Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-06-08
PRINCIPLES Of the Nebraska Bill.

The following extract is from the speech
Of Hon. III. HIBBARD in the House Of Repre-
sentatives in favor Of the bill. Il was an eio-
quent and manly speech.
The principle established BY the Father has
been sacredly cherished. and will be faithfully
maintained. II is the ground ON which all our
local and municipal institutions rest. II insists
FIRST upon national independence and separate
sovereignty. It. would leave to the central
Government no power the State can properly
exercise-to the State no function which may
as well be performed by the county-to the
county nothing that can as well be done by the
town. II would delegate TO no human hands
any power or prerocative which the individual
citizen may, with safety TO others, retain to
himself. It's grand results are POPULAR suPRE-
MACY, STATE RIGHTS, AND INDIVIDUAL FREE
DOM. Wherever understood and applied, 1t
had been, in all lands and ages the surest safe
guard of civil liberty-lhe strongest barrier
agants the encroachments Of arbitrary power
This principle, sir, lies at the foundation of
this bill As supporter Of the compromises
Of 1850, voted for il then. ] stand upon i
now. The ground / then assumed l shall
maintain. know, sir, that upon me, as upon
every other northerl man who occupies this
position the f1Oodgates Of abolition vituperatIon
will be opened. 1t has been so heretofore. -
As it has not moved me in the past 1t will not
disturb me now. Defamation and menace will
pass me as the idle wind. The position rests
upon the rock of immutable truth. The waves
of error, fanaicism, and falsehood will beat
against it in vain. Whoever plants himself
upon it will stand. He who seeks its over
throw will fail in the hopeless attempt.
1t will be supported by the people.
The issue presented by this bill, Mr.. Chair
man, will 60 before the country. No man
need fear TO trust that tribunal with the decision
of snch question. Il is one of those matters
upon which the people will be found in advance
Of rulers and politicians. They, sir. are for
progress when that progress is in the direction
Of right and their own well-being. Whoever
places himself in its way will be overwhelmed
by the advancing mass.
But, sir, even if it should be defeated for the
present by the elements Of opposition combined
against il, that result, though matter Of regret.
would abaie nothing Of my conviction oi its
justice and expediency-nothing Of my conf
dence in its ultimate success. Such was the
fate Of the movement against the United States
Bank, the Independent Treasury, the revenue
tariff, the compromise acts Of 1850, and other
great measures Of Democratic policy. They,
too, were misunderstood and misrepresented,
opposed and obsirncied. Some of them failed
for time. They were thrown back upon the
country for examination. The people can
vassed them, sanctioned them, rallied to their
rescue, and bore them irresistibly forward TO
glorious triumph. They have become canons
Of the republican OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of polti-
cal orthodoxy. Their bi,terest revicrs are
fain TO deny, their former opposition, and claim
the credit Of having been their friends. II will
be so now.