of
theories sprngur p, which purport 10 be unfang
cdles and 70 effect speedy cure Men, who look only
the surface OF things WILL like bad physicians, pre-
tend TO remove the disease itself by paatng its most
violent symptoms, aud viii astontsh the world by their
inventive ingenuity no less than by their amusing
But close scrutiny will in most show that
the remedies offered hut forms Of old mistakes.
OF all the expedents which have been invented for the
settlement Of the slavery question, Mr. Douglass doe
thine o popular sovereignty is certainly the most re-
marahe, not only by the apparent novelty OF the thing
but by the pompous assurance with which offered
to the nation perfect and radical cure. Formerly
compromises made between the two conflicting
tens Of labor by separating them by geographical lines
These compromises did indeed produce intervals Of COM
ptrative repose but the commenced again with re-
newed acrimony, soon new bone Of contenuon
presented itself The system Of compromises as whole
proved a failure Mr. Douglass doctrine Of popular
sovereignty proposed 10 bring the two anAgonisc ele
ments into immediate and 10 let them struggle
hand hand for the supremacy on the same ground In
this manner he predicted the slavery question would
settle itself in the smooth way OF ordinary business He
seemed 10 be confident of success but hardly Is his
doctrine. in the shape Of law for the organization II
territories. put upon the statutebook when the struggle
grows hercer than ever, and the diauues rpen into
crisis. This does not disturb him. He sends forth man
ifesto upon manifesto, and even during the state cam
paign Of last fall he mounts the rostrum in Ohio, In
der % show what he do, and like second COnstan
tine he points his finger at the great principle Of popular
sovereiguy, and says his followers In this sign you
viii conquer But the tendency Of events appeared
willing 70 yield 10 his prophecy There seemed to be
charm IN his command there certainly victory
in his sgn. lie had hardly defined his doctrine more
elah0raely than before when his friends rout
cd everywhere and his great party is the point
Of falling peiees. The failure is agnifoenty com
plete.
There certainly something in his theories that cap
tvaied the masses. do speak OF those who Joined
their political fortunes his because they in him
man. who some day might be able 20 scatter fayors aud
plunder around him But there great many, who,
seduced by the plausible sound OF the word "nopular
sovereignty" meant 20 have found there some middle
ground which the rights Of free labor might be pro-
teced and secured without exasperang those interested
In slave labor They really did Think that conflict
ing organizations Of society, which incompatible by
the nature OF things, might be made c0mpluhc by leg
slaiive enactments. But this deuson vanished No
sooner the theory put practical test when the
construction Of the Nebraska bill became less mat
ter Of fierce dispute, than the construction Of the const
tuition had been before Is this prosavery, is II anti
slavery Il asked. The South found in II the right
10 plant SLAVE labor In the territories unconditonaly aud
North found Ia Il the rghr 10 drive slavery out Of
them bach section Of the country endeayored 10 ap-
propratc tho results Of the Nebraska bill 10 ITSELF aud
Inc same measure, which transfer the struggle
from the halls Of Congress into the territories, transfer
red from the territories back into Congress and thers
the northern and the southern versons Of ths Nebraska
bill hght each other with the fury, with which the
southern and the northern versions Of the constitution
have fought each other before What does the constu
on in regard TO slavery That question remains
be settled. What does the Nebraska bill mean This
question depends upon the settlement Of the former,
Of ell men, Mr. pougl.T ought 20 bo the first tp kno~