Year: 1860

and said, mot the milliOnth part of cent tea
not the hundreth millionth part of mi stamps
Why Because gentlemen they Snufed tyranny in the
distant breeze and they determined strike it down in


its first asssultand they pledged their lives their for
tunes and their sacred honor to resist the
insis ncant tax such, but to maintain involate
the cardinal principle that underes all constitutional
sentation. (Great cheerng) And yet my friends in those
days there weak men, timiu men, "cOmprOmiSiRg
who said had better pay the little tax than
cur an inexhautbe debt with all the risks of tr
umph defeat But, thank Cod Washington said NO.
Applause Jefferson said NO" Adams said ''No, -
Hancock said "Non and the illustrious Marylander,
Charles Carroll, of Carroon, said "NO" (Appause y
Now, then, when you talk to tonight of comproms-


ing principle, humble as am, and not daring ass0ci-
ate my undistingushed name with those of the great
men have mentioned, would say "No" (Applause


have said, fellow citizens, that the first great


tai error committed in the Legislature of the country


in accedng to the proposon made by the spirit of abo
lionism in 1920 when the Missouri restriction was
adopted. Why do say SOP At that time there two
great national organizations, rather indeed may say


there was but for it four years years
before the commencement of the modern Democratic Ma
tiona organization, and that of the old Wing party,
which has since passed away. At that time my friends,
ahohtionsm was mere dwarf-a pigmy-and bold men,
with their fixed upon the Constitution could then
have crushed it out forever. They failed to do it. Emil
nent statesmen then pronounced the Missouri restriction
unconstitutional and unwise Mr. jefferson, with his
usual spirit of prophecy predicted the dangerous agita


ons which would rise up like specres along this geo
graphical line, "concding Ito his emphatic words
with a marked principle, moral and political and held
up to the angry passions of men-and it is somewhat
makabe that forty afterwards only the other day.





tained by three other Judges from the South, and two
from the Northone from the great empire State of New
York and the other from the Keystone State of Penn
syvania Nelson and Grier have solemny decided the
unconstitutionaty of that fatal compromise Applause


Am not right my fellow citizens, when l say that
the beginning of all our troubles the fruitful of
all contests with this hydra headed monster aboi
onsm sprung up out of what was falsely called com
PROMISE" and has plagued since as a punish
ment for departure from plain constitutional princ
pies and obligations Hence, away with compro
A at
that time rather moral and pseudo religious organ
izaton 1t could scarcely cross the threshold of ersIa
ton but mark important and salient point in the his
tory of those times Whilst Whig and Democrat under
their respective banners wagng the knife
upon ephemeral questions like that of the bank distr
button of the proceeds of the public lands tariffs
tionsm through the pulpit and through the press and
in the lecture room and now and then twhen it had the
bold erontery to show itself in dayghtl the hustingS
was gradually nstilling its poison into the Northern
mind, filling it with passion and prejudice against slave
ry and Shareholders, and undermining the foundations
of national brotherhoodfrs the great Whig organiza
ton of the North was tainted. and-but shall speak
it?shall speak t)at last the heart one portion of
the Northern Democracy was partially infected.


In lS4S what do you observe in the great State New
York Mr. Van Buren-the spoilt child of General Jack
who had filled post of honor in the gift of his
country, from the Legislature of New York up to the
Presidency of the Unonhe who had been designated by
excellence, as the Northern with Southern prnc
pesyeded to the pressure and the great weight
his and the great influence of his high character
and his former exalted official position, to
tain abolitionsm under new and more dangerous
guise-tha of feesoilism; and found from that mo-
ment that faith to the South and devotion the Cons
tution it has been just eXpounded by the highest
buna in the land sapped in the heart of large part
of the Northern Democacy-at least far as the inhu
of that memorable detection extended; and General
Cass went down. under the assault of large and power
full wing Of the Northern Democracy, principally organ
lied against him in the State of New York.


There the beginning of the infection. speak it
in personal dsrespect of those distinguished ndivd
uals who answerabe for this first great against
the Democratic party am treating of the great hisor
cal facts and shall treat them with the freedom and the
truthfuness OF impartial history. Applause) There
the first taint-tantI the great Northern
Democratic heart Four afterwards in 1852 Gene
raj Scott received the electoral vote Of four States
President Pierce all the rest Circumstances had united
the Democracy in outward appearance The grave of that
respectable and to certain extent national old Whg
organization, was then dug and filled and closed, and
the monumental stone put over it. daughter Then
gentlemen, what is the next in this drama?
next is the total absolute complete extinction or
rather absorption of the old Whig party of the North into
eptons-excepons like Webster who went down to his
grave with broken hear-ke Everett, who only lives
to mourn his loss. (Laughter.) These noble ex.
cepons but they only served to mark the rule with mel
ancholy emphasis. The rule the universality-the
exception could be written in three lines of history Still
dsregardng Democratic freesoilism and Whig submer
sion at the North; confronting the proean anatacsm
under all its changing aspects, still be seen the
great the proud the national the united the victorious
Democracy, standing, l have already said with one
foot North and foot South, like colossus and
exclaimng, with voice of authority, "back to your
hiding places, enemies of the Constitution, and We
traitors to the Union" tApplause.)


