Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-05-11

Maine 10 vote against tne Nebraska Dill, as
follows. His reasoning is unanswerable
But before going into the discussion, the
committee will pardon me for looking a mo-
rnent to the Maine Legislature, to inquire
what is their right, where is their Justification
for making their requestt Generally, should
bow with great Difference to body of men so
Respectable as the Legislature of my own
State; generally. should conseatto comply
with any request that they might make. If
their request was against my judgment, in a
common case, should feel that was at fault.
1 should feel that my judgment might be in
error, and would review my opinion. But
confess to you, Mr. Chairman | publish to
this committee yea, more, / will tell the
country at large, that, while this should be
the measure of my respect for such request,
there are many reasons (some of which will
give) why shall disregard the wishes of the
Legislature of Maine.
How was that Legislature elected What
was the issue! What has been its action
since it met. They talk to me about repre-
senting the public opinions of the people of
Maine Why, sir, the people of that State
gave at the last September election about
thirty-eight thousand votes for Hon. Albert
Pilsbury, as a candidate for Governor. On
full debate, when the merits of the candidates
were fully understood, the people met in town
meeting, and there expressed their preference,
while around them flowed their rights of SOW
ereignty like the common air they breathed.
AS have already remarked, about thirty
eight thousand votes were polled for Hon Mr..
Pllsbury. At the same time, they gave from
twenty-slx to twenty-eight thousand votes for
the Whig candidate, the Hon. VIM. G. Cros-
by. There was an outside interest ia Maine,
known as the Maine Law party, a sort Of con-
centration of isms, which gave for Mr.. Morril
some ten thousand votes or more. There was
no election by the people. Under the consti-
tuition, the election was to be made by the leg
Sslature and what have they done! Why,
the House, which passed the resolutions of
request indicating public opinion in that State
this House, so anxious that should respond
to public sentiment openly disregarded this ex-
preston of preference for Mr.. Pilsbury by the
freeman of Maine, and even refused to send
his name to the Senate as candidate for
Governor. They sent up the names of Cros-
by and MOrril, the former having some ten
thousand votes less than Pilsbury. These
gentlemen now undertake to put themselves
forward as the guardians of the public opinion
of Maine-they who, in one of their first acts
IN organizing the government of the State,
disregarded the votes of freemen. and gave the
preference TO faction. They talk to me -
Submit the question to-day TO the people of
the first congressional district, the one which
l have the honor to represent on this floor,
submit the names of Pilsbury, Crosby, ard
Morril TO the yeOmanry and the honest men
of that district state here, upon nv charac-
ter as a man, | state it from my knowledge of
the people of whom speak, that Mr. PilsbuIy
would receive large and controlling major
Jy.
But this contempt of the people does not
stop here. This is not the only instance in
which this Legislature has disregarded the
public sentiment Of the state of Maine. In
the counties Of Oxford and Waldo-I have no
notes before me | am speaking only from
memory to the history of filling vacancies
the Democratic candidates for senators, or
at least part of them, needed but few votes
20 secure their election. And what did this
Legislature dol What did these guardians
of popular will do! They ignored the wishes
of both of those senatorial districts. l will
not occupy the time of the committee to give
the reasons for this course. am simply deal
ing with facts and say to the Legislature
of Maine, when you ask others to regard the
public opinion of the State, be careful that
YOU have been obedient to it yourselves do
not come here and volunteer advice to me
about obedience TO the popular will, when,
from the very first moment you met together
you have set at naught the public opinion of
Maine, and fOisted upon her minority candI-
dates in the high places of trust and power.
suppose, sir, this same Legislature would
have requested me TO have voted for the pres
ent Governor. suppose they would have
requested me to have voted for the present
Speaker Of the House of Representatives of
Maine. No doubt they would have asked me
to do it but | must have bowed my head and
declined. Why! Because never vote for
wings unless as a choice of evils / sup
pose this Legislature would have asked me to
vote for the present Clerk of the House of
Representatives of Maine and l must also
have bowed my head and declined to do that.
Why! Because / never vote for AbolitiOnists
or Free-Soilers or factionists. / have no con-
cealment on this subject. | go with the dem
Ocratic party-and stand by its organization.
This has been my course from the beginning
of my public life, is now, and ever shall be.
suppose this Legislature would have asked
me to vote for my friend Mr.. Fessenden, the
Senator from Maine last elected. | esteem
him as man he is man Of talent, and a
man of worth but should have declined to
vote for him, because from nv first entrance
into political life to the present time. | have
been found in opposition to him. l remember
very we'll that on the occasion of my first cleo
tion to a seat in this House, that gentleman
was running as a candidate in the adjoining
district-the Cumberland district-and that
the democratic candidate in that district had
to meet, as / did myself, a coalition between
northern whiggery and political abolitionism
Our limits will not permit us to publish the
whole speech of Mr.. Mcdonald, which we re-
gret. We copy further the conclusion of the
speech, in which Mr.. Mcdonald declares his
friendship for the bill In truly independent and
unmistakable terms g
g Let me say, sir, that if this bill has
caused, and is still exciting, such intense pub
lie indignation at the North as to justify evil
forebodings for those who advocate 1t, the qui-
ct which the measures of adjustment in 1850
OccasiOned was all delusion. The general ac-
claim of appreciation which was heard from
all sections of the country on that occasion,
was the merest song OF the syren, if our land
is again to be cOnvnlsed with excitement by a
re-enactment of the principle of the adjust
ment. .--.G
How false to history, if this excitement ex-
lists, were the impressions of Clay and Webs
ter, men whose hearts were so devoted to the
peace and prosperity of this Union, when they
turned for the last time their eyes upon the
sun in the heaven. For more than third of