Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-09-11

d. Extract from Jndgs ilueel.ss Speech Is Frsspos
) First: He [Lincolnl desires Is know whethSE, if
the people Of Kansas slialI form constitution BY
means entirely proper snd unob ectonable, and ask
for admission State before they have the requi-
site population for member OF Congress, wiH vote
for the admission, Well, even regret exceedingly
that, when he put that interrogatory to me, he did
not first answer it himself instead Of leaving us to
infer which side he was on. Gentlemen, Mr.. Trum-
bull during the last session Of Congress- vated from
beginning to end, against the admission of Oregon
into the Union. although free State. because she
had not the requisite population. Mr.. Trumbull is
in the field fighting for Mr.. Lincoln would like
to have Mr.. Lincoln answer his own question, and
tell me whether he is fighting Trumbull on that is
sue or not, but will answer his questions. In my
opinion, whenever Kansas has people enough to con-
stitute slave State, she has people enough for
free STATE | will not make any exception Of Kan
sas t0the other States of this Union. bold it to
be sound rule of universal application to require
Territories to contain the requisite population for
member of Congress before they into the Union
l made that proposition in the Senate in 1856.
renewed it in the Senate during the last session. by
bill providing that no Territory Of the United
States should form constitution and apply to the
Union until it had the requisite population. Con-
gress did not adopt my general rule, requiring all
the Territories to have that amount of population
before they should come into the Union, but did
make exception of Kansas and applied the rule to
Kansas alone l will not stand by that exception.
Applause. Either Kansas must come in any
other State, with whatever population she may have,
or the rule must be applied to all the other States
alike. therefore answer at once, it having been
decided that Kansas has enough for a slave State
hold that she has enough for a free State. [Ap-
plause.] l hope Mr.. Lincoln is satisfied on this
question. And now l would like to get his answer
10 his own nerrogatory, whether he will vote to ad
NIT Kansas before she has the requisite population.
want to know whether he will vote for the admis-
&c l.r.. t.
ton. Trumbull won't. The same reason that COM
mts him against the admission of Oregon commits
him against the admission of Kan sas and if there is
any sincerity or truth in the argument Trumbull
made in the Senate against the admission of Oregon,
because she had not 80, 400 people, although she
had more than Kansas it will apply as we'll to Kan
sas as to Oregon. He stands by that argument,
pledged against Oregon and Kansas both coming
in until they have 90, 42O inhabitants. would like
for Mr.. Lincoln to take his own medicine. Laugh
ter. l would ike him to answer his own question,
and then if he differs with Trumbull let him answer
Trumbulrs argument on the Oregon question, in
stead of poking his questions at me.
The next question Mr. Lincoln propounded to me
is " Can the people of Territory exclude slavery
from their limits by any fair means, before it comes
into the Union as State" l answer emphaticaly,
as Mr.. Lincoln has heard me answer hundred times,
on every stump in Illinois, that in my opinion, the
people Of Territory by lawful means exclude
slavery before it comes in as State. Cheers |
Mr.. Lincoln knew that had given that answer over
and over again. He heard me argue the Nebraska
bill on that principle all over the State in 1873
and g. and he has now excuse to pretend to have
any doubt upon that subject. Whatever the Su-
preme Court may hereafter decide to the abstract
question of whether slavery may 60 in under the
constitution or not, the people of Territory have
the lawful means to admit it exclude it as they
please for the reason that slavery cannot exist day
an hour anywhere unless supported by local po
lice regulations, furnishing remedies and means of
enforcing the right to hold slaves. Those local and
police regulations only be furnished by the local
legislature. If the people of the Territory are OPP
posed to slavery they will elect members to the leg
If they are for it. they will adopt the legislative
measures friendly to slavery. Hence, matter
what may be the decision of the Supreme Court on
that abstract question, still the right of the people to
make it slave Territory free Territory is per-
feet and complete under the Nebraska bill. l hope
Mr.. Lincoln will deem my answer satisfactory on
this point.
In this connection l will notice the charge which
he has renewed about the Chase amendment l
thought that had at Ottawa chased that amend
ment out of Mr.. Lincoln's BRAIN [laughter,] but it
that it still haunts his Imagination, and he is
not yet satisfied. had supposed that Mr.. Lincoln
would be ashamed to press that question further
He is a lawyer he has been member of Congress;
yet he has occupied your time and amused you by
telling you about the rules of parliamentary proceed
ings. He ought to have known better than to have
tried to palm off that miserable humbug upon this
intelligent audience. Now, the Nebraska bill pro-
vided that the legislative power and authority of
the said territory should extend to all rghtful SUBJ
jects of legislation consistent with the organic law
and the constitution of the United States. 1t did
not make any exception Of slavery but gave all the
power that it possible for Congress to give,
without violating the constitution, to the territorial
legislature, with exception on the subject of slav
cry at all Hence that bill, in and by ITSELF gave to
the people of the territory the full power and the
full authority over the subject Of slavery negative
the constitution of the United States will permit
What more could Mr.. Chase give by his amend
ment? Yet he offered his amendment for the Iden
teal purpose that Mr. Lincoln is using it for-to al
low demagogues in the country to try to deceive the
people. His amendment was to this effect that the
legislature should have the power to exclude slavery.
Gen. Cass suggested, "Why not give them the pow
er to introduce as we'll exclude slavery 2" The
answer was they have already got the power in the
bill to do both. Chase afraid his amendment
would be adopted if he put in it the alternative so
to make it fair both ways and he was not willing
to have it adopted. He wanted it rejected. He Of
fered it simply to make capital out of it on the
stump that the people might be deceived in public
meetings. at least that small politicians in the coun-
try might use it for this purpose and Mr. Lincoln is
| carrying out the plan admirably. Mr.. Lincoln
| knows that that bill, without Chase's amendment
United States would permit Could you confer any
| more? Could you 60 beyond the constitution of
the country? That bill made the full grant. There
| was no exception upon slavery way the 9TH
| er, but we left that question, did all other
questions to be decided by the people themselves
just they please. will not occupy time on that
question. l have argued it before all over Illinois.
have argued it in this beautiful city of Freeport.
have argued it at the North and at the South, in
the East and in the West, avowing the same senti-
ments and the same position. I was not afraid to
avow my sentiments up here for fear I would be
trotted down into Egypt ELaughter