The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1854-08-04
sacred trust.

civil and religious liberty. Nor did our ancqs
tors misiudgr its value in developing the re
sources physical, moral and intellectual of man
Look to its civil results. Under republican
government we have grown, and prosperet
and expanded far beyond the most sanguine inn
aglnatlon OF the most hopeful devotee of liberty
Our shores are washed by the two great ocean,
east and west. Nearly one half of the NORTH
American continent bears upon its generous bo-
som teemlng millions Of American citizens
who make their own laws and worship at Their
chosen shrlnes. From 100000 we have
sweled TO $4,000, 900. From poverty and ig-
norance and weakness we have grown rich, in
telligent. and strong. Our sails whiten every
sea, and Our enterprise and energy penetrate
into every land. No longer does the British
lion strike terror into the hearts of our women
and our children. We are now here equal in
/ all the elements Of natural greatness and here
superior in every characteristic OF personal IL
berty and political independence Great Bri-
F tam undertook to manage our local affairs by
assuming the right TO legslate for us, while we
were colonies
! The Parliament assumed that they were bet
4 ter Judges OF our wants and necessities than our
+ colonial legislatures. They undertook to regu-
late the domestic policy oftheir distant d4pen-
! dencleS. They imposed duties upon tea with
! out consulting US, and in every manner asserted
their rights TO goUern as. Our fathers, who
had encountered The perils of the ocean, and the
greater perlls of a savage wilderness, who had
fled from Europe TO escape political and religious
intolerance, could not long brook such an unjust
assumption. They petitioned, importuned, re-
monstrated the British government without avail
they took their rights in their own keeping,
and after long and doubtful struggle. establish
ed new fundamental article in the science of
Government--the great American doctrine of
the right OF the people to govern Themselves
tGreat cheering. No tenet in political science
has more thoroughly vindicated its wisdom.
than this and when brought into ISSUE its orho-
do&y has not been questioned for seventy-eight
years until few months past
1t Is SAID by some, who have forgotten or re-
nounced the teachings and principles of their
fathers, now: that the people of Kansas and Ne
hraskaSsae pable of governing themselves.
and Sat tat Saaasess must assume the same
guardianship fess. distant territories as the
GParliament claIri4 over the colonies. Where
is the American Eeeling in the bosom of anyeI
man, who from fanatical zeal for the Africalyl
slave, whose condition he cannot impfove.sfS
willing to renonnce this great doctrine Of war
fathers Z Giseets Fg-A stsfippisrn ara ianaticiSm
mistake the hfafT OF this country in supposino
that when they cry out against slavery, that it
will cause the people torepudlate the principles
upon which the Government is based. lCheers !
The country owes my distinguished friend who
will follow me, the "litte giant Of the great
west," Senator Douglass Immense applause.
debt of gratitude sJf his powerful and successful
advocacy ofthis principle I have been discus
sing, and for lis triumphant yindicaton in the
KanSas-Nebraska bill
With all the Misrepresentation which has
been poured out upon that measure, the people
are now beginning TO understand truly It's pro- /
vlsions and its greatest principe-the one so
frrcely assailed by Wings and Aboitionists-
Is the very principle for which our fathers
fought the Revolution. Will you now take the
side Of the British Parliamenti
The people OF Kansas and Nebraska have had
conferred upon them, by Congress, the right to /
regulate Their own domestic concerns according
tothelr own wishes and inclinations Is ii right! .
Who will say it is wrong Who knows best
what are the wants of our fellow-citizens I'm the
valley OF the Kansas, or the upper Missouri, the .
representatives they elect to their own terrori- /
al legislature or the Congress of the United .
States, where not sing lie member, perhaps, has
2ade footprint IN Kansas or Nebraska, and
coma. would most likely legislate wisely for
him for thai i:orlal Legislature or Congress -
lature, and much goo1 -Sion carries the answer
In the Governors MessaS now has the rjght
he placed the axe at the root OF rhfs +here IN
| this spreading Upas, by declaring most ernpn,..I
| icallv, that he should no longer participate in
that offensive system of legislation: and that the
| whole power of the Executive Department
should be welded against it. This sentiment
received the universal appreciation OF all parties
| The General Assembly acted on the suggestion,
and the people are presented with the laws OF
| 1854, each separate from the other, and stand
| ing on its own merits This has never occur
red before, since the organization oithe Govern
ment. Had the present administration no 9th
er claim, this alone should command the favor-
able Judgment of the people
The policy of the administration, is now well
defined on all sublrcts, and IFS continnauce can
not fali to promote the substantial welfare ofthe
people. At the time of its induction into pow
er, number Of improvements were IN progress
/ of construction, which have cost much larger
sum than had been anticipated, and this crcum-
stance, it is true, has to some extent embarrass-
ed the pollcy OF the ADMINISTRATION Dut u hlus'
be- remembered, that these schemes were not
commenced at the instance OF Governor Bigler.
They had been undertaken before he came into
Office: and the wise policy seemed TO be to prose-
cute them to an early completion Indeed il
has been declared as a fixed policy of the ad-
ministraton, that no new schemes Of improve
ment shall be commenced.
Nor has the honor and dignity of the State
been permitted TO suffer in any instance. When
the execuive of npighborinS state refused to