Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-09-26

InT lnlS Is Il Tree - lUlGF. Wn'Te eNPfTDou
has right to m k himselfas ridiculous &
he pleases. '-su'l"ct only to the Constitu
ton of the United States" Loud laugl
ter And. yet arrailn him for that a
so. for protest that he has no right t
make Rel ublic ridiculous with him.
Here is the charge 1t is for the peopl
tn give the verdict
GeHtlem,n will you have pltience cnoug
tn listen II f-w remarks about D,ugla
the Presidential canltlatc?" Well aftc
these exploits. he thou.ht he was ft to b
a Dem ,rrItic clnlid tie for the Presidency
AMI 50 his nIme went b'fjre the Charles
ton Convention. But. wonderful TO tell
the whole Southern Dc-np:rl s2sn,l t
he united against him; and honestly dc
clare | think the Slave Power did wrong
1t might have found more ahiect and les
ev1cting tool. but it enuld hardly expect t
find more daring. reckless. and unscrup
ulous one. What was the reason Of thei
opposition? Was it the Constitutional quib
b bes about which they had been contend
ing? The whole difference was merely i'm
a.inary. Was il the Shareholders though
a mau who had betrayed his own sectias
of tie country could not be relied upon il
his promises to be faithful to another? Tha
was more honorable than judicious in tn,
Slave Power, governed by such feeling
No. think the true reason widely differ;
from this, and it shows that Stephen a
Douglas never had sagacity enough to un
derStaHd his own position. The slave pow
er will Sometimes. for cxpelicncy's 5. k
condeScend to mike Northern man Pres.
ilent. if he consents to be its uncondition.
al tool, but it will never elevate one who
aspires to be. or become leader of the
party. Mr. Douglas on .ht to have under-
sto.d that There was his mistake How.
ever willing he may have been to serve
them he had TO serve them not in his. but
in their own way He affected indcpend-
ence and he fell. think the South acted
against their own interests. for in Judge
Douglas they would have had man in tie
Presidential Chair who would have shru.k
from Hothing to regain their flvor. 1t is
my conviction that he wsuld have been i
mofe ultra proslavery President than Breck-
inri,lge. or Jefferson Davis. or SIidell, and
| wish they would still conclude to take
him. so as To place every mau in his proper
position. You see We are net afraid of
yoar sesz binations.
But the mistake was committed. They
opposed him TO the last. and Judge Doug
las saw that his nomination in Charleston
was an imrossibility. Then his friends
moved an adjournment of the Convention
and carried it. They were to re-assrmhle
at Baltimore few wee(s aftrrward. In
the meantime. Mr.. Douglas saw last
chance of appeaSing the South. lie grasp
cd at it with desperate eascrncss. and he
saw the great prize slipping from his hands,
and hc st:.ked his all upon last cast. On
the 18th ami 18th Of May. he arose in the
Senate. and in one of the most elaborate
Efforts in lis life. he made the following
statement; AMI Douglas Democrats l elaiR
your special attention Listen:
1T is part IF the history Of the country
that Gn'lrr this doctrine of non-interven-
tiuI;-this doctrine that you delight TO call
S'lu,ttcr Sovercigrty-the people of New
Mckee have ntrulg,z,d and protected sla-
very in the Whole Of that Territory: under
this doctrine they have converted tract
of free ferritoE into slave Territory more
than five tiiveS the size of New York. I'm
der this doctrine slavery has been extend
cd not only up to 50 deg. 50 H.. but up to
38 dess.. giving you degree and half
more of slave territory than you ever caim-
rd , .
Whatever itch Of free territory has been
converted into slave territory cn the Amer
lean cSntircnt since the Revolution, except
in New Mexico and NirAinil, under the
principle of non-interventinn affirmed at
,'harlest0n? If it be true that this princi-
pic Of non-intervention has protected sla-
rery ia that comparatively northern and
,old region. where you did not expect it to
20. cannot you trust the same principle fur
her south. when You come to acquire adli-
ional territory from Mexico? Will not the
;amc principle protect in the Northern
States of Mexico when they are acquired.
;inee they are now surrounded By slave
Territory
Oh. Douglas men, what lesson is this,
Did you not tell us that when the Nebras-
"a bill was enacted, that this law was the
most efficient way of introducing free labor
uto the Territories? Have you not mlst
;olcmniy assxred US every day since 1851,
hat the principle of PopEiar Sovereignty.
Is expoun,led by Mr.. Douglas, would most
save all the Territories from the
,rasp Of slavery? And now LOOK there.
Your own master and prophet admits. Gc-
and BOASTS of it-that this
iame principle gave to slavery one and one
lalf degree of latitude more than it ever
.lainled, and that since the organization of
he American Republic not a square foot
# free territory was ever converted into
lave territory, but by the same measure
which you represented to us as the great
st and most reliable engine of free labor. .
Tour own master aud prophet tells you in
'our own faces. and in the face of all map
,;nd. aud in the face of postcrity. that You
ave been lying most atrociousl Tying
very day for the past six years. This was !
lukind-was it rot, DOuglasitcs of the !
SOrth?
No; l am notjokiug. Itwas terrible un- }
,inl. All he said was most certainly y. most /,
most uncontrOvertably true;
'ut | declare that If he had the least re- /
ard for the feelings of his friendS-the /
east sympathy for them in their awkward I
mbarrassments-he ought to have been ,
he Inst on earth to make that statement !
Did he know that you had supported him
nj m1de friends for him on the false pre-
ense that his great principle work d the /
xtensiOn of slavery from the Territories! |
Did he not know that you had pledged your /
staked your character for truth |
nd veracity upon that pretense? He knew