Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-12-02

question Of slavery for themselves There was general
election pending this State at the time for members Of
Congress and Legislature. Pending that canvass the
merits of the compromise which had just been adopted
and the of the principles which it
founded freely and fully discussed before the people
When the Legislature assembled few weeks thereafter
the two Houses proceeded the position which
the state occupied the slavery question in consequence
OF their previous action and to take such steps the
new policy inaugurated by the compromise Of
1850 should render necessary the part OF this State.
The Senate passed and the House concured in series of
resolutions which regret say have not at my
mand this moment but the substance of which is dis
tincty impressed upon my mind. In those resolutions
they repealed in form and terms the resolutions prev
ousy adopted instructing my colleague and myself 10
vote for prohibition of slavery in all the newly acquired
territories Of the United States They also approved in
those resolutions of each Of the compromise of
1850 distinctly referring and describing each by name
and especially they endorsed and approved Of the organ
zation of the Territories Uihoa the Wmot propiso
bay attached the These resolutions werentended
and understood being the firm and deliberate express
sion of the people of Illinois that this State from that pc
riod and in the future would stand npoa approve
great principles upon which the compromise of
1850 founded substitute for the obsolete theory
of geographical line to separate free from slave terri
tory lCbeers and great applause
In addition to of resolutions the House Of Re-
representatives., who the mmedate representatives
OF the people, and all of whom had been elected pending
the discussion of this question and With view the
dorsement OF the prncp contained in it, adopted another
series of resolutions which should not only endorse the
compromise measures Of 1850 satisfactory adjust-
ment OF the points involved in that controversy but
should sanction the principles asserted rule Of action
to govern the Senator's and Representatives from this
State in all time will be pardoned FOR reading
| that resolution
"Rssolpd, That liberty and independence based
upon the right the people to form for themselves such
they may choose, and that this great privilege
the bhrgh Of eemcn, the gift of Heaven secured to
by blood OF be future
4 be To
power in the organization of any territory of the United
States, Of either Territorial State
stution, provided the government established shall
be republican, and in conformity with the Constitution Of the
| United States
This resolution it must be borne in mind was adopted
of series expressive of tie opinions of the people
of Illinois through their representatives upon the right
Of the people settle the slavery question for them
selves, and act OF approval Of the principle
tanned in the compromise measures of 1860 substi
tute for both the Wmot proyiso and the policy of
graphical ne Thus it appears that at that period the
of the people of illinois regarded the prn
cipe involved in the Nebraska bill the s5hrgkt free
men, the M of Heaee secured 10 as by the blood Of our an
cestors" and declared that this principle sought be
extended to future generations La order avoid all
doubt to their meaning in its application territory
either possessed hereafter acquired they declared
that LIMITATION ought to be applied to this power
in the organization of ANY territory Of the United States
Of either Territorial government State constitution
Why the necessity after declaring this principle be the
birhrght Of freemen to say that no limitation should be
the people of the Territories north OF the parallel Of 36e
3 were forever deprived of the right of exercising
" this great privilege" either while Territory after
their admission into the Union as States Inasmuch
that line had been abandoned and this great principle
substituted i'll lieu thereof the representatives of the
people Of Illinois, evidently with express reference this
old Missouri restriction, declared in this resolution that
limitation should be tolerated upon this right of the
people in any territory of the United States whether
north south of $50 30 whether in the territory
possessed to be hereafter acquired Could clear
emphatic language have been devised for the expires
sion of this intention the part Of the House Of Repre-
sentatves This resolution is also in perfect harmony
with those of the Senate to which have referred and
only differs from them in being distinct and explicit
n the form Of expression BY these resolutions my col
league and myself peremptorily instructed far
it competent for the representatives of the people
instruct organize the Territories Of Kansas and Ne
braska upon the principle contained in the Nebraska bill
whenever said Territories should be organized In pre-
pairing the bill, therefore, in the form in which it
stands upon the book literally complied with
the almost unanimous wish and sentiment Of the people
of Illinois expressed In their resolutions Buf since
such a violent crusade is being waged against this
measure and the principle upon which it rests it may bt
well to inquire who voted for the resolution have the
record before me- from which it will be perceived thai
every Democratic representative present, without excep
on voted for this resolution in the form in which have
read it. Was it reasonable to have expected after the
Democratic party had thus approved of this principle by
the unanimous vote of their that any De-
mocrat should rise up and denounce traitor for
doing that which had been recommended to do by the
Democratic party OF the whole State through their rep
resenatiyes? Loud and repeated applause Now, lei
who voted against this resolution of instruction
Here all the Adams, Of Kane Gnge of Nc
Henry, Norton, Of WILL and Swan of Lake, four in all
three Abolitonsts and Whig who is Abolition
aud Know Nothing member Of Congress- Only four votes
in the whole House, and such votes! How is this Were
there Wings in the House? and, if So how did they
vote? Here their Adams, OF Whiteside,
Allen, Arms, Beekman, breckenridge, Bruer, Bris-
tow, Edwards, of Madison, Emmerson Hamilton,
Hatch, Hodges, Knapp, Miller, of Madison, Miller OF
Winnebago, Persinger, Pickering Singleton, Thomas,
Thornton Were not these all Wings good and true, anu
the only Wings who represented the people Of Illinois in
the House that timer Instructed by the unanimous
Of the Democratic party and the unanimous vote
the Whig party to allow limitation upon the right
of the people Of Kansas and Nebraska any other Ter
denounced traitor for my fidelity to that prn-
cplc and my obedience to that instruction Do mis-
understand me- Isay now, what have said everywhere
in my speeches. that do offer this resolution Of in
struction my for having Incorporated this prn
| cple into the Nebraska bill. [Cheers. should have
done if had not been instructed; should have done
so the people Illinois had never expressed any opinion
upon the subect should have done because the pn-
cpe is right in ITSELF is just to the people Of the Terri
tories and Of the States to be formed thereof is
sstent with the Constitution, and undercs enre
system Of Republican Government Enthusiastic cheer
ing While do not cite this resolution Of instruction
as my reason for my fidelity to this great principle Of
government and constitutional right confess that
it matter Of satisfaction to to know that while
doing my duty had the recorded evidence of the ap-
prova of the two great political parties embracing nine
tenths Of the whole people Of Illinois. [Appausc
The evidence that the Whig party wen the Demo
cratic party soemny pledged to sustain and carry
out this principle does not stop here. One year after
these legislative resolutions were adopted the two parties