Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-08-17

statute, a5rogated by the same act and proyi.
50 Have we not heard it here, that the
great decision Of Lord Mansfield is an ob,to
diefa, and that the universal and natural law
recognizes slavery?
Sir the essence eff this act is, that until the
Territorial Legislature determines the CUES.
ton, it is open alike to slavery and to free.
dom. If the South does not gain this it gains
nothing!
Now then can the people control the matter!
is the pretended doctrinOof popular soyer.
eighty really established there? | think not
The American idea of popular sovereignty
is, that a people should have, and has the
right to INSTITUTE government, to alter it and
to abolish it Have the people of Nebraska
and Kansas this power under this act Can
they institute government. Can they alter
it? Can they abolish it 2 Not at ALL They
have no rights, no power but that which Con.
gress contcrs. There is not a privilege gran.
ted in this bill that q generous planter might
not grant to his slave, without weakening his
authority over him. They have no sovereign
power. Congress can revoke its grant in
an hour. They are as dependent upon the
Federal Government for their territorial and
political existence, as they are upon God for
the atmosphere they breathe!
grant what is claimed, that there is an
extension Of political rights compared with
earlier territorial governments Bat have .
the people here power to govern y? deny it.
[ have imagined that the ma mfy of the
people should have the attributes Of govern.
nent.
ask any gentleman upon this floor to point
to one single solitary power that is here con-
Ierrcd upon mc'"rfy # p'opt
Can they elect Governor or an executive
officer! Can they appoint'thcir Judgcs?-
Can they pass legislative act, or obtain judg-
ment in tho territorial courts, without super.
vision and assent Of the national Government,
acting through its own appoin;ec-, who are
forever Irresponsible to the people there p
Never! They have no affirmation, neither
legislative nor judicial, upon which Congress
does net retam negative. And this is cal
led "non-neNenton The privilege of
overriding an Executive veto, by vote Of
tr' til RI, or both branches against the in
hlcnce> o" the Government, can never be cx-
ercised You admit theoretically u right but
practically you deny all power. And this is
taIlel sovereignty not American, but
= Z. attr- 0r r,ignfy' 1t is rightly named.
1t sqn'ts lower than any American pre- .c1ent
that we shall fial Why, it isn't knec-high!
| 1t has neither commencement nor enl and
it can be com Jared to nothing. uucSs it can
be to Master ) ander's love .or his mistress,
which, he Said was little at the beginning,
and had been gradually less ana less, uutby
the grace Of God, it canle to be nothing ut
all"
When Louis Napoleon seizcl the executive
power OF France, he gave 10 the people the
right OF accepting Or rejecting him us Prcsi-
dc t Or Em ,,c7or. win Congress DO so much
for Nebraska or Kalsas! When constitu.
ten was proposed for France, ,hc French pco-
pic were permitted 70 say Eyes" Or mo" TO
It's provisions. You may say that the privi-
les9 was worthless but that was the fault of
the uS'lTicr Mt the constitution. viii you
give to the PEG, lie OF Nebraska and Kansas
the iis''i of Ptlirnat, on or negation upon this
te. riio,i.l constitution?
Whencvcra majority Of the representatives
o the people in England express dissent
fom the policy of tn: government, it's execu.
tive officers are instantly changed Isit pro-
posed 70 give to the soveregns OF Nebraska
and Kansas as much executive control as Eng
lani gives to her peoJ.e, and their represent
ativcs il tbs respect? Arc we to put forth
III --ssA.-ge ideas of popular supremacy ,ha.
will 10, bear comparison with Institutions Of
I imperial France or monarcliical England ;
F"r one, do not accept this act as true
definition Of American ideas Of the suprema-
cy OF the people. | would not speak with
a sies pect OF any measure Of this House: but
IN this view, taken as an OK poncnt Of radical
Democratic American prog css, il does not
attain the elevation OF the Boomer cos
tune"
The carlinl principle Of this measure is
= rfpaIi0i'oo Itrepndat4s the solemn COM
pact Of 1920, which has stood for more than
a quarter Of century.
1t repulates the principle of settlement
embraced IN every territorial act trcm l7Sg
to the present day. .......
1t re,udiates the doctrine Of the "Nichol-
SON letter, which limited the application Of
the principle t embodied to tcrriories'1lrEE
, AFTER" 10 he acquired. ......
1t repudiatcS the plat 'orm of the Baltimore
convention Of 1852, which declared that the
democracy would "resist all attempts at re-
; uewing III Congress or out of il the agitation
OF tho slavery question, uad.r whnhr,
: Sh"p ar row the attempt may be made.
1t repudiates the loctrire of the Inaugural
address OF the President, who announced tC
t the American people that, 40 every theory
OF society CT government, whether OF ftscri>t
mmbaioa or morbid enthusiasm, calculated tC
dissolve the bouts OF iocr aud Election which
unite us,' he would "intcrposc ready au(
, stern resistance
( II rcplrlia;cs the declaration of The mes
. sage OF this session, in which he announced
d to the Congress of the United States tha
the "rcpose" of the public mind should mo-
suffer during his official term.'
1t repudiates an ancient Democratic doc
trine, in legisating for capital, and against la
Dor and men; and it repudiatcs an honoret
+ American, world-reaowoed theory, in seeking
t to establish new iaith,t the object ct this
: Government is the perpetuation of slavery
and not an extension OF freedom.
: Curious lNcDENr.-Nr F'uddin. in his
narrative Of residence in Persia relates curl.
Gus incident which occurred wi,cn ic was at Is
j pahan:
!, The Persian rvan' Of i Enropean had been
stnng by scorplon,and his master wished TO ap
ply ammonia, usual en- dy in such cases, bu
c the man refused. and ran of to the bazaar.-
: Whrn b retaraod he said he was cured, and ap