Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-11-06
SPEECH OF HON. S. A. DOUGLAS
on the STATE OF THE UNION.

IN WON Ol slbSe lNClo' / lCtl huliOIlLtN
10 re-aiiirm the proposition with which
commenced my remarks that wheneve
the Federal Government has attempted tC
control the slavery question IN oar newly
scduired Territories, alienation OF feeling
dpcord, and sectional strife, have ensued
4 and whenever Congress has reiralLed from
,gch interference, peace, harmony and
,,od will, have returned. The conclusion
II Gdrav from these premises is, that the
,lsvery question should be baEished for.
ever from the Halls Of Congress aud the
arena Of Federal politics by an irrepeala.
Il BE constitutional provision. have deem-
edrhis exposition ofthe origin and pro-
orpss of the slavery agitation essential to
III full comprehension Of the difficulties
with which we are surrounded, and the
,smedje, for the evils winch threaten tho
disruption of the Republic. The immedi-
ate causes which have precipitated the
.onthern country into revolution, al
though mseparably connected with, and
aewng from, the slavery agitation, whose
history have portrayed, are - be found
IN the result of the recent presidential
election. hold that the election Of any
man no matter who, by the American
people cc)rdng to the Constitution fur
n,hes NJ cause, no Justification, for the
dissolution of the Union. Bat we cannot
close our eyes TO the fact that the south
ern people have received the result of
that election as furnishing conclusive evil
d1nce tha. the dominant party Of the
North, which is soon to take possession of
the Federal Government under that cleo
lion are determined TO invade and dus-
troy their constitutional tights Brliey-
ing that their domestic Institutions their
hearthstones, and their family Hitars, are
all to be assailed, at least by indirect
means. and that the Federal Govern menl
I is to be used for the inauguration OF line
fpolicy which shall have for It's object
lie ultimate extinction Of slavery IL all
! the States, old as we'll as new, south as
well as north, the southern people ale
prepared to slush wildly, madly, rs
think, into revolution, dI,union, war, and
defy the consequences, whatever they may
w.. rather & an TO wait for the develop.
meut OF events, or submit tamely 10 what
/ they think is a fatal blow impending over
tlem and over all ihey hold dear on earth.
IL matters not, so Iul as we and the peace
Of the country AMI the fate OF the Union
are concerned, whether these auprchen-
sons Of She Southern people are real or
imaginary, whether they are well founded
| or wholly without foiudaio", as long as
hey belleye them and are determined to
act upon them. The Senator from Oaio.
Nr. Wade, whose speech WAS received
| with 70 much favor by his political friends
the other day, referred TO those serious
spprehensi3ns, aud acknowledged his be-
lief that the southern people were labor
ing under the conVtctiCn that they
| wele well four ded. He was kind
enough to add that he did not blame
the southern people much for
what they were doing under this fatal mis-.
apprehension but cast the whole blame
upon the northern Democracy and refers
red especially to his colleague and my
teit, for having misrepresented and faisi-
fed the purposes and policy of the Re
publican party, and for having made the
southern people believe Our mis.epresen-
.ation He does not blame the southern
people for acting on their honest convic-
tlons in resorting TO revolution to avert
sn impending but imaginary calamity
No lie does not blame them, because they
believe in the existence of the danger 4;
/ yf he VW do no act 10 uadeceive them; ,0iH
'akcns step 10 reLicrethcr Pautma maPpyehcnSiorS;
and rW FURNISH no guarantees, ntO security a.
gatast the dangers uh.ch they believe 10 exist, aud
the existence OF which he denies but on
the contrary, he demands unconditional
submission, threatens war, and talks A-
bout armies, ravies, and military force,
Tor the purpose of preserving the Union
and enforcing the laws ! submit whelh-
er this mode Of treating the question is
not calculated to confirm the worst np.
prehcnsons OF The southern people, and
force them into the most extreme meas.
ures OF resistance.
lregrot that the Senator from Ohio, or
Nny other Senator, should have deemed it
consistent with his duty, under present
circumstances to introduce partisan poll.
tics, and attempt to manufacture parts
san capiu out OF a question involving the
peace and safety 81 the country. repeat
/ what | have said on another occasion, hat
Il il know myself, my action will be inilg-
H snced 10y no partisan considerations, until
We shall have rescued the country from
the perls which environ it. But since
tue Senator has attempted TO throw the
whole responsibility Of the present dith.
clt.es upon the northern Democracy and
has charged Us with misrepresenling and
fslsiryiug the PURPOSES and policy Of the
Republican party, and thereby dcceiving
the southern people, J feel called upon TO
repel the charge, ahd show that il ia With.
N outa shadow of iouudation. No man
living would rejoice more than myself in
the conviction, if could only 'e convin-
cei Of the tact, that have misunderstood,
and Consequently misrepreseuted, the
N policy and designs of tie Republican par
n ", Produce the evidence and convince
me Of my error, and ! will take more
4 Pleasure in making the correction and re-
pairing the injustice, than ever have ta'
Ken IN denouncing what believed TO be
an unjust and ruinous policy.
VITA the view of ascertaining whether
have misapprehended or nIisrepreseEt,
81 the policy and purposes of the Repub-
lean party, will now inquire of the Sem
alor, and yield the floor for an answer;--
whether 1t i' not the policy OF his party