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Show 164 A POLITICAL TEXT-BOOK .FOR l&GO. believe we nrc st11.nding to-day not ln tho prcRcncc of spuctres n.ntl shadows, but in the presence of terrible n:aliLic~. 'rhcre is a modo by which we can have !JCaee-a permaneut peace--and that Is by an utter and absolute aurreudur of all our rights upon the suhj~ct to which I have referred at the call of thill Republican Party. If we do not make this surrender, wo will have nu peace until the Republican Party is destroyed, which etu1 only be done by producing n rct~ction upon the public mind or the North. As it is, without our being aware of it, things are getting worse every day. I htlll almost intended to s:ty, that we were absolutely dissolving mouth by mouth, n.nu year by year. lllec no mode-wiser men Uum I see no mode to avoid this except to produce a reaction in the public mind, aud to b;ing up sharply, in some form, the question, Can we not, North and South, llvo in peace with our several State institutions, after the manuer of our f1tthcrs? Jc'or myself1I yet believe in, and 1 huvc an abounding hope of, the ultmHtto destiny of our common country. I b ·lievc u. r eaction will take place; n.ud I believe th1tt out of thil! commotion is destined to como for us an em of tranquillity and peace. Of this I am quite certain, that this CommonweaJ. th of Kentucky will pur:~ue a. cour:;e answerable to her oharacter and hl~tory; she wi:J Ataud by U1c union or tile Htatcs Ui! lo ng a.s th ere hi t. !hrea<i of the Con~tituUon v hold It to •ct her. W • know that if JWL<inl·A~, and folly and fan1tticism !;hall succeed in t~ariu£:" tlown tht• fuit·cst f;lbrl~:o ever cr •ctcd to liberty a111ong mcu-we know that ou· honored tltate wJlt conduct herself with so much Jnodcra. Uon and prudence that ~:~he :~hall sf and just illed for bc actll lH:fon:~ 111 •n and in th • cy · of lleavcn. 1 Fcllow-citiz •ns, I do not propo:~e to deta in .rou hy more extendt•<i observations. I hn ve trcsp ll8~ct l too far UJ)on your time already. 1 think, if you will allow me to say ~0 that I know Romething of the temper, and spidt, and intt..~ rest of this people ; and, ill:! far as my humhle ahilillcs extend, T propose, in the ~:~phere to which you IHtl·e <lerot.ed me to l:lervo you wit.h all the lldelit.y of a ~mteful heart. At ;Lll timeR, nod uncle•· all circuml:!tunccs, 1 owe Illy allegiance to the 'tate, and 1 fLlll reaJ y , and willi nl-{, and aux. lous to de vote whate ver faculties of mind awl hudy l po 9 • sess to tmrve you, and to serve .rou with the uncali:ulatbJg devotion of a man who loves t.hc g reen mountains aut.! smiling plains, the clear runnln~ strc:uns and Ulc gencroW! p eople of U1e 'tate , and with one who loves all her iulinnj. tics with the atrection of a son. lCANSAS-·TIIE ]fORMONS-SLAVERY. -·- t;PEEOII O.B., SENATOR DOUGLAS. Dclit:cred at Springfwld, Ill., Jnne 12, 1857. 