Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-11-20
SPEECH OF HON. s. A. DOUGLAS
ON THE STATE OF THE UNION.
Delivered in Ms Umted States Sen
ate, January Srd 1861.
CONCLUDED.

CONCLUDED.
al have also inserted provision conf
ming the right OF suffrage aud OF holding
Office TO white men, excluding the Airi-
can race | have also inserted 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 proyis-
lens for the safety of the South. believe
! this to bo fair basis of amicable adjust
ment. IL you of the Republican side are
not willing TO accept this, nor the propo'
,, ...ion of the Senator from Kentucky, Mr.
ICRITTENDEN, pray tell US what you
are willing TO do? address tho inquiry
10 the Republicans alone, for the reason
that in the commtte 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 of nv venerable friend from ken>
lucky tMr. CRlTTENDEN as a final set.
tlement Of Il controversy, il rendered
and sustained 10y tho Republican me n5ers
| Hsiee, tie whole responsibility otoW dlsdgrte-
ment, aui the dficaityia the w0y9 9tan dm'ca6le
a{jus,msnt, is WlM the RepuJhca" party.
At first, I thought your reason for de-
clining to adjust this question smicaOly,
was that tho Constitution, as it stands, was
good Ell n)ugh. and that you would make
no amendment it. That position has al.
ready been waived. The great leader of
the Republican rarty, Mr.. SEWARD, Iby
the unanimous consent OF his friends,
brought into the committee Of thirteen II
proposition 10 amend the Constitution -
| Iuasmuch, therefore, as you are willirg to
amend the instrument, aud 10 entertain
propositions Off adjustment, why not 60
furtl er. and relieve the spprehensions OF
| the Southern people on oil points whore
you do not intend to ope ate aggressive.y! !!
| You offer To amend the Constitution. by
| declaring that no future amendments shall
be made which shall empower Congress
10 interfere with slavery i'll the States!
Now, if YOU do not intend 10 do any
other act prejudlcial 10 their constitu'
tional right and safety, why not relieve
their spprehcnsions by inserting, IN your
own proposed amendn ent 10 the Const'
tu,ion, such further provisions as VIII, III
| like manner render II impossible Tor you
to do that which they apprehend you IN
tend to do, ard which you have no pur-
pose ufdoing, iflt be true tina: you have
no such purpose? For the pose OF re-
moving the apprehenslons OF the southern
people, and fn rno other purpose, you pro-
nose to amend the Constitution, so as to
render it impossible, in all future time,
for Congress to interfere with slavery IN
the States where il may exist under the
laws thereof. Why not insert similar
amendment in respectto slavery IN the
District of Columbia, and in the navy
yards forts, arsenals,- and other places
within the limits Of the slaveholdlns
States, over which Congress has exclusive
jurisdiction Why not insert similar
provision in respect to The slave trade be-
tween the slaveholding 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 appreheusions on these several
points are groundless. is it not duty you
owe to God and your country to relieve
thei, anxiety and remove all causes OF dis
content? Is there not quite as much rea"
son for relieving their approhsnslons 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
no ser 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 il on the 9th.
er, seems 10 authorize the presumption
that YOU 10 intend TO use the powers oi
the Federal Govern nens for the purpose
of direct interference with slavery and
the slave trade everywhere else, with y
view to its indirect effects upon slavery in
the States or, in the language of Mr.
Lincoln. with the view of its "ultimateex'
tnction in all the States, old a. well a:
new, north as well as South"
If YOU had exhausted your ingenuity in
deyising plan for the express purpose oi
increasing Ike apprehensons and iniiam-
ing the passions of the southern people,
with the view of driving them into Tevolu'
ton and disunion. none could have been
oon,rived better calculated to accomplish
the object than the offering OF that one
amendment to the Constitution, and re
ljccting all Others which are infinitely
more important to the safety and d0mes>
tic tranquility of the slaveholding States.
10 my opinion, We have now reached a
point where this agitation must close, and
oil the matters in controversy Co finally
determined Unconstitutional amendments,
orwar and the disruption Of the Union are
inevitable Ny friend from Oregon, Mr.
BAKER, who has addressed the Senate
for tho last two days, will fail in his avow.
cd purpose to "evade" the question. He
claims to be liberal and conservative; and
I must confess that be seems the most
liberal ofany gentleman on that side of
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 from
Oregon 'ould consent TO 60, was 70 devise