The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1858-10-01
speech Of the Hon. Eli Thayer.

a few minutes, that the gentleman
who preceded me, and who yieldet
the floor for the purpose Of enablin!
me to occupy it, has declined furth
er to proceed. | know not what h
say to you concerning the politics o
Massachusetts, unless it be to con
gatulate you upon the very grea
unanimity which now exists here
against the HoLy Democracy Zap
plause]. IL there is anything VIII hat
ever to depricate, it is the fact tina
there is so much harmony that il
may lead to inaction.
In relation to our national plat
form, which is not yet perfected,
have only To say, that there is every
prospect of its being made gooc
and strong, and large enough tor {
victorious party to occupy in 1860
Loud applause Your resolutions
have already proclaimed your senti
ments upon several topics. Yor
have expressed your love for the
\ Union. 1t is now a fact, | thinl
undisputed, that we are the great
est union party on the continent
Where are the disunion members o
the Republican party to be founds--
and where south of Mason and Dix.
on.s line are not the disunion mem
bers of the Democratic party to be
found! You have already expressed
an opinion concerning the tariff
which | believe is not extravagan'
in any direction. You have ex'
pressed an opinion on the acquisi
ton of .rritory. Well, gentlemen
| | have a very strong tendency to-
wards land, the acquisition Of terri
tory by fair means only. | am op'
posed to circumscribiBg the mission
Of any individual in this government
| will not say to any man that hc
cannot exercise his power of mint
and body for the good Of his fellow
Imen outside Of the town in which hC
resides: and | will not say to tbi-
country that her sphere shall be con
fined within the limits of the Unite,
States. think her mission is be-
yond that.
Then we are certainly tendin.
now towards certain positive prirci
,ples--a platform of positive princi
pies, without which no party can ev'
succeed in this government. II +
party is ever to be anything but Al
oppos tion party, it must have some
oi icct in view tor which it will con
tend. An opposition party is sim
ply the historian o! the party in pow
"a the Wing party used to be OF th'
Democratic party. But | trust it il
the mission ofthe Republican party
not So much to write history as Il
make it, | think that hereafter VT
will have it Tor others To record, rath
er than br our selves simply the re
curlcrs Oi what others have done -
For this purpose it is necessary tha
We should have positive policy
We have spoken upon several ia
sues now before the country. bu
the greatest national issue is th
question concerning the governmep
Of the territories; ard what shall b.
the position Of the Republican pa I,
upon tat questions! We alrca1,
have the position OF the Democrat,
= party, such IA il is. They hav'
proies-ed to hold the doctrine q
popular sovereignty. but where ha
! been the practice Of it' II has bee
theory only; the practice has bee
4 despotism. Three times that party
which proicssed to be the author {
popular sovereignty. has repu late
r that doctrine. 1t repudiated it, b
/. refusing to vote for the amend
ment OF Senator Chase. in 1854, b
/. which he proposed to cut off not or
'.ly the interference by Congress i
the territories, but by the Chief ES
ective, and thus leave the people {
the territory in reality to make the
institutions in their own way.
The Democrats, including Doug
o Las, voted against the proposition
and thus repudiated popular SOW
2 reignty." Again, in voting f
Z the Toombs bill, they repudiate
u popular sovereignty" for that WI
intended to force Constitution u
on the people of Kansas withol
= first submitting it for their adoptio
And again they repudiated th'
doctrine, with a very few exception
r. in refusing to vote for the Crittendt
:, Montgomery Bill. Then | say
rs rs you to-day, that the Democrat
b, party is not the author nor the su
u porter of the doctrine of "popul
ia sovereignty" But ! congratula
nd you, members Of the Republics
party, on being this day on the
cord in favor Of that doctrine. u
- ring the last session Of Congress y
know your Representatives, wi
lc out exception, voted for the sal
bill which the Democrats
pudiated - the "Crittendon- Mo
. somery bill"-which involved
,a, ,Ts included the doctrine OF "popu
or, sovereignty And what man |
sTE spologised to you for his vo
,ar What man has inquired of you e'
'' whether you approve of that act
- or notl They know you approve
that action, and if they had not Il
yes ,ss voted, you would have brsnc
'A' them as traitors to their party.
this party has recorded itself as
uIe @ supporter Of the doctrine OF "po
sss sss, lar sovereignty in this country.
Ork Is there anything to depreciate
ah. aS. this2 | come now to this questi