The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-04-17

rttories for their slave property which they have
been demanding so long.
Ma. WADE. We are very generous
Mr.. DoucLAs. The Senator from Ohio saws
they arc generous. agree you are generous
You have acted both genera asly and magnan-
smonsiy on the occasion. You have come for
ward and done for the South just what have
been urging You to do for twelve years what
Jon wonldnot do when you were in minority;
what you abused me for doing when was in
the majority; what you are compelled to do
yourselves. by sense Of justice, the moment
you get in the majority. Isubmit. therefore, to
The Senate and to the country, whether the
southern States have not reason to rejoice in
the liberal policy that is being extended to
them BY the Republicans, in the Territories
rejoice at the establishment If this policy al.
though it is done by party to which am op-
POSED. The only motive had for desiriug TO
be President, was to carry out this policy
You defeated me and then adopted The piinci-
pie, and | am magnaniInous enough to give
you credit for patriotism in adopting it. do
not taunt YOU with This change. 1t is The high
est evidence of your capacity to 20 ern this
county, that you ha e changed according to
the necessity OF the case. { hat man is not
d' to rule great people who buastr that he
never changed an opinion or reversed his ac-
ton. Wise statesmen always conform their
action to the existing condition of things, and
shanRe it just rs fast as the safety, the rros-
perity, the honor of their country require.
give you credit for having abandoned the droc-
trine Of congressional prohibition. Ever since
1916. when the Wilmut pru,iso was offered in
the other House by gentleman now holding
scat on this floor, up TO this day there has been
q struggle on the parto what are now called
Republicans, to rrohibit slavery in the Terrific
RES by act of Congress. During that whole
time, the new Senator from Pennsylvania was
leading the host, with his nameas the symbol of
the party creed. The Wimot proviso was
Their. shibboieth. 1t meant prohibition Of slav.
cry by Congress in oil the Territories. He
has triumphed after his labors of fourteen
years in that cause, and he has arrived here
Just time enough to find that his own party, by
a unanimous vote in the Senate, and a unani.
nous vote the the House of Representatives,
have rcpudiated the Wilmot proyiso; have
given up the 'inctive feature of their policy:
have rejected the cornOrst me Of the temple,
and have all come over to non-interveution and
popular sovereignty which they SO long pro-
fessed TO abhor, and have no doubt very sin
ccrely.
MIR. HOWE. Will the Senator allow me
70 ask why there is not peace, If we have
adopted the peaceful policy?
Mr.. DouGLAs. Yes will tell you. 1t is
just because you have not satisfied the peo-
pie Of the South that you have done so,
II Is on your statute-book; it is on the
Journals; but the laws and Journals have
not been publ he'd, and yon gentlemen
over there, from pride Of opinion, refuse to
acknowledge the truth even after you have
done the act; and a s enator on this side.
taking it for granted that you had not done
that which you would not admit that you
had done, testifies that you have not abated
an inch. Hence, by the joint testimony of
both sides OF the Chamber, the southern
people are kept in the dark in regard TO the
fact that your Wilmot proviso is abandon.
ed; that congressional prohibition is given
up; that the aggressive policy is rcpudiated:
and hereafter, the southern man and the
northern man may move into the Terrific
ries with their property on terms of entire
equality, without excepting slaves or any
other kind of property.
What more do the southern States want
What more can any man demand? Non.
intervention is all you asked. Will it be
said the South required, in addition to This
laws OF Congress to protect slavery in the
Territories? That cannot be SAID; for on.
" last May the Senate, by nearly unan-
imous vote--a unanimous vote of south.
ern men, with one or two exceptions-de-
clared that Affirmative legislation was not
needed at this time. Inasmuch. then. MS no
legislation by Congress for the protection
Of slavery is necessary; nasmuch as no
occasion has ever arisen tc render It neces.
sary; and inasmuch as the prohbitiye po]i
~ of the Republicans is abandoned and
non-interyention now established by law in
all the Territories, without exception, what
cause is there for further alarm in the
Southern States, so far as the Territories
are concerned?
Mr.. WILSON. Will the Senator give way
for motion to 20 into executive session
and finish his speech tomorrow?
Mr.. DoUGLAs. shall conclude in a very
few minutes. know that this is rather az,
infection, but Senators must pardon me.
shall be through very soon.
repeat, the South have got all thev eve,
claimed in all the Territories; and hence
the Senator from Kent,nky will have an
opportunity of saying to his people, when
he returns, that after struggle of four.
teen ye.rs, from 1S46, when the Wilmo,
proviso was first introduced by the Senate,
from Pennsylvania, down to 1861. they
have at last, by unanimous vote in botI
Houses, been able to organize every foot O
territory the United States now possess. or
the principle of non.interyenton as affirm
ed in the compromise measures of 1873
and the Kansas Nebraska bill of 1854.
know it will be proud day when the Sen
ator from Kentucky is enabled to say thai
to the people of Kentucky. Being one o
those who distinguished himss If so mucl
by his eloquence in.defense Of the Kansas
Nebraska bill as embodying the true prin
ciple, he cannot fail to rejoice when he find
Colorado, Nevada, and Decota, Including
every foot Of unorganized territory we nov
possess, organized on the identical principle
and in the identical language, SO far as III
power Of the Territorial Legislature is con
crrned. There may be a question as to tn,
construction of this bill. as there was in re
gard to The construction of the Nebr.sk;
bill, for the courts to decide; but those new
Territories have been organized in the iden
teal language Of that bill, the identical Ian
guage Of the bill that Kentucky. and vir
gina, and Tennessee, and North Carolina
and every southern State, have repeated,
Endorsed. So far therefore, as these State
are concerned, they cannot complain. =
They have got all they claimed and. as 4
the explanation our Republican friends Wi
give to the northern people, shall wal
and sec. If they acknowledge the trutl
frankly, l shall say they have prove,
themselves good patriots by preferrin
truth to policy, preierring right to politics
expedicncy; that SO far as this auestio
is concerned, bygones are bygones; and
will stand by them as long they stand b
the doctrine Of the Nebraska bill.
Then. sir. according to law. the slaveholin
States have got equality in the Territories
How is II in fact7 The Senator f.om lie,
lucky tells US that the southern States mu
have one Of two things either the right
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