Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-08-31
Douglas tho Enemy of the
FREQ state Cause in Kansas |!
Extract from the Speech Of Hon. Henry
Wilson, at Bangor.


slavery, which he had pronounced "sa-
cred thing" With "ru,hle.s hand" bo
removed ,ha, "canonired' prohibition,
made by another generation. and allowed
slavery more subtle than the serpent, 10
glide into that garden Of fertility and beau
ty. The people were to be left perfectly
free" to regulate their own domestic in.,i.
iu,ions.
but when, in the autumn Of 1854, the
people Of Kansas assembled 90 elect a dele
gate To Congress, they found fifteen hun
dred M.-ouriin. there to elect a delegate
for then. When. on The 3Oth Of March,
1855. the people again assembled - choose
legislature, they found Eve thousand
Ms.ourlan. organized and armed and Assem-.
blel around their ballot boxes. and thc-e in.
vading hosis elected legislature in the
interest. Of slavery. Tho intelligence Of
thi. gigantic fraud dashed over the country.
startling and alarming the nation. Was
the voicc Of Stephen 4. Douglas heard in
rcbuke Of this great Outrage upon a people
10 whom hc had promised perfect Freedom
,o control their own domestic afurs ?"
GOV Rccisr declared 10 the nation tha. tho
people Of Kansas were "eo-quercd" Pco.
pie, and hc uied to right their wrongs.
slavery demanded his immolation. and the
President FASTENED 10 remove him. Was
the voice Of stephen 4. Douglas raised in
condemnation of that blow. aimed at the
people Of Kansas The Legislature. impos.
ed upon Kansas by their Missouri conquer.
ors. assembled and framed slave code
which would have made darker the Drnco-
nian code. DID stephen A Dauslt. send
ono word of sympathy or Of hope TO that
outraged nnd alno,, dsspairins people. or
u,,or one word Of ahhouenco Of thes, in.
iquiiou. law. Of their conQueror-' The slave
rrorarnnds,. gloa,ed over the CRIME. which
had given slavery crownins triumph in
,ha, coveted Territory.
when Congress assembled in December.
1855. the President. plan, TO the will oi
the slave rropag,ndi.ts, took sides with tho
opprcs-or against the oppressed. Soon the
news camc of the cold blooied murder Of
Dow hy Colman. Of the excitement and in.
dcnntion Of the Free State people, Of the
proclamation OF shannon. the marching Of
eighteen hundred armed Mi.sourians into
Kansas. with threats Of wiplng out the Free
State town Of Lawrence. and Of driving the
free State .sitler. out OF the Territory. Of
the cruel murder Of Barber, of the mobbing
II the ballot boIa. and the destruction OF
the FREQ State pres-c. at Lsavenworth. the
covardly murder Of the brave Capt Brown,
W the Kickapoo Rangers. and other decl.
Of lAwle.sne.. and violence. Douglas was
tho accepted leader Of the Democracy in
the senate. AMI with a majority a, hi' CON.
mand. his word wns ls~. Never, hy word
or dced. did he evnce any sympathy for the
brave Free State men. ~ronged and outris'
cd nv the instrument. Of the slave power.
But the faithful Free State men Of Kan.
.ns, following the example. ot Michigan
) California. and other State.. elected con.
yen,ion. framed free State Constitution,
submitted il to the peop's. sanctioned It hy
their votes. chose n State Government. q
Representatire and senator's tn Congress
Mr. Doush. made report upon the aaiir'
" Kansas. in which the crimes OF the slave
rroprrandi.'s were .lo..sl over. palliated,
excused M denied aud the action OF the fred
State men pronounced lawless and lnsurrcc'
tionary. and they s,igmatred NJ "insnr-
cents" and turbulent agitators, who had
alarmed the people Of Missouri and pro'ok.
the act, Of which they complained. Back.
Ell by a willing and powerful party, Of
which he was tho accepted leader IN the
senate. NJ. Dougla. stood, during that scs-
zion. the bold. defiant, arrogant and domi'
ncerins champion Of the slave interests.
Did Seward. Hale, Wade, Collamer,
Trumbull, or Sumner, your own bray" Sen'
/, ators or their associates vindica,e the rights,
interests or character Of the wrongcd Free
State men q Kansas. his was the voice to
rrply. Iii. reckless audaeity would have
e1,or,ed admiration from Danton. His
voice. his pen, hi. votes were never wanting
in the support Of the interests Of slavery
and commanded the npplanding admiration
Of its champions. General Quitman, one
OF the most devoted champions the slave in'
tercs, ever had in Congress. in a letter OF
the 9th OF March, 1856, thus applaut'
Douglas:
IL believe that at this day the Northern
Democracy are soundcr and more reliable
On the slavery question than they have ever
heen. The Knns,. hill has driven OF all
the compromi.ers. and lett those remaining
no alternative but iull viniIcation Of our
whole rights. believe, therefore. they
will prefer bold, ultra SOutherner to -
renegade.
In a short conyersation with Douglas yes
tcrJay. he sand 10 me that iShai he most teer.
cd icdJ hai hnid Southern m'H iooHd Jd9
back.
u .hall he content with Buchanan. and
will sustain Pierce II nominated. Ii Is al.
81 INV interest to be non.committal but
when write to an old friend. like yourself,
N will be frank. My preference is for
Douglas. fls Is bold. fearless and self.reli.
ant. Were he elected he would he Presi-
dent. lie would not come into Office with
a body guard Of old iogiss and politicians
ready tO soits upon all the Offices. lie l'
true to the South. Ne demands NOT oHtyfh
he u'e and aJoymsnf Of The common ferofo'
~ for h.Hr property. but ma'i' spoI ITS pro-
fecfioH h.re. TO him va are indebted ior
the Kansas hill, which now presents tho