Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1858-08-05

| when all parties did not recognize the rlgh:
Of people to have slavery or freedom, to
tolerate or prohibit slavery, as they deemed
best but claimed thst power for the Con
gress of the United States, regardless o,
the wishes Of the people to be affected b
II, and when ! found upon the Crittenden
Montgomery bill the Republicans and A.
mericans Of the North, and may say, too,
some glorious Americans and old line
Wings from the South (cheers,) like Crit
tenden and his patriotic associates, Joined
with portion Of the Democracy to carry
out and vindicate the right Of the people
to decide whether slavery should or should
not exist within the limits Of Kansas, ]
was rejoiced within my secret soul, for
saw an indication that the American peo
pie, when they come to understand the
principle, would give it their cordial sup
port. (Cheers.)
The Crittenden. Montgomery bill was as
fair and as perfect an exposition Of the
doctrine Of popular sovereignty as could
be carried out by any bill that man ever
devised. 1t proposed to refer the Lecomp.
ton Constitution back to the people Of
Kansas, and give them the right to az cept
or reject it as they pleased at fair cleo
ton, held in pursuance Of law. and in the
event Of their rejecting it and forming an
other in its stead. to permit them to come
into the Union on an equal footing with
the original States. 1t was fair and Just
in all Of it's provisions I gave it my
cordial support, and was rejoiced when !
found that it passed the House Of Repre-.
sentatives, aud at one time entertained
high hope that it would pass the Senate.
(Arplause.)
lfegard the great principle Of Popular
Sovereignty as having been vindicated and
made triumphant in this land as perma.
nent rule of public policy in the organiza.
ton of territories and the admission of
new States. (Cheers.) Illinois took her
position upon this principle many years
ago. You all recollect that in 1850. after
the passage Of the Compromise measures
of that year, when returned to my home
there was great dissatisfaction expressed
a' my course in supporting those measures.
tShame.) appeared before the people
OF Chicago at mass meeting, and yindi
Gated each and every one Of those meas
ures; and BY reference to my speech on that
occasion, which was printed and circulated
broadcast throughout the State at the
time, you will find that l then and there
said that those measures were all founded
upon the great principle that every people
ought to possess the right to form and reg.
ulate their own domestic institutions in
their own way, and that that right being
possessed by the people of the States,
saw no reason why the same principle
should not be extended to all of the terri
oDsies of the United States. A general
election was held III this State few months
afterwards, for members of the legislature.
pending which, all these questions were
thoroughly canvassed and discussed, and
the nominees Of the different parties in.
structed in regard to the wishes of their
constituents upon them. When that cleo.
tion was over, and the Legislature assem-.
bled, they proceeded to consider the merits
Of those compromise measures and the
principles upon which they we're predica.
ted. And what was the result of their
action? They passed resolutions, first
repeating the Wilmot proviso instructions,
and in lieu thereof adopted another reso.
luton, in which they declared the great
principle which asserts the right of the
people to make their own form of govern
ment and establish their own institutions.
That resolution is as follows:
Resolred, That our liberty and indepen-
dence are based upon the right Of the peo-
PIE 70 form for themselves such govern.
ment as they may choose; that this great
principle, the birthright Of ireemen, the
gift Of Heaven, secured to us BY the blood
Of our ancestors, ought to be extended I.
future generations, and no limitation ought
TO be applied to this power in the organ
ization Of any territory Of the United
States Of either Territorial Government
or State Constitution. provided the Gov.
ernment 90 established shall be Republican
and in conformity with the Constitution Of
the United States.
That resolution, declaring the great
principle Of selfgovernment as applicable
to the Territories and new States, passed
the House Of Representatives Of this State
by vote Of sixty one in the affirmative to
only four in the negative. Thus you find
that an expression of public opinion, en-.
educated, intelligent public
opinion, on this question by the represent.
atives Of Illinois, in 1851, approaches
nearer to unanimity than has ever been
obtained on amy controverted question:
That resolution was entered on the journal
Of the Legislature Of Illinois, and it has
remained there from that day to this a
standing instruction to her Senstors and
request to her R..s' ssntatives in Congress
to carry out that principle in al future
cases. Illinois, therefore, stands pre- EN-.
inent as the State which stepped forward
early and established . platform applica.
ble to this slavery question concurred il
alike BY Wings and Democrats, in which |
- moa Nonia a rad a ho tha -,:aL ~c -. -,