The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-05-31

beg thew will read the following plain, candid
exposition of the principles Of that bill,
which we cut from late speech in the L.
5. Senate by Mr.. Benjamin, of La:
Before leaving this branch of the subject,
| desire to say few words in relation to the
principles contained in the Kansas Nebraska
act-not that they are necessary in my part
of the cOuntry-not that the people OF the
South have the slightest doubt IN relation 10
the policy or Tropriety o! these enactments-
bur for the purpose of answering dislngen-
! uOus argument which has been repeatedly
urged in both branches of Congress We
are told that those who advocated the passage
of this act, and now sustain IT, when at the
North endeavor to persuade rorthern people
that it is the best possible enactment for free
dom and that its advocates at the South tell
the people Of the South that it is an entire
security for the right Of the Sou n and then
it is said, with some show of reason, that
one side or the other has been cheated.
Mr.. President, those who use that arSu-
,uent at the North are right those VINO suS-
tain that bill upon the grounds which nave
lust mentioned, at the South, are right
Neither cheats; neither is cheated. The
history of the passage of that bill is familiar
to us all There was series of PROPOSE
tions presented TO its advocates, upon all oi
which they could agree save one. All agreed
upon the right of a State to enter into this
/ Union whenever it had sufficient population,
and had formed a republican constitution,
whether that constitution established or pro-
hibited slavery. That provision was, there
fore. inserted in the bill. All agreed that it
was prejudicial to the best interests oil the
country that the subject Of slavery should
be discussed in Congress. All agreed that,
whether Congress had the power or not to
exclude slavery from the Territories, II
ought not TO exercise it. All agreed that, ii
that power was owned by us, we ought to
delegate it to the people whose interests were
to be affected by the institutions established
at home We therefore put that in the bill.
/ Then came the point upon which we disa-
greed. Some said, as ! say, Congress has
no power to exclude slavery from the conf
mon territory il cannot delegate it, and the
people in the territory cannot exercise II eX-
cept at the time when they form their consti-
tuition. Others said, Congress ha> the pow
or; Congress can delegate it, and the people
can exercise it, Still others saId-my no.
norable friend from Michigan Mr.. Cas-
said-that the power to legislatc on that sub
ject was a power inherent in every people
with whom the doctrine Of self-government
was anything more than an empty name
On this proposition we disagreed and to
what conclusion did we come. We said in
this bill that we transferred TO the people Of
that Territory the entire power to control, by
their own legislation, their own domestic IN
situations, subject only to the provisions Of
the constitution that we would not inter
/ ferc with them that they might do as they
pleased on the subject; that the constitution
alone should govern. And then, in order to
provide means by which the constitution
should govern, by which that single unde-
cided question could be determine f, we Of
the South, conscious that we were right, the
North asserting the same confidence in its
own doctrines, agreed that every question
touching human slavery or human freedom
should be appcalable TO the Supreme Court
of the United States for its decision.
There is the Kansas BILL Therefore,
when advocate this bill among my people
at home, conscious that they share my con
iidcncc in the correctness Of the principles
which l here cnunciated, ! say to them, in
all canior and sincerity, You are safe un-
der this bill Let the gentlemen Of the
North, who profess an equal confidence In
what they believe TO be constitutional pfinci-
pies on this subject, go to the same tribunal,
and follow the example which the South has
ever set them, of being a law abiding and
law-obserying people, and this question will
then be finally settled by tribunal from
which none of Us will attempt an appeal.
Strange, strange, sir, that that section OF
this Union which bears throughout the
country the reputation Cf being SO eXcItable,
So passionate, so violent, is always ready to
submit It's olaims to the decisions Of the tri'
bunals Of the country while that which Is
called the cain, cold, quiet, calculating
North, ALWAYS obeving the law, always sub
seryicI.t to the bchests of the constitution,
whenever this question Of slavery arises
and this alone-appeals to Sharpe rifles IN
stead of courts OF justice.
Is not this simple, plain recognition Of
exactly the same doctrine of non-interven-
tion which the democracy contended for in
1850, with this concession to the barnburn-
cr-rn of the north, that instead of denying
in express terms the power of congress to
prohibit slavery in a territory which when
il came in possession cf the Z. 5. was slave
territory. it made that territory free, by de
clarin- that the Old Louisiana law Should
not be revived, and then agrees to submit
the question whether the south can 90 into
this territory with their slaves to the dec
sion of the Supreme court Of the U. S
Subject to the constitution" And to ia
braska bill provides express facilities fol
taking an appeal from the territorial courts
to the Supreme court to settle the question.
And why now, Messrs. Cook, Bronson Muir
I ray, &c, &c, instead Of sending money and
Sharp's rifles to Kansas to promote blood
she'd and civil war, don't you send just one
/ Iawycr-Judge Leland will answer-to bring
single slave into a Kansas court, and il
that court decides against you, appeal the
case to the supreme court Of the U. ). and
/ test the great question whether the south
/ have the right under the constitution or not
/ to 90 into the territory with their slaves
The decision of this question would settle
( the whole Kansas difficulty in day. Why
not do It? Are you afraid to test the qucs-
ton by the constitution?
]. o. or o. Eve learn that on Wednes-
day evening last new Lodge of Odd Eel
G- NJ p y. Armstrong, assisted by ID. ID.
g. VI. Z. Y. Griggs, p. G.s S. W. Raymond,
W. c. Fash and Others
The new Lodge is styled "Juniatta Lodge
No. 201," and its prospects are, as we are
informed, quite flattering.
Marseilles is improving considerably this
season, a number of new buildings are being
erected and old ones repaired. The Sunday
like stiffness and quietude which formerly
characterized the place has to no little ex.
tent given way to a life and business like