The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-07-21
McGREGOR, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, JULY 81, 1858.

Mebrsskaf Was it not my duty, in obedience to the
Illinois platform, to your standing instruction to your
corporate in that bill the great principle Of selgover
ment, debating that 'the true intent and mean
ing Of the act not to gate slavery into any State or
Territory, or to exclude therero, but to leave the
people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their
domestic institutions in their way subject only to
the Constitution Of the United Statesi'' (Cres Of
"yes," eyes,, and cheers) did incorporate that prin
cpe in the Kansas Nebraska bill, and perhaps did as
much any living man in the enactment of that bill,
great applause) thus establishing the doctrine in the
renewed applause.) I then defended that principle
against assaults from section of the union During
this last winter became my duty to vndicate it against
vindcated it boldly and fearlesy, the people Of
Chicago bear witness, when assailed BY Free
seilers eyes. ye" ana cheers) and during this win
ter vindicated und defended it boldly and fear
es sly when attempted to be violated by the almost
united South. Immense applause) pledged myself
to you every stump in Illinois in 1854 pledged my
wherever spoke-and in the United states Senate and
elsewhere in every form in which i could reach the
public mind or the public ear gave the pledge that
SO far as the power should be in my hands, would vnd
cate the principle Of the right Of the people to form
their oYn institutions, to establish free States slave
States rs they choose and that that principle should
nsver Dc violated !, either BY fraud BY ey cir
power to preventit (Applause pSw submit to you,
my felow-ctizens, whether have not redeemed that
pledge in good i..h riss Of ys, yes, and thrse
cd in good, and 1t Is matter of heartfelt qualification
to me to these assembled thousands here tonight
bearing their testimony to the fidelity with which have
advocated that principle and redeemed my pledges In
connection with It.. .(Cheers.)
will be entirely frank With you. Ny object was to
the right Of the people OF each state and OF each
themselves, to have slavery or not Just they chooses
and my opposition TO the Lecompton Constitution was
not predcated upon the ground that H. was prosla-
been different had it been free soil constitution. My
speech against the Lecompton fraud was made on the
9th OF December, while the vote the slavery clause
same month, nearly two weeks after Inade my speech
against that Lecompton monstrosity solely on the
ground that It was violation of the Fundamental! prn
not the act and deed Of the people Of Kansas that it
did not embody their will that they avcrse to it ;
and hence denied the right of Congress to force up
deny the right Of Congress force State
upon an unwilling people. (Cheers) l deny their
right to force free State upon an unwilling people
On people Who are unwilling tore to receive it. (Cfiss Of
good, good" and cheersj The great principle is the
right Of every community and decide for ITSELF
good evil for them to adopt and the right Of free
action the right Of free thought the right Of free judy
nent upon the question Is dearef to every true Amer
objection to the Lecompton contrvancc that 1t un-
dertook to put Constitution the people OF Kansas
against their will, in opposition to their Wishes and
vlO0Je0 the great upon WNcn
sttutions rest. It Is this argument to say
that slavery Is evil and hence should not be tolera
ted You must allow the peSple to decide for them
selves whether Il Is good or an evil ioa allow them
to decide for themselves whether they desire Maine
Liquor law not you allow them to decide for them
selves what kind of common schools they will have
What system Of banking they will adopt, or whether
they will adopt any at all you allow them to decide
for themselves the relations between husband and wife,
parent and child, and guardian and ward in fact you
allow them to decide br themselves all other
AM ~ ySNkn StiOn1 hQn.
ever you put limitation upon the right Of any people
to decide what laws they want, you have destroyed
the fundamental principle Of selfgovernment.-
(Cheers.)
In connection with this subject perhaps 1t will not
be improper for this occasion al!ude to the
son or those who have chosen to arraign my conduct
this same subject have observed from the public
prints that but few days ago the Republican party OF
the State Of Illinois assembled in Convention at Spring
field, and not only laid down their platform, but nomi-
successor liiisses.) take great pleasure IN saying
that have knon, personally and intimately Ser about
sqaarssr or csnssry ths worthy gentleman Wno mas
get and cheers,) and will say that regard him as
kind amiable, and intelligent gentleman, good citi
may have with him will be Of principle and involv
Ing personalities. (Cheers.) Mr.. Lincoln made q
speech before that Republican Convention which unan
mously nominated him for the Senate-s speech evil
IDENTIFY well prepared and carefully wrttenn which he
states the basis which he to carry on the
campaign during this summer In it he lays down two
distinct wnlcO snail uOslCe, ana upon
which shall take direct and bold issue with him.
