Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1854-05-19


ak that way no shiIly-shaly in a woman.
Nothing of the female gender was ever born
ioung enough, or lived long enough, to get
,efogged in such quandary as this. 1t is
)ne thing or the other with them; and what
hey say thy stick to. No breaking bar
gains with them. Blu. the end Of this stump
speech is the whole. Different from good
milk, in which the cream rises TO the top, it
here settles to the bottom, and is in these
words:
leave it to the people thercof-thnt is to
say, of the States and Of the Territories
to regulate slavery for themselves AS they
please, only subject to the Constitution OF
the United States"
Certainly this is new subject for the
States. Heretofore they have been free to
regulate slavery for hemseves--admit or
reject il; ; and that not by virtue Of any grant
or power in the Constitution, bui by virtue
of an unsurrendered part Of their old sover
eighty, 1t is also new of the Territories
Heretofore they have been held to be wards |
of Congress, and entitled TO nothing under
the Constitution but that which Congress
extended to them, But this clause is not ac-
cidently here; it is to keep up the dogma Of
the Constitution in Terrtori S, but only there
in relation TO slavery, and that for its admis-
sion, not rejection.
Three dogmas NOW af1lict the land Uidelicd,
squattcr sovereignty, non Intervention, and
no power in Congress TO legislate upon slavery
in Territories And this bill Inserts the whole
three, and beautifully illustrates the whole
three, BY knocking each one in the head with
Of, IL, >T,1 IN
its turn. Sir, the bill does deny sovereignty,
and it does intervene, and 1t does legislate
upon slavery in Territories; and for the proof
of that see the BILL and see it as the lawyers
say, paSS,m; that is TO say, here, and therr,
and everywhere. 1t is bill of assumption
and Notwithstanding what is unfUund
ed, and contradicting what it assumes--and
balancing every affirmation by negatiou.-
1t is a see.saw bill; but not the innocent sec
saw which children play on a plank stuck
| through fence; but the up and down game
of politicians, played at the expense of the
peace and harmony of the Union, and to the
sacrifice of the Union, and to the sacrifice
of all business in Congress 1t is an amph-
biological bill, stuffed with monstrositeS, hob
bed with contradictions, and B dgered with
IA provlso
Amphbology is cause for the rejection
Of bills, not only by Congress, but by the
President when carried to him for approval.
General jackson rejected one for that cause,
and it was less amphibological than this; it
WIS the last night of his last administration,
and quarter before midnight. Congress
had sent him bill TO repeal the specie cir
cuar, and to naugurate the paper money of
a thousand local banks on the currency of
the Federal Government. l; was an object
not to be avowed nor to be done in any direct
or palpable manner. Paraphrases, circum-
ocution, ambGexterity, and ambigui Y were
n, cessary to cover up the design. and it was
piled On until it was uninteligihle. The
Prrsidrnt read it and could make nothing o.
liz; he sent TO his Attorney General, and he
was equally puzzled. He then returned it
with message to the Senate, refusing tC
sign the bill for amphbology. We should
reject this bill for the same reasoDif for moth
ing else. Hard is the fate of party featy
1t has to keep up with the ever changing
measure. Often have these bills changed
and under every phase they had to receive a'
a test Of orthodoxy; and have more changes
to undergo yeti and to be test under al
mutations.
And now, what is the object of this move
ment which SO disturbs Congress and III,
country? TO settle aprinciple is the answer
the principle Of non Intervention. and thu
+ right of the people of the Territory 20 deciG
the question of slavery for themselves. Sir
there is no such principle. The Territories
are the children OF the United States. The,
are minors, under age, and it is the bushes
of the States, through their delegations i
Congress, take care Of them until they ar
ripe for State Government, then to give ther
that government and to admit them TO a
: equality with their fathers That is law, an
: has been SO admitted since the first ordinanc
in 1854. The States in Congress are tn
guardians of the Territories, and are bounl
to exercise that guardianship, and canno
! abdcate 1t without a breach of trust and
dereIicIon of duty. Why, sir, the Territor
itself is the property of the States, and the
do with il what they please; permit it to b
settled or not, as they please; cut it up b
u lines, as they please; sell or give it away a
G they please. This has been always the CASE
i There is a proclamation now extaut of tn
o old Congress of the Confederation, descrbin
$ the first settlers in the Northwest Territory
J. "as disordery PERSONS" and ordering ther
to be driven off by military. remembe
g many such military expulsions in the earl
a settlement of the Western country often eS
a ecuted with severity; burning houses, cuttin
+ up corn, destroying fences, and driving off tn
: people at the point of the bayonet, and unde
i the edge of the sabre.
S AS late as l835-36, and after the extinc
L tion of the Indian title TO the Platte countr
e in Missouri, similar orders were given to tn
# Colonel Of dragons commanding on tha
i frontier, the now Senator in Congress, Henr
e Dodge, to expe the people from the purchase
e orders which lie executed in gentleness an
= mercy, going alone, explaining his business
$ and requiring them to go away; which the
Y did, like good and orderly people; and whe
r he was gone, came back like sensible and in
- duslrious people, and secured their pre-emE
0 tions. Not only settled but organized terr
l. tory has been so uea'ed by the Feders
n Government and worse; the people drive