Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1854-07-14
Speech Of Hon. A. P. Banks on the Me-
braska Bill.

member in the House from Mass. lie Is a
most talented and able man aud a patriotic,
honorable Statesman. lie has ever been an
ornamen, TO the Democratic Party and his
views are therefore entitled To the highcs,
consideration Of his old associates. They are
classical, staiesmanlke and just. In the
course Of his speech he had occasion TO attend
to The Clergy of New England and to the
principle Of popular Sovereignty" pretend.
ed to be established by the Bill. The follow.
ing extract will show The force add Perspi.
Guilty Of his remarks aud the maturity and
justice OF his opinions
81 object again to this act, that ia violation
OF lis expressed intent, 1t does "legi,lato sll.
very" into these Territories. They give US,
as they saw, ilbHia rdM, Territory with.
out law upon the subject of slavery. What
is then the condition Of the southern emigant
who takes his slaves there Exactly the
condition Of the Grs, SPanilrd who nolted his
slaves upon tho free waters Of the Mississippi
or Kansas. The master and bondsman are
left alone to ~restle for supremacy. We
know what the result Of that eontcs, must be.
1.-THE slave appeal to the courts, he is met
BY judres-noi ofthc people, bot independent
Of lhem-who claim Tor the southern planter
with his slaves the same rights Is for the
northern farmer with his horses. II, appeal.
ing to this act organizing the Territory, he
is me, by tho declaration that by its terms and
expressed intention, it is open 10 the South
and North, to slavery or freedom, until the
Legislature establish one or the other, what
is he to answer II he app.al to the great
common.l,w doctrine, that no man can be held
IN bondage but by virtue II statutory enact
mcn,. will he not he answered that the com.
mon.hw doctrine is not applicable here that
nv an &C, Of Congress, by this Nebraska and
Kansas bill, 1t is rendered inaplcablc, Of
which III. last clause dissection fourteen will
give him proof
"ProriSed 80, That nothing herein con-
tanned shall he construed to revive or put In
force any law or regulation which may have
existed prior to the act Of March @, 1920
either protecting, establishing, prohibiting, o.,
abolishlnr slavery"
n the Spanish, French, aod American,
laws protecting or establishing slavery, prior
10 1870, a's repealed, Is not the common law
prohibiting slavery, where not existing by
statute, abrocated by the SINE nc, and pro,i.
so Have We not heard i, here, that the
great decision Of l.oId Mansfield is an oJiia
dioid, and lha, the universal and natural law
recognizes slavery
Sir,,he essence Of lhi, act il, tina, until the
Territory Legislature determines the que,.
ton, It Is open alike to slavery and to free.
dom. 1.-THE South does not gain this, II eairs
nothing
Now, then, can the people control the mat.
ter is the pretended doctrine Of popular soy.
ereigniy really established there ! think
not The American idea OF popular sover-
eighty Is, that people should have, and has,
the right TO INSTITUTE government, tn alter il
and to abolish II. Have the people Of Ne
braska OF Kansas this power under this act
Can Ihey institute government Can they
alter It ' Can they abolish ~ No, a, all.
They have no rights, no power, bu, that which
Congress ronfsrs. There is not a privilege
granted in this bill tina, a generous planter
might not grant to his slave, without weak.
ening his authority over him. They have
no sovereign power. Congress can revoke
its grant in an honr. They are as dependen,
upon the Federal Government for their terri.
,orial and political existence, as they are up.
on God for The atmosphere they breathe
grant what is claimed, tina, there is an eS-
tension of political rights compared with ear
lior territorial governments. But have the
people here power to govern ] deny it,
NV reading Of the theory II politics is not ,I.
tensive, bu, ] have imagined that the Ameri-
can doctrine at least was, tina, a majority OF
the oope should have the attributes Of GOV.
eminent.
] ask any gentlemen upon this floor to poin,
me to one single solitary power that is here
conferred upon majority ofthe people
Csu they elect Governor, or an executive
officer Can they aPPoin, their judges
Can they pass a legislative ac', or obtain
Judgement, in the territorial courts, without
the supervision and assent OF the national
Government, acting through its own appoint
ees, who are forever irresponsible to the peo-
pie there Never They have no afFrna-
tion, neither legislative nor judicial, upon
which congress does no, retain a negative.
And this is called mon. intervention =" The
privilege Of overriding an Executive veto by
a vote Of hrO-ihndS Of both branches against
the influence Of the Government. can never
be exercised You adm1 Theoretically a
right, hut practically you deny all power.
And this is called "sovereign,y"-nO, Ameri-
can, bu, "s7uGiier''oreragniy" It's right
ly named. !, squa's lower than any Amerl.
can preceden, that VIC shall find. Why, il
isn't knee.high !, has neither commence.
men, nor end aud il can be compared to
nothing, unless il be 70 Master Slender's love
for his mistress, which, he said. "wss little
at the beginning. and had been gradually grow
ing less and less, until, by the grace Of God,
!, came TO be nothing al ALL"
When Louis Napoleon seized the eIeeu-