Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-02-25

,iion.' ano attempts TO comfort US by say
ing 1t can be patched and made sound. /
will never traffic in goods which are defect
i've, and will not wear. if know it, not
withstanding / may buy, others, if I do
not like them. l will never barter truths
for errors, knowing that may support the
latter by sophistries. I believe, with Mil
ton, that
Truth is strongl Next to the Almighty, she
needs no policies, no stratagems, no licensings
to make her victorious.
And I will follow her wherever she may
lead. If from power, then l am against
power. If from the mass, then I am
against the mass. Iffrom my friends, then
l am against my friends. If into solitude
and the desert, / will make her my COM
panion forever.
The rules of the House deny me the
time to pursue this branch of my argument
further, however much may desire to do
so. shall now contend that, to adopt
the course recommended by the President
to Congress to support the action of the
Lecompton convention, would be to violate
the manifold and manifest pledges of the
Democratic party touching the doctrine of
popular sovereignty in the Territories.
The main or principal ground taken by
the Republican party has been, that the
Democracy were not to be trusted on ques-
tions involving the interests of slavery, and
that their management of Kansas affairs
afforded the sustaining proof. 1t will not
do for us to say that it produced no effect
upon the public mind. Wewere constrain-
ed to admit the policy, although we denied
the justice of the appeal. In Pennsylva-
mia, within sight Of Wheatland, the home
of the present Chief Magistrate, an impress
ion had been made against us. The reply
was ready and potent, that Mr.. Buchanan,
having favored the extension of the Mis-
souri, compromise to the Pacific, had favor
ed the exclusion of slavery from the terri
tory north of that line, including Kansas;
that be was northern man, having, as
such, sympathies with the white laborer,.
and likely, for that reason TO see full JUS
tice done him; that he had proved himself
honest, and as the resolves of his party
bound him to the doctrine of popular SOW
ereignty, and the sentiment in Kansas was
most unmistakably for free State, there
could be no doubt be would see the organ
ic act fully and impartially carried out, and
slavery repressed. Confidence was rees-
tablished and Democratic victory achiev-
ed. If the recent message could have been
then anticipated, | do not hesitate to ex-
press my conviction that Peunsylyama
would have cast an immense majority of
her votes against him. His old congress
ional district part of which have the
honor to represent am satisfied would
have spoken in vely different voice.
You know but little Of the present telling
in Pennsylvania if you suppose her sons
can be induced to support the views of the
Executive regarding the Lecompton con
yention. There is an accusation of bad
faith, and confess 1 have felt myself una
Bile to answer it, and consequently unwill-
ing to attempt it.
1t was not alone in Pennsylvania our
party committed itself to faithful express
sion Of the popular wish in Kansas. North
and South, throughout the States, it was
pledged in the most solemn terms to the
same thing. There was no conflict of po-
litical opinion in the different sections of
the Union; all acknowledged the obliga-
ton Of the principle of the Nebraska-Ka
sas bill, and all expressed their unfalter-
ing determination to defend the sovereign
will CT the people, whether its expression
was for freedom or slavery. That these
declarations were honestly made I do not
doubt; the Cincinnati platform had then
but recently been constructed, and alb
seemed to fully understand it. The reso-
luton, to which | more especially refer
was demanded by the South, and fully ae-
cepted by the North. This demand was
occasioned, doubtless, by fear of the for
mer that the latter was more or less un,
friendly to the new territorial legislation.
The principel of this legislation was hence
reasserted and embodied, and became the
bond of Democratic fellowship. 1t is too
plain for misconstruction even now:
"Resolred. That we recognize the right Of the
people of all the Territories, including Kansas
and Nebraska, acting through the legally and
fairly-expressed will ofa majority of actual resi-
dents, and whenever the number of their in
habitants ,iustIfes it, to form constitution,
with or without domestic slavery, and be ad-
mitted into the Union upon terms of perfect
equality with the other states" ff.s
1t did not speak for Kansas merely but
for ''all the Territories" "The people of
all the Territories, including Kansas and
Nebraska, acting through the legally and
fairly-expressed will of a majority Of ac-
tual residents" are to form constitutions.
And here, let me observe, that in no other
way are constitutions to be formed. The
resolution follows the act of Congress in :
dicating the mode in which constitutions
are to be formed, namely, by 'sthe people
acting through the legally and fairly-ex-
pressed will of a majority of actual resi-
dents" Itwas thus emphatically announc-
ed that a constitution could not be given
to Kansas in any but one way. Again, ]
say, the party was trusted, and it triumphed.
The inaugural address of the new Presi-
dent eyinced clear comprehension Of the
grounds upon which his election had been
accomplished, and determination to Oh
serve the most perfect good faith. In
speaking of The Taritories its language
was: rf ~
alt is the imperative and indispensable duty
of the Government Of the United States to Sc
cure to every resident inhabitant the free and
independent expression of his opinion by his
vote. This sacred right of each individual must
be preservedI' Ais
This is not a passage framed for the pur-
pose of ambiguity; it removes all doubt,
if any existed before, as to the conviction