1\lft. Pn~:i!tD I'NT, LADIES ANO Gh:NTLF.Mh:N: I appear before you to-night, at the request of the grand jury in attendance upon the United States Court, for tlte purpose of submitting my views upon certain topics upon which they have expressed a desire to hear my opinion. It was not my purpose when I arrived among y ou , to have engaged in any public or political discus ion; but when ca.llecl upon by a hody of gentlemen so intelligent and respectable, coming from all parts of the State, and connected with the adminil:!trntion of public justice, I do not feel at liberty to withhold a full and fmnk expression of my opinion upon the subjecta to which they have refened, and which n ow eng1·osscs so large a share of U1e public attention. or whose leaders they act, let the blame he vis1tert of fastening upon the people of a new .'tate, institutions repugnant to their feelings and in violation of thcil· wishes. 'l'he organic act secures to the p eo)J le of J(ansn.s the sole and exclusive right of forming an<! regu lating their domestic institutions to suit themselves, subj ecL to no oth01· limitation than that which the Constitution of the United States imposes. 'l'he Demot:ratic party is determined to see the great fundamental pt·inciplcs of the organic act carried out in good faith. 'l'he present election law in 1\anl!as is acknowledged to be fair and just-the rights of the voters are clearly defincd-n.nd the exercise of those rights will be efficiently and scrupulously protected. Hence, if the majority ot the people of Kansas desire to have it a Free State (and we arc told by the RcpuiJlican party that nine-tenths of the people of that 'l'erritory are l<'ree State men), there is no obstacle In the way of bringing Kansas into the Union as l\ .l>'ree tate, IJy the votes and voice of her own people, and in coufor1llity with the principles of the 1(ansasNebrnska act; provided all the Free State men wlll .go to tho polls, and vote their principles in accoruancc wttb their·professionll. If such is not the r esult let the con.sequencca be visited upon the heads of those whoso pollcy it is to produce 'ltrifc, anarchy and bloodi!hcd in 1\ansas, that their pat·ty may profit by Slavery agita t ion in t~e Northern States of this Union. l'hat U1e Democrats m Kansas will perform their duty fearl essly and uobly, according to the principle they cherish, I have no doub.t, and that the r esult of the struggle will be such llS w11l gladden the heart and strengthen the hopes of every friend of the Union, I have entire confidence. l'he points which I am requested to discuss arc: 1st. 'l'hc present condition and prospects of Kansas. 2d. 'l'he principles allirmed by the Supreme Court of t.he United ::;tates in the J>rcd ._'cott case. 3c!. The condition of thing~ in Utah, and the appropriate remedies for existing evils. KA:-\SAS. Of the Kansas quest ion but little nccu be said at the present time. You are familiar with the history of the question, and my connection with lt. Subsequent reflection ltas strengthened and confirmed my convictions In tho soundness of the principles anc.l the correctness of the course 1 l1ave felt it my duty to pursue upon that subject. Kansas Is about to speak for herself through I.e.- delegat ell 11 sembled in Convention to form a Constitution, JH I!paratory to her admission Into the Union on an equal footing with the original States. Peace and prosperity now prevail throughout her borders. The law under wilich het· delegates are about to be elected Is believed to be just and fair In all its objects and pro~ visions. '!'here is every reason to hope and believe that the la.w will be fair·Jy interpreted and impartially executed, so as to insure to every bona fide inhabitant the