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Subject: 1857-1861

No additional authority information available for 1857-1861.

Defense of the National Democracy Against the Attack of Judge Douglas: Constitutional Rights of the StatesDefense of the National Democracy Against the Attack of Judge Douglas: Constitutional Rights of the States

This 32-page pamphlet contains the speech delivered by Judah P. Benjamin, Democratic Senator from Louisiana, on the floor of the United States Senate on May 22, 1860. Benjamin's speech is a response to Stephen A. Douglas, arguing against legislation restricting slavery in new territories. He references the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision (1857) to support his arguments regarding states' rights. The speech highlights the tensions leading to the disintegration of the Democratic Party and the eventual secession of the Southern states.

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