The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-12-26


: first proposition in the Nebraska bill was t
slion that the Missouri restriction, prohibit
I ing the people from deciding the slavery
question for themselves, constituted an ex
ception TO a general rule, in violation of!h,
principle of sell-gOvcrnment; aud hence that
exception should be repealed, and the slave
ry question, like all other questions, submit
ted to the people to be decided for them
selves.
Sir, that was the principle on which tht
Nebraska bill was defended by its fliends.-
Instead of making the slavery question ar
exception il removed an odous exception
which before existed. It's whole object was
to abolish that odious exception, and make
the rule general, universal, in its application
to all matters which were local and domes-
tie, and not national or federal. For this
reason was the language employed which
the President has quoted that the eight
section or this Missouri act, commonly call
ed the Missouri compromise, was repealed.
because it was repuguant to the principle
of nOn-interyention established by the COM
promise measures of 1850, :" 1t being the
true ietent and meaning of this act not to
egslate slavery into any Territory or State
nor TO exclude it theretron, but to leave the
people thereof perfectly free to form and reg
f-uiete ts;eir aowestis -iastitntions IN their
own way, subject only to the Constitution
OF the United Stats" We repealed the
Missouri restriction because that was con-
fgcd to slavery. That was the on V excep-
ton there was TO the general principle Of
se,f-government That exception was taken
away for the ayowel and express purpose
oi making the rule of sclfgoyernmeI.t gene
raj and universal, So that the people should
form and regulate al their domestic institu-
tions in their own KY.
Sir. what would this b0asted principle OF
popular sovereignty have been worth If it
applied only 70 tbs negro, and did not ex-
tend to tae wh,te man: ID YOU think yc
could ..@y- aryl,-l Tie sympa.A.-s and the
patriotism uf t...s broad y .pv1..c, and have
carried the Presidential election last year in
the face Of tremenig}gs opposition, on the
princi lie OF eX' eEding the right of seif-gog-
g.. ernrlent 90. Tie negro question, hs!t denying
ita5 10 o.. the relations affecting white m-n !:
NJ. s-r. We aroused the patriotism Of the
country and carried the election in defence
If that great principle, which allowed ali
white m.n 10 ias.n and regulate thsir do
nestle institutions To ait taeMsc.Ycs-ia-
alituf9us Applicable II white men as vel
= as 10 black men, Institutions applicable to
Z freemcn Ss wei a. TO slaves, Institutions
concerning al the relati0as ol life, and not
the mere pI'tTV exception OF the slavery
question S.r. have sp-nt too much StreaGth
and brc-tH. and m7aey too. - establish this
great principle in The popular heart, now to
sec Il frittered away by bringing Il down 10
. ~ exception that applies - the negro, and
. does NOT extend t. ihe benefit oi the white
mzn. As | said before, | can well imagine
hogy the distinguished and eminent patriot
. Lr- Z f,F a. ~
{ ,Fnmeu: fell INTO the error-fJr error it L.,
radical. f4aleucu.al and. If pcTscycre1 in,
>IjycrSive oi that platform upon which he
was e,eYatcs, 70 the Presidency ofthc United
4 States.
Then, If the President he right in saying
that, by tLe Nebraska b.li, the slavery qucs-
tioa mus. BE- Submitted to the people, ii fol-
lows inevitably tlal every other clause Of
} the constitution must b. submitted to the
people The Nebraska bill said that the pco-
pie should be lcit perfectly free 70 form
asi regulate their domestic institutions ia
their own waY'-uot the slavery Gu stion,
not rhe Maine Fquor law question, not the
banking question, not the railroad qacst1n,
not the school question. not the railroad
qaes;i n, bnt " their domestic Institutions,
meaning each. and al the questions which
are local, not national-Siate, not Federal.
| arrive "a the conclusion that the principles
euuuciated 50 boldly, anI enforced with so
much ability By the President OF the United
States, require Us. out oirespect TO hun and
the platform on which he was elehted, 10
send this whole question back to the people
{ of Kansas, and enable them to say whether
or not the constitution which has been fram-
+ sd. each and every clause Of it, meets their
appreciation.
y l.aS La
: an uuausweaablc argument in favor of the
principle which requires this question TO ne
! sent back. Ii is stated in the message with
more elearness and force than any language
! which can command {; but can draw your
attention TO it, and refer you to the arsu-
Yaent in the message, hoping you viii take
III as a part of NV speech-as expressing my
/ idea more forcbly than am able to express
! it. The President says that a question OF
= great interest. like the slavery question, can
not be fairly decided BY 4 convention of de-
egates, for the reason that the delegates are
elected in districts, and IN some districts a
delegate is elected by a small majority, in
! others by an overwhelming majority; so
that i, often happens that a majority of the
delegates are one way, while a majority OF
/ the people are the other way; and therefore
it would be unfair, and inconsistent with the
great principle of popular sovereignty, to
4 allow body of delegates not representing
! the pepular voice to establish domestic in
stitntions for the m; IS of the people. This
is the Presidents argument to show that you
/ cannot have fair and honest decision with
out submitting 1t to the popular vote. The
same argument is conclusive with regard to
every other question as well as with regard
to slavery.
But Mr.. President, it is Unlimited in the
messnCe that although it was an anuniortunate
circumstance, much to be regretted, that
I the Iecon,,ton Convention did not submit
! the constitution to the people, yet perhaps
II nav be treated as regular, because the
7 Convention was called by Territorial Leg
4;slature which had been repeatedly recog-
Z iniscd bv the Congress of the United States
I. as a LEGAL body. be- Senators not to fail
4 into an error as to thesPrcsde,it's meaning
! on this point He does not say, he does
not mean that this Convention had ever
Y been recognised by the Congress OF the Uni
ftel States rs legal or valid. On the con-
trary, he knows, as we here know, that du-
5. RIM the last Congress reported a bill from
the Committee on Territories to anthorZe
the people of Kansas to assemble and form
.4G constitution for themselves. Subsequent
llv the Senator from Georgia, (Nr. IooMB> J
u brought forward substitute for my bill,
which. after having been modified by him
and myself in consultation, was passed by
the Senate. 1t is known in the country as
"thc Toombs bill."5 1t authorized the peo,
!. plc of Kansas Territory to assemble IN Con,
yention and form Constitution preparato-
|. nv to their admission into the Union as
. State. That bill, it is well known, was de
II featcd in the House of representatives,. Il
l,Ilmatters not, for the purpose OF this argu
ment. what was the reason Of its defeat
|, Whether the reason was a political one
whether il had reference to the then exist