Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-11-20
SPEECH OF HON. S. A. DOUGLAS.
on THE STATE OF THE UNION.
Delivered in the United States Sen
ate, Janudry 3yd 1861.
CONCLUDED.

"l have also inserted pr,vison conf
ming the right OF suffrage and OF holding
Office to white men. excluding the Airi-
can race. have also inserted a provision
tor the colonization of free negroes from
such States as may desire to have them
removed. to districts OF country TO be
acquired in Africa and South America. In
addition to these | have adopted the va
rious provisions contained in the propo-
sition of the Senator from Kentucky, in
reference to fugitive slaves, the abolition
of slavery in the forts, arsenals, and dock
yards In the slave States and in the Dis
trict of Columbia, and the other provis-
ions for the safety of the South. believe
this to be fair basis of amcable ADJUST
ment you of the Republican side are
not wiling TO accept this, nor the propo.
sition of the Senator from Kentucky, Mr.
CRITTENDEN, pray tell US what you
are willing to do! address tho inquiry
to the Republicans alone, for the reason
that in the committe of thirteen, few
DAYS ago every member from the South,
including those from the cotton States,
Messrs. DAVIS and TOOMBS, express
ed their readiness to accept the PROPOSE,
ton oC my venerable frieud from Ken>
lucky Mr. CRITrENDEN as final set.
t.ement of Il controversy, il rendered
and sustained 10y tho Republican me n5ers
Hensr. tie whole responsibility otor disagree
nlent, aud the &.RcuLtym the cay?fan amca5lc
adjustment, is ,eim the RepnjAcan party.
At first, thought your reason for de-
clining to adjust this question amcaoly,
wa, that the Constitution, rs 1t stands, was
good enough. and that you would make
no amendment to it, That position has al.
ready been waived. The great leader OF
the Republican rarty, Mr.. SEW ARD, 10y
the unanimous corsent OF his friends,
brought into the committee or thirteen
proposition to amend the Constitution -
lnasmuch, therefore, as you are wiling to
amend the instrument, and Ia entertain
propositions Of adjustment, why not 90
furll. er, aud relieve the apprehensiOus OF
tho Southern people on all points where
YOU do not intend to ope ate aggrcssI7e.J?
You offer to amend the Constitution, by
declaring that no future amendments shall
be made which shall empower Congress
10 interfere with slavery in the States?
Now, if you do not intend 10 To any
other act prejudlcial 10 their constltu'
tonal right and safety, why not relieve
their appreheusons 10y inserting, III your
own proposed atneudn cut 10 the COnstl'
,u.lOn, such further provisions rs viii, IN
| like manner render it impossible Tor you
to do that which they apprehend you m
tend to do. ard which you have no p"r-
nose of doing, if 1t be true thas you have
no such purpose? For the MI pose Of re-
moving the apprehensons of the southern
people, and lu rro other purpose you pro-
pose to amend the Constitution, so as to
render it impossible, in all future time,
| tor Congress 10 interfere with slavery IN
the States where it may exist under lhe
| laws thereof. why not insert similar
amendment in respectto slavery III the
| District of Columbia, and in the navy
yards, forts, arscnals, and other places
within the limits of the slaveholdlng
States. over which Congress has exclusive
jurisdiction Why not insert similar
provision in respect to the slave trade be-
tween the slaveholdins States? The
southern people have more serious ap'
| prehensions on these points than they
! have ofyouf direct interference with sla'
very in the States.
Iftheir apprehensions on these several
points are groundless. is it not duty you
owe TO God and your country to relieve
! lhei; anxiety and remove all causes OF dis
content? Is there not quite rs much rea'
son for relieving their rapprohensions upon
these points, in regard to which they are
more sensitive. as in respect to your direct
| interference in the States, where they
know and YOU acknowledge you have TO
mower to interfere as the Constitution now
stands? The fact that you propose to
give the assurance on the one point and
preemptorily refuse to give ii on tho 9TH
fer, seems to authorize the presumpuor
that YOU do intend to use the powers oi
the Federal Govern nens for the purpose
of direct interference with slavery anu
the slave trade everywhere else, with
view to its indirect effects upon slavery III
the States or, in the language OF Mr.
! Lincoln. with the view of its "ullimateeX
tinction in all the States, old a. well a'
new, north as well a. South"
If YOU had exhausted your ingenuity IN
devising plan for the express purpose o
increasing Tie apprehenslons and milan
ing tho passions of the southern people
with the view Of driving them into revoln
ton and disunion, none could have beer
oontriyed better calculated to accomplish
the object than the offering OF that one
amendment to the Constitution, and re
iectina all Others which are lhhnlteIy
more important i to the safety and domes'
iic tranouility of the slaveholding States
In my opinion, We have now reached
point where this agitation must close ond
all the matters in controversy CO hhai'S
determined Unconstitutional amendments
orvar and the disruption of the Union are
inevitable. Ny friend from Oregon, Mr.
BAKER, who has addressed the Senat'
for the last two days. will fail in his avow
ed purpose to 'evade" the question ne
claims TO be liberal and conservative ano
I must CONFESS that he seems the mos
liberal ofany gentleman on that slde o
the chamber, always excepting the noble
aud patriotic speech of the Senator from
Connecticut, Mr.. DIXON !; and the ut
most extent TO which the Senator iron
- IN on "a 4O (laNISe