Year: 1861

North to invade and destroy their consti-
tutonal rights, and they are ready to
rush, rashly think, into oil the horrors
of revolution and disunion, rather than to
submit to what they think the impending
blow which hangs over them. The SEN
ator from Ohio Mr.. Wade) acknowledge
ed the existence of this conviction in the
minds Of the Southern people, and said


he did not blame them as he did the


Northern Democracy. who had misrep.
resented and falsifed the purposes and


policy of the Republican party: yet he ad-


vocates policy which will not relieve


these apprehensions, but threatens them


with war and coercion, rather than to give


them security. 1t matters not whether
the dangers were real or imaginary, if
the Southern people are prepared to take


position which will plunge us into dis


union and discord forever. regret that


any on this floor should have introduced


party politics and endeavored to make


party capital out of any question effecting


the peace and safety of this country. But


since the Senator has attempted to make


the Northern Democracy responsible for


the revolution, l am forced to inquire


whether the charge be true? There is no


man living who would be better pleased


to learn that he had misrepresented or


misunderstood tho policy of that party


l would like to know whether that Sena.


tor will now say it is not the policy OF


that party to con6ne slavery within its


present limits by the action Of the Feder-


al Government? 'z'hether it is not the


policy of that party to exclude slavery


from the Territories we now possess, or


any we may hereafter acquire? Whether


or not, that party are in favor of return


ing fugitives to their masters from whom


they escape? In short, l will give him


the opportunity of saying now, whether


it is not the policy of that party to exert


all the power of the Federal Government,


under the Constitution, according to their


Interpretation of that instrument, 10 re-


strain and cripple the institution of slav-


cry, with view to its ultimate extinction


in the States, old as well as new, North


as well as South?


Mr.. Wade, (Republican) of Ohio-All


those questions are most pertinently an


swered in the speech to which he is pro-


Tossing to make answer. have nothing


to add to it.


Mr.. Douglas-I did not expe ct an un.
equivocal answer. l know too we'll that


the Senator will not deny that each oI


these interrogatories does express his in
dividual policy, and the policy of the Re
publican party, as he understands it.
The harshest thing have said of the Re


publican porty was that they intended t.
use the power Of the government with


not only in the Territories but in tht
States of the Union. have said, and
have believed it and would rejoice now


to be corrected, that is the policy Of
this party to prohibit slavery in all the
Territories of the United States now own.


ed or hereafter acquired, with a view tc
surround the slaves with Gordon of Alb
olition States, and thus keep slavery con-
fined till the number increases beyond the
capacity of the soil to feed them. and
thus force them to die of starvation, as a


means of getting rid of the evils of sla.
very, in the name ofhumanity and Chris
tianity. have said that in Illinois, in
the Abolition portions of the State, bu
never said it in a slave State. 1 have
always been exceedingly mild in speak
ing of that party in the slaveholdine
States. But inasmuch as did not get 1
direct answer from the Senator who makes


the charge against the Northern Democ
racy, will refer to the sentiments of tn,
President elect, and ose what he says OF
that subject. The Republicans have tax
, en- pains to publish reports of the de
bates between Mr., Lincoln and myself
; and may say they are unfair to me, a
Mr. Lincoln had an opportunity to cor


rect his speeches, and the printer struck
, out many portions of my replies. Mr.
4 Douglas then read from Mr.. Lincoln
speech, where he speaks of the House be
ing divided against itself, and that tn
!, crisis must come, and the State must al
: become one thing or the other, &c., ant
proceeded. When the Republican Com
5 mittee publish an edition of Mr.. Lincoln
speeches containing sentiments like thes
is it surprising that the people of thu
. South think he was in earnest, and in
tended to carry out the policy he then an
nounced? should not revive such rev
olutionary sentiments but for the attemp
to cast the responsibility upon the North
ern Democracy, clearly intimating tha
a Mr.. Pugh and myself were the chief an
u thors of these Misrepresentation.


o would like to find any one man on tina
= side of the chamber, in the confidence q


the President elect, who would deny tha
: it is his policy to carry out the very
= things to which l have referred. fec
= bound, however, and take pleasure in say
@ ing, that / don't believe the Souther
II States are in any danger, or ought t.
9 have any app; ehensions, that Mr.. Lin
II coin or his party can do any harm O
b render insecure their right to persons O
y property anywhere in this country.
J. have some faith that Mr.. Lincoln, afte
g having emerged from the surroundings {
q a small country village, and assumed til
i high responsibilities of administering til
e law and protecting the rights of gre'
10 nation, will sink the partisan in the pal
l. riot, and abandon the extreme doctrines
, and step forward and avow his willing
s. ness to save the country by repudiatin
% the extreme doctrines of party. But |
~ that as it may, neither he nor his part
o. will have the power to invade the right
l. of any State in this Union. | had hope