The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1854-04-27
SPEECH OF
Hon. Hendrick B. Wright

SPEECH OF
Hon. HendriCk B. Wright
On the Nebraska Bill, delivered in the House
Of Congress, April Alb 1854.
MIR WRIGHT, of Pennsylvania, arose and
said: had not designed, Mr.. Chairman, to
say anything upon the subject Of the Nebras'
ka and Kansas bill. bad made up my
mind TO vote in favor of that bill, provided
,he Clayton amendment be resciuded, and
cot TO trouble the House with any observa-
lions upon it But, cir, fortu nalely or unfor-
tunately, my district adjoias the one With
is the residence of Mr.. David Wilmot, the
&sAaer of the Wilmot proviso, and which is
now represented by my colleague, Mr..
GRow Mr.. Wilmoi has been engaged du-
ring the prssen, week in agilaling this SUBJ
ject within be limits of my district, and i,
therefore becoms me 10 defend myself
have no. risen TO make charge against any
one. am acting upon the defensive. On
Tuesday las, large meeting, or what is
representedby the public prints 10 have been
large meeting, was hsld in the city OF Car
bondale, Luzerne co Ekbl lch is a portion
resent. He made That meeting,
and the first in,imaiioN of it was the
receipt of three petitions, That ] presented
to the House yesterday, signed by one hun
dred and four leading and prominent citi-
zens of that place, asking that this bill may
become law; so that lhiuk the impress
ion made by Mr.. Wilmol in the city Of Car
poEdale did not come up 10 The expectation
Of the enemies of the bill.
MIR. Chairman, as | have already said,
,here is one feature in this bill that should
be amended. I hope ii will be done. l do
not say that it shal. be sine qua non with me
that that provision shall be amerded but |
know that could not vote for the bill with
ihe clause as it stands, and sustain myself in
my district, without great difficulty. | have
the pledge, however, OF the chairman of the
Committee on Territories, that the clause, so
far as he is concerned, shall be amended.
Mr.. WASHBURNE, of Illinois. What
clause is that?
Mr.. WRIGHT. The clause which was
changed by the Clayton amendment. If
,hat clause is stricken ont, am ready 10 sus.
tain the bill by my vote in the House, and
before the country. am ready 10 sustain it
because it involves great, and important,
and mighty principle-the principle Of State
rights and popular Sovereignty. Upon that
foundation am ready to stand or fall.
say, here, to-day in my place in the Amer
can Congress, that would rather be stricken
down as an advocate of popular sovereignty
then be returned again 10 this House for hav-
ing sustained a position hostile to that great
principle. Therefore, so far as regards my
return to this House, il is a matter which
care not Ireject such considerat on as a
matter of no earthly importance. l shall
chow this committee that there has never
been any portion Of territory acquired by
this Government but through the most severe
opposition, and might say, almost at the
point of the bayonet There never has been
aTerritory organized under this Govern
ment that has not met with The strongest op-
position in this House. There has uever
been a Stale organized which, when ma.
king application for admission into this In
ion, but has met with the same opposition I;
and tomorrow, If Spain were to give US
deeds of cesson Of the Island of Cuba, and
her Britanic Majesty were 10 give US deeeds
of cession of Canada East and Wesl, there
would be party lha, would vote against ac-
csp,ing either, with or with or without sla-
very and if they did not vote against ac-
cepiins, it would be in opposition to all for.
mef precedents IN onr history, where the
question of organizing Territories has been
brought in issue. / do moi know why this is.
I do no. know why there should be, in this
country, even rsspeciabls party that should
be opposed 10 the acquisition Of territory OF
the exieusloG of the area Of freedom. do
not know why il should be SO; bu, SO il is,
and such 10 The undeniable fact. There is
no dispnling this lact.
On the 23d of October, 1903, the Senate
bill to enable The President of the United
e.ates 10 take possession Of the territory cs-
ded 10 the United States by France passed
this House by vote Of 80 yeas and 20 nays.
That is, after the territory had been purchas-
ed from France, comprising that grea, valley
of the Mississippi, of which the French
Minister said, when exposulaiiny with Ma.
poleon Bonapart sgsins. its cession 10 this
country, that it had territory sufficient to sup.
ply fifty millions Of human beings with all
necessariss that the wants Of man could de-
sire. After .tis territory had been purchas-
ed and paid for by the Uniied States, either
IN money or by their bonds, on the day to
shirh hsse releHed, there were twenty