Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-05-05
Remarks of Hon. William Bigler.

mo The UHioH
Remarks of Hon, William Bigler.
Mr. BIGLER. Mr.. President, am no
prepared to vote on this question withou
first submitting few remarks explana
tory of the views | entertain. do no
intend to delay the Senate by an 6ttempt
at an argument, at length, against tn,
House amendment; shall be content /,
state, very briefly, some of the point
which think involve conclusive obiec
/ tions to the measure.
In the first place the adoption ofthis a
mendment involves an utter and violent
abandonment Of the doctrine of non-in
tervention. 1t presents the broad uues
ton, whether doctrine which the party
to which belong have cherished a doc
trine which is found in the organic law O
Kansas, and which was enunciated in the
Democratic platform at Cincinnati, is TO be
abandoned, and we are to look for some
other system of legislation with regard to
the Territories
had hoped, sir, that when the wise
men of the country, with Clay, and Web.
ster, and Cass in the lead, presented and
slavery question-the enlarged and liberal
doctrine that when the people of the Ter.
ritories were prepared for admission as
States, they should come in with or with
out slavery, rs the constitution presented
by them might provide at the time-it
would have proven fnality on this ques-
ton. In the liberal doctrines maintained
by the democratic party, that the people
the several States may 20 into the Ter
ritories with whatsoever property they
possess, including slaves, and when there,
andwhen about to organize government
preparatory to admission rs a State, on
terms of perfect equality with the other
States, being left perfectly free not only a
to the kind of government they will have,
but as to the mode and manner of making
it, had hoped we were to find simple
and satisfactory solution Of this unhappy
difficulty which seems to arise on the APP
plication of each State for admission.
When this doctrine was proclaimed it
was at variance with and supcrseded the
former practice of government; but it was
ono which commended itself to the iudg.
mentand patriotism Of the people. 1t was
a prOp~ itlun 10 settle the cOntrOv ersv a.
bout slavery upon high principle--sacred
principle: a principle that was coeXten-
sive in its operation with the en- tire coun-
try, with all Territories We possessed then,
or even can possess, and as impcrshable
as the government ITSELF equal to every
emergency that may arise. An essential
element in that doctrine is, that Congress
shall not interfere with the domestic af-
fairs OF the Territories; that as to the
mode and manner of making govern
ment, the people OF the Territories should
be unrestraned that Congress- would de-
eide only upon the question Of admission
under the obligations Of the constitution,
and that would be on the single point
whether the government presented was
republican in form, and mot as to the mode
OF making the nstitution-leaving that
work with the people.
! had hoped that we were about to wit
ness beautiful illustration of the wisdom
Of this doctrine, by the admission of two
States, the one slave, and the other free,
under this principle. Thus its beauties
would be illustrated and illuminated
ana tell you, Mr.. President, that. in my
humble Judgment, no act of Congress
would 60 further toward restoring those
relations Of fraternal feeling which in the
and purer days of the republic
existed between the people of its extrem-
tiles, than the consummation of such
work. Nothing, inmy humble Judgment,
would tend more to give peace to this
great country to promote its future pro.
gress and prosperity, to give prosperity
and peace to the people Of various Terri
tories. Sir, that is the doctrine of the
democratic party, held by them because
it is consistent with the constitution-con-
sistent with the true interest of this great
country, and with the rights of classes of
people. and sections of the Union.
Now, sir, regard the House PROPOSE
ton as direct and violent Intervention,
because it proposes to discard what the
people have done and to institute new
mode Of proceeding. 1t proposes to set
aside what the people Of Kansas have
done in the way .of changing their
government from a territorial to State
form, and to prescribe to them how they
shall proceed hereafter in making a gov
ernment. wish to mark the distinction
between case where the people of Ter
ritory have not acted at all, and especially
where a Territory may not possess the
usual population for State, where their
powers have restedin allowance, and where
Congress volunteers to offer to those such
an invitation to come into the Union
That we did in 1856 TO the people of Kan
sas under the Toombs bill. They could
hardly presume, 'whith the population
they then possessed, that they would be
as State. Congress extended
an invitation to them, they having taken
no proper legal act on the subject 1t is
different now. They have acted they
have presented themselves here with re.
publican form Of government. which has
come up to us through legal channels and
egular steps. They have exercised the
power which you gavethem in the organic
law, when you said their legislative power
should extend over all the rightful sub
jects of legislation, and that the people
should be left perfectly free to form and
regulate their domestic institutions in
their own way.
But, Mr.. President, if it were allowable
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