The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1854-04-27
RG. COLUMBIA COUNTY. PA, THURSDAY, APRIL q, 1854

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is free from the obnoxious feature and
am fully satisfied that no territorial bill can
pass tho House Of Representatives which
shall exclude aliens from voting, after they
shall have taken the oath of intention. All
the friends oflhe bill agree as to this.
/ leone now 10 speak, sir, of the general
features of the bill. / intend to cast nv
vote for ii; and Isay here, sir, iha, am glad
OF the opportunity of recording my vote in
lis favor. Ia doing SO record my vote in
favor Of great principle, which is relisiou
" and politically right. Irecord my vote in
favor OF measure for extending equal rights
TO all paris of this Confederacy j; ia favor OF
Inc right of permitting southern men, not to
have any advantages over the North, but 10
have equal advantages with them. They
are entitled TO it; but no more. Southern
and northern property should be alike free
10 enter our Territories. To deny this, is 10
reslric! the sovereignty of the States, and
make Them dependencies upon the General
Government.
IL there is any one political privilege
claim as high and above all others, /, is the
untrammeled sovereignty of my own State
Compared with this all other considerable us
are subordinate and inferior. To the Gener-
al Government my State owes no natural or
conventional allegiance. She 10 no slave to
Federal power As party to the Federal
compact, she is bound by her covenant. To
the terms and conditions OF the bond she is
responsible, but not one inch further. She
is sovereign. She is supreme. What she
has conceded 10 the Gen eral Government is
sc,stten. What she has reserved in hers-
That power is in her people. The public
domain of this nation belongs, IN common,
10 the people of all the States. Congress is
The trustee but every inch Of the soil is
vested, in fee, in the States.
Congress may make all necessary regiIta.
tions over the territory as property J; the jur-
isdction OF the same is in the people. The
hardy pioneer who emigrates from my
district, and settles on the prairies OF Kansas
of Nebraska, goes The re, not as the slave OF
Federal power, but as freeman. He goes
there moi only projected in his life and his
liberty, hui in his RFopery also. lie renoun.
ces no allegiance 10 tie good old Common.
wealth of Pennsyl ylyanla but in The journey
of bis adventures and his trials he is her
citizen, and he walks clothed in the panopIy
OF her power. Her constitution and her flag
protect him. To him she is the cloud by
dav and the pillar OF fire by night; and an
I'll he assumes new position, by pariicipa.
ling in the formation OF new government,
his relations TO his State are Unchanged
Concede that Congress may intervene, and
State sovereignty is annihilated. 1t is an
insult TO talk about it, Congress lesislate for
The freemen of Territory! When and
where did the States cloihe this body with
that power In what section or article oi
the Constitution is il written The doctrine
is buried in the grave of the Capulets. Jack.
son did its funeral obsequies. The veto of
the bank bill and the Maysville road bill
sealed forever and encroachmen, of Federal
power upon the States. Abolition may plead
in vain for its restoration. il cannot be &C.
complished.
The first gun Of the Revolution sounded
the note Of popular sovereignty; the last
one, at the gates of Mexico, reechoed the
principle. The power of Congress TO lesis-
late on the subject OF slavery in the Terrific.
rles is imbecile. It is barren. She may
make all "needful rules and regulations, ;
but deny her juri selection. Tha, belongs
OF right 10 the people of the Territories not
to The Federal government.
So lar, Sir, as my own action is concerned
in this measure of popular sovereignty and
State rights, am amenable only 10 the one
hundred thousand people of the twelfth CON.
sresslonable district Of Pennsylvania My
political account current is with them but,
sir, as | live, | would ten thousand times
rather fall the advocate of popular freedom,
than 10 be returned hsre upon the issue that
| had supported a project OF law which
aimed blow al The constitutional power of
my State, and the natural and the unaliena.
BILE rights of ner citizens. My State, sir, is
no provincial establishment She does no
tribute TO Cesar. She has flag of her own
and she has the moral and physical power
TO sustain it. She is parry 10 The general
compact, but not slave to it. Standing as
she does, midway, in her geographical pos
ition, she has no ~ mpalhies with fanaiicism
from the North, nor distractions from The
South. She is under the influences OF Meth.
er. This is why che may be called the
Keystone of the arch.
But, sir, while ami Pennsylvapian my
self, and feel all the local prids Pennsyl.
vahian should, who honors his State and her
institutions and laws, still claim 10 be an
American citizen. in its broadest sense, and
when southern institutions are assailed will
defend them. Southern rights are as sacred
as northern, aud he who would trample on
Them because Of power and numerical
strength, is without Justification. There may
be a adherence of opinion between nothern
and southern men as to the power of Con-
gress over the Territories. But all who feel
an interest 10 this bill must see The absolute
necessity of making mutual CONCESSIONS
Those Of as from the northern States who
are willing 10 60 hand in hand with their
southern friends, in carrying out the great
measure of popular sovereignty, should be