Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-01-19

surprise, and placing it in that of the Jew
"Sir," he said, addressing himself to
me. you who have seen the world, and
who are disiutcrestcd in this question, do
you think that could do betterl''
The kanza.-Ncbraska Bill,
1t is barely possible that some of our read
crs may have forgotten that at the last scs
sion of Confress, very unjust bill was pas
scd-one which men not accustomed to the
random ice cf language, called dishonest
violation of solemn National compact, an
outrage upon the rights of the Free States of
our Union, and an enormity unparalleled in
the previous legislation of the Country. To
such We commend the following extract from
a recent speech of Mr.. Campbell, of Ohio
And those who have not forgotten, and do not
intend to forget very soon, the passage of the
Nebraska bill, will find matter worth reading
in this stirring and excellent speech.
In the Hous, Of Representation, Dee. Il, 1854.
Mr. Chairman, upon the hypothesis, (mo.t
favorable to the northern view of the ques-
tion y that through territorial law the peo
pie may exclude slavery, | propose to exam
inc whether the people are. by the machinery
which the act imposes on them, cleft perfect
ly free y
What isa Democracy Where the people
govern. The gentleman from Missouri (Mr
Oliver) truly remarked, yesterday, that a
mass meeting of the people, to make laws,
would he impossible. There is no such Gov
ernment as that on earth. Ours is Repre-
sentative Dcmocracy-the people delcgating,
through the balot-box, to their agents, their
| L.
elements, of government They are com
prised in three subdivisions the Legislative,
to make the law the Jud'ciary, to expound
it the Etecut,re, to enforce it. The beauty
of our system, in Its purity, consists in the
fact that each one of hese three departments,
though a coordinate part, is independent of
the others, If all were concentrated in one
man, whatever the name given 10 II, the gov
ernment would be practical, despohsp'.
Now, sir, il this trucible proceed to as
certain the real power Of the people in Kan
sas and Nebraska, under this act, over the
question of slavery, and to "regulate their
domestic institutions in their own way"
Whois to erecute law there The Cover
nor. Who select him Not the people, but
the President. who can put him in or kick
him out, at will, independently of the will
Of the people of the Territory (Section 2)
Who constitute the jud'cid, power The
Judges selected by the President, (section l2).
and, for the present, @ all township, district
and county officers shall be appointed by
the Presidents Governor. (Section ~
The only remaining branch of government
tai power is the Legislature. Section pro-
vides for Council of thirteen, and House
oc twcntv-six members. 1t says previous
to the first election the Gorernor shall cause
n census or enumeration of the inhabitants
and qualified voters of the counties and dis
tricts of the Territory to be taken by such
persons and in snch mode, as the Gorernor
shall designate and appoint " IN this " eiiu-
uie.ation Of nndo,tdntS, (which of course
YflndfN hlpks ,.od and young, for southern
niger" shall not be regarded an d" inhabi-
tant,'O the Gorernor districts the State and
apportious the representation. This gives
the Governor great powers the people none,
to regulate their affairs. Nor can | see why
the honorable gentleman from Missouri (Mr
Olver) should complain about emigrants
from New England. whilst the negro child
cen. from his district, which adiCins Kansas,
would weigh Just as heavily in these census
tables as the honorable member from Massa-
chusetts, (Mr. Goodrch,) who has been par
AIDED as president of some society, would, if
there ; and whilst his constituent, who goes
into one county with ninety-nine negroes,
would count as much in the legislation as
=, any hundred live emgirant Yankees
Next comes the election. iThe President s
Governor appoints the " time and place for
!, that, and it is to be conducted in such manner
as he shall designate. When the people meet
at the polls to settle this matter of slavery,
the qualified voters may cast their suffrage.
But the ballots are to be received, the cleo
ton superintended, the qualifications of cleo
tors decided upon, the votes counted, and the
returns made, by such persons as the Gouer.
nor may appoint, tsection 4 And the act
does not even require that these persons shall
be sworn to the honest and faithful discharge
, Of these high duties, involving the destiny OF
: ar empire With such powers over the bal
lot-box Of South Carolina, Governor might
easily, if he chose, send into this Hall to rep
resent her, such men as my colleague, (Mr
! Giddings,) or Garrison, and others, more OBJ
nosious to her people. Yet, this is the char
act.r of the machine recently invented and
patented az " squatter sovereignty
Fear of accidents has stationed another
: guard over the peoples will, armed with q
= more formidable weapon-one which has otter
:, made its deadly strokes upon true popular
= sovereignty 1t i. the Veto Poucr, in tn,
: sixth section, which enables the President T
Governor to defeat any legislative act in re
gard to slavery, or any other g domestic af
= fair " unless passed in both branches by tive
= thirds Of the representatives of the people
n Is it not, Mr.. Chairman, bad enough Il
o clothe any one man with power like this, owe
;. the Representatives will, and call it democ
ID racy' Is it not an outrage to give it to
p Governor, appointed by the President, AM
6 beyond the control of the gorernsd, at an,
ID time but especially when you say that thei
rs will shall settle the question between free
m dom and slavery in these vast Territories !
1t Is it not an insult to American intelligenc
A. to call such provisions popular sovereign
y, ty," and below " Mans power to COVER
himselfi'
b, | have briefly passed over and analyze
a. this act. denounce it as transferring tn
is just power of the people of the States to tn
national Executive, already swelled with 1t
n enormous powers of Federal patronage an
ne the veto. The transfer is to me bitter pill
IN sugar coated as il is, with the words squat
We ter sovereignty" There is not in all tn
ne Russias province where the people have no
ie as much power to " regulate their domesti
~ institutions in their own way" as is suarar
~ tied to the people Of Kansas and Nebrask
10 by this act independent Of Presidential powc
K to exclude slavery from their soil
to There is one other provision of the ac
~ that challenges attention. 1t is that whio
ed gives forrcn'r' the right to vote on cond
IS tiOn,
nd TIE fifth section provides
" That the right of suffrage and of holdir
he Office shall he exercised only by citizens
ny the United States, and those who shall ha'
ny declared ca oath their intention to becou
"a such.snd shall have taken an oath To -uppo
the Constitution of the United States md Il
OF prOriSioH, Of ms arf. ="
ry In this connection | quote the "onstit'
at tional provision, that Congress shall ha
We power to provide unuOrm ruI" Of natura
O. ilation ~ Upon what principle of Just po
nlar sovereignty Congress may allow 70
- e'gHer the highest right of "a citscp, that
we outrage in n Tcrrj/ory. the day he arriv
81 on our shores from Baden. when it has Il
carcd by its acts that he must reside ii
I" years, and wake certain proof ul attachmc
=" To our institution. hclo," hr can hc u citIlc
% md mnke The rmln :. MMLLnLM. . IL moi nr.lr