free and qui et exercise of the electlve franchise. If any portion of the inhabitants, acting under the advice or political leaders in di11tant States, shall choose t.o absent themselves from the polls, and withhold their votes, with a view of leaving the Free State Democrats in a. minority, &:nd thus securiug a Pro- lavery Constitution in oppositiOn to the wishes of a majority of the people living under it, let the responsibility rest on those who, for partisan purposes, will sacriiice the principles they profess to Cl1eril!h and promote. Upon them, and upon the p .dit ical party for whose benefit and under the direction 'l'he Kansas q uestion being settl er! peacefully and satls· factorily, in n.ccorclance with the wishes of lw r owu people, Slavt>ry agitation shoulu be banished from the ia~ll~ of Congress, and cease to be an exciti{)g clemeut !u our political struggles. OiTe fair play to tla~t principle or self-goverument which recognizes the rlghL of the J>t!<lp~e of each State and Territory, to for1n anu r rgulate _th~lr own domestic institutions and !cctional strlfu Willlle forced to give place to th:Lt fmternal f<:eling wh ich animated the fathers of t11e JtevoluLion, and made every citi zen or every State of thi:~ gloriow:~ cuufederacy a llleu~o uer of u common brotherhoort. 'l'l!at we are sten.dily and rapidly approaching that r~sult, I cannot doubt, for t11e ~lavery issue has alrea1ly dwindled down to the narrow limits covcretl by the dtcisions or the Supreme Oourt or the United ::!tales In UHI Dred Scott caae. The moment \hat dec;~! on was pro- 'filE DRED SCOTT DECISIO~. 150 ' re tho o pinions o f the Court could l?u nouncetl, and b.e.~o the H!Ople, tile ne w~paller pres::~ Ill puulbhed lltHllc.ull~~rfuli~Olit ical party In Lhit:~ country, th~: lutcre~t o~ '.'- '?r L~HTent!l of abut:~e and ml>~repret~enta~ llegau to p(J UI IOI \~ tile tleci>~wn, but upon t he ch~tr~tctcl tJona, ll .t ou. lyr utphue r ellt:l. a ll!"u Cli 'l"" f J u~. ticc and IIIII CJlll u. l!f-and motlvt; o le bt:n ch. 'l'hc character of .Je trious ~~'~I-' ocn•tyt es oln It! , ~ ·····~t e J ud""t:::! wh o coucUJTctl 'UH t 1e ,lS.-.Ov • " , Ju~tlcc !Lilt: '. . •ultwy-no viu<.licatlon tr o111 tne. ri'ith hull, r-:11~~~~.~ 1 110 l~e p~ople of the U111t cd lute::~ by They ar~ eudc,ll ~~~~o Kc rvices-vencrated for thou· l(reat Lhcir eHllllellt pu ex ,c ricn ce-anu beloved for the l~aruing, Wl~dolll 1111111 II· . ·t•·,·u autl Lloeu· exemplary sputle11S }Hil.l ty. (If t 1el r c t. u U.v '"' " · 1 · II 1 ft, o f parti:~an malice w1l Ia live:!. '!'he po l~o.uo.~s :~ 111\il~ their jutl icial d ecil;iC>nM will llarm1e~~ ILL I hell f~.ct,e W<\ proud 111011Uillent tO their great· st1u1u iu all futu re 1111 ' 1 .1 w·1~e and a rcl.iuke 1 ·. tlou of tl1u goot anu " • lll::>8, then< II lli a f f Lction and lawlesi! viol ence. If, to the JHII"tl~ans o CC> I:~iuerable portion of the people or unfo rtunatdy, lLllY I 11• O fur forget their obligations LO the Unitt:d ~tales! s lU . ~t'l ·• I leaue rl:! to array t hem in · t LS to ul ow JMI ~ .. 1 1 · 1 t SOCIC y I ) 0 final uecision of thO llg leK Tioleut r.:.olstauce to t til it will become the tluty of all judi cio.! tniJuual on. eurtl 1.' nstltutional go verntuel.l, with· the fncnd~ of onlcl .an t:~it. ·al tlUfcrcnces to urganll.e out ref~ renee to p.t:!t po .