Gentlemen, why does not that party stand here in





rebukep Shall say in tones of bitterness? Oh
afford to remember and be grateful for the distinguished
services in past times ofStephen A Douglas and
the Northern Democracy as now rally uer his banner.
The Democracy and every individual Democrat who
actuated solely by love of the truth of his principles
afford to be just, afford to be generous
to deal fairly with the issue whilst compelled to speak
frankly and boldly the truth he understands it. There
fore, shall say unknd word of Mr. Douglas or his
Northern friends; yet it my duty land would be re-
creant to that solemn obligation which you in an
special manner who honored me with so many high
81, VpT Law
before you that you may what in it, and whether
it be worthy of your consideration Why is not
that great party united to night has heretofore
Before come to answer that question let
preliminary reflections. You would ask, "Mr Lowe
could you under any circumstances, have supported Mr.
Douglas for the Presidency" ! answer yes OH is
ceive to be public duty!'' by no meansiu


have told you of the great mission of the Democratic
party and Its to this day that under the
providence of God it essary institution
the preservation oil every interest that is precious to
not only as people, but as individual citizens Very
we'll If that great Democratic party, from Florida and
Maine from Virginia and California assembled in Ma.
tonal Convention, had thought proper say that they
would ignore, and pass over and disregard, rather
gentlemen that they would shrink from the great issue
now before this nation, should in my inmost heart
have deplored it as child may depore the unwise coun
sci of his father whilst he obeys Yet should
have bowed down in submission to the united voice of
united Democracy considering myself but in
the great ocean of Democratic sentiment in these United
States. (Applause.)


But, gentlemen, when a whole section of this mighty
States of the South-wth their two
only truly and absolutely reliable sisters, the Pacific
States of Oregon and Cafornia-(appause)- se)-susained
and supported by the voice of the sound conservative
mnorites of the North led by such Benjamin


allet author the Cincinnati platform-(appjause
Caleb Cushing the President of the Charleston Ins
tute Conventions appausel, Benz F. Butler Franklin
Pearce, Daniel s. Dickinson, (applause) and host of
others say when they and you eXcaim with ac-
claim, 1--WE love the Democratic organization love
the very cradles in which rock children; we
love the discipline Of that party which has pre-
served its integrity and the union of these Sates but
we love the principles of the Constitution laid down
by Roger b. Taney and the Supreme Court still more,
(apslause) and, therefore, cannot and will not
our rights away again, done forty
years ago and too often since'-when such voice as
that comes up to my from the constitutional Demo-
cracy, then say to Mr. Douglas and those who sustain
him. if we must part upon principle let it be in peace
and without the anger OF old foes Stand by the side of
your favorite candate We stand by no mans side but
upon the constitutional rights of sovereign States Zap
plause)


the speedy flight Of time admonshes that should
detan you much longer cries of go go on,
say tragedy (Laughter.) What is the reason, gentle
men, that the great body of the Southern States and
for the Presidency Because II it in all kindness of
spirit for Heaven is my witness believe it, and while
give to opponents credit for sincerity claim the
same for myself and as claim it exact t)-in the hon
esy of own convictions be they right wrong, be
eve that the great heresy of popular sovereignty or that
viii ch is better known squater sovereignty inaupu
rated by Douglas is in practical result as it certainly is
principle the twnsster OF the Wilmot provso and as
repudiated Van Buren twelve years ago for the same





with gallant leader Douglas has been am com
PEELED here night under this blue canopy that looks
down upon with its countless searching ewes that
speak divinity, am compelled say, to repudate hin,
now. (Applause.)


offer to make good the charge now preferred came
not here to speak lightly; for. gentlemen, know how
precious, how very precious to public is his public
character. have been public man, though if keep
my Senses hope never will again. (Laughter) have
by yonr kind favor, filled Office full of troubles of
anxieties, and responsibility and, what is more than
that full of outside injustice. man may he honest and
duty and he rarely gets the credit of erng in
the head-itis always put down to the heart Hence |
know how sensitive public man is, and ought to be,
and would shrink from standing up here and doing a
wrong to the reputation OF public man. as
would spurn the cowardly act of laying slanderous
tongue upon the falr name OF a woman. (Appausel
Now, then gentlemen, why do that the doctrine of
Mr. Douglas is practically, well as Theoretically as
of the constitutional rights of the Southern
States the doctrine of the Wilmot provso? these
reasons, and beg your attention only for short time
What was the Wimot proviso?


Whenever a territory applied for admission into the
unlon that poylso was to step in and shant
come, unless that slavery shall be forever ex
cuded from your limits. The meaning of which was
that although you paid fifteen millions to
your Treasury in the purchase of Florida from SPAIN al
though conquering soldiers have poured their
blood like water to win territory which you have after
wards magnanimously paid for, to the amazement of fill
clustering Engand although the blood Of the South has
moisened the territory which have acquired
war; and her gold has paid for it in peace although is
well known fact that New England raise than
enough to feed her people and supports her surplus
population by manufacturing the very cotton which we
send from Georgia and Texasthat she exports
avely nothing whereas the cotton States export annually
two hundred ons Of dollars of slaveproduced cotton
filling the Golfers of the nation; although say all this
be true yet says the Wilmot proviso when you
settle these territories and afterwards to form these
tories into States stand back, cotton growerl Keep
out Of the way, and tobacco panter This
land for nobody but the free aborer of the North You
shall not carry your cotton gins there Applause


NOW, nj andI