(Cries of 'igood, good" and great applause.)
Ills first and main proposition will give in his own
language, scripture quotation and all daughter give
his exact language :-"sA house divided against ltse
cannot stand l believe this government cannot en-
dure permanently, half stape and half free. do moi
house to fdu but do expect it to cease to be divid
ed. 1t will become all one thing all the other"
In other words, Mr.. Lincoln asserts fundamenta
principle OF this government, that there must be uni
n
each and all the states of the Union and he thereort
invites all the nonslaveholding States to baud togeth
er organize as one body aud make war upon slavery
Kentucky, upon slavery in Virginia, upon slavery in th'
Caronas, upon slavery in all OF the savehOldng State
in this Union and to persevere in that war Until 1t sha
be sxterminated. He then notifies the slavehodinl
States to stand together unit and make aggress
i've upon the free States Of this Uion with view
of establishing slavery in them all Of forcing it upon
Illinois, of forcing it upon New York, upon New Eng
land, and upon every free State, aud that they shall
keep up the warfare until it has been formally establish
ed in them all. In other words Mr. Lincoln advocates
boldly aud clearly Of secions war OF the Nortt
against the South, Of the free States against the SLAVE
States-& war Of exterminaton-to be continued re-
lentlessy until the the other shall be subduet
and all the states shall either become fee becon
| slave.
Now, my friends, must shy to you frankly; thst
take bold, unqualified issue with him upon that ptin
cple assert that it is neither desirable possible
that there should be uniformity in the local nst ution
and dcesc regulations Of the different States OF thi
Union. The trainers Of our government never contem
plated uniformity in its internal The father
Of the Revoluon and the sages who made the Consti
tuition we'll understood that the laws and domestic in
sttutions which would suit the granite bills OF New
Hampshire would be totally unfit for the rice planta
that the laws which would suit tie districts
OF Pennsylvania and New York would be totally 0n6
for the large mining regions OF the Pacific the lu
Der regions Of Maine. tBray-) They well understood
that the great varieties Of SOIL of production and O
interests In republic q large this required different
local and domestic regulations in each locality adapt
(cries OF 'bravo" and 'tgood, and for that reason
Was provided in the Federal Const uton that the thr
teen original States shptlu remain sovereign and
preme within their limits in regard oil that
local. and terual and dome O. while the federal gov
ment should have certain specified powers which were
general and RATIONAL and could be exercised only BY
the federal authority. (Cheers.)
The trainers Of the Constitution well understood that
each ocalt having separate aud distinct interests, re
qured separate and distinct laws domestic institutions
and police regulations adapted its wants and 1T
own condition and they acted ON the presumption
ALSO that these laws and institutions would be diveri
fed and IS disslar the States would be numerous
interests Of no two would be precisely the Hence
assert that the great fundamental prnci e which
derlies our complex system of STATE and federal gotern
ment, contemplated diversity and disimilsrity in ths
local institutions and domestic affairs Of each and every
state then IN the Union, thereafter to be admitted
into the confederacy; therefore conceive that my
friend, Mr. Lincoln, has totally misapprshended the
great principles upon which government rests
Uniformity in local and domestic affairs would be des
tructve Of State Rghte, OF State Sovereignty OF Per
sonal Liberty and Personal Freedom. Uniformity i
the parent Of Despotsm the world over not only in pol
tics but In religion Wherever the doctrine of Unif0r
NIFTY is proclaimed that all the States be free
all slaye that all labor must BE- white all black that
all the citizens OF the Different States must have ths
same privileges or be governed by the regulations
you have destroyed the greatest safeguard which
have thrown around the rights the citizen
('Bravo," aud great applauss.)
How could this uniformity be accomplished II Il wa
desirable aud posstble There but mode In which
could be obtained and that must be by abolshing tn,
State Legislatures, blotting out state sovereignty
merging the rights and sovereignty Of the States IN
mesc aud local laws, uniform throughout the limits
the Republic. When you shall have done this you vii
all be free then negroes viii where or nowhere
then you will have Maine liquor law in every State o.
none then you will have uniformity in all things locs
and domestic by the authority of the feral govern