•~ forct'll under' the ~I IJ rio u~ tl.~n•~ci vcs ami .'n.ar~h ~d tl~elt.l" "Ltion or the Constitution b!llllltl" of thl! l.inlllii, _IIIIVI n) IC',S o vur the a dVOt:ate8 of I I · r • II'LCY ol t 1e lL \\ " IIIli 1 1e ~up el ' . f · 1 . . To !•reserve the 1 1 • cill.l.lll piOn!i o vto en cc. facLIOII an• tIt: . . • • U vindicate the ::! li)H"l!lllll ey of ~~~n1~1t:~~'t:~'t\11~1 ~11~1t~~~'tl ·~~:~ghest ~uty of eve? cit!z~~~/nl~ free llc)Hlblic. The peculia~· lllCrtt olf ? ufr ~~t> l ~;~,~LI ~~e law, · , i1 thur~ COU::!Ii:lt::! 111 L ll! Ill: ~::~~~\~~~v:~ {:,c 1~rbill:;;ry wilt of a hcredil.'~t/ prin~~~· ~~:·~~~ , ·u. dctlnu!i and prote~:ts all our t lgnt~. . Sell c~, . . I . •Ill of the p eople, cmbodl.:d and cuumry th t: l.~w 1 ~ LIt: '' of the Constitutwn. cxprc~scd ac~:o rd lllg to the fur lll::!. t "tu' 1'1 • Courts "Lre the Lr ilJllll lilS vre::tcnhetl uy Lhc (.Jou,s I . tloICll •111d t:r.'. -1t tcu by the aut I1 01·1"t Y or the .n.. eopit: tO ll"lCI- , ' . tl 1 v Hence w 11 ocvcr trrcl'i'~c~s ~~~·~1~:::: d<~~~:~~~:~~~~c~he ;~gl~c~L j udicial' trlb un1 0 df, uh''n s a deadly ulow t o .oul. ~v 11 0 1e. re• i> ublic, an IIll ysIt· e•m• all vVCI"Il lflent-,L blOW Wlllch, If l!UCCeS:.ful, \1 OU ( ~~ 'I.C~ ·h ~ur rights !Lilli libt:rtied at tho me rcy of P.a>~:llOI~· .Ill at c y IIIIU VIOlence. I repeat' th e refo re, that tf rc~lstauc\ l:!o the tkcis1ou~ of the ::lupremc Ooun. of the Urll t; tl t~t~\:e' In ll Ill all er lik-: the poi II t:s decitleu Ill the Drctl ::lCIO c' I ~ clcady witlllll th e1· r j un· ::ou.1iO· .:L·I Oil ·· ~~w ·u' eltn.c u by t1 e lltlvc•a l S' iLu tlOtl •h·tll ue forced upou tho couut1y n~ a P0 i~' ollc ' it 'w •il l ' ucCIJliiU lL dt.. -tinct anu,, n.a k l!•l 1 i!:! ~· uc uetwcuu 1 tic th~: f:"!CIIll~ and the e ll clll leS of the Oo ustltU:. 0~1- I' rrlcnuo and the eueude:l uf the supremacy of the a ll :!. l' IlJr: Dll~:D SCOTT DIW1810N. The case of Drcd Scott was an actio? of t,resp~s~~~f1~; arMis in thc UircuiL Court of the Umted Sta t~ . 1 . Vist1 ic~ of .\l isso url, for the purpose of e:~talll_I::!IIIU~ . . 11~ Clai. m to "e a I.e ee 1u :~n an d wa· ~~ t •..• kenlu· ywntofcf i iOt 011 •he U!lu" li~:·ttion of S'c ott to the s upt. e uw• Court o t 11 tcl uni• ted 'ta>'t e:-r' , where the final dt:Ci• lli•O il W• il S i>rOnO,U JJC.l!. , uy Ghier J u:nkc 'l'aney. 'l'he facts of the casu ~v.~:~ 0 a11rced upou aud au1ui tted to bo true by both pal 1 t 11 .t t:::!: and were i.1 l:!ulJstancc, that ."v rcu· ' .'-.', c· ott \•" ."'. ~~ a nevo rO S ,L.V t: In MiMsouri that he went with hi!:! mast e•·, who was a11 1 officer in th'o army, t o 1!, o rt Armst1. o ng, 0 11 Hock h1 s,l tlu\Hlls ~ aud thence to Fort Snelling on the west bank of t 1 e ·t a.ijsii>J>i Hiver ant! within the country covered by td1c 1 ac of Uongress ku' own a~ the .\lh. lSOun· ,v,o mp1. 0 Iu iu" e ·· an. t 1e.·u he rcaeco lllJl!~niec.l h it~ mas ter to the State or Jl~l!:loO.UI ~~ where he h·1s st. nce reUHL.I Ilc d .a s J.