The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-07-22

You viii recolIect vkeny IN 1850. aftet he
passage Of thecompFomise measures Of that
\ wear, Returned home; that there was great
ldissatisfactiou at my course In supporting
these measures. [CFies Of Sshame. L
appealed before the people Of Chicago at a
mass meeting, and made vindication Of
each and every one of those measures, and
by reference 10 that speech, which was
4 printed and circulated broadcast throughout
the State at that time, you will hnd that
there said these measures are oil founded
upon the great principle that free people
ought to possess the right to form and regn-
late their domestic Institutions in their own
\ way, and while these things were conferred
I, by tle Constitution upon the people Of the
Estates, saw no reason why the same prin-
ciple should not be extended to all the Ter
ritories Of the United States.
A general election was held in this State
a few months Afterwards, at which all these
questions were thoroughly canvassed, and
members were instructed in regard to the
wishes of their constituents upon the meas.
ures. When that election was over the
/ members assembled, and proceeded TO con.
what was the result Of their action! They
passed resolutions, first repealing the VII.
mot Proviso instruction, and in lieu OF that
they adopted another, in which they declar-
ed that the great principle which asserts the
right Of the people to make their own form
Of government, and establish their own in
stitutons, is the birthright of freemen, the
gift of Heaven, anda legacy from our an
cestors, established by the blood of the
Revolution, and that no limitation on that
right must hereafter be inserted In any gov.
ernment for the Territories, either as Ter.
ritory, or in their Constitutions when they
became States. That resolution, thus de-
claring the great principle Of self-govern-
ment, as applicable to the Territories and
States, passed the House of Representatives
in that State BY vote of III in the affirma.
tive, and only four in the negative. -~rag
| Thus you find an expression of public
opiRion-enlightened, educated public opin.
ion-by the representatives, Of Illinois in
1851, approaching nearer to unanimity than
has ever been obtained on eny controverted
question. That resolution has stood upon
the statute-book of Illinois-on the journal
q Of the State of Illinois-from that day ia
this, standing instruction to the Senators
o from Illinois, and a request to her Repre-
h sentatives, to carry out that principle in al
d future cases. Illinois, there fore, stands
;. prominent as State which stood forward
v early, and established her platform, concur
i red in by Wings and Democrats alike, ap
v plicable to this slavery question--that here
= alter the people of the Territories an
" States were to be left perfectly free to form
. and regulate their domestic institutions il
h their own way, and that no limitation O.
" that right was to be permitted in any form
G. Applause ms ..,. e.... a, a'g =.
n Hence what was my duty in 1854, whe
r it become necessary TO bring forward bil
nj for the organization Of Kansas. and Nebras
,r ka? Was it not my duty in obedience t
,e that Illinois platlorm-to that standing in
i, struction adopted almost uaanimously-wa
IT, it not my duty to incorporate in thatNebrask
ut bill the great principle OF self-governmen
II. declaring that it be the true intent an
is meaning of this act not to legislate SLAYER
e. into any Territory or State, nor to exclud
10 il therefrom, but 10 leave the people therec
perfectly free TO form and regulate the
8. own domestic institutions in their own way
is II did introduce that principle--incorporat
IN it into the Nebraska bill, and perhaps di
lie as much as any living man in the enuctmer
We of that bill, Iapplause,] by it eetablishin
IS, that doctrine upon the public policy of tl
III country. then vindicated that Principl
ed against assaults from all sections OF tn
a Union. During this last session it becam
IN my duty to vindicate it from assaults frol
he the other section of the Union. vindica
at ed it boldly and fcarlessly, as the people
H. Chicago can bear witness, when it was o.
o. saulted by Free Solers, "a voice, eyes, o.
cs boy,"] and during this Congress | have vii
he dicated it equally boldly and fearless
e. when it was attempted to be violated by Il
at almost united South. [Applause.]
ch pledged myself to you on every stump
an illinois in 1854; pledged myself TO tt
ed people of other States, North and Sout
by wherever ! spoke; gave the pledge
en- speeches in the Senate and in Congresslo
le. al reports, und in every form in which
mt could reach the public mind or the publ
ey earl gave the pledge that l, SO isr as Il
Sc power should be in my hands, would VlLt
cate that principle, the right OF the peop
N to form their own institutions, to establl
he Tree States or slave States, as they chos
nd and that that principle should never be VI
on lated either by fraud or violence or by G.
he cumvention, or by any other MEANS II
nd was in my power to prevent it. Applause
of now submit to you, my fellow citizens, 4
vas question for your decision, whether no
lie not redeemed that pledge in good faith!
or. Voices, "Yes."] Yes, my friends, l ha
on redeemed it in good faith, and it is matt
ult of heartfelt qualification to me to find the
to assembled thousands-this multitude OF pc
tu- sons assembled this night, bearing their te
his timony to the fidelity with which have vi
ng dicated that principle, and performed n
lif- pledges.
re- In connection with that will be entir
st, frank with you. My object was to secu
ly the right of the people OF each State, and
pie each Territory, North and South, to deci
The for themselves, and to have slavery or notjl
yes as they should choose. am equally fra
List to say to you, that my opposition to the L
compton Constitution was not predicat
pie upon the ground that it was pro.slave
me Const tuition, nor would my action have be
ght differently il it had been free.soi Cons
- tuition. My speech against the Lecompt
ose fraud was made on the 9th of DeCemb
on while the vote upon the slavery clause
ion the Constitution was not taken until the 2
rri- day of the same mohth-nearly two wee
en-. afterwards. / made my speech against
and Lecompton monstrosty, solely upon
and ground that it was violation Of the fun
ans mental principle of free government, on
.ap- ground that il was not the act and deco
ap the people or Kansas, and did not embt
nit their will. They were adverse to it. Hel
car | denied the right of Congress to force it
ople on them either as q free State or as 81,
ould State. Cries of Good" ""Bravo," "He
iced hear."] I,deny the right of the Congr