The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1861-01-30
SYNOPSIS OF THE
Speech Of Judge Douglas,
Delivered in the United States Senate
Thursday, Jan. 8, 1861.

Thursday, Jan. 8, 1861.
Mr.. Douglas ssked that the report of the
! Committee of Thirteen be taken up. Mr..
d. proceeded to address the Senate. He
said no act Of bis public life ever gave him
40 much psin as to vote for the resolution. D.
The Committee could not agree. In ord er
to see the real cause OF the trouble, we must
go back to the late election. We should
essume that whenever Congress undertook
to act on the question OF slavery, discord and
agitation was sure to follow. When Con-
gress let the question alone there was peace
He referred to tn excitement at the time
the Missouri Compr mise was enacted -
The fearful agitation OF 1870 was settled by
the establishment OF the compromise line.
So long us that adjustment was carried out
there was peace and quiet. Texts was ad
Ijusted quietly under this rule, though there
was great roDtrariety Of opinion. But nc
one objected because it extended that line
Agqiu, California and New Mexico were C
quired, and the extension of the line to the
p ciic ocean was demanded. The record.
show that be reported, as Chsirman OF the
Committee of Territories, a resolution to
extend the line to the Pacific This was
adopted by The Senate, but when it was Sc ut
to the House it was rejected by Northern
votes. That opened the food gates of the
agitation OF l84S, whirh was only settled by
tue compromise o, 1850 When we settle
this gu s,oD OF the rerrit,r ,ries, then we
shall settle it entirely. The sbolitionists
could never W. brought the Unipn to the
We Qe of dssa salurinn, but for the question In
the territories. II was a rejection OF The
extension OF thHt line in l84S that re-opaned
! the agitation. The arguments of 1919 and
| 1920 Wer repealed The positions OF the
North and the Snutt were the same. The
pnr"s' patriots in the land we're alarmed
| nd M. Clav came back to the Senate to
see II h. could bring hrck peace. H. found
NJ trouble with thr Southern members. hut
he could find no support o. thi line from the
North. The Missouri line was abandoned
tecaue lis friends said they could not carry
| il out in good faith. Then they turned to
zee what next was best. There WIS de.
sire to take the question out OF Congress and
secure peace TO the country. At last it WAS
decld,d 10 leave the question to the people
OF the Territories themselves The records
show ,hst he supp plrted both compromises,
and { The same re sons. Peace followed
all over the country. But in 1858 and 1854
it became necessary to organ re the Terri
tories o Kansas and Nebraska. The com
miltee. in orming the bill, determined to
carry out The compromise measures OF 1850
,houqh they had all been in favor OF the
Missouri Compr mise as long as it could be
carried out A hue aud cry was immediate.
lv raised that the committee were violating
a sacred compromise. But the bill did moi
mention the Mis- ,ouri Compromise, but DID
give the people privilege OF settling tie
question for themselves. The history OF the
Government might be divided into three
p,rts. Be ore 1920, the Government ad
mitted m ny territ ries, but all was peace.
After the agitation OF 1850 was settled, oil
was pc re again uniii 1850. We come now
TO the consideration that party which h3s
plunged the country into this state OF dis
cord. 1t is tolly ior uhy man not 10 STE the
state of things which do exist. The result
OF the recent election, in connection with
all the circumstances with which it is sur
rounded, have led the people OF the South to
form the conviction, that it is fixed policy
of the dominant party OF the North TO Invade
and destroy their constitutional rights, auC
,hcy are ready 10 rush, rashly think, into
all the horrors OF revolution and dsunioD
rather than submit to what they think the
impe nding blow which hangs over the m.-
The Seoatur from Ohio, (Mr. Wad@;) ac-
knowledued the existence OF this cJnVi tion
in the minds OF Southern people, and he did
not 90 much blame them as he did the Nor
ihern Democracy, who had misrepresented
and thlslfi d 'he purposes aud policy OF the
Republican party, yet he advocates policy
which will not relieve these apprehe nslons
bpt threatens them with war and coercion
rather than to give them security. 1t mat
ters not whether these dangers were real el
imaginary it the Southern people are pre-
pared to take position which will piu
us into disunion aud discord forever. re
uret that any one on this floor should have
introduced party politics, and endeaVured t.
m Ike party capital out OF any question at
iec,ng the pence md safety OF this country
But, since the Seostpr has attempted t
make the Northern Democracy responsible
for the revolution, am forced TO lnqulr
whether the charge be true. There Is n
. man living who would be better pleased t
: iesrn tn he had misunderstood the polio
d OF the Republican party. | would like +
q know whether that Senator will now say
!, is not the policy OF that party to comm
slavery within its present limits cy the ac
> tion OF the Federal Government Wheth
s er it is not the policy OF that party TO ex
!. clude slavery from the Territories we nov
possess, or any we my hereafter acquire
Whether or no, that party are 10 favor o
returning fugitives 10 their masters iron
> whom they escape In short, | will Civ
= him the opportunity OF saying now, wbethe
J., i, is not the policy OF that party to exert al
the mowers OF the Federal Governmeat, IN
> der the Constitution, according to their in
;. ,ernretation of that instrument, to restrai
: and cripple the institution OF Slavery, with
: view to it's ultimate extinction in the States
old as we'll as new. North as we'll es South
NJ. Wade, (Rep.. Ohio.)-All thes
questions are most pertinenty answered
the speech to which he is now protesting
: make answer. have nothag to add to il
MIR. Douglas-I did not expect an une
uuvocal answer. | know too we'll that tn
Senator will not deny thst each Of these il
terrosatories does not express his individut
policy and the policy OF the RePnblica
: party. as he understands it. The harshes
,hiug have said of the Republican part
was that they intended to use the power
the Government with view to the ultinat
' extinction OF slavery, not only in the Terri
: tories, but in the States OF the Union.
d |haye said, and have believed it, and | woul
i rejoice now to be corrected, that it is th
policy of this party to prohibit slavery 10 oI
the Territories OF the United States no'
L fkou ii ,uifh uin