Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-06-10

The House having under consideration ia bill
to coniiscate Improperly and free from serYitudC
the slaves of rebels
Mr. Richardson said
Mr. SPEAKER: propose to reply 10 singse
point which has arisen during the pro0ress OF
this debate
Republican members have frequently quoted
judge Douglas within t.ie last few days snd
and quoted Tim. too, for their own party par
poses And now | desire 20 remind them and
the country that in su his speeches in references
| 10 THIS war Judge Douglas t, ok the broad and
! sia'esmsniike position that this war should be
| conducted iur the preservation Of the Cons,itu
| uon and the enforcement of the laws for moth
| ing more nothing less. His position is SO clear
/ y uehned that few briet extracts from his last
speeches will at once vindica:e the truth of his
tory, and place him in the proper light before his
country men AT Springfield, Illinois, in a
| speech made before Size Legislature during tho
month ot May, 1861, hq said:
" The hrSt duty oi an American citizen, or of
cliiatn OF any constitutional Government. is
obedience to the Constitution and the laws Of
ms country. | have no apprehension that any
msn IN Illinois or beyond the limits of our ovyn
beloved Sale, viii nIiscOnstTUe or misunderstand
NY motive. 30 Tar as any Of the partisan quss. !
hons are coacerned stand in equal, eternal. |
anu andyIag opposition 10 the Republicans and |
the SecessiOnisis
And again in ths same speech. bs ramArk., |
Hence l repeat that l am not prepared 80 |
take up ariEs or to sanction a policy Of our gov
eInment to take up arms 20 make any war upon
Tue Tgh;s OF the Sou heFn States upon their in
situations; upon their rights of persons or no.
Pety tut, On the contrary, would rush 10 their
defense ard pTOitc! them fom sssau't; bus
"hiie that Is the ease viii never cease TO urge
my country nen to take up arms to ight to ibe
IN Hf ind l..
Long continued applause Hence if y var
1jes cem'r II IS war OF srlfdeienss On our
pat. IL il q HsT III defense of our own irai
ilgh.s ia dele Sc Of tbs goTeTnment which We
have Inherited as priceless legacy from cur ps-
tuotIc fathers in d,ierss Of those great rights
ui freedom OF trsde, commerce, transit, and Il
teic'u.se from the center 70 the circumference ef
our great continent These are rights we ,nust
struggle for AID never surrender"
And in the last great effort of his life. his !
speech at Chicago, made bat few DAYS prior 10 7
bis d'alh, he said
" We must rot invade constitutional rights !
The innocent must not suffer, nor women and q
enid IN be the victims. S.ysgss must not bs {
NeR, ,ier Republican members nor Republican I
othciaS anywhere can fnd ANYTHING in She
above extracts, nor in any sp ech or letter Of !
Judg Douglas, wLich will justify them in tho d
slightest violation Of tho Constitution On the 5
contrary, every act Of his public life, and even | 4
his dying injunction to his children, condemns 5
unequlyocally all the unconstitutional leRisla .
ton which you propose, and all the unconstitu- /
tlonai acts OF which your party officials have u
been guilty.
through this House, and through the Senate had o
gwen construction to the Constitution show
Ing the absence Of power to pass ust such bills
as you aye now advocating and intending 10
pass. In his inaugural address, after having
taken his solemn oath TO support the Constitu- q
lion, ar. Liacoln said: 4
:" have no purpose. directly or indirectly, TO o
interfere with the institution of slavery in the :;
States where it exists l believe have no law
full right to do so, and have no inclination to
10 So" e
The House OF Representatives of The 36ih s.
Congress, a maj )TitY Of whose members were II
Republicans, passed the following resolution "
unanimously: :
That neither the Congress Of the United y
States nor the people of the governments Of the n
loa-sIavehoiding ates have the constitutional '
-ight to legisse upon, OF interfere vi b. slavery 81
q any Of the slsveholdng States in the Union" P
BY the organic acts of the territories Of Ne :
7ada, Colorado and Dacota, the Republican par y
y, by its own leg Station, had Iecogn zad and Z
approved the doctrine Of popular sovereignty, a
which Judge u, uglas regarded as essential 10 u
ne removal from these halls of the most dis II
urbing question f the country. P
| do not presume that when judge .uglas II
hus strongly asserted the necessity Of main G
aiming inviolate the Constitution of his country
70 for = moment suspected that you would ever r
'ltempt the violation Of the pledges which your u
Republican Congress hsd given the people, ard d
which your r publican President had reiterated {
But the bills now under consideration propose to Il
,iOlate not only your pledges but at the same y
ime your Constitution. You forget your e
promises you advocate these bills, and urge II
heir passage through This H,use a