·•. ve • Ut>On th1s st,Ltc ment of fac't s two .l llll>Ortant an d ma. tcr1·,a l qucstioni! .a rol:!e • ht:.iiU ~::! tiC I em! .l llC.i denta I unc.l lll !nOI . oue: ! , whichd 1t w. ,,a s iucu1nbeut upon the Court to ta k: e n o t.I Ce o.f a. n. d cc1duies-. The Uourt trtlnot lttt clll )lt to avo1d respons1u1hty by l>osing Of lh•" O.:llSe U)JOII technical J>O·l ll t S WI" tl IOu t touc"d1 1 - lug the n1c ·itv~ nor did they ~>o out oft1 I C·i r w.a y to dect e ' ' 0 quc~ tions not properly before thern au d d."u ·ec.t lY 1>.t ·esen t-cd l>y the l"eCOI"U Like honest and COllSCICIItiO U~ JUdge:!, ~ they ILI"e they. met and decided each )JO.l ll t ,•\ s 1t •"t rO.: :Ie • and f"lithfuhy llCrformcd thcil· whole duty anti nothmg but t'h eir duty to the country by detcruu· tu· ng all the queMtiOilll il1 the case and nothiug but what wa:~ essen- tlal to the 1lccisiou of t' he case uvon ·1 ts nwn' ts . '1'1 1c :::itatdc Courtij of ,\1 \i:s:;ouri had dcciued again:3t Dred Scott: .an.t dechHetl him aut! h ill chilurcn sla vcs, and the ~11 cu1• Court of the Uuitecl State::! for the di~trict of JII1ss~u 1~ had decitlt'<l the ::JIL111C thing in thil:! Very case whivl , U\ d thus ocen removed to the ;5uprcme Court of the nt~e States uy 'cott with the hope of rovcl·sing tho dech:HOll ot the Cu·~uit Uourt and securing his freedom. lC the Supreme Court h:Ltl dil:!m i:!:sed the writ of enor for ~~nt oC jur l!u.ction, without tlr:st examining Into and dcc1dmg the meriw or the caRe, as lhey a.re now uenounccd and abused for not having don 1, t he I"CSult would have b een to remand Drcd l:lcott aud h i~ children to p erpetu;Ll Slavery under the decisions which lmd ulreacly been t>ronounced by the Supreme Court , of M}ssouri, a. well as by the Circuit Court of the. Umle(~ ~tutcs, w1th<.u' obtaining a d ecision on the ments of h1s castl by. the • upremc Court of tho United States. ~up pose Clucf .) Ul:!· ti co Taney and his associates had thus remanded Dr~c. Scott and hill children back to lavery un a !!lea L abatement or any mere technic<~! p oint, n ~t ~oudung th~ merits or the question and w1thout uecldtng whcthe' uutle1· the Constitution ~ud !awl:! ILl! applied to the facti! of the case Dred Scott was n free man 01· a slav~, woultl they not have been dcnounceu with increasctl vrrulcnce and uitterness on the charge of having. r emanded. Dre~ :::icott to perpetual Shwcry without first cX<Lmi nlllg tlw merits of his case and ascertaining whether he was a s lave :>r not? lC the case had been disposed of in that way, who can doubt that such would hl\ve btcn the character of the J cmutciatiiJns which would have been llurlctl ~1pou the devoted heads Of thOSe ill u~t rl O US J Udi{ 'S With 111UCh mo re p l au :~ibility anu show of faimess than. they arc now denouncctl for having tlecitlctl the case fa1 rly ami h.;u-c: Jtly upon iL::l merit:; f . , , l'he tu uterial anti controlling polllls of the ca~c-th o e which have been made the subject of unmeasun:d abuse untl tlenuncllltion-mny be thus slat~d ~ . , ~ 1. 'J'he Court dccidetl U111t under the ConStitut iO n. of tl~ Uniletl SttHe:-~ a negro d escended fr ~m ~lave pu1 cnls 1:! uot !Lilli ca 11 not be a citizen of the Un1ted 'tate:~. 2. 'l'hat tho a ct of tile Gth of Marcil, 1b~O, c~mmon 1Y called tl1e l\11ssouri ()om promise act, wa:i uu cull~llt utlona~ 1 void u ·fore it was repealed hy the N ch ra~l< a act, ;~ u c. ~:1\\l:!eQUI!Ilt~y diu not a nd could not hav~ the fl·g;~l c~1cc~ of ext.ugui~lling a mastel"':l r ig.l1t to .1 11~ slav~. ~n · ~ l'crntory White the r ight. COiltlllues 111 full f()( ce. undo~ tile guan~nty of the Consti t ution, and caunot ~e tilves~c or a fl euat ed by llll act of Congress, it neccssanly IJIIHll.n~ a b·u-ren and a w o rthlc:~M r lgl.t, unlcsd ~u~tl\111: ' pt otcct~ d uud cuforced l>y u.ppropnatc pollee nlo(ul;~uous IIIII~ loc·tl legislation presc ribing adequate r clllctlles for viulatlon. 