The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-09-11


nationalist for the following report Of the public dis
cusson which took place in that city on Saturday
evening last between Hon. A. ii. Stephens and T.
w. Miller, esq.
The meeting WAS called by the political friends OF Mr.
Stephens but Mr. Miller at his request was permitted
hearing under the following terms as stated by Dr. Car
vim the chairman OF the meeting MI stephens was TO
open the discussion In speech of three quarters of
hour Mr. Miller to reply In speech OF the same
length and Mr. Stephens was to conclude IN speech OF
half an hour.
Mr. Stephens remarked that he appeared before the
people of Richmond u candidate TO represent the
eighth district in Congress, 10 discuss important and
grave questions of policy in which the people of the dis
tict and Of tho whole country were Interested, and
that these questions somewhat different from
those which agated the country, when, ut the open
ing of the canvass for the last Congress he had
addressed the citizens OF Richmond at the City Hall
of Augusta Then Sani-m ysterious unseen, victorious
Samwas abroad in the land, carrying everything be-
fore him, and with his terrible whang dwelling all who
opposed him, great and small as read that a great
host evelled in night by the angel OF death
Then prescription prescription of classes of our popula
tion Tor their birthplace orregionwas one OF the pfin-
cpes Of the American order upon which it had swept
Connecticut Massachusetts, and other northern States,
and threatened TO carry Virginia and against which he
had felt it his duty TO protest and to the people of
this district Now nothing ever heard of SAN of
his victories of the American order of the proscrip
ton of foreigners and of Roman Catholics nobody de-
which the American party could give their candidate his
honorable competitor, that he belonged TO
thcm--nevcr was member OF the American order. lie
did not alude to those things he said excite unpleasant
feeling to stir unpleasant recoections in vindctive
spirit, to eer and sco at the members of the American
order who might present but to congratulate them and
the country that SAM deadat his principles which
he feared would prevail had been condemned and
pudatcd by the people, and that at last excellent
recommendation ofan American candidate to popular
favor that lac had belonged to the American order
He there not to raise SAM but to help Americans and
all others to bury hiInto dig grave for him deep
that he never could have resurrection He was there
to aid in this good work and the opposition having
abandoned all the distinctive principles Of the American
ORDER inyeghing against and opposing the Kansas
act defend that acevery principle, every sentence,
and every word in it, When that act passed there
was no opposition to it in the State of Georgia, and
no word Of condemnation was uttered against it by
any any press, as far as he was informed. But
afterwards when it found by many that they must
elect between their principles and their party they aban
doned their principles held to their party and began
to nveigl against condemn, and denounce the Kansas
act which the people of Georgia had sustained when
was frs. passed with perfect unanimity The American
party of Georgia denouncng Walker for his viola
ton of the principles of the Kansas act but it was at the
same time denouncng and opposing the friends and sup
porters of that act who did not sustain Walker and it
was therefore, evident that it intent upon
popular condemnation OF the principles of that act than
a popular condemnation OF the policy OF Gov. Walker.
What the great fundamental principle OF the Kansas
gre in the organization of the Territories for number
of years. showing that the great effort of the North had
been by congressional action 1.-THE Wilmot proyiso) to
restrict and conine the South, and legsate her out
of her right to equal enjoyment OF the Territories
of the Union and that the great effort of the South had
been to defeat tbs restrictive legislaonto take the
question of their rights in the Territories out Of Con-
establish the doctrine Of nonintcryenton and
leave the character of the institutions to be adopted by
new States applying admission into the Union to the
people of the Territories when they should meet in con-
venton to form State constitutions This great doctrine
the doctrine of non-interventon, trumphed in 1850 in
the passage of the compromise measures and in 1854
reafrmed in the passage of the Kansas Nebraska act
The Missouri Compromise by which an arbitrary line was
established, north Of which southern institutions and
southern men, with their property, could not go,
was inconsistent with this legislation, and was,
therefore declared by the Kansas Nebraska act to
be imperative and void Thus all restriction
upon the South removed-a great, just principle sub
stituted for arbitrary line, and all the Territories
of the Union opened to the equal enjoyment of all
the people of all sections of the Union This what
the Kansas Nebraska act had accomplished 1t did not
propose make these Territories free slave to egs
late slavery into them legslate out of them but
left this with oil other questions OF municipal govern
ment of domestic to the people to deter
mine for themselves sin their own way, perfectly
ree from all influences of every kind, and with linn
taton upon their right of sefgovernment but the
stitution Of the United States The bill established, in
stead of the Wmot proviso and instead Of the Missouri
Compromise the great doctrine of popular sovereignty
ern themselves and the democratic party, in its
tional platform adopted Mt Cincinnati had recognised
this principle endorsed it, and affirmed its determination
to sustain it. not only in Kansas and Nebraska but in all
other Territories hereafter to be organized by Congress
He then quoted the following resolution from that plat
form
Rcsolged, That recognise the right Of the people of
all the Territories including Kansas and Nebraska acting
through The legally and oppressed eH Of majority Of dc
fal rssdaas and heieuer Tie number Of their iahobins JUST
E e. to form constitution with without domestic
slavery and be admitted into the Union upon terms of
perfect equality with other States "
This was an endorsement of the great principle Of the
Kansas acttho right of the people Of the Territories
govern themselves He then showed that Mr. Hill, the
American candidate for governor had msquoted this
outon, rather had quoted only portion of it, to
show that it committed the democratic party to the doc
trne of unrestricted suffrage to the doctrine of leaving
the question of slavery the Territories to be determined
by ~ majority of actual residents in any Territory
Mr.. Stephens shows that the resolution did such
thing that 1t affirmed the true principle of the Kansas
act and left the question Of slavery in the Territories TO
be determined by ''the pe4e acting through the legally
and fairlycxpressed will of majority of actual
idents," when they should meet in convention to
frame State constitution in other words that it
left the question OF slavery to be determined by the
people, acting through, in accordance with, and In
subordination TO, the laws of the Territory. This
the doctrine of the Kansas acths the doctrine
recognised by the democratic partythis the doc
trne for which he had contended in supporting the Kan
act In supporting that act he had not looked to
practical rcsnltsto the formation of slave or free
State out of the Territory of Kansbu to the triumph
recognition and firm establishment of this great doctrine
which restored the equality of the South jim the Terrific