Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-01-27

barrier 20 the extension Of slavery SO he meant 70
cure the south. But In concedng undisputed sway TO
tue slachoding interests, he that he losing his
oohod Ia the northern states necessary to his election
he avacd himself of the Irresistible pressure Of the free
state movement in Kansas. and opposed the Leccmpton
constitution So he saved hia senaorship In Illinois,
the champion Of free labor But the South rowned, and
Immediately after his victory he went into the savehOd
ing states and admitted in hia speeches, that slavery
may 20 into the territories without a special Of terri
toria legislation Believing the South satisfied, and seo
ing his chances IN the North endangered he wrote his
HarpcrMagaznc essay, assuming that slavery exist
only by virtue Of local law The South frownng again,
ne ondcav0rod % make his peace with the shareholders
oy declaring that he would submit 70 the Charleston con-
and instruciing his nearest friends IN the house
20 vote io The adinnsrati0n candidate for the speaker
saP 30 he cn1ea,0Iod 20 catch both sections Of the
Nho 'uccossvely u the trap Of doube-faced sophis
Try He tried please them both in trying TO cheat them
both But he placed himself between the logic Of liberty
on and the logic Of slavery on The other side HI put
the sword of logic into e hands Of his opnoncnts and
tried % defend himself with the empty scabbard of 'un
friendly legislation" (Applause.) Unfricndly egsla
tlon, which Ia would have been unnecessary In
the other ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS invention Of mind with
out logic and o heart without sympathes recognized
on all sides subterluge behind which the moral
cowad'ee Of Presidential candidate entreuehed itself"
(Checrsl
Such win be The verdict Of future historians. They
will indulge in cuous peculatons about the times when
such doctrines could De passed of sound statesman
ship ga ataesmanship indeed the prototype Of which
may be found in Puarch but in Aristophanes) but
they will be slow 10 believe that there people dull
enough 20 Be deceived by II. (Applause.)
Leaving aside the stern rapudlauon which Mr. Doug
people at hc last state elections all the Union, il
characteristic sIn OF the times. that Of hia
political friends, an and-Lecompton democrat recently
went so M as 10 declare on the toor OF Congress- that he
would not vote for Mr. Douglas, If nominated by the
charleston convention, unless clear and unequvoca
construction were akci 70 the re-afrmation OF the Gin
cinnat platform. A wise preeauhon indeed But what
ever construction might he given the Cincinnati plat
f0rm whnt will that gentleman do with the double faced
platform which Mr Douglas has laid down for himself
What viii the abstract pledge of convention be worth
~ him u Nr Douglass pledges worth nothing
What will hc do with man. who when pressed to takc
an uneq'ocal position j. always ready to sneak behnd
superior authority declaring that thcsc question
to BE- settled by the courts'' Laughter and applause
Mr. Douglass situation ia certainly very perplexin.
one On side DE is ostracised by the administrator
democracy for hia Illogical aud unconstitutional doctrine
that the legislature of territory has control slave
y and The oihcr hand, Of his nearest r nds,M
Morris Of Illinois, in hl recent speech the President
message dnounces the doctrine that slave property
De carried into the territories just like other property,
an atrocous "abutninaton." Was Mr. Morris not awaT
that this "ah0muat0n Is the identical doctrine adyo
Gated by Mr. Douglas ia his New Orleans speech L.
M Morris examine the record Of Judge Douglas, and b.
will hnd out that Whatever denominations VI T buchanan
brings forward ln his message, he advocates none that
not direct logical consequence Of Mr. Douglas oWi
see the time coming when those who rallied aroun
Douglass conrs because they believed in his principle
viii, from his most devoted friends become his II
dgnant They already unwittngy denounr
ing his doctrines when they intend TO defend him tht
will not be sparing in direct denundatiuns soon
they discover how badly they had been deceived and ho
ignominiously they 10 be sold. We might indee
reel tempted 10 pity utW we had not TO reserve thr
generous emotion Of our hearts for those who
by mistake and unfortunate without guilt. (Applause
Mr. Douglass ambiguous position which makes it po'
sbe for him to cheat either the North the South witt
out adding Inconsistency those already commi
ted makes 1t at the time necessary for him 10 pu
his doubeaced theories upon an historical basis whic
relieves him Of the necessity Of expressing moral
vicon the Of slavery either way. To say tha
slavery is right, would certainly dspease the North &c
say that slavery is wrong would inevitably destroy him
at the South In order to dodge this dangerous dilemma
he finds cxpedient the history OF this
try as to show that this question Of right wrong
regard to slavery had nothing whatever to do with the
fundamental principles upon which the American repnb-
! lie founded. Dealing with slavery only a. a matter
Of fact, and treating the natural rights Of aud he
relation between slavery and republican institutions
matter 0f complete indifference, he is bound to demon
strate that slavery never was seriously deemed nconsis
ent with liberty and that the black seriously
supposed to possess any rights which the white man was
| bound to respect
But here he encounters the Declaration Of Indepsnd
ence, laying down the fundamental principles upon which
the republic develop ITSELF he the
dinance OF 1887 the practical application of those princi
Piles both historical facts stern and stubborn they
sublime. Bat Mr. Douglas had no logic to guide
him in his theories 50 he had conscience to restrain
Declaration Of Independence according the evident
meaning Of its words would certainly displease the South
10 call it selfeviient lie would certainly shock the
raj sensibites Of the North SO he recognizes it
venerable document, but makes the language, which is
so dear to the hearts Of the North. express meaning
which comedies with the ideas Of the South
We have appreciated his exploits a ogcian let US
follow him in his historical discoveries.
