The daily union., 1854-11-19
n.InHaLE ~ N

duced the revolution which resulted in the establish
ment of independence Every battle Of that seven
years bloody struggle fought in defence Of the right
the American colonies TO make their laws and estab
sh their domestic institutions through their To-
cal legislatures The constitution OF the United S,aes
was adopted for the purpose OF preserving and maintain
ing the rights achieved by the revolution The question
arises Shall the Congress Of the United States enforce
upon the people of the Territories principle odious
that the sgners the Declaration OF Independence pledged
to its resistance their ves their fortunes aud their sacred
honorT We stand where the patriots Of the revou
ton then soOdeaimng for the people ot distant Terrific
colonies the right of seiEgovernmcnt in all thing
pertaining their local and internal concsrnA Our oJr
ponents stand here the tories OF The revolution soodd
nyng that right and claiming all power over them upon
the pretence that they incapable OF protecting them
selves against the injurious consequences Of their own
The abotonists seek to themselves for this
fragrant violation of the sacred right upon
the ground that the people of the Territories aud State
will certainly open the door the introduction Of SLAVERY
fths assertion should prove true il will not b pretend
cd that any free would thereby be deprived Of his lib
ery that the number of slaves the United States
would be increased by the removal Of portion of those
the side of the Mississippi the country ON The
west Of that noble stream The only question H. whether
slave shall be permitted go into the Territories and
there remain with his master such bc compesd
remain in state of slavery where he s The question
whenever slaves should be permitted go Terro
ry is which affects the people of Territory, and no
else II the people want them to and reside among
them, who has right nterpose? But does she history
the country sustain the position cssumed that whether
the people OF any State Territory allowed to do
they please this question: they sure to decide in "a
who hold the affirmative Of this proposition asserted
in s4s that unless Congress nterposed and deprived The
people of California OF the right TO decide this question for
themselves she would become slave State We then
called upon violate the great principle of seigovern-
ment upon the ground that slavery would Cali
fornia and New Mexico, and all the territory acquired by
the treaty peace with Mexico unless Congss should
prohibit 1t by the adoption OF the Wimot proviso or h
ordinance of 's7
They succeeded in operating upon the prsjudoes and
credulty Of the people until they procured Legislative In
sfructon from every nOu-slavehodng 6tate one in
favor of the positive prohibition Of slavery Has The result
sustained these predictions? Congress did not ADOPT The
wimot prosiso did impose prohibition Of slavery
did not deprive the people of those Territories Of the rieA
10 decide for themselves The people Of California when
left perfectly free to do they pleased formed constiu
ton prohibiting the introduction of slaves California
therefore, became free State at the bidding BY The
dcon Of Congress- but under the operation Of the prn
cipe of the Nebraska bill When Utah and New Mexico
organized the principle applied to them and
they lef free to decide the slavery question for
themselves. HaW they established slavery? The his
tory of the country for the last six years has ssi-
hed every prediction, exploded every theory negaiyed
every proposition urged by the aboonsts that day.
Yet in the face of these facts and in contempt Of past ex
perence, they come forward with the theories
and predictions, sustained by the arguments and
urged with much and apparent zeal
they had predicted Of California and the Territories had
cal results OF their abolition DOCTRINE which calls upon
Congress to relieve the people from evils which thay a
supposed to be incapable Of ayerting? From what ot
American soil have they drawn slavery by Of C0ngr
hen the constitution adopted the Union consisted Of
twelve slavehodng States and non-slayehoding STATE
Since that time slavery has been abolished in six out Of
those twelve slavehoding States Was this accomplished
by act Of Congress through the mysterious nstrume
aty of the Wilmot proviso the ordinance Of 1897
the Missouri restriction
Slavery abolished in New Hampshire Rhode Island
Connecticut, New York. Pennsylvania, and New Jeusy
under the operation Of the principle Of the Nebraska BILL
which, under the constitution of the United Staes leaves
the people of each State free form and regulate their do
mestic institutions in their own way.
Where then, the trumpfn of the congressional iuts
furnpr naud6 ~ ~
institutions in Illinois and the other States formed from the
old Northwest Territory and attributes these the ord
nance OF 1887 prohibiting slavery Is it true that these
States rejected slavery merely because of obsolete ord
nance which, Mr. Madison informs us originally pass
ed without constitutional authority, and which the Su
preme Court of the United States has decided to have be-
void when the constitution adopted If So how
happens it that the people of these States when re-
eyed from the operation of that ordinance by being re-
ceived into the Union upon equality with ihe orr
gnal States did not adopt slavery Will it be contend
ed that Illinois and each other State formed North
west Territory have not the right establish
abolish, introduce exclude slavery that Virginia or
Massachusetts has under the constitution do not rec
ognse the doctrine that there be inequality in respect
to the rights and powers Of the different States in this con-
iederaay Each State ia absolute sovereignty in all
things where the constitution of the United States has not
imposed limitations and whatever limitation that instru
ment has placed upon OF the States applies with equal
force TO each of all the States old and new slayehClng
aud veholdng Nor ia il competent for Congress-
other power long the constitution remains un-
changed to impose Limitation, either by the Of the
Wimot proyiso the ordinance OF 1881 the Missouri
restriction, by any other name upon any new State
either in the Union hereafter be admitted which
the constitution has not placed upon all the STATS Hence
insist that the true and only why slavery does not
exist in Illinois is because the people do rot Ysut it. aud
consequently have prohibited It Nor is 1t historically
true thai slavery did exist not introduced into
Illinois while Territory, and under the restrictions Of
the ordinance of 81 BY reference to the code Of ter
riorial laws adopted at Vincennes in 1907 BY the
Legislature Of the Territory will be that the
door opened for the Introduction Of slayes and
provision made for protecting and eniorcing the
rights OF the master. Under the influence and pro-
lection of those laws Illinois became slavchold
ing Territory and remained such until after Congress in
1873 passed law for her admission into the Union on an
equality With te original States in all RESPECTS Wha0oever
Then The people Of Illinois beng released from any other
limitation upon their rights than that Of The federal con-
sttuton and being lr entrey free form and regulate
their domestic institutions suit Themselves determined
IN their State constiatonlst that all persons owing
vice or labor in the State should fulfil the period o.
vice; ID that, slaves should I've intrOduced into
the State; 3d. that all children hereafter born Of slave
parents should become free at specified age and III per.
born OF slave parents after period should
he free speak from my general rcrofectton nnA Myine
the old constitution o. hlisois before ne but Do Io'
think can be misiaken in regard 10 the substantial pro
visions of that instrument From these facts II appears
hat long Congress said that the people Of Illinois
shond not have slavery just long they did and would
have III but the moment that congressional interference
WAS withdrawn and the ereat principle Of segovenmen
recognised ia the Nebraska bill was extended To our
With reference TO their welfare and prosperity Abo
shed and prohibited slavery. [Cheers DO not thank
any man for compimenting Stnic by saying We
are the advocates, ot freedom and the enemies Of
slavery ony bersnse an unconstitutional orVnsl.e q
the year l76I would not let be Otherwise Nor
willing to admit that during the period Of our
entire history State and in the formation Of cur
'ututons at different periods, have been degraded