Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-12-25
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA,

IlNOlH " III " l
rs an Administration measure, moi a.
an Executive measure. but as a measr
nie comipg before u Tor oui free act
ton, without any recommendation or
Interference, directly or indirectly, BY
4he Administration now IN possession
|of she Federal Governments Slr,oI
propose 20 examine the question calm
" and iaifly, 70 see whether or not we
|can properly receive Kansas into tbe
Unioo With he constitution formed al
Lecomp,ou.
cav We rEcEtyk KANSAS INTO tbs
!. ufsos,.rsDEs ses. r'ssses.sFos sse.'.s CON
l srigrfiSc".
s. Ihs r ;esfdeut. s1fer sspfessihg bis
|ievre, and mo-is essas iotl ird disappoilt,
'menl,. sbats. the Edassitutish had. not
h6e6 Submliia 10 the people, 10 az,
coi,laiic;e win his ins}ruaiou = GOV.
'<t|ker, aud N pursuance OF Gov. Nal
'kar 5ysu.lncesf0 -tSe popid, says,
however, that by the Kansas-N Nebraska
act the slavery question only was re-
quired 70 be submitted To the people,
aud the remainder OF the Constitution
was not thus required TO be referred.
He acknowledges that, as a general
rule, on general principles, the whole
Constitution should be submitted but
according 10 his understanding of the
organic act OF Kansas, there was an
imperative obligation TO submit The
slavery question for their approval or
disapproval, but no obligation 20 sub
nit the entire Constitution. In other
words, he regards the organic act. the
Nebraska bill, as having made an ex-
ception Of the slavery clause, and pro-
vided for the disposition of that ques-
tion in a mode different from that in
which other domestic or local, as con-
sradistinguished from federal questions,
should be decided.
THE PRESIDENT aAD BEEN ABROAD AND
WAS NOT POSTED.
Sir, permit me to say, with profound
respect for the President OF the United
States, that / conceive that on this
point he has committed fundamental
error, an error Which lies at the foun-
dation of his whole argument on this
matter. | can well understand how
that distinguished statesman came 70
fall into an error. He was not in the
country at the time the Nebraska bill
was passed he was not party 10 the
controversy, aud the discussion that
took place during It's passage. He was
then representing the honor and the
dignity OF the country with great wis
dom and distinction at a foreign court.
Thus deeply engrossed, his whole en-
ergies were absorbed in conducting
great diplomatic questions that divert
ed his attention from the mere terrific
rial questions aud discussions then go-
ing on in The Senate aud the House Of
Representatives aud taiere tile peopld
at home. Under these circumstances.
he may well baye fallen into an error,
radical and Fundamental a. il is. IN re-
gard 10 tbe object of the Nebraska bill
aud the principle asserted in ii.
now DOUGLAS HAD TALKED.
Now, sir, what was the principle
enunciated by the authors aud suppor.-
ers of that bill when il was brought
forward Did we not come before
the country aud say that we repealed
the Missouri restriction for the purpose
Of substituting and carrying out as a
general rule the great pnucIple of self
government, which lett the people OF
each State and each Territory free to
form and regulate their domestic insti-
tutioDs IN their own way, subject only
10 the Constitution OF the United
States? In support of that PROPOSE
tion il was agreed here, and | have ar
gued il wherever | have spoken in va
rious States OF the Union, at home and
abroad, everywhere | have endeayored
TO prove thaC there was no reason why
an exception should be made in regard
10 the slavery question. l have ap-
pealed 70 The people il we did not all
agree, men o, all parties, that ali other
local aud domestic questions should be
submitted 10 tbe people said 10 them,
1--WE agree that the people shall decide
for themselves what kind OF a Judicial
ry system they will have We agree
that the people shall decide what kind
OF school system they will establish
We agree that the people shall deter
mine for themselves what kind OF d
banking system they will have, ol
whether they VII have any banks ri
all; We agree thai people shall decid,
for themselves what shall be the elect
i've franchise IN their respective States
they shall decide for themselves wha
ishall be the rule for taxation and th'
principles upon which their 6nanc'
shall bo regulated We agree that thel
may decide for themselves the relation
between husband aud wife, parent anC
Tchild, guardian and ward aud WHY
should we not then allow them to de
eide for themselves the relations be
tween master and servant ? WI,
make an exception of the slavery ques
tion by taking it out OF that grea, rul
of self-goyernment which applies Z,
all the other relations OF life p Th
very first proposition in the Nebraska
bill was 10 show that the Missouri re
striction, prohibiting the people from
deciding che slavery question for them
selves, constituted an exception to th
general rule, in violation OF the priuci
piles OF self-goyernment, and henc
that that exception should be repealed
and the slavery question, like ali othe
questions, su0mlLted To the people q
be decided for themselves.
WHY THE MISSOURI COMPROMISES WA
ABOLISHED.
Sir, that was tue principle on wbic
the Nebraska bin was defended by il
friends. Instead of making the SLAYER