Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1854-05-12

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does intervene, and it does legislate upon
slavery in Territories and for the proof
Of that, see the bill aud see it, Is the
lawyers say, passim; that is to say. here,
add there, and everywhere. /, is a bill of
assumptions and cou,radictions-assuming
what is unfeunded, and contraIict.ng wh...
it assumcs--and balancing every aG.rma-
ton by a necation. Il is a see-saw bill /;
but not the innocent see-saw which chilli
ren play on plank stuck through fence !;
bu: the up and down game Of politicians, {,
played at the expense Of the peace aud
harmony of the Union. aud 10 the sacrifice
Of all business in Congress IL is an am
pathological bill, stuffed with lnors.rosities,
ho5Lled with contradictions, aud Badscred
with proviso.
AmpIibology is a cause for the rejection
Of bills, not only by Congress, but by the
President when carried to him for his ap.
proval General Jackson rejected one for
that cause, and it was less amphibo!ogical
than this it was the last ri gLt of the las:
day of his last administration, and u quar-
ter before midnight. Congress had sent
him bill to repeal the specie circular, and
to inaugurate the paper money of thous-
and local banks as the currency Of the
Federal Government. 1t was an object
not to be avowed, nor to be done in auy
direc. or palpable manner. Paraphrases,
circumlocutioD, ambidexterity, and ambi-
guilty, were necessary to cover IN the de-
sign and it was piled ON until it was un-
Ineligible The President read it, AID
could make nothing of it i: he sent it to
his Attorney General, wio was equally
puzzled. He then returned it, with a
message to the Searte, refusing to sign the
bill for amrhibology. We should reject
this bill for the same cause, if for nothing
else. Hard is the fate Of party fealty. 1t
has to keep up with the everchanging
measure Often have these bills changed ;
and under every phase they had 70 be re-
ceived as a test of orthodoxy; and have
more changes to undergo yet; and continue
to be ties, under ali mutations.
And Low, what is the object Of this
movement, which so disturbs Congress ard
the country? What does it propose to
accomplish? To settle principle, is the
answer-the principle OF noa-intervention,
and the right of the people of the Terri
tory to decide tie question Of slavery for
themselves. Sir, there is no such princi-
pie. The Territories arc the children Of
the States. They are minors, under age,
and 1t is the business of the States. ttro'
their delegations in Congress, TO take ca-e
of them until they are o. age-uutIi they
are ripe for State Government then to
give them that government, aaJ admit
them tc an equality with their fathers.
That is law, and has been 50 admitted since
the first ordinance, in l7S.. The States
in Congress are the guardians Of the Ter.
ritories, and are bound to exercise that
guariiansh;p; aud caa not abdieate it
without breach Of trust and derelic.ion
of duty Way, sir, the T.r,itory it eff is
the property of the States. and they do
with it what they please-permit it to be
settled or not, as they please Gu. it up by
lines, rs they please sell it or give i. away,
as they please chase white people from it,
as they please This has been always the
case. There is Proclamation row cxtant
Of the Old Congress Of the Ccafo ieratior,
describing the FIRST settlers IN the Nor;.,-
west Territory as " dsorderly persons -
and ordering them to be driven off by the
military. remember many such military
expulsicus in tie early se,tienrcn. OF the
western country, often executed with &C.
verify burning houses, cutting up co-n,
destroying fences, and driving off tho peo-
pie at tie point cf the bayonet, and under
the edge Of the sabre. As late as 1885,
36, and after the extinction Of the Indian
title to the Platte country in Missouri,
similar orders were given to the ihen colo
mel of Dragons commanding-cn that from
tier, the now Senator in Congress, Henry
Dodge, to expel the people from ,ha. par-
chase; orders which he executed in gentle
ness and mercy. going alone, explaining
his business, and requiring them to go
away which they did, Ike good and or
derly people; and when he w's gone, came
back like sensible and industrious people,
and secured their pre-emptions. Not only !
settled, but organized, has been SO treated I
by the Federal Government, and worse
the people driven off and their homes
given away. This happened in Arkansas,
in 1928, when twelve thousand square
miles Of her organized territory was given
away to the Chcrokccs, and the people |
driven away Why, sir, this very line Of
So go, with all the territory on one side
Of it, aud two degrees on the o:her SIDE,
were given away to the King of Spain
This has been the seventy years practice
Of the Goyernment-to treat the Terrific