The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-07-11
"A BRIEF AND POINTED SPEECH.
Vindication of Judge Douglas from Afili-
alton with the Abolitionists.

In the House of Representatives, on the Path
of May, several speakers of the Abolition faith
made speeches misquoting Mr.. Douglas to snp-
port tfieir peculiar ricsvs emancipation and
confiscation. Colonel Richardson replied to
them briefly and to the point. He said:
Mr. Speaker purpose to reply to sin
gle point which has arisen during the progress OF
this debate.
Republican menbers have frequently quoted
Judge Douglas within the last few days, and
quoted him, too, for their own party purposes.
And now desire to remind them and the coun-
try that in all his speeches in reference to this
war, Judge Douglas took the broad and states
man-like position that this war should be cons
Quoted for the preservation of the Constitution
and the enforcement of the laws-for nothing
more, nothing less. His position is SO clearly
defined that few brief extracts from his last
speeches will at once vindicate the truth of his
tory, and place him in the proper light before
his countrymen AtSpringfeld, ILL.,, in a speech
made before the legislature during the month OF
May, 1861, he said:
'.The first duty of an American citizen, OR OF
citizen of any constitutional government Is,
obedience to the constitution and laws OF his
country / have no apprehension that any man
in Illinois, or beyond the limits of our own be-
loved State, will misconstrue or misunderstand
my motive. So far as any Of the partisan ques-
tions are concerned, stand in equal, eternal and
undying opposition to the Republicans and the
Secessonists.'
And again, in the same speech he remarks:
silence repeat that am not prepared to
take up arms or to sanction policy OF our
~ tab tn IN
upon the rights of the Southern States, upon
their institutions, upon their rights OF person
or property but on the contrary, would rush
to their defence and protect them from assault !;
but while that is the case, will never cease TO
urge my countrymen to take UP arms ITO night
to the. death in defence Of their indefeasible
rights Long continued applause Hence,
if war does come, it is war OF self-defence
on our part 1t is war in defence OF our own
lust rights in defence of the Government which
we have inherited as priceless legacy from
our patriotic fathers, in defence of those great
rights of freedom Of trade, commerce, transit
and intercourse from the centre to the elrcum-
ference of our great continent. These are
rights we must struggle for and never surrender"
And in the last great effort of his life, his
speech at Chicago, made but few days prior
to his death, he said:
"We must not invade constitutional rights
Tire innocent must not suffer, nor women and
children be the victims. Savages must not be
let loose"
Neither Republican members nor Republican
officials any where can find any thing in the a.
bove extracts, nor in any speech or letter of
Judge Douglas, which will justify them in the
slightest violation Of the Constitution On the
contrary, every act of his public life, and even
his dying injunction to his children, condemns
unequivocally all the unconstitutional legislation
which you propose, and all the unconstitutional
acts of which your party officials have been
guilty.
through this House, and through the Senate, had
given a construction to the Constitution show
ing the absence of power to pass just such bills
as You are now advocating and intending to pass
In his inaugural address, after having taken his