Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-11-11
EXTRAORDINARY POWER OF VISION.


The advocate and exponent of Democracy in
Baltimore, the Argus" seems quite exalted by
contemplation of the sublime influences of the
Nebraska 5iR In speaking of this unfortunate
measure the Argus appears to lose its perception of
the power Of numbers 1t says:
"There is not single principle embodied in this f-
nous bill which has not been recognised and endorsed
thousand times by the people of every State of the Union
There is principle embodied in this bill which is
strictly in accordance with the express declaration Of the
great charter of liberties and of the Constitution
framed thereon. The bill simply reiterates the great
publican doctrine of the peoples right to frame their
government according to their own wishes"
A thousand times! Will the sober reader enter
into calculation to see by whats st process under
the guidance of I" Young America" this "prin-
ciple" was considered and endorsed a THOUSAND
TIMEs?" Why, this good Republic of ours is but
sixty-seven years old under the Constitution, and
yet this Argus has seen so far into the past as to
have discovered " one thousand" /" decisions on the
principle of non-intervention p But we must
give our neighbor the benefit of his peculiar en-
dowment. Argus is blessed, we know, with hun
dred eyes, and therefore what would appear to COM
mon mortals only ten is multiplied to the view of
Argus an hundred-fold, and becomes one thousand
But the Argus goes on to declare, with apparent
gravity, that the bill simply reiterates the great
republican doctrine of the peoples right to frame
their own government according to their own
wishes" The act itself provides that every officer
having controlling power in the new Territories
shall be appointed by the President nt-governor,
secretary judges, marshal and attorney, shall all
be appointed by the President-and the governor
shall have a veto on the acts of the Legislative
Councils; and if acts be passed by them in spite
of the governors veto, the law must be submitted
for Congressional approval
Again, the Argus says, after considerable
flourish about the " fanatical warfare " raging on
this subject:
Sand yet this Nebraska BILL which is used as the
tocsin of alarm throughout the free States and which
is arrayng the whole Freeso and Abolition force against
the Administration only denies the right of Congress
legslae for the people this matter and refers the
whole subject to their own decisions
Will the reader believe, after this solemn asseve-
ration, that the bill not "only denies the right Of
Congress to legslate for the people this matter
but, instead of referring 3the whole subject to
their own decision," it expressly declares that
"nothing in the act contained shall be construed
as reviving any law or regulation establishing or
protecting, aboishng or prohibiting slavery" And,
further, when two Of the friends of substantial
popular sovereignty" moved to give the people,
through their Legislative Council, the right g to
establish or prohibit slavery" the motions were
voted down by decided majorities? 1t may with
sober truth be asked what autboritv .tbe neonle
have, in their original condition of sovereigns, to
act upon this important question? 1t requires no
"old and willy politicians " to answer this The
common-sense reply comes to every man at the
first statement Of the proposition.