Let your imagination you back to the year l776.
You stand IN the hall OF the old colonial courthouse
Philadelphia. Through the open door you the Con-
tnental Congress assemhed the moment Of great de-
csion drawing near Look at the earnest faces Of the
assembled there aud consider what you may expec.
Of them. The philosophy Of the eighteenth century
counts many Of them among its truest adopts. They
welcomed heartily 10 their scattered towns and plants
tons the ideas brought forth by that sudden pro-
gross Of humanity and mcdiatng them in the dreamy
sntude Of Wrgn nature they had enlarged the compass
Of their thoughts aud peoped their imaginatons with
lofty ideals. classical education (for Of them
by iliterae men) has put all the Of
historical knowledge al their disposal aud enabled them
70 apply the experience Of past centuries the pro-
blen they attempt TO solve See others there OF simple
but stroug cast Of mind, whom common would call
its truest representatives Wont to grappe with the
dangers and difficulties of early settlers le Or in
habants Of young uprising cities, wont 10 carry quick
projects into speedy execution they have become regard
less Of obstacles and used strenuous activity The
necessity 10 help themselves, has developed their
mental ncpehuehee anu hieu 70 ohicai striie oy the
continual defence Of their colonial segovernment they
have last become familiar with the idea, introduce
into practical existence the principles which their vgor
oul mindi have quietly built up into theory.
The first little impulses TO the general npheaying Of
the popular spirit the ea-tax the stamp act drop into
nsgnidcauce they are almost forgotten the reyou-
tionary spirit has risen far above them. 1t disdains
justify itself with petty pleadngs it spurns diplomatic
equyocauou it places the Claim to independence upon
the broad basis Of eternal rights seevdent the
SUM- as broad as The world as common as the air Of hea
The struggle OF the colonies against the usurping
government Of Grcat Britain has risen to the proud di
mensions OF struggle Of man for liberty and equality
Behold, five advancing towards the table Of the
president First Thnmas Jefferson whose philosophical
spirit grasps the generality of things and events then
Benjamin franklin, the great apostle OF common sense
the clear wisdom OF real life beaning in his eye
then tho undsuntcd John Adams and two others Now
Jefferson reads the Declaration Of Independence and
loudly procaims the fundamental principle upon which
il rests. IAN created free and equal :" 1t Ia
said history tells you what ii The sceptre roy
atty is hung back the ocean the prerogaye OF
nobility tFodden into the dust; every man king.
every man baron in seven Of the original colonies the
shnckcs of the black man struck Of almost everywhere
the way prepared Tor gradual emancipation. "No recog
Hit1n 0f the right OF property in w Madison.
Let slavery De abolished by iwl" says Warrington
Notouy The supremacy Of old England to be shaken od
but organization Of society is 10 be built up the
basis Of iloIy ami equality That is the Declaration Of
independence That T. the American Revolution. All
men free and equal Not the broad desert Of the
Atlantic stops the triumphant shout Behold, the
nations ~ the old world are rushing arlns BaSties
blown into tAr dust hy the trumpsts Of Jericho,
aud Ike pillar OF are by night and pillar Of cloud by
day, The grttt watchaori VI the American Revolution
shows forever the way 20 struggling humanity. (Long
equal! Whence the supernatural power in these seven
words ?
Turn youf eye, away from the sublime spectacle Of
l716, from that glorious galaxy ofmen whose hearts
enough Tor a mankind and LET recall you the
Der year OF 1901 There Springfield. the capital OF IL
linois Of those states which owe their greatness To
an ordinance originally framed by the mau whose
hand wrote the Declaration OF Independence. In the
hall Of the assembly there stands Mr. Douglas who initi
ates an eager crowd into the mysteries Of "popular
regnty" lie will tell YOU what Il meant, the
Of l77d said that "all created free and equal"
He says;
" No man can vndcae the character the motives and
the conduct Of the gnes Of the Declaration OF Indepen
dence except upon The hypothesis that they referred
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