Excerpt from Speech of Hon.: Stephen a Douglas on the Measures of Adjustment
The following speech was made under peculiar circumstances. The two Senators from Illinois had sustained all the measures of adjustment. Upon his return home, Mr. Douglas found that the provisions of the Fugitive bill had been so grossly misrepresented, that public opinion was loud and fierce in its condemnation. The common council of the city of Chicago, in their official capacity, parsed resolutions denouncing the law as a violation of the Constitution of the United States and of the higher law of God, and those Senators and Representatives who voted for it, and also those who were absent and consequently did not vote against it, as traitors, Benedict Arnolds, and Judas Iscariots. The council also released the "citizens, officers, and police of the city" from all obligation to assist or participate in the execution of the law, and declared that "it ought not to be respected by any intelligent community." On the next night, a mass meeting of the citizens was held for the purpose of approving and sanctioning the action of the common council, and organizing violent and successful resistance to the execution of the law. A committee reported to this meeting a series of resolutions more revolutionary in their character, and going to a greater extent in resisting the authority of the Federal Government, than even those of the common council. Numerous speeches, in support of the resolutions, were received with boisterous and furious applause, pledging their authors to resist even unto the dungeon and the grave. At length Mr. Douglas, being the only member of the Illinois delegation then in the city, appeared upon the stand, and stated, that in consequence of the action of the common council and the phrenzied excitement which seemed to rage all around him, he desired to be heard before the assembled people of the city in vindication of all the measures of adjustment, and especially of the Fugitive Slave law. He said he would not make a speech that night, because the call for the meeting was not sufficiently broad to authorize a speech in defence of those measures; but he would avail himself of that opportunity to give notice that on the next night he would address the people of Chi ago upon these subjects. He invited men of all parties and shades of opinion to attend and participate in the proceedings, and assured them that he would answer every objection made, and every question which should be propounded, touching the measures of adjustment, and especially the Fugitive bill. After further discussion, and much confusion and opposition, the meeting was induced to adjourn, and hear Mr. Douglas's defence before they would condemn him. In the mean time, the excitement continued to increase, and the next night (Oct. 23 d) a tremendous concourse of people assembled by far the largest meeting ever held in the city - and Mr. Douglas delivered a speech, of which the following is a fair and tolerably good report, so far as to embrace the argument, omitting necessarily numerous incidents which could not be preserved by the reporter. The meeting then resolved unanimously to faithfully carry into effect the provisions of the Fugitive Slave law, and to perform every other duty and obligation under the Constitution of the United States. The meeting also adopted, with only eight or ten dissenting voices, a resolution repudiating the action of the common council, and then adjourned with nine cheers - three for Douglas, three for the Constitution, and three for our glorious Union. On the next night, the common council of the city of Chicago again assembled, and repealed their nullifying resolutions by a vote of 12 to 1.
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