'l'hes~ rugulations atHl rcmedle::! ~~~l.lst. nee~~~;;; ··I depend enti r ely upon the Will aud \1 !:;hell. o ~~~:~pie of the 'l'crrl tu ry, <Ltl they can on!~ ue prc.:c•:~IJ~~ ~f the l oc~Ll Leg i slature:~ . lleuce tile l{IC<Lt lll 11•1cq> 1 ,., . d •If government I::! ~>Usta neu popul~tr sl o vcr.e:~,~~~y.dt~y t1~e ;lllthor lty of tllis dcclsion . and hrm y es t,lu ~~ lc . . I I in the p ·v;sagu Thu:l it appears that the only slu t~ v? \~le hct of i~~·ving of Ll!o Kansas-Nt::ll raska act c<~ns:; ~ ~~~ ~ C<;ngrc~s which rellluvcd trom tile st atute-book au. ,lc. o f th" United wa. .; uuaut I1 01.·1 ~e· tl b_ Y t he Cou. slltuuon o '" 1 without constitut ional ;)tales, and void bcc.ause P:•~s~~ r it the real funda; wthor ity, a llll constJtUtc<l lll heu o which r!co~nizcs the nlenttLI pri nciple uf sct f-golv~nlulunt,l 'l'errituiY lo collt rol rigl lls uf the people ofsuc I .,Late Ulll their owu d nllll! ' t ic coucerus. 1 · 1 invulvutl in the 1 wlll dirt::ct attt:nlion. to, t~le ?'~c.s .':~ ~ 1:1 uot alii! caufir:. L propo,llion, to Wit . . 1 h.~t,t IC nq;ao I . . . r the Un llcd , l!lte:l. . uut J-: a c11 z~ u o . tlt ical org·ulizatlon that We ar~ tuld. ~~~ .a .c~·tal::~~~>~~'ma n llnd ;u t::nwus, auJ 1 bat d cc 1~1"n I>! l!l ucl b . 1. • , 1 WI ·•t IS the ,huulll Ill! !. 11 c1. l> c. r ~': Sil c• ctcd 1101 Ovcyc• · " 9 •1 >I tlla.L the negro is no\ obj ect ion to ~lm t ~lect~i.o nh .. , ·t 1~{· ~laldng him a citizen ? a citl:r.eu. \\ h.at 1:1 .thu lo J<:.c•htH p rivlh:ges nne! inununiOr cour~e t.o. give .111111) IC ~ ~ ~. ·,~cat fumlamental hLIV in tics of a Clt.u:eu , Ill buill~ 'tl ~I~ law ciLil.en~ arc equal in our G overn ment,~ II.Lt uu er I ~~ . i'd to bl Inhuman- to tht:ir right~ !LIIU )JI"!VIi.cge:l. Atf ·~ • S;l uegro o r tht:S\1 priviI. Je infa111o u~-to depnv~ aln \1 ~ni>~t 111111 011 an equall!y leg..:::! of cit i ze n~lllp, wluc ' wou t WI Lh the other cltlzcn~fc:~ til~ ~~~~~~~~y nrc you prepared to Now, let me ask my 0 0 '~ ~ t'llil:! country in order r esist the con~titute~ authontlcl~ ~f·h cit.izeuship,' equalit.r to llecure citlZcu::~IHp, lUlU, t:•, 0 1 1 ,) If you are you with the white man. ( Voice!!, f t~ Is ~~~~to-the organ!~ Ia ,, must reverse the whole policy 0 . :... out that principle or of our ow? Btat.l!. In or~ cr to. c.t dft under the law' you negro citJzenslHp and negro :~!~~\c l~w in our own tate, mu1:1t not only revc r:;e the 01 H·L 1 n }Jut you have not but of every other State In thi::~ ~~~~~~k·c furious war upon accoulplishcd it then i you wus llthcm to emancipate antl the s la vcholdiug Stu.tes, to c~~~p~s of slaves. When tlml set at IIIJerty th eir three tu e ~ecurcd that grent priuci· shall be doue, before you mt Afdc·t you mu8t strike out pie of equality. to thf\~?~·~~~~ that p~~vbion which prc':cnts of the con:>titutJOn o 1: froul crossing the 01110 or a ne~;·o, ~~hetbcr free orh~ ;L ~~to llliuoL; to rc~icle . Wheu the l\tu;sls:uppi, an~ C~l~t ghangc in om organlc law, and you shall have mn e ~fricans that may cllooso to ~orue fturormne dth leo osslaev achlioit dh~ g SLatcll to settle upou our pnurico., |
